Five reasons why you should consider spiritual direction

Listen and make time for safe, sacred space

You may be asking yourself, what is spiritual direction anyway? It is setting aside time with a certified spiritual director to talk about the stuff of life and wonder together where the divine may be at work. You might have some big life decisions, or maybe not.  Maybe your prayer life is dry. Or you want to deepen your faith life. A spiritual director is a companion on the journey, not a cross-legged hermit on a mountaintop with the secret to life. Spiritual direction is not goal-oriented or therapy; it is more about listening and making time for safe, sacred space. Why should you consider this?

1. It feels good to be heard and seen. This is especially meaningful when it is someone outside of your regular life. There is a perspective there. We can go through life thinking our thoughts, but there is something wonderful about speaking them out loud and having those thoughts be fully received.

2. You will learn more about who you are. Spiritual direction usually takes place every 4-6 weeks, although it can be more or less frequent depending on the circumstances. Meeting regularly to talk about life’s troubles and joys will result in seeing patterns. You may notice you continually respond to something in a certain way. What does this say about who you are and who you want to be in the world? Spiritual direction is a slow movement in finding this out.

3. You will learn more about how the Holy Spirit is at work in you. How often do you make decisions or react to situations without reflecting back on them? Spiritual direction allows for this “looking back” to happen. It is a centering time, a time to look at whether our responses are coming from our true self or a false self. The Holy Spirit always aligns with the true self.

4. You are worth it. Life is often chaotic, and many of us don’t create space to slow down. Spiritual direction is like a regular check-in that keeps us on the path. We all have beautiful gifts; isn’t it heart-warming to be affirmed in those gifts of the Holy Spirit? You matter. Your gifts are needed in the world. Spiritual direction helps us see that.

5. You have access to a variety of spiritual directors right here in our Diocese through the Consultation Center (790 Lancaster St., in Albany). Please see our website at www.consultationcenter-albany.org, or call (518) 489-4431. You got through this article, so maybe this is your nudge to try it out!

— Kristine Rooney, one of the many spiritual directors at the Consultation Center