the gentle art of knowing offers opportunities for
spiritual companioning
supervision
contemplative workshops
e-retreats
sabbaticals and
any activity that supports people to deepen their understanding of themselves and their place in the world.
We use this support and strength to live more fully and to
grow in greater ease, appreciation and compassion.
EARLY 2012
A wonderful story came to me recently from Shelia Prichard. It’s about a visitor to an outback cattle farm in Australia who was intrigued by the seemingly endless miles of farming country with no sign of any fences. When they asked the farmer how he kept track of the cattle, the farmer replied, “Oh that’s no problem. Out here we dig wells instead of building fences.” Of course, the implication here is that there is no need to fence cattle in when they are highly motivated to stay within range of their life sustenance.
People have spoken to me about their desire to go deeper into their ‘wells’ and that after many good years of living within fences, they find they are now seeking to live beyond them, or at greater ease within them. Many of these people are finding that developing a contemplative component in their lives is giving them a taste of what it is like to live in a ‘fence-less’ world, and what might have been meant by, ‘I have come so that you may have life, and have it to the full’.
Only so much encouragement and support can be gained from good books by contemporary mystics on the subject of contemplative and transformative spirituality. People are seeking some mutual support with like minded groups or through individual spiritual companioning sessions.
I have taken this interest to heart and am offering two year long contemplative programmes supporting people to be grounded in some contemplative practices, as Cynthia Bourgeault has said, ‘it is more about right practice than about right belief’.
It is my hope that these offerings and other shorter courses, both here in Wellington and in Christchurch, Auckland and Hamilton will provide an environment where people can get in touch with their own ‘heart’s knowing’ and the Wisdom Heart of all.
