November - 2015

Welcome to Reflections on the Spiritual Life

Here you will find articles on spiritual direction, psychology and spirituality, contemplative practice, and the deeper movements of the spiritual life. Drawing on decades of experience in psychospiritual work and spiritual accompaniment, these reflections explore common themes such as shadow material, prayer struggles, images of God, dreamwork, and the emotional dynamics that shape our spiritual journey.

Whether you are seeking support in your own inner life or resources for spiritual direction practice,

I hope these writings offer clarity, depth, and encouragement.

Raised hands on prayer against a textured background with words like "peace," "love," and "joy" in various colors, creating a spiritual mood.

What is Prayer? Why is it important in the Spiritual Life?

As human beings we have a natural inclination toward the transcendent, and prayer is an expression of that inclination. The impulse to pray precedes theology and belief; 'wherever one finds humans, one finds humans at prayer' .* Thus, it is not a surprise that prayer and prayerful contemplation or meditation, occupy an important place in all faith traditions. What is prayer? People use the terms prayer, contemplation and meditation in different ways. Some think of prayer as

Silhouette of a person praying with hands clasped, rosary visible. Numerous lit candles in the background create a peaceful ambiance.

Struggling with Prayer : A Psychological Perspective

Many people following a spiritual life are often mystified by the fact that when they are most troubled and in need of quiet prayer, they are least likely to find the space for it. There can always seem to be reasons why there isn't time, we have other pressing obligations or we simply forget. And even when we do pray there may be inner resistances to focusing on the very areas of our lives that are most troubling to us. Here, I highlight some of the psychological defenses

Colorful glass candle holders, purple, orange, blue, green, pink, and yellow, hang with lit candles against a gray marbled background each one like a light-bearing form of prayer.

Prayer Life Series

For most people following the spiritual life prayer can be a source of great strength and joy. It can, however, at other times also confront us with questions, problems, guilt, confusion and even discouragement. Certainly, in the work of spiritual direction it never ceases to be a topic of reflection for those following a spiritual path. So, in this series I seek to explore what is prayer? What is its purpose? And to look at various practical issues around prayer drawing on

Vibrant blues, yellows, greens blend creating a fluid, dynamic feel depicting the swirl of our emotional life and nature.

Spiritual Life and Our Emotions Part 3 : Practical Prayer

Having looked at some of the benefits and challenges of our emotions in the spiritual life and journey, we can now explore some practical ancient ways of meditative prayer to facilitate this process. The key is to find, and rest in, a place of undefended awareness where we can open to the divine with intention of heart in the midst of our emotional turmoil; returning again and again to the unconditional divine embrace that offers us this freedom of heart. So, below, I explor