Come and discover a connection between your physical body and your spirituality – An Introduction to BSF, Level 1
Summer often reminds me of long days and evenings spent climbing trees in my backyard and roller skating along cracked sidewalks as a child. Now, active play as an adult looks like watching the changing seasons unfold as I walk along beautiful paths in the Twin Cities, biking long trails near lakes, and taking hikes to explore new areas on vacation. I sense this lifelong love of moving my body led me to be curious when I first read about a BioSpiritual Focusing class at the Benedictine Center.
I have always felt drawn to a deeper connection between my physical body and my spirituality. However, I have not always been sure how to make that link. At first, I appreciated how much easier it was to practice contemplative prayer after I had been physically active. After wearing myself out with movement, it seemed easier to settle down, go inside myself and be still. However, I sensed that there was more to this relationship between my whole human body and the Divine.
During the height of the COVID pandemic, my body often felt overwhelmed and stressed by all the challenges of that time. While prayer was helpful, I still noticed that outside of that time my body felt tight and constricted. With all that was going on with my family and the world, I would quickly push those feelings aside and move on with whatever task was next on my list. I knew that I could not keep going like this forever, so I finally decided to reach out to a spiritual director trained in BioSpiritual Focusing. Learning a practice for being with what was real in my body with a caring companion was and continues to be transformational. I became excited to learn more and find ways to share it with others.
Now that I have spent the last three and a half years first taking classes and then helping lead classes on BioSpiritual Focusing, I see ties between our physical bodies and our connection with the Divine everywhere. After reading “A Reflection on Pope Leo’s Encyclical” by Rev. Cameron Trimble recently, I suddenly realized that if we as human beings can experience the Divine within our own bodies, that is something that will always make us different from machines or artificial intelligence. I want to embrace the spiritual practice of BioSpiritual Focusing as a way to remember that it is good to be human! Our physical bodies are a gift from the Divine and a source of Grace and Wisdom.
BioSpiritual Focusing offers a practice for staying in touch with one’s inner life by creating a process that slows us down, encourages us to notice what we may be sensing in our bodies, and then taking time to be with and nurture what is real inside at the present moment. This may lead us to sitting and waiting with something that we are struggling with right now; it may look like savoring something good going on in our lives, or it might even be a mystical encounter with the Divine experienced through our bodies. I invite you to come and experience what it might be for you to be open to receiving the Spirit of God set loose in your physical body.
Kami received her training in Spiritual Direction from the Franciscan Spirituality Center in La Crosse, Wisconsin. She also completed advanced companioning training in BioSpiritual Focusing from the BioSpiritual Institute. She earned her undergraduate degree from Texas A&M University in College Station, Texas and earned her Master’s degree in Human Resource Development from the University of Minnesota. She has experience working on a church staff, corporate Human Resources, teaching, and being a mom.
Kami’s approach to spiritual direction starts with deep listening that facilitates spiritual growth and development. She has special interests in BioSpiritual Focusing and Benedictine Spirituality as pathways to spiritual growth. She creates a safe, non-judgmental space to listen to both you and the Source of Love as you tell the parts of your story that are arising that day; to reflect with you; and to provide time, space and a supportive presence as you notice, nurture, listen and sense the personal wisdom arising in you. This often leads to a profound experience of deep inner connection to all things, including the natural world and the Divine.
