E-Newsletter - What's Happening at Spirituality & Practice

Greetings, Friends. Looking over recent new content on Spirituality & Practice, we've discovered that we've been on a roll. A favorite book and two Oscar-winning films reveal to us the joys and spiritual wisdom coming to humans from their bonds with animals.

Sit in the Sun: And Other Lessons in the Spiritual Wisdom of Cats is by Jon M. Sweeney, S&P's Contributing Editor for Books and New Media. Jon got kittens at the beginning of the pandemic and after observing their activities closely, he approached us about offering an e-course on The Spirituality of Cats; it ran in January 2021 and is now in our on-demand system.

Now for this book, Jon has taken a deeper dive into how cats can be our spiritual teachers. Some of the chapter titles will give you an idea of what he has learned from Martin and Rosa and the other cats he’s lived with: Find the Love Inside You. Be Aware of the Love Around You. Eat Regularly and Well. Voice Your Opinion. Keep to a Schedule. Be Persistent and Thankful. Pounce Frequently. He includes spiritual practices based on cat behavior at the end of each chapter, which we highly recommend!

Purring happily,

The S&P Team

Read our review and an excerpt from Sit in the Sun

The Boy, The Mole, The Fox and The Horse

Now Streaming

This touching film about a boy who connects with three animals won the Academy Award in 2023 for the best Animated Short Film. It is based on Charlie Mackesy’s 2019 bestselling book, which has brought joy to more than seven million readers worldwide. More than 120 animators from around the world collaborated on the film's animation, which was drawn first in pencil and then inked over and hand painted. This beautiful 38-minute film speaks to young and old alike.

The Boy is lost and looking for a home. He meets a Mole, a Fox, and a Horse who join him on his quest. Along the way, they express universal concerns we are all familiar with and share spiritual insights and wisdom.

Read our Review, including some of the four's conversations.

The Elephant Whisperers

This film provides another beautiful example of the animal-human bond. It won the Oscar in 2023 for the Best Documentary Short Film. A couple from an indigenous community in South India spend their time caring for orphaned elephants. Through their nurturing and play with the animals, they create a mutually loving family.

Read the Review

Tax Day Ritual

This ritual is designed for the day you pay your taxes (or for a meditation with copies of your filed forms). Begin by making lists of what your federal, state, and local taxes pay for. Express gratitude for services you appreciate that are supported by your taxes. Express your sorrow for any expenditures you regret. End with a prayer.

Try the Ritual

Discover More!

Beauty and the Great Togetherness. The latest Process Musings blog post on experiencing beauty as a practice to connect with something more than yourself.
The Hospital Book. From children's book author Lisa Brown, a lively mix of humor, honesty, and sympathy around the experience of a first hospitalization.
My Body and Other Crumbling Empires. Recommendations from author Lyndsey Medford on having compassion for your body, ailments and all.
Mini-Retreat - Spiritual Work on Simplicity. A personal retreat on living freely, simply, and from the heart.
Quotes to inspire your everyday life. 12 memes to inspire you day by day.
Powerful Milkshake. A KidSpirit Youth Voices blog post written by 16-year-old Virginia Rodriguez from Coronel Oviedo. Paraguay, about discovering countable happy memories.
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