Dr. Janice Lundy
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Pure Presence 

                  Holding, Offering, and Being Presence
  for Yourself and Others 

Listening Ever More Deeply

7/20/2021

13 Comments

 
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I've been pondering this post for a while now. Actually, I have been in discernment for months about how to best focus my energies and heart in terms of my work in the world, my heath and well-being, my relationships and, most importantly, my relationship with the Divine. I was surprised to see that my last post here was in April! 

The pandemic caused many of us to redirect our life's focus. For me, the pandemic offered a unique opportunity to get "off the road." Staying home for this extended period of time revealed some very interesting (and timely!) things. In my case, the "quieting" (as my friend Sr. Ann calls it) was just what my soul needed to get clear about my habits, as well as my heart's desires. 

I don't use the word "soul" lightly here. Its use is purposeful. Being home and staying home was an act of genuine soul care for me. You see,  I have been teaching and traveling—public speaking, leading programs and retreats--traveling, traveling, since 1985 when two of my three children were very young (and one was not even born yet). It feels as if I have been "on the road" forever. The pandemic helped me create space for the awareness that I am weary of traveling and have been deeply nourished by being home, and leading a more contemplative life. 

​I've also been a care-taking partner for two of my dear ones for the last 18 years. Yes, I am one of the "Sandwich Generation," helping to provide compassionate care and support for a parent and a child at the same time. Had this been wearying me? The pandemic affirmed my inner "yes."

But it wasn't until I gave myself the gift of genuine presence in the form of a 5-day silent retreat in June that the call to engage even more deeply with silence and solitude in my everyday life became crystal clear. This gentle week of resting in my inner being with the Sacred—walking, listening to bird song, watching the clouds move across the sky, the waves dance along the shore—all offered deep restoration. And it brought much-needed clarity. 

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Sunset and a moonrise along the shores of Little Traverse Bay
I spoke with my spiritual director at the retreat about this. She affirmed what my soul was saying. I have a monastic heart. I am deeply nourished by solitude and silence. I am healthier and I also serve others better when I am truly invested in my contemplative life. I require large doses of nature for grounding and restoration. She also validated the truth of what Ram Dass had told me a few years ago: "Jan, you need to be more "in" than "out." 

Since the retreat, I have continued to listen deeply and to honor what I am hearing. I have continued to make discernments about how to honor my "inner monk" (as author Beverly Lanzetta speaks of it) and, at the same time, how to continue to do the work in the world that I am called to do. This fall, I will begin sharing more about this journey with you through new offerings about stillness, silence, and the contemplative life. 

I will be "at home" doing this and not on the road. For now, I sense my road warrior days might be over. I turn 68-years-old this week. I'm attending my 50th high school reunion soon. Life feels fleeting and time passes so quickly. I see the end of the trail as never before. And like many others today, I want more than ever to live each day of my life with meaning and purpose; honoring true self; honoring how the Divine lives and breathes through me; engaging my desire to be of service in this world; living with Peace, with Joy. In Love with All of it. 

May it be so for me. May it be so for you if this is your heart's desire too. I am glad we are journeying together. 

Shalom, Peace, Om Shanti,
Jan
13 Comments
Lenore Crenshaw
7/20/2021 06:28:24 pm

Hi
Thank you for this writing! It feels like balm to a weary heart and mind. You remind me I'm not alone on this untraveled unfamiliar ground. Questioning...Have I been enough? Will I be enough moving forward?

Reply
Anne Wakenhut
7/20/2021 08:27:13 pm

I was pleased to hear about your journey during the pandemic and your silent retreat and where it led you. At 78, I am presently even more aware of walking a path that has a close conclusion. I need to chose careful where I place my energy. I have some wonderful choices and want to invest in more depth in them. Life has given me so much and now i with to serve in the best possible way. Discernment is critical at this time. Thank you for reinforcing the necessity for doing so. Continue to share. Blessings, Anne

Reply
Jan
7/21/2021 11:30:57 am

Dear Anne, yes and yes. I hear you and life does give us so many opportunities to choose wisely to ensure that what is here (and what remains) is tended to wisely and with deep care. May it be so for you!

Reply
Laurel Hill
7/21/2021 09:29:34 am

Thank you for this thoughtful post, Jan. We are the same age (Happy Birthday!) and I am having a similar sense of time passing. Your process is inspirational to me. How we spend our time becomes so precious as we age.

Reply
Jan
7/21/2021 11:28:51 am

Hello Laurel, oh, yes, this aging thing! It invites us to listen deeply because time does feel more precious and how we spend it matters. May Wisdom continue to be yours.

Reply
Nicole M Waite
7/21/2021 10:13:04 am

Thank you. I resonate with your thoughts and words. You always have a way to bring calm and focus to my life. I appreciate you!
Nicole

Reply
Jan
7/21/2021 11:27:44 am

Nicole, thank you for your thoughts and kind words. Lovely to know that this resonated with you. May calm and focus be yours.

Reply
Jean Brownson
7/22/2021 11:58:03 pm

Much gratitude to you Jan for this beautiful sharing of what is deep inside of you. I am in my 70's and long to have more of a contemplative life as I have a book inside that is waiting to be shared with others. I love the term "inner monk" because it is the best descriptive term for that part that longs to be in contemplation, embracing the oneness and co-creating with the Universe. Thank you for sharing; just today I prayed that I would receive some light to affirm my path. Peace & Blessings

Reply
Jan
7/23/2021 10:47:53 am

Jean, thank you for your thoughts. I am glad to know that you feel the calling to be more inward at this time in your life. May this orientation bring you much peace and many blessings,

Reply
Jennifer Lindsay
7/23/2021 12:10:42 pm

Jan, I’m so glad you had a wonderful retreat. You deserve to enjoy what you give to so many of us. Thanks for the beautiful post/blog. ❤️❤️❤️
Jenni

Reply
Jan
8/6/2021 09:59:01 am

Jenni, most welcome! I am glad that what might be offered here is meaningful for you. Glad too that we are still connected!

Reply
Rose Eliff
7/23/2021 09:27:38 pm

"I have a monastic heart. I am deeply nourished by solitude and silence."
I'm feeling the tug to get back and remember who I am again. An injury and work have consumed too much of the last 10+ years. Thank you for the gift of this post. I look forward to following the journey and gleaning tips for myself.

Reply
Jan
8/6/2021 10:54:22 am

Rose, I am happy to know that you find yourself called to a reorientation. It is true, isn't it, how things of the world can take up so much energy and time. I wish you the best going forward as you continue to live as your sacred self. Blessings, always!

Reply



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Dr. Janice Lynne Lundy (PsyD, DMin, MPC)
is The Gerald May Professor of Spiritual Direction & Counseling at the Graduate Theological Foundation. She is an  interspiritual director/mentor, educator and counselor who has been pointing people back toward the Sacred for nearly thirty years. 

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  • Home
  • About
    • About Jan Lundy
    • Speaking
    • Events
  • Spiritual Direction
    • Spiritual Direction with Jan
    • Group Spiritual Direction
    • Supervision
    • Testimonials
    • Spiritual Guidance Training Institute
  • Counseling Services
  • Pure Presence
    • Pure Presence Practitioner Training
    • Presence Blog
  • Writings
  • Resources
    • Courses
    • Podcasts
    • Vimeo
    • You Tube
  • This Sacred Moment
  • Gentle Reminders
  • Subscribe
  • Store
  • Contact