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Practicing the Pause

Taking time to connect with the Holy

COURSE DESCRIPTION

The 24/7 demands of our daily lives often seem to take up every moment of our lives these days, and can often crowd out our connection with others, with the Divine, and even with ourselves.


But we are hearing from both neuroscientists and theologians alike that incorporating simple, short, intentional pauses throughout our day can actually enable us to live more aware, spacious and meaningful lives, even in the midst of our day to day challenges.


In the four weeks of February, coming just before the season of Lent this year, we'll be led by spiritual director and author Caroline Oakes in a compelling series that incorporates both the new science and the enlivening spirituality of centering practices — of “practicing the pause.”


We'll explore just how intentional pauses for prayer and meditation can “wake us up,” and even (quite literally) rewire neural circuits in our brains that can equip us to calm down our overreactive fight/flight stress responses, get in touch with our innermost selves, and follow our deepest yearnings to connect with the Holy in our daily lives and find meaningful ways to care for the world around us.


Please join us!


Wednesdays in February at 7PM (ET) on Zoom. 


Can't make the LIVE sessions? No problem! Replays will be available within a few days of each session. Link to register for Zoom on course page.

Wednesdays in February

Membership Community

COURSE INSTRUCTOR

Caroline Oakes

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Caroline Oakes, author of the newly released book Practice the Pause: Jesus’ Contemplative Practice, New Brain Science, and What It Means To Be Fully Human, is a writer and spiritual director whose essays have been published in the On Being Project, the Huffington Post, and in her bimonthly Mind & Spirit column in The Bucks County Herald, an award-winning regional newspaper. She received her master’s degree from General Theological Episcopal Seminary and has been trained in teaching contemplative practice and meditation by Shalem Institute and Mindful Schools.


Caroline can be reached through her website carolineoakes.com and through her Instagram profile @carolineoakes.

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