Sitting across from my first client in San Antonio, I remember thinking, I am getting paid to do this?? I am so very lucky that this is my job. There is no where I’d rather be: sitting in a safe space, hearing sacred stories, sharing sorrow and longings …. what a privilege.
In college, I was the chaplain of my sorority. Me, the one who walked out of a Campus Crusade meeting because I did not want to hear another testimony about how Jesus helped someone get straight A’s or win their tennis tournament. Me, the one who refused to go to the Student Union and evangelize the people even when my Bible Study leader told me I HAD to. “But Beth. You HAVE to.” “No, Janie. I do not”, I said. Poor Janie. She didn’t know what to do with me.
That was such a weird time. God only knows what darkness I was swimming in and yet somehow this school organization wanted me to be their spiritual leader. Um. Hello? I didn’t know the first thing about the Bible. Apparently that did not matter.
Who could have known that it was one of the first and most aligned experiences of my life. Every week I stood up in front of the people and gave a little message. Hello? Is anyone seeing what is going on inside of me? Apparently that did not matter.
Honest, soulful conversations started happening more and more. Those of us who had walked in some deep and dark places were drawn to each other like magnets. Special bonds and meaningful connections became life giving for many of us.
Those kind of sacred spaces house meaning and hope etched with potential. I don’t know how it happens, but conversations laced with raw honesty and deep longing can set something afire in us.
I am not on social media. The closest I’ve gotten is LinkedIn and even that pushes me over the edge. But Substack? That is a place I go. I first found my way there with Elizabeth Gilbert’s “Letters From Love”. Then I found Meggan Watterson and her pursuit of feminist spirituality. And I continue to find earthy, meaty, gritty spaces where I learn. And I am inspired. It is a beautiful way to read raw, honest offerings that have quality and meaning.
In the spirit of continuing these conversations with you in a format that feels simpler and more accessible, I am heading over to Substack as a place to share these newsletters. There is no need to join, pay or subscribe. If these writings are meaningful to you, I’m glad you’re here. If they’re no longer serving you, that’s okay, too.
A SACRED SUMMER SPACE!
In the meantime, if you or anyone you know is interested in having more sacred conversations, there are a few happening this summer. I’m still so lucky, so privileged, so honored to be sitting in safe spaces, listening to sacred stories, sharing longings and sorrows and watching new love and light emerge. And I want to keep that going.
On the last Saturday of each of these summer months, from 9 am until 2 pm, I will be hosting a mini Sacred Way retreat about Spirituality, Grief and Sexuality. Anyone and everyone is invited. We will engage in some meditative and somatic practices, watch and listen to relevant scenes and songs, walk through a few concepts, dive into some meaningful discussions and sprinkle some creative writing and art projects throughout the time. You just might leave with a new appreciation for your capacity to create, meditate and expand your ideas of you.
What happens this summer in our Sacred Way sessions won’t stay there. Just like yoga, what we learn on the mat will come with us off the mat and the moments of breath and breadth, creativity and expansion, compassion and connection will come with us in our relationships, life and world.
Here are some things some participants have said about their experience in The Sacred Way:
The Sacred Way was safe, special, unexpectedly touching, creative, informative (about myself and others)”
“I love Sacred Way! The women inspire and teach me with every interaction. I feel so blessed to be a part of this group, and I hope it continues.”
“Honestly, I just wish the sessions were longer. Time went by so fast!”
“It was wonderful.”
“Beautifully done, perfectly balanced in terms of encouraging brave sharing and accepting quiet moments. Well done in terms of planning and not making it too rigid.”
“I loved the meditations, quiet opening moments, shared art, written exercises, gentle but encouraging opportunities to share”
“The discussions were the most impactful for me. I also appreciated the arriving icebreaker questions.”
COME ON OVER!
If you or anyone you know might be interested, please reach out to me at beth@bethstanleylpcs.com for more information. I look forward to seeing you at my cozy San Antonio office on Broadway, here at Substack “Beth Stanley/The Sacred Way” or at The Summer Saturday Sacred Way Workshops on
- Saturday, June 27 (Spirituality) 9:00 am – 2:00 pm
- Saturday, July 25 (Grief) 9:00 am – 2:00 pm and
- Saturday, August 29 (Sexuality) 9:00 am – 2:00 pm.
Then, be on the lookout for another Sacred Way group beginning this fall!
