SPIRITUALITY

I hope to update this part of my website with spiritual writing, as I have time.

I have a deep connection to spiritual questions and traditions, although I keep an open mind and an open heart. I have officially been on a spiritual path since about 2008 (at 25 years old) when challenging situations led to big questions and a deep desire for life improvement. However, I remember reading and thinking about Viktor Frankl’s “Man’s Search for Meaning” around 12 years old at a bookstore in the St. Cloud mall with my great grandmother. In 2006, I started studying psychology, self-help, personal development and wellness. After that, I began a deeper spiritual exploration. Carolyn Myss and Anodea Judith are authors whose approach I admire because of their depth and ability to bridge different spiritual traditions, attitudes and perspectives. After that, in 2011, I completed a 200-hour Yoga Alliance-approved teacher certification program from the Yoga Loft in Willmar, based in Hatha yoga studies with a foundation in Ashtanga yoga. I taught yoga in studios or other spaces in Eagan, Eden Prairie, Burnsville and Winona. In 2010, I became certified in Reiki I and II. I have also completed one trauma-informed yoga workshop at Yess Yoga with Sarah Super.

Around 2013, I began investigating the work of Cyndi Dale to better understand energy work. She is very thorough and journalistic in her approach to understanding and talking about spiritual concepts. I earned one certificate from a weekend workshop with her, but I have spent thousands of hours reading her books, watching her courses and taking sessions with her.

In 2016, I dove deeply into astrology and began a tarot study. I studied with Nightlight Astrology and Lindsay Mack for trauma-informed tarot. Beyond that, I have logged countless hours studying astrology through teachers such as Demetra George, Chani Nicholas, Jason Fleming, Jenn Zahrt, Lacey Prpić Hedtke, and Jessa Walters, among others.

At the end of the day, I am deeply interfaith and I also enjoy learning about philosophy. I call myself “New Age,” because I don’t know of another term that is a better fit. To me it means that I hold a certain level of objectivity alongside faith, hope, ethics, meaning and reflection. I trust that people can always find hope and meaning, even in their hardest moments, despite any path that they follow. I believe ethics and values are really important, and it’s interesting how people approach this area of their life. However, beyond all of this, I am trauma-informed in my spiritual attitudes. I have experienced some spiritual and religious attitudes as hurtful at times, and that’s one reason I have refrained from sharing about more from what I have learned. Jeff Brown is a wonderful writer who takes a trauma-informed, grounded approach to his spirituality, and I admire thinkers like this. I aspire to be as kind and thoughtful as possible in all that I do in my life. Life can be painful, but spirituality should never cause harm.

I also believe in the art of skepticism and questioning that can make all religions or spiritual traditions better. I believe in finding commonality among differences, and I believe in the importance of religious diversity. I appreciate people of all backgrounds, including people who are atheist, Christian, Muslim, Jewish, Buddhist, questioning, and/or any other faith background. I also deeply love diversity and social justice, and I hold a social justice-informed lens.

Stay tuned for more information and updates to this section.