Your Online Monastery for Your Spiritual Practice

Week 1 Advent Practices: Breathing Deeply

This is a weekly Advent series by Christine from the Abbey archives. If praying the with the four elements kindles a spark in you, consider my book Water, Wind, Earth, & Fire: The Christian Practice of Praying with the Elements. As we enter these four weeks of Advent, we cross into a holy time when the scriptures are filled with images of expectancy as we await the coming of a God who enters into the heart of this world. I invite you during these next four weeks to embrace this season as a time to tend to your relationship to creation. As we

December 3, 2014

Word for December: Silence

It is in the silence that my hope is, and my aim. A song whose lines I cannot make or sing sounds men’s silence like a root. Let me say and not mourn: the world lives in the death of speech and sings there. —Wendell Berry, excerpted from “The Silence” Advent blessings my dear dancing monks! As we begin this holy season I wanted to invite you into the deep stillness of the heart which is the real gift of this time ahead. Two years ago we had a photography party on the theme of “silence” and I created this

November 30, 2014

Ways to Support Abbey of the Arts

1. Tell your friends, share the love! We do very little advertising, most of our growth happens through word of mouth which is the best kind there is. Share this newsletter, share on FB, “like” our articles and like our Facebook page. 2. Make a donation to support our Earth Monastery Project and Scholarship Fund (to assist those who otherwise could not participate in programs) 3. Give the gift of an online class to a friend. Any class can be gifted. Email us to find out more. 4. If you are shopping through Amazon.com, please consider using this link which provides us with a small percentage of your purchase price without any extra

November 26, 2014

Dancing with Monks and Mystics (guest post from Betsey Beckman)

For the last several months, we have been embarking on an exciting creative project and collaboration. It started with choosing 12 dancing monks to be a part of the original Dancing Monk Icon series painted by Marcy Hall. These icons were meant to depict some beloved monks and mystics in a joyful and colorful way, reminding us of our call to dance through this life. We had the inspiration to feature a dancing monk for each week of our Advent/Christmas and Epiphany/New Year’s online retreats. My dear friend and collaborator Betsey Beckman was inspired to have songs created for each dancing monk

November 25, 2014

Invitation to Dance: Honoring Saints & Ancestors

We continue our theme this month of “Honoring Saints & Ancestors: which arose from our Community Lectio Divina practice with the letter to the Hebrews and continued with this month’s Photo Party and Poetry Party. I invite you into a movement practice. Allow yourself just 5 minutes this day to pause and listen and savor what arises. Begin with a full minute of slow and deep breathing. Let your breath bring your awareness down into your body. When thoughts come up, just let them go and return to your breath. Hold this image of our “Saints & Ancestors” as the gentlest of intentions, planting a seed as you prepare

November 23, 2014

Monk in the World guest post: Alexander Gilchrist

I am delighted to share another beautiful submission for the Monk in the World guest post series from the community. Read on for Alexander Gilchrist’s wisdom about finding contemplative moments on the commuter train: As much as we complain about the service, the trains generally run on time. That means the express train to New York’s Grand Central Terminal is going to be pulling into my station around 6:21 a.m. and pulling out at 6:23 a.m. – whether I’m on it or not. That dependability has sometimes forced me to sprint through the parking lot like a 50-plus year old schoolboy in order to

November 20, 2014

Monks, Mystics, Archetypes and SoulCollage® (guest post from Kayce Stevens Hughlett)

For the last several months, we have been embarking on an exciting creative project and collaboration. It started with choosing 12 dancing monks to be a part of the original Dancing Monk Icon series painted by Marcy Hall. These icons were meant to depict some beloved monks and mystics in a joyful and colorful way, reminding us of our call to dance through this life. We had the inspiration to feature a dancing monk for each week of our Advent/Christmas and Epiphany/New Year’s online retreats. My wonderful teaching partner Kayce Hughlett, is a trained SoulCollage® facilitator and will be offering this gift

November 17, 2014

Invitation to Poetry: Honoring Saints & Ancestors

Welcome to Poetry Party #81! I select an image and suggest a theme/title and invite you to respond with your own poem. Scroll down and add it in the comments section below or join our Holy Disorder of Dancing Monks Facebook group and post there. Feel free to take your poem in any direction and then post the image and invitation on your blog (if you have one), Facebook, or Twitter, and encourage others to come join the party! (If you repost the photo, please make sure to include the credit link and link back to this post inviting others to join us). We

November 16, 2014

Monk in the World guest post: Angela Doll Carlson

Another wonderful submission for the Monk in the World guest post series from the community. Read on for Angela Doll Carlson’s wisdom on living as a monk in the world: 11:11 A number of years ago I took a silent retreat at the Abbey at Gethsemane near Bowling Green, Kentucky. At that time of my life my four children were still very young. I was burned out and overwhelmed. The trip to the monastery was rest and nurturing. I remember the lush grounds and the quiet early morning chanting. I remember the feel of the sparse quarters, comforting, completely adequate. I was alone for the

November 13, 2014

St. Brigid and the Fruit Tree (a love note from your online Abbess)

St. Brigid and the Fruit Tree There was the moment you could bear it no more. Your eyes brimming with great glistening drops summoned by the hunger of the world, the callous and terrible things men and women do to one another. Your tears splashed onto cold stony earth, ringing out like bells calling monks to prayer, like the river breaking open to the wide expanse of sea. From that salt-soaked ground a fruit tree sprouts and rises. I imagine pendulous pears, tears transmuted to sweetness. There will always be more grief than we can bear. There will always be

November 12, 2014

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Week 1 Advent Practices: Breathing Deeply

Word for December: Silence

Ways to Support Abbey of the Arts

Dancing with Monks and Mystics (guest post from Betsey Beckman)

Invitation to Dance: Honoring Saints & Ancestors

Monk in the World guest post: Alexander Gilchrist

Monks, Mystics, Archetypes and SoulCollage® (guest post from Kayce Stevens Hughlett)

Invitation to Poetry: Honoring Saints & Ancestors

Monk in the World guest post: Angela Doll Carlson

St. Brigid and the Fruit Tree (a love note from your online Abbess)

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Monk in the World Guest Post: Kiki McGrath

Writing on the Wild Edges + Prayer Cycle Day 2 Audio Podcast ~ A Love Note from Your Online Abbess

Monk in the World Guest Post: Jamie Alm

Creative Joy + Prayer Cycle Day 1 Audio Podcast ~ A Love Note from Your Online Abbess

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