There has never been a better time to give yourself and your community the gift of these skills and this knowledge. If you're looking for a way to improve your little corner of the world, this just might be an answer. We can't wait to see you there!

Every person is both broken and intact. We have all perhaps noticed that sometimes the more broken a person is, the more intact they claim to be. This may be a sophisticated defence mechanism used to conceal their awareness that not everything is someone else’s fault. Who can deal with their own darker side or their wounded innocence?

There are some people for whom visualization comes as easily and naturally as breathing. They open the door of their Contemplative Prayer room, et voila, they can see every feature and describe exactly what the room looks like, down to the last detail. There are other people who probably find those people baffling, because visualization is not as simple for them. Some people struggle to “see” or “picture” anything when they close their eyes, and the image of their Contemplative Prayer room may prove elusive or unsteady.

When we put our bodies and minds into a calm, relaxed state we give our hearts and souls more freedom to be open to receiving what is available for us in prayer. One way to best facilitate our bodies being in a ready state to encounter God is to turn our attention to our breathing.  We know that we are made of both mind and matter. Breathing, this wonderful life-giving action, crosses the bounds of our bodies and spirits and ties them together into the intertwined beings of flesh and soul that we are. 

While forgiveness can be tough for some offences and some people, hopefully we are able to understand that it is possible. We will forgive others, in this life or in the next. They say that forgiveness is a gift we give ourself. There is truth to that. When we forgive, we stop carrying someone else's negative "stuff". Typically, we can think of ourselves in the hurtful equations, how we were hurt and how it felt. But even when one is the victim and one the offender, there is more than one perspective.

But acknowledging to ourselves that we are having difficulty with a person or a situation will prompt God’s compassion for us, not his condemnation. There's no need to panic when we find life tough going. Also, there may be no need to "fix" something or someone, either. At times, we must simply keep going and wait for a situation to pass or a relationship to reconfigure. “This is difficult for me and it will pass.” There are times to use that sentence.