Spiritual Direction
Spiritual Direction is the process of accompanying people on a spiritual journey. It is a contemplative practice common to all faith traditions with the director called variously companion, mentor, teacher, witness, or guide.
Mary Rees: Spiritual Teacher and Companion
Religious affiliation and spiritual practice are very personal and unfold uniquely with every individual. Each person has the right to this exciting journey and should be encouraged to be faithful to his or her own unfolding path. As a young woman I thought I could chose my religion, but in fact the path simply opens before me. I can choose to say yes or no, but saying Yes is the only way to Life.
I teach spiritual practices useful for people of any tradition. My direct affiliations are both Christian and Buddhist. I was sponsored as Spiritual Director by the pastor and affiliate pastor of a Roman Catholic Community and by my Insight Meditation Teacher. I have authority to teach in the Buddhist tradition via lineage with Insight Meditation Society and Thai Forest Monks. My work is spiritual and personal ? not religious. - Mary
Working with Mary will be of most value to those interested in prayer as an intimate and embodied experience integrated in all aspects of daily life
- who may be experiencing a shift in their understanding or experience of God
- who may feel a little out of place in traditional settings
- who are in leadership roles within their traditions
Apply for Spiritual Coaching now or become familiar with what Mary can offer by reading her book Being Prayer (www.beingprayer.com). You could also work with some of her other publications (at nutpub.com). Mary offers Insight and Mindfulness Meditation (vipassana) courses in person, online, and by telephone; in retreat and group formats for both churches and businesses; and through publications in digital, hardcopy, and interactive formats.
About Working with Mary
What are Mary's qualifications for offering Spiritual Companionship?
In 1990 Mary graduated from the Spiritual Direction Institute, a joint program between the Cenacle Retreat House and University of St. Thomas, both in Houston. She has graduate hours in Christian Spirituality and Buddhist Meditation Theory.
Mary has worked with her own Spiritual Directors since 1981, Alice Meenan, MM, and Mary Dennison, rc. and her primary meditation teachers since 1985 (Rodney Smith, now Marcia Rose).
She has been teaching meditation courses since 1989, practicing Vipassana or Insight Meditation since 1985 and contemplative prayer since 1975.
You may select a 30 minute or 60 minute first session.
When Mary has all your registration materials, she will contact you by email to set up an initial session.
I think of my work as mid-wifing Mystery. I am of most value as a Spiritual Director if you wish to focus on prayer, integrating it in all your life, letting it form your life.
You might appreciate working with me if you feel a little out of place in traditional settings, if you are in a leadership role within your tradition, or if you are experiencing a shift in your understanding of God.
I work with people from various traditions and point to the possibilities of prayer as an embodied experience, accessible regardless of one's tradition. I especially enjoy supporting people in a balanced opening to experiences of God and in learning to live skillfully and happily through the whole range of possibilities in prayer life - from times of dryness through times of feeling overwhelmed by Love. - Mary
Participating in practices of Vipassana or Insight Meditation, which are rooted in the Buddhist tradition, require no religious allegiance. The practices are a perfectly appropriate supplement to enrich spiritual life in any tradition.