Spiritual Wanderlust

You might describe Nick Mayhew Smith's spirituality first and foremost as immersive.Driven by a desire to touch, see, and experience, Nick has travelled the length and breadth of the UK, seeking out Britain's holiest places. In each place, he did as the monks and hermits did – whether that's sleeping in a remote cave, feeding the animals, wading naked into an icy sea to pray, or rowing out to isolated islands.What is it about nature based practices that draws us? Why were they so central to the Celts?And why has mainstream Christianity conveniently forgotten about them today?Join us for a rich/fascinating conversation where you'll discover: 

What do dancing and playing have to do with theology?Join us for a rich, embodied conversation with our very special guest today, Cynthia Winton-Henry. Cynthia is the co-founder of Interplay, a worldwide “movement” movement - a community of practice that uses dance and play and spontaneity to unlock the wisdom of the body.Tune in to learn:  

It's not a stretch to say Dave Denny is what Thomas Merton would have looked like today, had he lived.Both avid writers, teachers, interspiritual pioneers, activists, and hermits–they share a depth of wisdom that is borne of silence.Join Father Dave Denny and I to learn: 

Join us for our *first ever* Ask a Spiritual Director a Question! Host Kelly Deutsch invites one or more guest spiritual directors to answer your burning questions. Leave us a voicemail at www.spiritualwanderlust.org/ask!Today, repeat guest Karl Thienes (and spiritual director at Spiritual Wanderlust) joins Kelly to discuss:

Have you ever been struck by someone's depth of presence? Like when you meet a wise, holy person. The depth of their presence overwhelms us, floods our body with their peace.Have you ever wondered what's going on on a biological level when this happens?Or, wondered why it's so much easier to feel grounded when we meditate with others vs. on our own?Or maybe been curious about how life's traumas impact the contemplative life?Get ready, everyone - this is one of my FAVORITE intersections.

Welcome to season 4 of the Spiritual Wanderlust podcast!I can't think of a better way to start the season than a conversation with contemplative teacher, Carl McColman.Carl has been in the Spiritual Wanderlust vibe for decades: he's a writer, retreat leader, podcaster and spiritual director. While Christian himself, he also finds himself drawn to all those juicy intersections between Buddhism, Pagan traditions, and Christianity. Join us for our conversation to learn: 

Hey spiritual adventurers! We want to hear your questions. We're about to start the 4th season of the SW podcast, and want to know:What are your longings? Your conundrums? Curiosities? What do you want to hear us talk about?Go to spiritualwanderlust.org/ask to leave us a voicemail for the chance to have your question answered LIVE by myself and a guest spiritual director.Each month, we'll have one episode dedicated to this new series, Ask a Spiritual Director a Question.And if you don't know what spiritual direction is? That's okay - you can ask about that too!By doing so, you'll be helping us create episodes that are tailor-made, hand-in-glove, fit to the shape of your longings.What are you wondering about?Grief? Spiritual bypassing? Boundaries? How to respond to a persnickety friend in the most spiritual way possible?Let us know at spiritualwanderlust.org/ask.We look forward to hearing your questions!_______________________✨ WELCOME TO SPIRITUAL WANDERLUST ✨Contemplation.Embodiment.Mysticism.Mischief.Join former nun and neuroscience aficionado Kelly Deutsch as she interviews contemplative teachers, embodiment experts, psychologists, and mystics about the untamed frontiers of interior life.Each episode is jam packed with life-changing stories, spiritual practices, and powerful insight to support your journey toward wholeness and divine intimacy.✨ For FREE resources for your own spiritual journey (like the Psycho-Spiritual Maturity Assessment!) - check out spiritualwanderlust.org.

Have you ever wondered what Celtic spirituality is, exactly? I mean, we're familiar with Saint Patrick and Celtic music and nature-loving, but what's all the fanfare about? Why has the interest in Celtic spirituality exploded in the past decade? Because these are questions that poked and prodded me in the past - and because I've often been asked by spiritual directees for a good summary-- I put together a ten minute mini podcast. In it, I reveal the two pillars of Celtic spirituality, and why we crave them! Check it out! Into the deep, Kelly PS - If you're really curious about the Celtic world, be sure to check out our Celtic Spirituality School! We've invited all the experts - from John Philip Newell to Esther de Waal and Ilia Delio - to teach about topics like praying with the landscape, thin places, soul friends, and Celtic mysticism. Check it out at www.celticschool.org! PPS - We purposely made it affordable for everyone (micro pricing! scholarships!), so no one would be excluded! Leave us a voicemail at https://www.spiritualwanderlust.org/ask for the chance to have your spiritual question answered live!

Get ready for a real deep dive, ya'll. From his childhood in oppressed Poland, to being an undocumented immigrant in the US, meeting Christ in India, and founding a new monastic community, Father Adam Bucko's story has given him a razor-sharp vision into the meaning of life.Join us to learn:

During this time of Advent - of darkness and winter in the northern hemisphere - our bodies are inclined to hibernate. We curl up by the hearth and wait, attentive to the life pregnant in the darkness.During such a season, what does it mean to give birth to the Holy?In this episode, we are joined by author and bestselling author, Christine Valters Paintner. Together we dive into:

Poetry and the Contemplative life share a lot in common. Both require an attentiveness to life, a depth of presence, a sort of immersion in reality.Kathy Henderson Staudt is a poet, spiritual director, teacher, and retreat leader who specializes in this overlap.In today's episode, we'll talk about:

In this episode, we turn the tables! Our guest host Karl Thienes puts Kelly in the hot seat to ask her all sorts of burning questions about the interior life.Join us to discover:

I'm excited to introduce to you a little-known poet, whose work deserves wide attention. (I've been sharing her writing with all of my friends!) She reminds me of a modern day Rumi or Hafiz. –And if you haven't read Rumi or Hafiz, start there, and then pick up the work of our guest, Chelan Harkin!In her writing and in her life, Chelan has two goals: to bring acceptance, belonging, and worth to all of those uncomfortable emotions we've been taught to hate; and to make room for our hearts in a heady world, and allowing our heartful wisdom, truth and inspiration to flow.She has a pretty wild publishing story, filled with what she calls “prayer experiments gone right.” Her first two books are called Susceptible to Light and Let Us Dance! The Stumble and Whirl with The Beloved. Her third book, Wild Grace, is on the way. Today we're going to discuss her poetry (and let her read some–it's wild magic!!), how to accept our occasional asshole-ness, what it was like growing up Baha'i in a small town, and what all of that has to do with mysticism.Learn more about Chelan at www.chelanharkin.com._______________________WELCOME TO SPIRITUAL WANDERLUST.Contemplation. Embodiment. Mysticism. Mischief. Join former nun and neuroscience aficionado Kelly Deutsch as she interviews contemplative teachers, embodiment experts, psychologists, and mystics about the untamed frontiers of interior life. Each episode is jam packed with life-changing stories, spiritual practices, and powerful insight to support your journey toward wholeness and divine intimacy.For FREE resources for your own spiritual journey (like the Psycho-Spritual Maturity Assessment!) - check out www.spiritualwanderlust.org.Leave us a voicemail at https://www.spiritualwanderlust.org/ask for the chance to have your spiritual question answered live!

What do the mystics mean by “divine union”? Why is suffering such a big deal for them - and what role does it play in our contemplative path?Today I have joining me a fellow spiritual Wanderluster, Fr. Ronald Rolheiser. Fr. Ron is a professor, retreat leader, award-winning author, and serves as president of the Oblate School of Theology. One reason why his writings are so popular is that he is able to speak in very human language, which I deeply appreciate. His books include The Holy Longing, The Restless Heart, Sacred Fire, and Wrestling with God.Join us for a conversation about mysticism, longing, divine union, the role of asceticism, and what a true contemplative looks like. To learn more about Ron, visit  www.ronrolheiser.com

In this episode, host Kelly Deutsch shares frankly about her difficulty accepting her chronic illness, while returning guest Karl Thienes shares his momentary identity crisis.Join us to explore questions like:

Today I have joined a unique guest who has spent much of his life as a hermit, and is now in charge of the cause for canonization of a Russian mystic. That means he's the advocate and facilitator for this woman to become a saint in the Catholic church.Fr. Bob Wild was a personal friend and collaborator of Catherine de Hueck Doherty, a little known Russian contemplative. Catherine was a mentor to Thomas Merton and is known for her anti-racism work, introducing North America to Russian spirituality, and for starting a lay monastic community called Madonna House, of which Fr. Bob is a long time member.Fr. Bob has spent his life serving in a variety of ways: leading retreats, living in solitude, editing Catherine's books, and now is the postulator of the cause for Catherine's canonization as a saint in the Catholic church._______________________WELCOME TO SPIRITUAL WANDERLUST.Contemplation. Embodiment. Mysticism. Mischief. Join former nun and neuroscience aficionado Kelly Deutsch as she interviews contemplative teachers, embodiment experts, psychologists, and mystics about the untamed frontiers of interior life. Each episode is jam packed with life-changing stories, spiritual practices, and powerful insight to support your journey toward wholeness and divine intimacy.For FREE resources for your own spiritual journey (like the Psycho-Spritual Maturity Assessment!) - check out www.spiritualwanderlust.org.

I bet you haven't heard of Catherine de Hueck Doherty. But she was one of Thomas Merton's mentors! She's this Russian spitfire with a life that reads like a movie. Here are 4 reasons why you need to know Catherine! Want to learn more? Join us for a masterclass given by Catherine's personal friend! Visit www.womenmystics.org to register. Some of her most popular books include: 

If I have a spacious and spritely spirituality, Dr. Regis Martin is partially to thank. He was my first ever theology professor, and he opened my eyes to this magical universe so alight with wonder. I found my 20-year-old notes from his class, and read the first line I wrote: “The first premise of Christianity is an OPENNESS to Reality.”Today Regis and I will do some of our own wondering and wandering through these sparkling spaces. I'll ask him about this worldview which Richard Rohr has called Alternative Orthodoxy, or even panentheism–something we called the “sacramental imagination.” What does it look like to believe in the Universal Christ, the Logos that inhabits all things? How did this sacramental imagination inspire writers like JRR Tolkein, Flannery O'Connor, Walker Percy, and CS Lewis? What changes when we know our own fundamental goodness? That we are all “walking around, shining like the sun”?I'm bringing with me some of the notes I wrote down from Theology 101, which in itself is a delicious primer:

Tessa Bielecki is a hermit with a crackling vitality. She prays the Jesus prayer while she's swimming her daily laps and says that sometimes she talks too much (with a sparkle in her eye). She didn't set out to be a hermit–but when she met the Carmelite William McNamara, she said she had never met anyone more ALIVE.Together they would begin several communities of hermits in the desert, mountains, and forest. Steeped in the contemplative tradition, they would blend together the spirituality of the Celtics, Carmelites, and Desert Mothers and Fathers.What does a hermit's life look like? Why would they choose that lifestyle? And what might they teach the rest of us living in the world?Join us on the Spiritual Wanderlust podcast to find out!***Tessa Bielecki is the co-founder of the Desert Foundation (www.sandandsky.org). She calls Teresa of Avila her best friend, and has written several books on the mystic (including Teresa of Avila: Mystical Writings, Holy Daring, Ecstasy and Common Sense). They share much in common: they were both mother foundresses, they are both known for their earthy mysticism, and have a particular wild streak.A popular retreat leader, Tessa now lives as an urban hermit in Tuscon, Arizona._______________________WELCOME TO SPIRITUAL WANDERLUST.Contemplation. Embodiment. Mysticism. Mischief. Join former nun and neuroscience aficionado Kelly Deutsch as she interviews contemplative teachers, embodiment experts, psychologists, and mystics about the untamed frontiers of interior life. Each episode is jam packed with life-changing stories, spiritual practices, and powerful insight to support your journey toward wholeness and divine intimacy.For FREE resources for your own spiritual journey (like the Psycho-Spritual Maturity Assessment!) - check out www.spiritualwanderlust.org.

Fifty years ago, a young Matthew Fox asked Thomas Merton where he should go to study the mystics. What followed was a lifetime passion for Christianity's mystical tradition, and its intimate, feminine, socially active, and uplifting spirit.Matthew, now a spiritual theologian, is a wealth of knowledge and wisdom. Join us for a jam-packed conversation about:

It is Victoria Loorz's mission to help people not just care for the earth, but to fall in love with it.What would it look like to move beyond appreciating nature, even past protecting her, to loving her? And realizing, perhaps, that we are already a part of her?Join us on the Spiritual Wanderlust podcast to learn about:

How does the Enneagram intersect with our neurobiology? Why is it just as important to know your lowest number on the Enneagram as your highest?The answers might surprise you. (I was blown away!)Those of you who have been following the Spiritual Wanderlust podcast for a while know that I love talking about intersections. One of my favorite intersections is spirituality, neuroscience, and psychology. That's a big part of what we do here - offering tools from Contemplative traditions paired with those from the latest research in how our bodies and brains were designed. Together, they give us a delightfully clear path to wholeness and divine union.Well, today you're in for a special treat. I will be speaking with Dr. Jerome Lubbe, who shares our love for intersections. He's a functional neurologist who has written a fascinating book called the Brain Based Enneagram, and frequently weaves together spirituality, psychology, and his decades of research in neurology._______________________WELCOME TO SPIRITUAL WANDERLUST.Contemplation. Embodiment. Mysticism. Mischief. Join former nun and neuroscience aficionado Kelly Deutsch as she interviews contemplative teachers, embodiment experts, psychologists, and mystics about the untamed frontiers of interior life. Each episode is jam packed with life-changing stories, spiritual practices, and powerful insight to support your journey toward wholeness and divine intimacy.For FREE resources for your own spiritual journey (like the Psycho-Spritual Maturity Assessment!) - check out www.spiritualwanderlust.org.

“You cannot believe yourself out of belonging here.”Tim Burnette founded a spiritual community that is hard to define. It's not quite church - not everyone is Christian - but they do gather on Sunday mornings. They don't even have a shared set of beliefs, only a shared set of values. Their goal is to be a contemplative community in action.But what does that look like, when everyone believes differently? When everyone is at different stages of spiritual growth? How do you make sure everyone belongs?Join us on the Spiritual Wanderlust podcast to explore what it might look like to have an expansive, inclusive community centered in the contemplative.Tim Burnette is a writer, philosopher, teacher, and founder of the Way Collective. He believes liberation is possible when we approach reality in a holistic, relational, embodied, contemplative way. He agrees with Vonnegut that: "You can see all kinds of things from the edge that you can't see from the center."Learn more about what he's up to at www.waycollective.org.

What embodied wisdom do disabled bodies have to share? Today I am joined by disabled scholar, activist, and author Dr. Amy Kenny to talk about precisely that. Amy will share lessons from her own experience of having a disabled body, particularly living into the Unknown. She'll explain why it's so important for all of us to dismantle ableism–and how it shows up in capitalism, patriarchy, and even perfectionism! The idea that there is one perfect body, one ideal way of being in the world she names as “eugenic.” Instead, Amy says, disabled bodies remind us that there are different ways of being human, of being divine image bearers–and that difference should not just be tolerated, but celebrated.Join us for a candid conversation about Amy Kenny's forthcoming book, My Body is Not a Prayer Request: Disability Justice in the Church, which will be released on May 17, 2022. To learn more about Amy, visit www.amy-kenny.com. _______________________WELCOME TO SPIRITUAL WANDERLUST.Contemplation. Embodiment. Mysticism. Mischief. Join former nun and neuroscience aficionado Kelly Deutsch as she interviews contemplative teachers, embodiment experts, psychologists, and mystics about the untamed frontiers of interior life. Each episode is jam packed with life-changing stories, spiritual practices, and powerful insight to support your journey toward wholeness and divine intimacy.For FREE resources for your own spiritual journey (like the Psycho-Spritual Maturity Assessment!) - check out www.spiritualwanderlust.org.

The 12 Steps have been called the greatest American contribution to spirituality today. Today we're going to talk about how the 12 Steps can contribute to your spiritual growth, even if you would not consider yourself an addict.Karl Thienes is a published poet, 7 years sober, former blogger, father of 4, and amateur theologian. He is passionate about transformation, healing, and being a Christ follower. Today he will share a bit of his story of going from a drunk catechist in the Orthodox church (drinking vodka on his way to teach about asceticism!) to a man who can find joy in the day to day._______________________WELCOME TO SPIRITUAL WANDERLUST.Contemplation. Embodiment. Mysticism. Mischief. Join former nun and neuroscience aficionado Kelly Deutsch as she interviews contemplative teachers, embodiment experts, psychologists, and mystics about the untamed frontiers of interior life. Each episode is jam packed with life-changing stories, spiritual practices, and powerful insight to support your journey toward wholeness and divine intimacy.For FREE resources for your own spiritual journey (like the Psycho-Spritual Maturity Assessment!) - check out www.spiritualwanderlust.org.

History is full of women misbehaving. In time periods when speaking out could get you burned at the stake, some women had the audacity to speak their minds anyway. Laura Michele Diener, a Women Studies and Medieval scholar, was initially surprised to find the boldest women were in the convents. Today we'll talk about the intersection of mysticism with female empowerment, medieval history, and modern day literature. We'll also talk about two more recent women whose writings and activism got them into plenty of trouble: Sigrid Undset, the author of the classic trilogy Kristin Lavransdatter, and Dorothy Day, the social activist and founder of the Catholic Worker movement.We'll explore the restlessness that all these women shared - for it was this, their unnamable longing, that led to their divine search for connection with all creatures.Laura Michele Diener is a professor of medieval and ancient history at Marshall University, where she directed the Women's Studies program from 2014-2021. She loves telling stories throughout time, including Norse mythology, medieval spirituality, and the history of fashion.Currently she is writing a biography of the Nobel-prize-winning writer, Sigrid Undset. She also is an upcoming guest speaker in our Women Mystics School.To learn more about the Women Mystics School, visit www.womenmystics.org._______________________WELCOME TO SPIRITUAL WANDERLUST.Contemplation. Embodiment. Mysticism. Mischief. Join former nun and neuroscience aficionado Kelly Deutsch as she interviews contemplative teachers, embodiment experts, psychologists, and mystics about the untamed frontiers of interior life. Each episode is jam packed with life-changing stories, spiritual practices, and powerful insight to support your journey toward wholeness and divine intimacy.For FREE resources for your own spiritual journey (like the Psycho-Spritual Maturity Assessment!) - check out www.spiritualwanderlust.org.

Where do art and theology intersect? And what would happen if we stopped insisting “real theology” must come from a book, instead of a poem or painting or song?Today I speak with feminist theologian and artist Tamisha Tyler. Join us to learn:

What do indigenous traditions have to teach us? And what do we Westerners need to unlearn in order to be receptive to indigenous wisdom?Rev. Dr. Randy Woodley is an activist, theologian, wisdom-keeper, and Cherokee descendant. He spends much of his time sharing indigenous traditions through his teaching and his Indigenous Center for Earth Justice, Eloheh. Eloheh is a Cherokee word for harmony, abundance, wholeness, and peace. Join us for a conversation about “making relatives”--whether of land or trees or people different from us; the key components of the “Harmonious Way,” or what Randy calls humanity's “original instructions” for how to live, which are common to all indigenous peoples; and how the lineage of trauma has hurt both those in the margins and those who caused the harm.We'll also explore what it means to decolonize our spirituality and learn from each others' stories.Randy's books include Shalom and the Community of Creation: An Indigenous Vision, and the upcoming book of reflections and practices, Becoming Rooted: One Hundred Days of Reconnecting with Sacred Earth. He and his wife, Edith, co-sustain Eloheh Indigenous Center for Earth Justice and Eloheh Farm & Seeds outside Portland, Oregon. Learn more about their programs at www.eloheh.org and www.randywoodley.com. _______________________WELCOME TO SPIRITUAL WANDERLUST.Contemplation. Embodiment. Mysticism. Mischief. Join former nun and neuroscience aficionado Kelly Deutsch as she interviews contemplative teachers, embodiment experts, psychologists, and mystics about the untamed frontiers of interior life. Each episode is jam packed with life-changing stories, spiritual practices, and powerful insight to support your journey toward wholeness and divine intimacy.Hungry for more? Check out our new course, the Women Mystics School! For all genders hungry to learn from the wise women who were brazen enough to be fully themselves.

Kayleen Asbo is one of the most interesting conversationalists you'll ever meet. Weaving threads from her studies in depth psychology, music, mysticism, myth and history, she crafts a warm and beautiful tapestry before your very eyes. Today we'll talk about:

The search for divine union can feel like a pretty intangible thing. It's hard to grasp. By definition! We use words like darkness, apophatic, cloud of unknowing.And it's pretty common to have experiences that feel mystical, but may have been more intuitive or serendipitous.That's why many of the mystics point to qualities, or fruits in the mystic's life, to discern whether someone is a mystic or not.Curious if you fit the description?Here are 6 of the signs the mystics name that you, too, might be a mystic._______________________WELCOME TO SPIRITUAL WANDERLUST.Contemplation. Embodiment. Mysticism. Mischief. Join former nun and neuroscience aficionado Kelly Deutsch as she interviews contemplative teachers, embodiment experts, psychologists, and mystics about the untamed frontiers of interior life. Each episode is jam packed with life-changing stories, spiritual practices, and powerful insight to support your journey toward wholeness and divine intimacy.For FREE resources for your own spiritual journey (like the Psycho-Spritual Maturity Assessment!) - check out www.spiritualwanderlust.org.

Ever wonder how to pray contemplative prayer?In this short video, I show you just how to get started.This is part 4 to our Seeker's Guide to Mysticism! Be sure to subscribe to catch part 5 next week. :)_______________________WELCOME TO SPIRITUAL WANDERLUST.Contemplation. Embodiment. Mysticism. Mischief. Join former nun and neuroscience aficionado Kelly Deutsch as she interviews contemplative teachers, embodiment experts, psychologists, and mystics about the untamed frontiers of interior life. Each episode is jam packed with life-changing stories, spiritual practices, and powerful insight to support your journey toward wholeness and divine intimacy.For FREE resources for your own spiritual journey (like the Psycho-Spritual Maturity Assessment!) - check out www.spiritualwanderlust.org.

Hey lovely humans!Kelly here, with another burning question.What's the difference between meditation and contemplation?It's different than most people think!Here's what the mystics have to say - in under 3 minutes.***This is a BONUS episode of the Spiritual Wanderlust podcast, offered as a part of the Seeker's Guide to Mysticism mini-series!**_______________________WELCOME TO SPIRITUAL WANDERLUST.Contemplation. Embodiment. Mysticism. Mischief. Join former nun and neuroscience aficionado Kelly Deutsch as she interviews contemplative teachers, embodiment experts, psychologists, and mystics about the untamed frontiers of interior life. Each episode is jam packed with life-changing stories, spiritual practices, and powerful insight to support your journey toward wholeness and divine intimacy.For FREE resources for your own spiritual journey (like the Psycho-Spritual Maturity Assessment!) - check out www.spiritualwanderlust.org.

How does one become a mystic? What does it mean to be contemplative?If you're like me, you're hungry to grow spiritually. To grow closer to that divine union so many sages and saints talk about.Want to know how to get there?In this episode, I'll share 4 steps - and one big misconception to watch out for!This is part 2 to our Seeker's Guide to Mysticism! Be sure to subscribe to catch part 3 next week. :)_______________________WELCOME TO SPIRITUAL WANDERLUST.Contemplation. Embodiment. Mysticism. Mischief. Join former nun and neuroscience aficionado Kelly Deutsch as she interviews contemplative teachers, embodiment experts, psychologists, and mystics about the untamed frontiers of interior life. Each episode is jam packed with life-changing stories, spiritual practices, and powerful insight to support your journey toward wholeness and divine intimacy.For FREE resources for your own spiritual journey (like the Psycho-Spritual Maturity Assessment!) - check out www.spiritualwanderlust.org.

Have you ever felt curious about mysticism? 

Growing up in an evangelical church, Mitch Gainey had some powerful experiences of the divine. However, coming into his identity as a gay man didn't leave him much room outside of the attempts to “pray the gay away.” Today Mitch will share his story of emerging from the shame he had internalized to the freedom he found on his path to healing. Much of that healing journey happened in and through his body, ultimately resulting in Mitch becoming a coach and counselor himself. We'll talk about one of his favorite embodied practices, EFT (Emotional Freedom Technique, also known as tapping), and how this practice taps into your body's hardwiring so it can process, integrate, and ultimately heal itself.To learn more about Mitch's work, visit www.mitchgainey.com._______________________WELCOME TO SPIRITUAL WANDERLUST.Contemplation. Embodiment. Mysticism. Mischief. Join former nun and neuroscience aficionado Kelly Deutsch as she interviews contemplative teachers, embodiment experts, psychologists, and mystics about the untamed frontiers of interior life. Each episode is jam packed with life-changing stories, spiritual practices, and powerful insight to support your journey toward wholeness and divine intimacy.For FREE resources for your own spiritual journey (like the Psycho-Spritual Maturity Assessment!) - check out www.spiritualwanderlust.org.

Ever wonder what significance your dreams hold - or how the divine might speak through them? Fr. Daniel Renaud is a spiritual director, religious priest, and dream worker, who loves integrating his Jungian dream work with his contemplative practice. He also trains other spiritual directors to offer dream work themselves. Today we'll talk about what dreamwork is, how it can be integrated into your spiritual practice, and how dreams can be a tool for healing our broken society. I've also brought along one of my own dreams from the last week, and will ask Fr. Daniel to offer a dream interpretation live!------ABOUT FR. DANIEL RENAUDFr. Daniel Renauld is a dream worker, spiritual director, teacher, and religious priest. He is adjunct faculty at the Oblate School of Theology in San Antonio, Texas, and the host of a new TV show on called "Becoming Fully Human". He is a perpetual student who loves sharing his passion for God, resilience and the contemplative life._______________________WELCOME TO SPIRITUAL WANDERLUST.Contemplation. Embodiment. Mysticism. Mischief. Join former nun and neuroscience aficionado Kelly Deutsch as she interviews contemplative teachers, embodiment experts, psychologists, and mystics about the untamed frontiers of interior life. Each episode is jam packed with life-changing stories, spiritual practices, and powerful insight to support your journey toward wholeness and divine intimacy.For FREE resources for your own spiritual journey (like the Psycho-Spritual Maturity Assessment!) - check out www.spiritualwanderlust.org.

Are you easily moved? Do you feel others' feelings, and have a hard time separating them from your own? Do you get overwhelmed by crowds or noise or commotion? You may be a Highly Sensitive Person (HSP), a trait possessed by 20% of the population--and I'd wager 50% of contemplatives.Thomas Merton once remarked that his fellow monks at Gethsemane weren't contemplatives: they were just introverts. I'd say the term he was looking for was HSP. We crave silence, solitude, simplicity--and are also drawn into the depths of spirituality.What does it mean to have bodies with this trait? Listen in to learn what this trait is, the biology behind it, the impact it has, as well as some practical strategies to help reset your nervous system so you can find what your bodyspirit needs to be fully alive.This video is taken from the Spiritual Off-Roading Program, and is offered to you as an exclusive sneak peek! Many participants named this video as the most impactful part of the program, so I'm excited to share it with you!If you're hungry to journey with kindred spirits, check out www.spiritualoffroading.com._______________________WELCOME TO SPIRITUAL WANDERLUST.Contemplation. Embodiment. Mysticism. Mischief. Join former nun and neuroscience aficionado Kelly Deutsch as she interviews contemplative teachers, embodiment experts, psychologists, and mystics about the untamed frontiers of interior life. Each episode is jam packed with life-changing stories, spiritual practices, and powerful insight to support your journey toward wholeness and divine intimacy.For FREE resources for your own spiritual journey (like the Psycho-Spritual Maturity Assessment!) - check out www.spiritualwanderlust.org.

How might our bodies be an icon of the divine?Might it be possible, that by becoming more embodied--more at home in our skin and sinews--that we might become more divine?Theology of the Body is a revolutionary way of looking at our bodies, our sexuality, and our longings. Christopher West, founder of the Theology of the Body Institute, bestselling author, and serious Bruce Springsteen fan - is the leading teacher on the topic. Today we'll explore how our existential longings (one might call it our spiritual wanderlust??) intersect with our erotic longings, and how to interpret where they're leading us.To learn more about Christopher and his work, visit www.tobinstitute.org.

Clark Massey left a profitable job in finance to live amongst the poor. Today we'll talk about the ministry he started - inspired by Catholic Worker, Saint Francis, and Mother Teresa - and what he's learned from the personal relationships with his friends who live in poverty. Clark Massey founded A Simple House in 2003, which he calls “an experiment in Christianity.” I volunteered with A Simple House for a year after college, where I received firsthand experience of small-scale ministry - and the scandalous notion of loving a few people really well. Learn more about A Simple House at www.asimplehouse.org._______________________WELCOME TO SPIRITUAL WANDERLUST.Contemplation. Embodiment. Mysticism. Mischief. Join former nun and neuroscience aficionado Kelly Deutsch as she interviews contemplative teachers, embodiment experts, psychologists, and mystics about the untamed frontiers of interior life. Each episode is jam packed with life-changing stories, spiritual practices, and powerful insight to support your journey toward wholeness and divine intimacy.For FREE resources for your own spiritual journey (like the Psycho-Spritual Maturity Assessment!) - check out www.spiritualwanderlust.org.

Bruce Davis is the author of 9 books, including Monastery without Walls and Simple Peace: The Spiritual Life of Saint Francis of Assisi. With a PhD in contemplative psychology, he is the leader of one of the top 10 meditation retreats in the world.Today, Bruce will share his decades of experience leading silent retreats - and pursuing a practice of silence himself. Why is silence so powerful? Why do we fear it - and why are we drawn toward it?Bruce also founded one of the first interspiritual retreat centers in Assisi, Italy, after falling in love with the joy of Saint Francis. What does this mystic have to teach us today?Join us for a deep dive into joy, silence, wonder, and play.To learn more about Bruce's work, visit assisiretreats.org and silentstay.com. _______________________WELCOME TO SPIRITUAL WANDERLUST.Contemplation. Embodiment. Mysticism. Mischief. Join former nun and neuroscience aficionado Kelly Deutsch as she interviews contemplative teachers, embodiment experts, psychologists, and mystics about the untamed frontiers of interior life. Each episode is jam packed with life-changing stories, spiritual practices, and powerful insight to support your journey toward wholeness and divine intimacy.For FREE resources for your own spiritual journey (like the Psycho-Spritual Maturity Assessment!) - check out www.spiritualwanderlust.org.

Do you struggle with a busy mind? (How can we not, with the pace of life??) Whether you're seeking to quiet your monkey brain for meditation, or you simply want to be free from gripping anxiety, today's practice has the potential to give you the inner calm you crave.IFS (Internal Family Systems) is my favorite tool for doing inner work. Last week Emily Kerpelman, IFS practitioner and superwoman, joined me for a conversation about what IFS and how it works. This week, we'll show you a demonstration of how you can use this in your own life!Have you ever used IFS? What are your other favorite tools for inner work? Leave us a line in the comments below!To learn more about Emily and her work, visit www.ek.coach._______________________WELCOME TO SPIRITUAL WANDERLUST.Contemplation. Embodiment. Mysticism. Mischief. Join former nun and neuroscience aficionado Kelly Deutsch as she interviews contemplative teachers, embodiment experts, psychologists, and mystics about the untamed frontiers of interior life. Each episode is jam packed with life-changing stories, spiritual practices, and powerful insight to support your journey toward wholeness and divine intimacy.For FREE resources for your own spiritual journey (like the Psycho-Spritual Maturity Assessment!) - check out www.spiritualwanderlust.org.

I'm so excited to share about my favorite tool for inner work! Both the people I work with and my own inner work has grown by leaps and bounds using Internal Family Systems (IFS) for shadow work. Shadow work helps us examine the parts of ourselves that we would rather not look at. These are the parts of us that don't fit into the picture of who we think we are--or who we think we should be. Today I will be joined by Internal Family Systems (IFS) practitioner and coach, Emily Kerpelman - and together we'll share how we can use Internal Family Systems to do our own shadow work. We'll also explore:The 3 key “characters” you'll meet while using IFS What really drives our behaviorTools to turn down your anxietyWhy some religious concepts can be counterproductive to your inner work And a Rumi-inspired meditation at the end to meet all your own inner parts!If you're dedicated to your personal or spiritual growth, this episode is definitely for you!_______________________WELCOME TO SPIRITUAL WANDERLUST.Contemplation. Embodiment. Mysticism. Mischief. Join former nun and neuroscience aficionado Kelly Deutsch as she interviews contemplative teachers, embodiment experts, psychologists, and mystics about the untamed frontiers of interior life. Each episode is jam packed with life-changing stories, spiritual practices, and powerful insight to support your journey toward wholeness and divine intimacy.For FREE resources for your own spiritual journey (like the Psycho-Spritual Maturity Assessment!) - check out www.spiritualwanderlust.org.

Get ready for a full-bodied experience! Join Mark Kutolowski and Kelly Deutsch as they explore what it means to be embodied and how suffering can transform us. We'll talk about: (1) how embodied practices change your physiology, (2) how suffering can carve out spaciousness in us (and how resisting or ignoring it can perpetuate it), (3) the role of anger in activism. He'll also share about Systema, the Russian Orthodox martial arts (the only martial arts born out of Christian tradition), and lead us through an embodied practice from Systema, designed to help us expand our inner capacity. Join us for a juicy conversation!_______________________WELCOME TO SPIRITUAL WANDERLUST.Contemplation. Embodiment. Mysticism. Mischief. Join former nun and neuroscience aficionado Kelly Deutsch as she interviews contemplative teachers, embodiment experts, psychologists, and mystics about the untamed frontiers of interior life. Each episode is jam packed with life-changing stories, spiritual practices, and powerful insight to support your journey toward wholeness and divine intimacy.For FREE resources for your own spiritual journey (like the Psycho-Spritual Maturity Assessment!) - check out www.spiritualwanderlust.org.

What is it that artists try to communicate through their medium? And what does it have to do with the divine? Join opera singer Laura Wilde, sculptor Kate Marin, and painter Kelly Kruse as they reveal what moves them to create art. They'll also share how their landscapes formed them, and what their art has in common with the contemplative path. (Hint: it has something to do with longing!)You won't want to miss this one!_______________________WELCOME TO SPIRITUAL WANDERLUST.Contemplation. Embodiment. Mysticism. Mischief. Join former nun and neuroscience aficionado Kelly Deutsch as she interviews contemplative teachers, embodiment experts, psychologists, and mystics about the untamed frontiers of interior life. Each episode is jam packed with life-changing stories, spiritual practices, and powerful insight to support your journey toward wholeness and divine intimacy.For FREE resources for your own spiritual journey (like the Psycho-Spritual Maturity Assessment!) - check out www.spiritualwanderlust.org.

How does togetherness incarnate God's presence? How might community become a place of mystical encounter? Join us as we explore spiral dynamics, Luke's story of falling apart and being put back together, and what it really means to experience “we.”Luke Healy is the co-founder of the Integral Christian Network, where they seek to make mystical experiences of God accessible to the individual and to people in community. Learn more about their work at https://www.integralchristiannetwork.org._______________________WELCOME TO SPIRITUAL WANDERLUST.Contemplation. Embodiment. Mysticism. Mischief. Join former nun and neuroscience aficionado Kelly Deutsch as she interviews contemplative teachers, embodiment experts, psychologists, and mystics about the untamed frontiers of interior life. Each episode is jam packed with life-changing stories, spiritual practices, and powerful insight to support your journey toward wholeness and divine intimacy.For FREE resources for your own spiritual journey (like the Psycho-Spritual Maturity Assessment!) - check out www.spiritualwanderlust.org.

James Finely is a mystic, teacher, psychologist, and student of Thomas Merton. Today we'll talk about the intersection of psychology and spirituality - particularly in those sacred moments where we're vulnerable and open to the divine. You will learn - How to make therapy “meditation for 2”How spirituality and psychology overlap in “thin spaces”The 6 ways to know you're in a “thin,” or liminal moment, where we become momentary mystics3 practical steps to living in divine presence throughout the day, even when you're busyPlus, a sneak peek at the new book Jim is writing - part memoir, part exploration of how trauma can open us to mystical encounters.Jim embodies contemplative wisdom so deeply that you'll find your insides quieted by his very presence (I always do!). To find out more about James Finley and his work, visit www.jamesfinley.org._______________________WELCOME TO SPIRITUAL WANDERLUST.Contemplation. Embodiment. Mysticism. Mischief. Join former nun and neuroscience aficionado Kelly Deutsch as she interviews contemplative teachers, embodiment experts, psychologists, and mystics about the untamed frontiers of interior life. Each episode is jam packed with life-changing stories, spiritual practices, and powerful insight to support your journey toward wholeness and divine intimacy.For FREE resources for your own spiritual journey (like the Psycho-Spritual Maturity Assessment!) - check out www.spiritualwanderlust.org.

What does it mean to be whole? Join feminine rebel Amy Piatt and Kelly Deutsch while we talk about integrating our feminine and masculine sides, so we can be a place of healing for the world. We'll also explore what happens when our leaders fall - and why we feel so crushed. One Jungian possibility: perhaps we want our heroes to be good so we don't have to be._______________________WELCOME TO SPIRITUAL WANDERLUST.Contemplation. Embodiment. Mysticism. Mischief. Join former nun and neuroscience aficionado Kelly Deutsch as she interviews contemplative teachers, embodiment experts, psychologists, and mystics about the untamed frontiers of interior life. Each episode is jam packed with life-changing stories, spiritual practices, and powerful insight to support your journey toward wholeness and divine intimacy.For FREE resources for your own spiritual journey (like the Psycho-Spritual Maturity Assessment!) - check out www.spiritualwanderlust.org.