Contact

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located in Edmonton, Alberta, on Treaty 6 territory

My spiritual path and practice

I am a contemplative non-theist in awe of life and the universe, embedded in the natural world around me and the cycle of seasons. As long as I can remember, I have been a teller and holder of stories, been drawn to the mystery of the un-knowable, and have had a strong bent for social justice.

After being very serious in my Catholic beliefs in my teens and a brief foray into evangelical Christianity, I spent my twenties in disenchantment and a gradual shedding of god-images. My inquiry into Buddhism started in my late twenties, and I formally converted by taking five lay precepts in my early thirties. Since then I have practiced with various Buddhist traditions, groups and teachers in five countries, mostly focused on Soto Zen and Vipassana (Insight) meditation. I have taken lay ordination (jukai) in Zen in 2013, and have been studying with the teachers of Vancouver’s Mountain Rain Zen since 2016.

I welcome all wanderers and seekers, whether you are walking on your own individual path or are connected to a faith tradition. 

I am a member of SDI, an international network of spiritual companions, and adhere to their guidelines for ethical conduct.

My own experience with spiritual accompaniment

I entered accompaniment because I did not have access to a Zen teacher locally. I was looking to clarify some questions about my practice and commitments. As it turned out, my work with a companion went far beyond this initial impulse. It eventually included my work life, creative life, spiritual life and relationships, and helped me to integrate aspects of my life that did not seem to fit together. I was held with love just as I was, with my whole being, including flaws, shadows, and things I didn’t want to talk about. My experience was validated even if it was completely different than my companion’s. My truths, my story and my experience were handed back to me so that I can own them, empowering me to trust myself and find my own path.

I completed the Pacific Jubilee Program’s SoulGuiding course to explore whether I have a calling to provide the sacred service of listening and witnessing to others. The two-year course with a “focus on listening, discernment, contemplation and imagination” took me deep into inner work, an opportunity rarely found in our busy, noisy world. It has put me on a continuing journey of learning about living an embodied life and integrating my scattered “parts” into wholeness.

I am looking forward to meeting you!

Trudy Grienauer