
Show Notes
Are you easily moved? Do you feel others’ feelings, and have a hard time separating them from your own? Do you get overwhelmed by crowds or noise or commotion? You may be a Highly Sensitive Person (HSP), a trait possessed by 20% of the population--and I’d wager 50% of contemplatives.
Thomas Merton once remarked that his fellow monks at Gethsemane weren’t contemplatives: they were just introverts. I’d say the term he was looking for was HSP. We crave silence, solitude, simplicity--and are also drawn into the depths of spirituality.
What does it mean to have bodies with this trait? Listen in to learn what this trait is, the biology behind it, the impact it has, as well as some practical strategies to help reset your nervous system so you can find what your bodyspirit needs to be fully alive.
This video is taken from the Spiritual Off-Roading Program, and is offered to you as an exclusive sneak peek! Many participants named this video as the most impactful part of the program, so I’m excited to share it with you!
If you’re hungry to journey with kindred spirits, check out www.spiritualoffroading.com.
_______________________ WELCOME TO SPIRITUAL WANDERLUST. Contemplation. Embodiment. Mysticism. Mischief. Join former nun and neuroscience aficionado Kelly Deutsch as she interviews contemplative teachers, embodiment experts, psychologists, and mystics about the untamed frontiers of interior life. Each episode is jam packed with life-changing stories, spiritual practices, and powerful insight to support your journey toward wholeness and divine intimacy.
For FREE resources for your own spiritual journey (like the Psycho-Spritual Maturity Assessment!) - check out www.spiritualwanderlust.org.
More from Spiritual Wanderlust
You might describe Nick Mayhew Smith’s spirituality first and foremost as immersive.
What do dancing and playing have to do with theology?
It’s not a stretch to say Dave Denny is what Thomas Merton would have looked like today, had he lived.
Join us for our *first ever* Ask a Spiritual Director a Question! Host Kelly Deutsch invites one or more guest spiritual directors to answer your burning questions. Leave us a voicemail at www.spiritualwanderlust.org/ask!
Have you ever been struck by someone’s depth of presence? Like when you meet a wise, holy person. The depth of their presence overwhelms us, floods our body with their peace. Have you ever wondered what's going on on a biological level when this happens? Or, wondered why it's so much easier to feel grounded when we meditate with others vs. on our own? Or maybe been curious about how life's traumas impact the contemplative life? Get ready, everyone - this is one of my FAVORITE intersections. 🤩🤩 Neuroscience and the contemplative life. Embodiment and spirituality. The mystical and the muscles, minerals, and membranes. In today’s episode I speak with Dr. Bonnie Badenoch, who specializes in precisely this intersection. Bonnie is an interpersonal neurobiologist *and* a contemplative! She has spent decades researching how that connection, and most importantly, presence, impacts our bodies. You might think of her as the Brene Brown of presence-- combining lots of heart with accessible research.