Director's Message for December 2011

Greetings, Sacred Path Community,

As we turn our attention to the holidays, we need to wind our way through the hectic activities that comprise the stress-filled world as we connect with the true meaning of the season. This is a time that we especially need to go within and draw upon Spirit for energy, equanimity and guidance. As we light the candles in our homes and places of worship, let’s also remember that we are called on to be lights unto the world radiating peace, love and joy.

Jesus and other great sages spoke of an Inner Light. Jesus said, “I am the light and the way,” and went on to remind us to “let our light shine before others.” We speak of light in spiritual circles and of holding people in the light. We talk about seeing the light in each other when we greet one another with “Namaste,” meaning the light in me sees the light in you.

We are encouraged to rise up and express our higher self that knows its oneness with God presence, or the “inner light,” and to radiate that presence to others. Bringing our luminous nature into greater visibility requires awareness, focus and intention. In fact, becoming luminous beings involves the same intentionality that Jesus utilized through his teachings and acts of kindness. The light of divine presence that can illumine our lives can radiate outward to heal, comfort and bless the world.

As members of a spiritual community, we assist and support one another to stay on the Path and be on purpose. No one brings light into darkness without purposefulness and intentionality. Healing energy can’t flow through us until a way has been made clear for it by removing obstructions and opening our hearts and minds through practice. The more disciplined we are and the more we practice, the more liberated we become. As we cultivate experiential wisdom through sitting in silence, learning to monitor our thoughts, focusing on kindness, we find that our intuition grows stronger and clearer.

Through consistent spiritual practice we become more transparent, clarifying the dense emotional energy pollution that accumulates. Through meditation practice we can remove the dullness of negative thinking and transform the dread and worry that comprise a depressed and anxious mood. The more we practice spiritual purification through connecting with the elements of earth, air, water and fire, the clearer we become and the more our inner light can shine through us.

I am inviting 20 men to participate with me in a practicum at Holy Spirit Retreat Center on Saturday, February 18th, focused on the topic of developing your intuitive knowing through the cultivation of experiential wisdom. During this day we will work with Mindfulness practices including meditation and sacred breath work to clear your energy field and enhance greater luminosity. You can read more about this event in this newsletter and register to reserve your spot.

Mark your calendars for the 25th Annual Spring Sacred Path Call to Adventure Rites of Passage Retreat, April 12-15. This retreat will welcome fathers and sons, uncles and nephews, grandfathers, mentors and young men wanting to be in the presence of good men. We will create a profound experience as we provide some initiation of the younger men into conscious manhood. Our 25th Annual Fall Sacred Path Men’s Retreat will commence on Thursday, October 18 through Sunday, the 21st.

We’re bringing Leonard Orr back in June for an evening presentation on Friday the 8th, followed by a workshop on Saturday for those wanting to deepen their Conscious Breathing experience, and then an event on Sunday for those that simply want to go through the process. We had 50 in attendance last June, and many are working with the recommendations that Leonard offered for making spiritual purification an important part of one’s life.

The counseling field has dwindled with fewer men choosing to become therapists, and males in general resisting entering therapy. Similar to the educational system in this country, the field of therapy often doesn’t seem to be geared to help men in the ways men relate to being helped. That’s why I founded MCLA and the Sacred Path community with the intent of offering men an opportunity to get what they need in a user-friendly environment. Author and educator Michael Gurian has just published another book titled How Can I Help Him. Michael is a long time friend and author of approximately 30 books about men and gender. His latest book is designed to explore and reveal ways to help men and boys develop, grow and work through the issues that tend to plague us. I recommend this book to you and encourage you to consider this as a great holiday gift for anyone interested in helping males become better men. You can read more about this book and find the link with which to order it in this issue.

In the spirit of the season, the Sacred Path Wisdom Council and I are wishing you and your loved ones a very Happy Hanukah, a Merry Christmas and a blessed New Year.

Namaste,
Stephen