Labyrinth Pilgrimage - Walking or tracing a labyrinth is an ancient meditative practice.  Ours offers a serendipity of serene images and inspirational quotes.

What is life’s lesson for today? – A QBox reply by Brother David Steindl-Rast. Life seems to always give us just the right task for learning what we need to learn.

Glimpse of a Deeper Order - In this article, Rachel Naomi Remen writes how synchronistic events can awaken us to a more universal, non-linear appreciation of our lives.

Practicality versus Risk – A Qbox reply by Patricia Carlson. You may be surprised at how an answer becomes clear, just at the moment you need it most.

Crossing the Unknown Sea (excerpt) – An essay by David Whyte. What is the nature of gratefulness in the midst of exhaustion and uncertainty?

A Revolution of Authority – In a fear-inspiring time, many people wonder whom to trust. This interview with Brother David looks at sources of guidance and the nature of true authority.

Become What You Are - What do we need in order to pull ourselves together? Jack Loudon from Parabola magazine explores this question in an interview with Brother David.

Personality Types & Gratefulness - In this article, author Torre Waag describes the Enneagram as a valuable tool for self-understanding.

Views of the Cosmos - by Brother David Steindl-Rast. "The human heart communicates with the mystery in which the universe is embedded, like those inland lakes that communicate underground with the ocean."

About the Heart - by Brother David Steindl-Rast. Out-pouring and in-gathering, journey and home, are inseparably united in the dynamic reality of the heart.

Paths of Obedience - by Brother David.
Have you ever felt that you were being tried beyond what is humanly possible to endure? If so, you may find help in a surprising source: Fairy Tales.

Deer Wisdom – A poem by Patricia Carlson.
The spirit within us can guide us through our thorniest problems, the way instinct guides the deer through a thicket.

DreamWeather Foundation - Learn about the significance and wisdom of dreams, and how they speak to a quality of consciousness that affects the well-being of humanity, including our way of communicating and relating to one another, and to life itself.

Spirituality and Practice - This website, created by Frederic and Mary Ann Brussat, abounds with opportunities to learn, contemplate, reinforce your intentions, and bring the richness of your practice into everyday life.  Enjoy blogs, e-courses, an alphabet of spiritual practices, book and film reviews, profiles of spiritual teachers, and much more.

The Science of Gratitude - Psychologist Robert Emmons' research shows that “when people consciously practice grateful living, their happiness will go up, and their ability to withstand negative events will improve as does their immunity to anger, envy, resentment, and depression.”  See also these highlights from the Research Project on Gratitude and Thankfulness.

Gratitude Journal - Deborah Miller has created a 30-day interactive journal which will take you on a journey of personal inspiration with gratitude as your guide.

Naikan - Learn how this practice of self-reflection from Japan uses gratefulness to widen our perspective and foster our understanding of others and ourselves.

The Virtues - This site takes the virtues "off the lofty shelves of philosophy, religious doctrine, and contrived etiquette," making them approachable to all people.

Reflections on the Paradox of Being Present - This soothing photo journey by James Vaughan draws from the teachings of Brother David Steindl-Rast.

Interview with God - For when you have a moment to reflect: Stunning images, serene music, and gentle reassurance about what matters most.

Contemplative Outreach
www.contemplativeoutreach.org
This network of individuals and small faith communities is committed to living the contemplative dimension of the Gospel in everyday life through the practice of Centering Prayer.

Dai Bosatsu Zendo
www.zenstudies.org
Located north of New York City on 1,400 acres in the Catskill Mountain Forest Preserve, International Dai Bosatsu Zendo Kongo-ji offers an ideal setting for authentic Zen practice to persons of all religious and cultural backgrounds.

Felsentor Foundation
www.felsentor.ch
The Felsentor Foundation in Lucerne, Switzerland was created in 1999 with the intention of establishing a place of retreat and contemplation, based on preservation of nature, animal rights, holistic thought, and meditation.

The Hermitage Cottage
http://www.thehermitagecottage.com/
The Hermitage invites you to open yourself into sacred space…within yourself…within the Wisdom of all spiritual traditions…in sacred “stories” throughout history, that resurface again and again.  It offers itself to you through a retreat cottage in Ireland, through on-line programs, through services to the organizational community, through an online “circle of engaged friendship.” Join us!

The Mandala Center
www.mandalacenter.org
Set amidst the sweeping magnificence of the Sierra Grande in northeastern New Mexico, this ecumenical, multi-cultural center offers peace, caring, and renewal. Through conferences and retreats, people receive encouragement to better to know themselves, their motivations, and their exceptional capacity to become what they dream they can become.  Programs focus on leadership development, spiritual development, and health and wholeness.

Mount Saviour
www.msaviour.org
The Monastery of Mount Saviour is a community of monks striving to live a simple, genuine and full monastic life according to the Scriptures and the Rule of St. Benedict. Guests are invited to structure their own day according to the monastic schedule of the Divine Office, Eucharistic Celebration, daily work, silence, and reflection.

New Camaldoli Hermitage
www.contemplation.com
Located 1300 feet above the ocean in the Big Sur Mountains, this hermitage welcomes those wishing to share the silence and solitude in order to better know God. There is space for fourteen guests (men and women).

Puregg Haus der Stille
www.puregg.at/
An Austrian retreat center -- founded by Brother David Steindl Rast. OSB, and Zen teacher Vanja Palmers -- where East and West meet in the holy silence which unites all religions.

Sky Farm Hermitage of Peace
www.skyfarm.org/
A hermitage and chapel in the hills of Sonoma, California offering hospitality, solitude, and silence to spiritual seekers. Sky Farm's land also serves as a wildlife corridor for deer, birds, fish, and many other animals.

The Sophia Institute
www.TheSophiaInstitute.org
The Sophia Institute in Charleston, South Carolina, offers a sanctuary of rich creativity, where people can be personally renewed and design sacred activism projects in a safe container dedicated to change and growth. 

Upaya
www.upaya.org
Upaya Buddhist Study Center -- nestled in the foothills of the Sangre de Christo mountains in Santa Fe, New Mexico -- provides courses and retreats on engaged spirituality and on contemplative care of the dying.

Spiritual Retreat Center Directory
www.spiritsite.com/centers/
For information about dozens of additional places to rest and retreat, please see this listing.

The Trance of Scarcity, by Victoria Castle
When we believe we do not have enough money, self-worth, love, or job security, we constantly struggle to attain what we think we need. With a clear, fresh vocabulary, Castle helps us refocus our lives from scarcity to abundance, from living in fear to feeling grateful for our gifts.  She opens us up to the endless shining possibilities for our lives and for the lives around us.

Stalking the Divine, by Kristin Ohlson
Why would anyone take on the vocation of casting "a night-and-day mantle of prayer over the world"? And what does this vocation mean for the rest of us, especially those who have broken ties with traditional religion? Ohlson takes on these questions with irresistable humor and candor, giving us plenty of room to air our own doubts about faith, prayer, and spiritual guidance alongside hers.

Simple Truths:  On Values, Civility, and Our Common Good, by Rev. Stephen Bauman
In a world in which "simple truths concerning personal decisions and behaviors get swamped under a suffocating mountain of verbiage meant to cover, deflect, and obscure," these short inspirational messages bring us back to essentials like human dignity, integrity, and mature love.

Healing Dreams: Exploring the Dreams That Can Transform Your Life, by Marc Ian Barasch
Barasch reaches far beyond the typical dream analysis into the more ambitious realms of spiritual turning points, personal relationships, and mystical opportunities. (GH)

Writing to Save Your Life: How to Honor Your Story Through Journaling, by Michele Weldon. A guide to self-exploration through honest, authentic writing.