Noble friendship is the

whole of the holy life.

Upaddha Sutta, Samyutta Nikaya

(Discourse on the Holy Life)

EARLY MEMORIES

My spiritual journey began on the cusp of my adolescent years when I experienced a numinous and compelling dream. The dream sparked a deep search in me to understand more about the nature of consciousness and multidimensional reality.

Soon after, I had my first exposure to Jungian thought (e.g. Synchronicity, dreamwork) and to the ancient Chinese text known as the Yi Jing (I Ching, the classic Book of Changes), which, forty-five years later, continues to be a companion-guide.

Since that time, I have been a devotee of Nature and have studied the Japanese martial art Aikido, Daoist philosophy, Neo-Confucian thought, Shinto, and Zen.

WAYFARING

a wayfaring man

the name I would be

called by --

first winter drizzle

- Matsuo Basho

While I tend to avoid formal religious labels (following in the footsteps of my late teacher), my spirituality is rooted in a Japanese concept: Wabizumai (a lifestyle oriented to reverence for Nature, rustic simplicity, and contemplative practice). In this Way, a person's path is characterized by an integrative weave of contemplative practice, connection to Nature, and creative expression through the vehicle of the arts. While this is my own particular "spiritual footing," so to speak, I have also studied comparative religions academically and have an interfaith respect and appreciation for the path other people walk.

I studied the Wayfaring Path for a decade with Darion Kuma Gracen (1949-2007), a well-seasoned teacher, counselor, hillwalker, wilderness guide, and mentor. Her unique approach to spirituality and the psychospiritual work of holding space for each person's process of illumination and individuation (whatever their background might be) continues to shape my life, my Path, and my work with others.

My Wayfarer name -- Inzan (en'zahn) -- combines two Japanese kanji or characters:

隠 ("hidden") + 山 ("mountain").

TRAINING IN COUNSELING

I earned a Master of Arts in Transpersonal Counseling Psychology from Naropa University in the mid-90s with a focus in Jungian Psychology. Additionally, I pursued post-graduate studies in Dreambody work, spiritual direction, and spiritually-integrated psychotherapy (SIP), a year-long course of study developed by the Association for Clinical Pastoral Education (CPE).

DWELLING IN THE SPIRIT OF PLACE

I live within the Appalachian Piedmont of north-central Georgia, original home of the Cherokee, Muskogee, and Yuchi peoples. I am a frequent hillwalker, an apprentice of the seasonal cycles through tending a mid-size organic vegetable garden, and the writings of various Wayfaring poets of Japan (and other spiritual ancestors), past and present, are always in my vest pocket.