Q05

Have you had any particularly spiritual experiences this past year? How has this experience affected you? "Spiritual" can be broadly defined to include secular spiritual experiences: artistic, cultural, and so forth.

I've come to a deeper commitment and ease with being in my sacred purpose. Also, deeper understanding of and acceptance of my power.

Meditation has opened a new level of thinking and has become a somewhat spiritual experience. Ditching religion and becoming an atheists has also had a very powerful feeling. Realizing I didn't believe all the religious rhetoric felt like I had completely closed a door that I could never pass through again. It was as though a weight had been lifted and suddenly I could make sense of the world. I became the decider of my fate, I had to make the right choices and pick the path - not assume everything was predestined, or that god was magically fixing my mistakes. Only I can fix my problems and I've really been able to take that to the next level in gaining independence. Losing religion has been my spiritual awaking.

Chanting wholeheartedly and being in community. Singing with those in need of healing.

Spending the weekend with my family along with Tipay and Do was especially wonderful.

My wedding was a spiritual experience - being under the chuppah surrounded by close family and friends.

Nope.

Finding that sweet spot of being right in the moment with my little girl. Looking into her eyes. Watching her figure something out. Listening to her tell me stories. Watching her sleep.

Sitting on the beach, watching my son and husband play together in the water, and realizing that there was no where that I needed to be, nothing that I needed to be doing, except breathing and soaking in the peace.

No. If anything, I have become more set in my skeptical atheism. I sometimes worry that this is bad for me. I miss the quasi-mysticism of my adolescence, even as I know it was bad for me.

I've been struck by synchronicity and reminded that the universe is always trying to reveal itself to me. I've met amazing people full of love and I keep myself open to their instruction.

I always find this question tricky, I really don't have an answer. No spiritual experiences to speak of- did graduate in an Abbey and then promptly crack my head open though... Sign from God?

Hmm... let's see. Holding my new nephew and just feeling so in love with him and bursting with joy about him was a powerful experience. I'm not sure it's "spiritual", but definitely out of the ordinary.

I have experienced changes in myself this past year that feel miraculous to me... being able to date guys and fall for them, develop my relationships, attend the university I always dreamed of. I have learned a lot about myself and have change my own view of my future... my future has never felt brighter, and my hopes for my life are greater than ever.

Spirirutal experiences both by active participation - meditation - as well as listening/watching musical performances. It made me realize there is more to us than we know and given me the urge to become more active in society.

This year I renewed my meditation practice. I have found an online group of practitioners as well as a handful here on earth. There haven't been any earth-shattering experiences, just a calm peace that suits me beautifully.

This year, I deepened my meditation practice and Torah study. In doing so, I was offered an opportunity to co-manage and co-lead our meditation/Torah study group. The responsibility of preparing and facilitating the discussion was awesome and seeing our group respond with such passion and support was profoundly spiritual. I learned so much from this group and their generosity and intelligence inspired my own learning.

Simply being with myself by the water I feel cleansed.

I think it crazy that 'spiritual' experiences could include artistic and cultural experiences. You are missing out. This year I went to 'break forth' in Edmonton and I was reminded and became more aware of how awesome God is. I've been a Christian for years, but truly felt that I 'got it' that weekend. I feel so alive and cannot believe how much I was missing out on by not listening fir Him. Jesus is an amazingly smart and patient teacher. I am in awe daily at how wonderful He is. So thankful for the sessions I signed up for and that God met me where I was. He is amazing!!!

I have tried to return to Transcendental Meditation and have had some very 'floating in air' moments

I was conducting my church choir at our annual Confirmation Service. The song they were singing, 'In the Heart of the World' by Bob Chilcott, was quite different to the usual repertoire that we sing, and the choir had been struggling to learn it. On the day of the performance it all came together, and in the final phrases, a setting of the words "we will sing forever", it was so beautiful that I was overcome with emotion and really had to concentrate to keep on conducting and hold it together to the end of the song. Whenever I become despondent with the choir, I think back to this moment and use it as encouragement to continue plugging away.

I know I said it last year, but there's nothing quite like Havdallah in a different place to connect you to something bigger. I had 4 different Havdallahs across several weeks and each of them was connecting and beautiful in their own right. The first, a back area of a hostel in the Washington DC city in which we couldn't get the cork out of the wine and had to push it into the bottle (exploding on everyone). One in a London hostel outside all the rooms after doing a team building exercise. The one in Israel, in the middle of a Pentagon shape under the stars in Jerusalem. Maybe it's the songs, maybe it's the tradition but i think a lot of it was the people and they really help feel connected. The sounds of everyone singing (badly) but in the same way at the same time is oddly spiritual and beautiful

When i feel Gods presence i am at peace and when i feel far away it never goes well. I need God like flowers need sun and water. Life is not life without Him and i miss Him when i am too dull to feel His presence. For a heart smile, He is the one. The one to light me up from within.

i consider moments when i stop whatever it is i am doing, and doing deep breathing, and grounding my feet firmly on the ground, and asking my high self how i am and what guidance it has to offer me...these tome are spiritual experiences. and i don't need to be in a special place for that. though often, i go to a univeresity campus, after schoolhours and walk around under the huge trees and do my centering exercises. but should going to the university not be possible at the moment, any place will do. and it has helped me a lot these past years up to now.

I've felt an increasing sense of gratitude post-illness that's made me feel more attuned to nature. I've also been able to attend the morning minyan. Janie's healing ritual also struck a chord. It felt good to be in the outer circle sendinding heing into the inner circle.

Many. I am fortunate that I chose work that is finally about our spiritual lives. All art is prayer. Perhaps the most profound was Jon's piece, which became an unexpected requiem for my wife, who died two weeks prior. And while the memorial service for my wife was beautiful, I unexpectedly (again that word) felt more present to my own grief at the memorial offered to the families of those who donated their bodies to the medical college for research. So much. I can go on. This is a great question. I often get lost in loss, which can slip into self-pity, and it's good to remember that I am blessed with many spiritual touchstones.

working with a group of caring and loving people who believe in the power of a team has been an awakening experience. it's lovely. now this trip looks like it's coming to an end, but i'm not sad, i've learned so much about myself, weaknesses as well as strengths.

Climbing three 14ers. The last one, mt broad, felt impossible and we were stopping every ten steps. It felt like I wasn't going to make it, but I prayed and made it up the mountain. Then a stranger at the top was playing Amazing Grace on harmonica with the most incredible view as a backdrop. Definitely a spiritual experience. It effected me in terms of helping me realize that I'm stronger than I think and was just a huge encouragement.

My spiritual expericed was made by my own continously auto-checking. So, I decided to begin a diary writing. One day, I waked up at early morning convinced that we are only memory. Our life is made only of the memory that remains of all we are able to do, or another people are able to affect us. And I wanted to be somebody. I started my diary at Maig, 1st, 2013 And obviously, all of this without affection of the infinite knowledge and the infinite memory that God has of all of our.

I'm having the joy of experiencing Rosh Hashanah as a Jew, and difficult, tiring mornings of prayer. My spiritual experiences this year are mostly about being present with my students and family members. I was the last one to kiss my brother Tim goodbye before he died. I experienced pleasure, along with bone-numbing tiredness, at performing a particular physical task for my mother, in my brother's hospital room. Yes, the strength was spiritual. It has become a moment of humor for us in her 92nd year of life.

This spring and summer has been the first year that my kids have been old enough to work on our garden together. We spent long afternoons over the past few months observing the bees and butterflies visiting our flowers, and discussing the interdependence of nature. Those moments of stillness with my children are immeasurably precious to me. I am grateful for those opportunities to connect with my girls, and to instill in them a connection to the universe.

I have been lost spiritually. I have not felt comfortable in the synagogue to which I have belonged for many years. This past year, I knew that I needed to find a new spiritual community but felt afraid to go out and try something new. So I floundered. I didn't go to any services after the high holidays. I stopped saying the traditional Jewish prayers in the morning even though I love those prayers. I think I needed to get really uncomfortable before I could try something new. For Rosh Hashanah I went to a small, less traditional shul. Although I missed some of the Hebrew prayers, I was happy with the fact that they went much more slowly over the Hebrew that was included in the service. I was able to be fully present instead of rushing to keep up. I felt much more comfortable in the less formal atmosphere.

Yes, I was drawn to spend a few days at a convent and am discerning a vocation.

Standing under the chuppah was an experience unlike any I have had so far. It was emotional, and I felt so supported by my husband-to-be and friends and family.

I have absolutely had a spiritual year. In learning to meditate I was als able to get closer to my real nature and let go of some long-term pain and issues I had been struggling with. I also think my new spirituality is helping me in learning what I need to do to heal my body and how to accept its limitations, miracels and beauty.

The Days of Awe last year. Incredible blessing of Gods presence and care for his people. The great grace of Atonement, so profoundly grateful to be part of something so much bigger than myself, and assured that I'd rather be a Jew than anything else the world had to offer.

I learned about the power of observing before reacting and the reality that I need to think about the impact to me or my children before I react. This isn't actually spiritual but more a holistic view of my family. I was always the person firing off my responses, angry or good - and then filled with regret. I am trying to stop and consider what the long range implications are before I react.

Being near the Mediterranean with my husband. It's a place with such deep ties to my family (my grandparents, my mother), to human history (so inhabited for so long), and to me personally (Classics major/groupie), that I do get a real Sense of the Numinous buzz when I'm there. Also going to synagogue for Erev Rosh Hashanah last week! I was so nervous, and then I so felt like I belonged. That was great.

I don't believe in the spiritual world, so I'll go with cultural. This year, I had the opportunity to live in Hong King for six months. I have noticed that all around the world, and even in Asia, there is a general distaste for the people of Mainland China. It makes me uneasy to feel like we haven't learned our lesson about discrimination. The biggest problem with this is that I often feel this way too. The behaviors of the Chinese people seem so "rude" compared to that of other countries, that it's difficult to be understanding when they push their way into the subway without waiting for others to get through, or when they spit, and you almost stepped right into the path of that. Still, when I have these thoughts and feelings, I can't help but feel like I'm practicing hatred toward a community. So I have sought to understand where these behaviors come from, and it does seem to help me be more understanding. These experiences in mainland China have been a a test to my promotion of inclusion, and I appreciate the opportunity.

Short answer: no. Still an atheist and so very limited in spiritual experiences. I would say that I have had a couple of very moving experiences. Learning about the Civil War has made me occasionally very emotional about the soldiers. Being with Peter has given me the opportunity to feel very, very loved.

Nope

Not really, I'm not really into "spiritual", at least not at the moment. I have had several experiences that have made me feel intense emotion beyond the rational recently, once at a funeral, once brought on by a festival gig - but I'm not sure that really counts.

Chanting the haftorah Ki Savo was a very spiritual experience for me. I experienced a sense of peace, and fulfillment. It was like an opening happened for me and at the same time a closing of a chapter. I think this is what transitions are about . For me personally I have noted that day as my closing a chapter on missing pieces from childhood and an opening into becoming my own wise woman. Since I experienced this with my husband it was a way for us to share in the spirituality of the moment and close a chapter in our relationship that has been difficult. We both are looking to the moment and the future together and sharing how we have helped each other to become who we are.

Watching the Met HD operas at the movie theater, especially (this year at least) the Carmen production. The singers were amazing, and I got to participate and respond emotionally and physically.

I haven't had any particularly spiritual experiences this past year. Somewhat related, living in a place where there is no Jewish community and very few other Jewish people has taught me just how important having a Jewish community is to me. I miss having people to spend holidays with who understand their meaning and traditions. I feel like my Jewish friends understand me in a way that my non-Jewish friends can't. As I finish this job in a few months and start searching for my next one, hopefully I'll be able to move to a place where I can have a sense of Jewish community again.

Two consecutive workshops on communal prayer and leadership. Davenning three times a day every day for two weeks, deepening in liturgy and intention, becoming part of a close-knit, loving community, connecting and learning to harness otherwise shattering experiences of the Divine.

Yes. There is this girl I had deeply fallen for. And to make a long story short I had created an art piece for her that had 'Angels' from The XX as a central musical leitmotiv. Then, one night during the birthday of a very good friend of both, we were on his rooftop and all of the sudden the song started to sound. I don't remember feeling so in tune to the heartbeat of the Universe other than that very night. I probably still love her.

I spent some of last year teaching children to read torah, and I loved it. It made me really appreciate how difficult it is and how much of a gift it is that I learned when I was so young.

In late August I found myself singing the mishaberach. I had not sung it since I was diagnosed, instead taking him all of the prayers of healing from the congregation. Without even thinking I sang and knew that I had turned a corner.

Again - due to the storm, Hurrican Sandy, the silence that followed it was amazing.. Without electricity, the "hum" of the neighborhood was silenced. To sit outside at night in complete darkness and silence was beautiful. It made me realize how much "meaningless noise" we let into our lives.

Attending the ballet with my son and seeing his eyes tear up as mine did remembering our earlier visits. Standing by the side of my friend M who suffered physically debilitating illnesses this year with a grace that could only have been reinforced by God. Witnessing the passing of good people who lived long and good lives. Being granted the grace to accept the love of my family and to stop searching for the love of others. Welcoming work.

My dog, Birch, died. We had to help her along. She was 12 years old, and had been with us for ten years. She and I sometimes had relationship issues. She had a mind of her own, and being a black mouth cur (think "Old Yaller"), always wanted to follow a scent. She would look at me, get that mischievous look, and take off. When we brought her to the vet for the last time, she curled up in my arms. My husband and I were crying. As the medicine took effect, I thanked her for being in our lives, and as she closed her eyes, the weight of her head gently lay on my elbow. I really felt G-d's presence and Grace. I miss her terribly, but I felt comfort in not being spiritually alone.

Spiritual? Not really. I've continued to attend church services as often as possible, and have served at one dinner for the homeless, but haven't felt particularly spiritually enhanced.

:=_)

I lost my faith this year. It is very painful.

The day that my yoga teacher broke her water bottle, I went home sick, and realized that the synagogue I had been going to was a huge investment of time with no spiritual return on the investment. It showed me how powerfully spiritual the yoga practice was - and how important it was for me to make a change in where I go to synagogue.

Each time when I met my Goddaughter and she runs to me and see her pretty face her sparkling eyes and hapiness.

being in nature always connects me to the divine - sitting on my screened porch, gardening, walking in the woods/park I get a sense of clarity, calm, peace.

Spiritual? Not really. I don't define artistic as spiritual. And the definition is WAY too broad to really be an effective question.

In the past year I have had to really examine and question my overall thoughts on what a spiritual experience even is. I have a lot of confusion as to what I even think or believe spiritually. I was raised Christian and was therefore far more religious than spiritual. Then I grew and evolved away from that one dimensional way of thinking and began to embrace a mixture of different spiritual views. Now my spouse who was raised the same way has moved past those views into an even deeper connection with the spirit world and I just didn't know if it's something I can relate to or not. For me right now a spiritual experience is seeing people act in a positive way toward one another. Someone helping a person push their car to the gas station or picking up money that has been dropped and turning it in. I had a customer at my job not long ago approach me to to tell me I was doing an amazing job and to give me some words of encouragement when I was having a real bad day. Little things like that are the most significant spiritual moments to me right now.

The most spiritual experience I had this year was the response to my bike having fallen off my car on the freeway, and then being stolen before I could go back to get it. D took up a collection without me knowing, and my friends bought me a new bike and bike rack. Incredible! It was like attending my own funeral while still alive. It was so life-affirming to see that people really love and respect me, and to hear about the impact that I have had on other people's lives.

My time alone on our friend's ridge was transformative, in that it showed me what I was after. That's North, on my compass.

I liked the way the religions came together following the arson attack in Muswell Hill. The unity and show of strength against hatred was a strong signifier of the love of humanity we shared

Watching my son and his friends sing a haunting Jewish melody at the end of a presentation at school. It was powerful to realize that my son could be a conduit for my accessing a sense of G-d's presence.

I had a spiritual experience during an exercise in an workshop on compassion that I co-hosted. It came to me very clearly how valuable a community is that has way to stimulate compassion and forgiveness. Also it struck me that a community can be very inspiring and sustaining personal growth by offering rituals, exercises and information to contemplate on. Lastly a community can be supportive in a very practical manner. So the value of a community with shared values became very clear to me.

Any time being at camp when things come together is spiritual for me -- 1) because it is a Jewish camp and we want to create that religious/spiritual/important feeling aspect for our community but 2) the teenagers feel it too. Right in the heart. And that's what matters. There's one spot on these benches that look out on the lake, this one particular patch of water and sun way out there. And that's what tethers me, that one spot that I always know is there.

So many during the breast cancer journey. The one that sticks out is the time the question : "Can you be present to what is? That's all you have to do." popped into my head.

I'd like to reclaim the word "spiritual" from religion. I'm an atheist and a musician. I'm spiritual every time I write and perform music.

Last year on Yom Kippur I spent the weekend with Marissa in Boston and I was starting to get emotional during services. spirituality is always something I've shied away from and I know that I have started to feel more comfortable the older I get with things that I used to think are embarrassing. I am more comfortable to tell people about things like if I threw up or cried, where when I was younger I wouldn't share those things. when I first moved to NY my friend Allison who is very emotional made a comment once about how there is nothing like a good subway cry. I laughed at first and thought how sad that sounded but then I realized being comfortable enough to cry in public is a very powerful thing. I noticed that this year constantly being surrounded by people I have become more comfortable with the idea of crying in public and at Rosh Hashanah services while doing the silent prayer I thought about last year at Yom Kippur and how crying was how I am showing God I am trying to become more spiritual. I want to connect but it scares me and so tears are involved. This year I have been taking these 10 days of Awe to understand where I am and where I want to be without closing any doors. It is an emotional place to be, but I know that I will most likely cry again on Yom Kippur because I am scared about my future and the best way to cope with it is a few tears that say I know everything will be ok but for now I'm just going to let go of those fears and let some tears come through.

I walked the Camino de Santiago, a pilgrimage trail across Spain. Six weeks being outside in nature, connecting to God and looking at the issues in my life. I've learned a lot about myself, and now the real work begins of applying what I've learned in my normal life. I was also extremely touched by the generosity and open-heartedness of the people I met along the way.

No particular experience. My mediation and yoga have been impacted by my caring for my husband. I don't take the time I have dedicated to these practices in the past at this time. It will change.

Realizing that I really need to travel and experience the world. A friend of mine went to travel for 10 months and I realized, yes, I save my money, I follow this routine, I do this boring job., but there has to be more. So long story short, I'm in china right now.

No matter how you define spiritual, I can't relate to it. The suicide of a friend's son, the understanding that my cancer was diagnosed, treated and cured , the glory of an art exhibit, a concert, the bar mitzvah of my grandnephew, the awareness of Paris in a rainy spring...they all affect me deeply, cause me to laugh or cry or simply go deeper within myself. But spiritual. No.

At my school retreat, we took a meditation hike where the people that went on the hike would walk silently, one at a time, down a trail and there were cards on the trail, which had quotes or actions on them. One of the actions was to take off your shoes and walk barefoot until the next card. Feeling the ground underneath my feet, as if it was a carpet, made me feel so good and close to earth. Everyone was silent, and all you could hear was birds, and all you could feel was the earth. It was such a nice deviation from the hustle and bustle of everyday life.

I had brain surgery, which made me question how I was living my life and I decided to put more effort into the things that made me happy instead of what I thought I was "supposed" to do. I was never angry at G-d but I did start to wonder why some people suffer more than others. Then I realized that we all have the same potential for suffering, but we all have a choice in how to handle what life has given us and then happiness can suppress suffering.

I am torn when I wonder how what I do is Jewish. I want to be able to enact my social justice work as part of my observance of Judaism, and I also want to be able to distinguish my work life from Jewish observance. This past Friday night, I had to restrain myself from working on a very important grant because I was observing Shabbat. If writing a grant were comfortably within my understanding of Jewish observance, I could have worked on it, but then there would have been no difference between my work day and Shabbat. My wife opined that when work is part of social justice and affects other people, it absolutely qualifies as Jewish observance. I am not so comfortable with that. How would my way of being Jewish be any different from any diligent non-observing Jew? The question my rabbi put to me was, in what way is my work Jewish? If my career is in social justice, and I am always observing, when would my work end? I do not have a good answer to this yet, but on Friday my wife worked for others and I did not. In the coming year, I would like to have a better answer to these questions. I need more convincing reasons for my boundaries.

When I went on Birthright and stood in front of the Western Wall, I wasn't expecting to feel anything, but I did. Not anything "religious" - I didn't feel a connection to god or anything like that, but I felt so much a part of something... unlike anything I had felt before. I thought about all the people who came to the wall for years and years before me, and how hard it must have been for them to physically get there. How my grandparents and great-grandparents, etc. had all been to this place. Every time I think about it I get a little teary. I'm not sure how this affects me day to day, but I definitely understand religion in a new way than I did before -- less about believing in god and more about connecting with others.

yes. that transformative moment of knowing that in all the terror and splendor of the world, there is nothing to be afraid of, during the movie Life of Pi

I always have spiritual experiences. Angel's dad passed away shortly after memorial day - being there with her visiting him in the hospital - it was kind of an eye opening thing. I was with grandma when she was dying and I know how hard that can be - but we made it through. I've been doing a lot of reflecting and soul searching and it's just been a pretty amazing experience. God is everywhere all the time - and I see Him everywhere. It's awesome knowing that He's there for us whenever we might need Him.

I did not have any spiritual moments this year. Somewhat feel like I should have had one.

I have had a few experiences that have affirmed our connection to each other. I also know from these experiences that I while I have much work to do and that the present moment is the right place to be mindful every moment

Going to Herzog Winery and relaxing with great wine and smoking really good cigars was about as close to "heaven" as I can imagine! Especially in California!

*Have an intuitive tell me I have Bodhisattva energy like she'd rarely experienced, but that it was sleeping. *Going on retreat with Susan Piver during a particularly difficult time and realizing that self-compassion was the answer. *Being with Dexter when he died. *Working with my new tarot deck. *Hiking, so many hikes. *Messages from the Universe. *Every orgasm.

Being a very non-spiritual person, the closest thing to a spiritual experience I have encountered was my re-recognition of death and how very finite our lives are. Unfortunately, despite this realization, I am yet to take any actions to find fulfillment in my life.

I spent a week in Aruba. It was quite possibly the most calming week I have had in my life. That's as close to spiritual as I got this year. It was spectacular.

I saw an answer on the sidebar that said "Being there for the last days of my mother's life..." Duh. Yes, this was the most spiritual moment of my year. Definitely, the most sacred experience of my life. I would exist in those moments forever if it were possible. To be there with my precious Dad in his last moments. To be alone with him and to hold his hand and to have him squeeze it so hard in the middle of the night. And for him to keep looking at me eyes to eyes. Sacred. I feel beyond blessed to have shared those moments with him. Beyond blessed. If that's the only grace or mercy showed to me throughout life I have to remember that and feel like that was more than I deserved. It was more than enough. Following Dad's death was the Consider the Lilies passage... I felt like spiritually there was a message there that I received. Consider the lilies, they neither toil nor spin. I've lost faith mostly afterwards, but I deep down believe Dad is okay, wherever he is, and that is enough. Consider the lilies... I just have to keep considering the lilies:)

I met a man who shares a great deal of my spiritual philosophy/thinking/practice. We have partnered together and are planning a future together where we will be able to talk about and share our spiritual beliefs as well as other beliefs as we go along our journey individually and together.

Being in the water at curaçao being far from my past life Was pretty unique and good. Being on the beach with j after he proposed to me, felt like the cosmic wave of a new life washed over me. And many more. This morning reflecting on how I want to be alone and for me that means having my own life and sphere if life no matter who is around. A work in progress:) acceptance in the moment is wow

Really similar to other answers, but: Fall Out Boy. Particularly seeing Fall Out Boy live again. In the past, I had always held live shows in a very spiritual light. They were the one place where I felt free from every burden I had. During the hiatus, I saw Patrick Stump live a few times--it was wonderful and I'm so glad I did, but nothing really compared to seeing Fall Out Boy together again. I remember standing in the lobby of The Fillmore and looking over only to see the whole band standing there for meet and greets. I didn't meet the whole band (but thanks, Joe Trohman). I didn't have to. Seeing Fall Out Boy as a collective unit was enough to almost literally knock me over. I barely know how to explain how much Fall Out Boy means to me. Seeing them live this year has been one of the highlights of my life.

Although an undistinguished member of the fellowship, I was asked to oversee a thirty-six hour spiritual retreat for men in a Twelve Step program. I devoted a good deal of thought and planning, chose colleagues to assist in leading individual meetings, and prepared my own opening and, as the sessions progressed, my own closing for the event. From all of this and, in particular, from all the experience, strength and hope that were related, I acquired a new appreciation for my own spiritual nature and a deeper understanding of what is means to be a member of a group rather than a solitary individual working alone.

No, not spiritual. But the moments I spent in nature and slowed down long enough to feel my insignificance in the grand scheme of things come to mind as particularly inspiring.

Around April I participated in a mass at school to do with Easter and I felt so connected to god and so at peace with everything around me. When my nanny passed I also felt closer to god and comforted that she was with him at peace and he's looking over us and comforting me.

I missed my mother so much when I was planning my daughter's wedding. It was wonderful that I had long, honest talks with Aunt Dorothy--she really was a mother figure for me. What I did to soothe this part of me was to make the chuppah for Diana and Jack's wedding with pictures of my parents, grandparents and great-grandparents on it. And Jack's ancestors, too. I spent a lot of time dreaming about it, editing the pictures, figuring out (with the help of my bead sisters) how to technically put it together, buying the silk organza, printing the pictures on material and sewing it on the organza, and looking at it. It was a creative project and it kept me feeling a part of the circle of life. The rabbi talked about this special chuppah during the ceremony and I have a picture of everyone under it looking up. There they were. The grandparents, great grandparents and great-grandparents were standing over us and blessing the bride and groom. Still gives me chills to remember this. I found a poem that I put in the wedding program that describes this moment: It is hard to sing of oneness when our world is not complete; When the ones who brought us wholeness now are gone. And yet the fullness of their life is part of what we have become And their spirit in our melody still lives on. Abby Gostein

This year has been a low spot in my life in most ways. And I had to learn to honor it and accept this. Once I did, I started to find beauty in smaller things, and peace with myself. A change started, but I am still in the midst of this and do not know were it will lead me. So it has been an inner journey after the year before that was storm upon storm. It is like I was cast on the beach and had to learn to appreciate the sun and waves lapping on the shore and see that I was not being drowned or harmed.

The moment I decided to take up dancing (which I still haven't done, btw, but I'm definitely going to! ) . I felt so happy that I started crying.

Spiritual happens in so many ways . . . the way a mountain bike single track winds through redwood trunks, glorious mornings when the sun rises behind Diablo, the smile when a friend offers a profound way of looking at the world, the warmth when I hold my lover, shared laughter with my brothers, that incredible high when I see a solution to problem that I have been struggling with for half a year.

This year I made a commitment to convert to Judaism, though the foundations for this were placed in my childhood. For me, the open declaration of who I am, who I've always been, affects me in ways large and small. I'm much more aware of God's presence in all things. I'm aware of how important it is to keep as much of the practice of Judaism as I can. And I'm affected every day by how much I will never be able to know or even glimpse.

While serving as an intern for Motown Mission, I got a chance to hear how different volunteers experienced God in their day. For me, it was a consistently spiritual experience to hear how they experienced God in the midst of hard labor- repairing roofs, encountering ungrateful homeowners, tearing down abandoned houses, picking up trash, restoring community gardens, etc. It was a privilege to hear their experiences. It was also wonderful to learn how to listen for God in new ways in my own journey.

Yes, I have. I have been keeping up with Gabrielle Bernstein who has written several books on spirituality. She also has a blog and provides weekly videos on spiritual practices. I really enjoy her work. Her viewpoints on fear versus love do help me a lot. When I am angry I realize it is more about me than the person I am angry at. Also, that I have choices with who relate to. There is no "victim" but rather freedom of choice. Also I moved because I had bad spirits in my old coop. I had endless problems in that apartment. I moved and I no longer have bad spirits. I did some energy healing and it worked to get of the bad spirits that had attached themselves to me.

I participated in a summer youth employment project that allowed students to gain work experience along with job-readiness training. Many of the students were advantaged and will go to college but many would never have had the opportunity to gain this experience without this program. It was very motivational.

I'm an atheist, but I find long distance running the loosest thing to a spiritual experience out there. You learn so much about yourself & the world. All my great epiphanies occur when I'm running. If the scenery is beautiful & inspiring so much more the experience.

How I came to have a son was a very spiritual experience for me. I had been at a very low point in my life but was slowly getting back to where I wanted to be. I had recently started a job that I loved and was spending a lot of time with a new best friend after spending a very lonely and painful year without friends in a new city. I remember the day I met his dad, I still think about it. Not because I want us to be together or because I regret it, I think about it because it still amazes me how everything had to line up perfectly for my son to be conceived. If one thing had been different, he would not be here and my life would have continued down the same path. It was close to Halloween when I met his soon to be dad. I was going to meet a friend for brunch in the city but I overslept so I was running late. Then I couldn't find anything to wear, I missed the bus, the cab I called didn't show up so I called a different company that told me it would be a while. I told my friend I was running late and he said it was fine, he had just gotten up. Perfect, I thought. When I finally got to the city, I got lost. I couldn't find the restaurant, I had actually passed it several times. Finally we had a lovely brunch and were ready to leave. We weren't ready for the day to end so we walked down the street. We passed a small yard sale on the side of the road and I glanced in one of the boxes and saw a cracked Batman mask. I asked the man how much and he said, "a buck."so I handed him a dollar bill and put on the mask. We went to an Irish pub in a different part of town and sat by the window with our drinks. Not too long after we went outside to smoke, while we were talking outside my friend noticed a couple in the window at a table near ours. I turned around and we were narrating for them. The woman, who I became friends with, was leaning across the table and looked to be infatuated with the man, my sons father, who we thought was gay. We were having fun making up a silly dialogue for them and then they saw us so we waved. My friend decided we should go introduce ourselves since he had just gotten out of a bad relationship and thought the man was attractive. I agreed and inside we went. We talked and found out he wasn't gay but he heard that all the time and wasn't offended. I was disappointed for my friend but enjoying their company. Another few rounds of drinks were bought and we went outside to smoke again. I noticed writing on his arm and asked what it was. Turns out he was/is an electrical engineer and didn't have any paper when equations came to mind. That was all it took, I was completely taken with him at that point. Before I thought he was a good looking guy but that was where it ended, I didn't feel attracted to him until I saw his big beautiful brain. We spent the entire day together and night together just hanging out. We 'talked sporadically for a few weeks and finally our schedules worked out so we could see each other again. He invited me a party. I drank too much, we went back to his place and yada yada yada. In the morning I looked at an app on my phone for some reason and it turned out I was ovulating, it was the one day that month the window of opportunity was open the widest. At first I just brushed it off and thought, "nah, it was one time and he didn't even finish." I knew I was pregnant the next day, I was walking to work and had just started smoking a cigarette when out of nowhere this thought came to me, "stop smoking, you're pregnant." I was skeptical at first but the feeling wouldn't go away so I stopped and threw out the cigarette. About a week later I was looking at baby clothes for a girl but something didn't feel right. I just kept having this internal voice tell me no, it's a boy. After the cigarette incident I decided to listen and was thinking about the name I had originally picked for a boy years before. I kept referring to him as Christopher, my original name choice but something kept telling me Toby. This time I wasn't as ready to listen, Christopher Riley had been my dream name since I was a little girl, I didn't even really like the name Toby, it made me think of Spiderman. One morning I woke up and the name Tobiah came to me, I had never heard the name before but it felt so right. I looked up the meaning of the name and it was like a light had been turned on. I felt so loved and at peace when I read the meaning, "G-d is good." After telling my best friend we played around with other names just for fun but none of them resonated with me the way Tobiah did, I knew that was his name. Throughout the pregnancy, whenever I was worried about him, I would just think about what his name meant and knew that everything was going to be fine. I had a long 20 hour labor with him, the midwife and nurse were starting to get worried towards the end because he still wasn't coming despite me being admitted at 8cm the night before but I felt so calm and at peace the entire time I never worried about him. I knew he would be okay. Finally at 12:14pm he came. It was a quiet, peaceful labor and delivery and he was finally here, my little Tobiah. For years I have gone back and forth between being observant and not but now that I had a son I knew I was going to change everything about myself I was unsure of and the things I didn't like. I called a mohel and on his 8th day he was given the name Tuvia and entered into the covenant with G-d. He's now 5 weeks and I'm continuing to change to become the person I want him to know me as. The role model I want to be for him and the mother he deserves. I think about how my life would be without him at times, I think back on how I was before compared to how I am now. My life before had no meaning, it was fun but I always felt like something huge was missing. There was a piece to my puzzle that just wasn't there. Now that I have my son and am baal teshuva I have found the missing pieces that fill the hole. He's my very own little miracle and every day for the rest of my life he will be my constant reminder that G-d is good. That simple phrase holds more meaning than I ever knew before. If I hadn't overslept that day, if we didn't go to that particular pub, if I hadn't stopped to buy that mask, if I had gone home that night instead of going to the party I would not be where I am today. I would not have my beautiful son, I would not be as happy as I am and I would not be on this new beautiful path.

Being with my daughter and her husband the week before and the week after the birth of Camille and Pauline. The experience gave me a sense of overwhelming awe for the forces that guide the continuity of life on our planet.

I had an experience with a marine mammal release at the Marin headlands in Northern California. The center cares for marine mammals on the California coast. Watching these mammals return to the sea was truly a spiritual moment.

Can't say I have.

This has not been a particularly spiritual year for me. Probably the most spiritual experience was a Shabbat service on the beach that I attended. Being on the beach is spiritual in and of itself, and adding the Shabbat prayers intensified that for me.

I can't note any specific spiritual experiences. I have always felt we are all connected in some way. This year I have tried to be more tolerant of others and to understand I can't know what they are going through. I also try to refrain from being quick to judge others without all the facts available.

I gave the 'drash/sermon at the temple to which I belong on Aug. 2. This was only my second 'drash ever. My first being last year in March. The feedback I got was very positive. The experience was quite spiritual as well as good for my self-esteem.

This past summer was really cathartic for me, but when we took our trip to Texas in July, I stopped focusing all of my energy inwardly. I was able to spend time with my grandparents, and I think their slow pace of life really affected me. They live very humbly, but their love permeates through their actions. I could see that through their caring for others, they were hardly self-involved enough to have meltdowns every day. During that trip, we stayed with some family friends of ours, and I made a real connection with their grandfather. He was sitting next to me at breakfast, and after the food had been cleared from the table he said,"I'm not getting into religion or anything, but every day I wake up and step outside to see the world, it's a good day." The positivity of the people I met there really affected me, and I think their thoughts and words will stick with me for a while.

I'm not...spiritual, really. I like looking at the trees. I realized that I'm sad that we don't live in a monitored world. I mean, a good monitored world. I'm glad this world isn't monitored, because that would imply a sadistic or uncaring watcher, but living in an *actual* well-monitored world would be....nice.

I almost feel that I've actually lacked that spiritual feeling since coming to college. I was so used to going to Catholic school and learning about the Bible. It was different, but I guess I felt more independent and free to say, do, and act however I wanted because I was new to the city and no one knew anything about me. I could be anything that I wanted to be and that excited me.

Where to begin. I continue to strengthen my belief in the magical elements of life, which, for me, leads into a spirituality. Writing is as close as I have come to feeling in communion with a higher power, where I feel more like a vessel than the captain. And my trip to Iceland, again, inspired awe of the largeness/smallness and wonder of earth. Oh, AND my further understanding of science continues to strengthen my belief and faith as well.

On May 18th I led a Shabbat morning service in the pouring rain - complete with lightening and thunder - at the Be the Match Walk&Run supporting and celebrating with Be the Match - the organization that found the donor who said yes and sent me some of his bone marrow and saved my life. 23 of my friends and family members were there on my team, and there davening with me. I benched gomeil, we sang in the rain, and we prayed misheberach prayers for so many people - including a young 7-year-old friend of mine who has recently had his transplant and is now recovering in Milwaukee. After the service, we walked in the rain for 3 miles. We were the slowest group. We played in every puddle. We were completely drenched. My partner was there. Her son - our 17-year-old - was there. One of my students was there. People who had cared for me while I was so very sick were there. My donor was there in my cells, even though actually he was in Germany and I didn't even know his name. People were there in spirit who couldn't be there in person. God was there. It was one of the best days of my year. It was one of the best days of my life.

When my 2 year old daughter recited the Shema to me one night. She only did it once and hasn't done it again but it was one of those moments where you just know there's something bigger than yourself watching.

I am feeling my age. I can see how short the remainder of my life could be. I am questioning my activities and choices in the light of this understanding

A couple: feeling awed by the artistry of the Sistine Chapel, which felt very similar to the way I felt a couple of years ago in Israel seeing the Dead Sea scrolls and the renewed contact with my brother has flowered into the rest of my life, enabling me to feel more open-hearted to others and experiencing others feeling this and responding to me with warmth.

I had a dream that I was speaking to God and in my dream he handed me an anchor and a squid and told me that I needed to settle down & be more productive. It was so vivid and memorable that I got a squid and anchor tattooed on my thigh. A reminder if that night.

I still don't know what spiritual means, but I hope I'm getting closer.

I don't define spirituality in a secular way. That would not be spiritual. You can refer to secular moments as inspirational or cathartic but not spiritual. So, to answer this question in the truest sense, I am constantly battling against my relationship with God, religion and the world. I will let you know if i figure anything out. So far, i'm still torn.

Our travels through Arizona and S California this past spring were very relaxing and soothing to the soul. In particular our visit to Valley of Fire Park in California was awe-inspiring.

Turning inward to rediscover myself. Recently taking Reiki training. Looking to find serenity within. Hoping to find some peace inside by myself, for myself.

Going back to Israel on birthright and sleeping over in the desert was quite spiritual. There was nothing to distract you for miles and it was so quiet and beautiful.

Finally, at age 63, I finished a two year course of study (including Hebrew) and celebrated my Bar Mitzvah

I would say that my spiritual experiences generally revolve around the natural world. Living in Seattle I feel blessed to be surrounded by such stunning beauty, and every now and then it really comes home to me how spectacular the world is- sometimes it's just driving home around sunset, other times it's camping or somewhere further removed from the city. But the beauty of the world is the thing that sometimes stops me in my tracks and fills me with awe.

I got at a deeper level that I need to be the change I want to see in the world. I have always expressed so much rage and contempt for right wing fools on Facebook when I want to create peace. So I have been very careful about what I post so that it isn't an incessant barrage of negativity. I look for positive things to share.

The most spiritual experience I have has this year by far was April 11th 2013. It was basically a kick off to living a more spiritual life in general. That was the day that I turned my life and my will over to the care of god as I know him. It is also the day that the craving to drink vanished. I have to say that it has affected everything. How I treat others and how I treat myself. How I deal with stress and how I look at life. I feel like life is a gift and my sole purpose is to enjoy it and help others on the way. I know I am not perfect and in many ways my perceptions are flawed. However, my intention is to be the person I was meant to be.

When my father passed away, I just had this overly sense of something greater than me. Since then, I know in death, I will be taken care of and know that I will be taken care of Ian's live in a glorious place. Although I miss him everyday, I have calm in the sense that he is at peace surrounded by those who have gone before him and he is not straddled by the banalities of this world.

Going to Alaska and being at my best friends wedding was a very spiritual experience for me. It was a gay wedding under a chuppa made of driftwood collected from the beaches there gathered by both groomsmen. My other best friend officiated the ceremony and it was so beautiful to hear her speak. This wedding filled my soul with happiness and peace and gave me a good feeling of being grounded and at home. I love my friends!!!!

I hosted a web show called, "Secretariat: Timing Is Everything, " now on YouTube. It is the first time I have ever hosted a live event in front of an audience. Overcoming the obstacles it took to reach that moment, and then delivering a good performance, was a spiritual experience. It makes me want to do more of this, which I know I'm good enough to do. It also proves that when you finally reach that moment after all the hard work, you cannot freeze; you must not hesitate - you must deliver.

This Christmas I wasn't able to be with my family. I went to a Christmas Day service without them which was difficult. Singing the same songs and praying the same prayers they were made me feel very connected to them even with an ocean between us.

When i was in the mountains of Georgia we wrote down all the things we were done with and wanted to get rid of in our lives, the we read the paper out loud and proceeded to burn it in the fire. It was truly transformational!

I didn't really have one single, transformational spiritual experience. I did recently start dreaming about a black seal, which, according to the Internet, means that I'll be met with good fortune. But I think it was me thinking a lot about my Celtic heritage and trying to find an animal guide after Kate and I had a conversation about them. I have also started dreaming a lot of favorable dreams about me impressing, hanging out with, or even working with some of the actresses I most admire. I take that as a sign that I'm becoming much more confident in my abilities and that I believe my career is on an upward path. So I guess all that indicates a shift towards the spiritually positive.

I keep looking at the "coin" that was sent to me in 2010, that was my Grandfather's promotional piece for his business, saying "I'd never go broke". I think that's the most powerful thing I've ever received. I feel broke a lot, but know I'll never actually be broke due to the help I often get from Mom and Mark. I am forever grateful for that help, and especially for them. And I know someday, I'll be able to repay them for their generosity. I know I will. This little piece is in front of me everyday and I also am grateful for it as well.

i just finished reading robert johnsons book 'living your unlived life'. in this book he underscores what i am making my way to in understanding........non-dual being that includes rather than excludes. my friend died this year. i loved her very much. her" passing away", as they say, has both shocked and informed in deep ways. i dream of her quite often. we do not know to where we pass, yet from her i was gifted with a sense of the deep sacredness of this world, of this moment. our unlived life is a pathway to fullness, to explore what has been excluded, what needs to come forth does not require money or possessions but a willingness to recieve and respond to what comes.

Prayer of Abundance...... Dreaming I was in a white spotless pajama.....

I don't tend to be a spiritual person. The world that we live in is huge and confusing. The universe is infinitely complex. Spirituality brings comfort to people but it doesn't to me.

Sobriety has been a spiritual journey. Basically, even without doing a 12 twelve step program, I've still had to realize that something greater than me is out there and running the show. Nick said something amazing at his 5 year sobriety meeting. He said, 'I realized God is everything or nothing'. I've realized that too. I can either live like a gerbil in a cage, all resentful and working SOOO hard, or I can see the breeze in the trees as God, my relationship with Nick as God, every gift every day as a blessing from the Universe. Namaste motherfuckers.

An indirect experience is the urge to participate in Burning Man and the spiritual artistic creation that community offers. My own experience would be doing MDMA for the first time on a spiritual and loving level instead of doing it on the dance floor. It will be hard for me to consider doing MDMA on a dance floor again.

I had the opportunity to lead a conversation and study session. The women were from different Jewish educational backgrounds but were all there to be a part of the experience. For many, it was the first time they had knowingly been part of a (brief) Talmud session. To be studying it together and see these women taking ownership of their Jewish experience was amazing.

I've had many moments of serenity and delight in nature, hiking through the Cascades and the Olympics. One in particular was on the summit of Silver Peak in July. I was there nearly by myself and could take in some beautiful vistas in all directions.

I have experienced becoming more in tune with my surroundings. If I'm having a bad day, I'll sit outside or take a walk, and that helps me clear my thoughts.

Sadly, no.

WALKING IN MY MANIFESTATION (Roman 8:18-19 KJV) Being faithful to GOD, loving everyone no matter what, staying true to me by changing for GOD, listening and taking into consideration, EVERYONE is going through something all you have to do is show love and keep it moving, not worrying what everyone else has to say, but saying "What does GOD say, How would HE handle the situation?". All of these things, changing my outlook, staying positive has put me on a positive path to greatness and I'm so happy to be walking in it. THANK YOU MY LORD!!!

I got a powerful reaction as I created the background to my "Anatomy of the Heart" piece. Writing love, over and over and over. It was meaningful and brought to mind the people I love in my life, those past and present. The loves that can't be seen almost at all, they form the background of the piece , and all the love that you do see rests upon that and is supported by those words. There are no empty spaces; Love fills everything and washed over the anger, the fear and the pain so that it can't be found, even if you try to look for it.

Our bike and wine tour. That sounds so trivial, but there was something magical about the place, the setting, the mood, the timing of it all. It made me think of family in a whole new way.

I can't remember the exact situation, but there have been several experiences this past year when I'm watching musicians, specifically those playing the sax, trumpet and trombone, that have deeply moved me. They are completely there - mind, body and soul. That in-the-moment-ness affected me spiritually and made me long for that same experience in my life.

Looking at the stars in a field in Snowdonia after a perfect wedding with my lovely husband by my side was something pretty special. It reconfirmed my feelings about starting a family with him in the next few months.

harvesting honey from my bees, i realized how communal enterprises, like Judaism. are made up of individuals who can be helped.

I have already discussed my decision to convert to Judaism. For me this has involved a major spiritual change.... I was raised as an atheist and now I must accept the existence of the one God. Although my parents never understood this, I have for years looked to my "cosmos" for the same spiritual solace that believers in God receive from Him. It has taken some time but I have reconciled my soul to the belief that my cosmos and God are the same.

Another one for the "Hmmm, I don't know" file. Having an infant really blurs your recollection of a year. A fairly recent one I can recall is from a couple of nights ago, when I watched the pilot episode of Friday Night Lights. I'm an atheist, and I think prayer is useful only insofar as it organizes one's mental and emotional state into words--a consolidation which is proven to be useful for well-being--but watching the teams pray for the fallen football star really affected me. I'm guessing it was a combination of the Explosions in the Sky score, being a parent, and, most likely, homesickness for Texas, that made that scene particularly poignant.

I decided to devote more attention to my body, mind, and spirit. I try to work out physically, train my brain, and mediate more to enhance my spiritual connection with the present. This is work in progress, but I feel that at least in terms of concentration and productivity, my effort is bearing fruit. This summer I was also more deliberate in trying to involve workouts that include the outside, so I can recharge my self spiritually by engaging with nature. This is something I want to enhance for next year (and attempt to maintain during the winter).

At this point in my life, I see almost everything through a spiritual lens. Every encounter with love, abundance and fellowship is a reminder of how blessed I am. Gratitude and appreciation fill my heart. I am in awe of how God forgives and reconciles us to Himself and to one another!

Artistic: After about 10 years of producing little to no art, I signed up for a one day printmaking workshop. Most of what I did was experimental, but I came out of the class with a few nice pieces. I submitted one of the prints for a large community non-juried art show. It sold! I finally feel like I achieved something. I am living a dream that I had given up on.

I have been going to a lot of psychics and meditating and doing yoga of the like:P Actually, I have been having a lot of dreams, mostly about men who have been entering my life and the dreams have been giving me either signs of promise or signs of caution. Earlier this year I had a dream about someone I had reconnected with after 10 years and we had dinner together. I dreamt I met his girlfriend and he hadn't told me he had one. His behavior in real life became more distant and finally we had a conversation, he was dating someone else. But now I recently met someone - not yet in person, who I have dreamt about and it shows innocent promise. Since I am at an age where finding a life partner and the desire to someday have children have heightened, these dreams whether spiritual, instinctive or psychological are like my breadcrumbs on the path to finding the right one.

I have listened to more music and that has helped me cope. I have also paid more attention to my being with others and what has made me cope better. And I have listened to way more gospel.

I don't know that I've had any specifically spiritual experiences, but I've had occasions where I've been in the zone. When I put on good music and begin to paint, I can find myself in another place and am totally engaged. I also find myself there when I'm performing - a new experience for me, where I get completely wrapped up in my character.

My spirituality comes and goes. Right now I have been reading about connections with emotions, happiness, and spirituality. I like the idea of spirituality as peace of mind, bliss, flourishing, and flow, but mostly as passionate engagement with life. Doing my volunteer work in a Supervisor's office gives me that sense sometimes. Helping people resolve problems and dealing with public policy issues give me a sense of engaging in something larger than myself, something really important. I have found this past year that I need balance between the trivial aspects of my life (like housework, grocery shopping, cooking, eating, personal care etc) and being able to focus on larger dreams, desires, and engagements. Wish I had a housekeeper! But if I find my life is getting tied up with having to continually engage with trivial matters, I get unhappy and the vitality of my life diminishes greatly. I am much more conscious of this now. Surprisingly I have not been engaged with art or art writing much this year and am finding the whole art world trivial. There are too many more interesting things happening in this world. That is sad for me. I still am unhappy that I am not writing my novel and not painting. In fact, I have not done much writing for the past two years other than reports. I don't think I identify much with those activities and need to think about it this coming year. My love of art is manifesting itself in working on neighborhood beautification or something like that. That might get me back to the novel and painting.

My work as president of a small struggling renewal congregation with just a part time rabbi and rented space in a church. The love and commitment that members showed to sustaining the congregation when many faced difficult job, health and family issues was deeply moving and spiritually nourishing.

Maybe my answer to the last question is a good start to this one. This has been a very anti spiritual year. I feel less and less protected by the forces in this world and more and more at their mercy. And not in a benevolent sort of way. Every day I have seen less design and more chaos. In my own personal health, my friends' welfare, and in the world at large. It is getting harder to believe. And much like Mulder, I want to believe. I could use a sign, though.

When starting grad school, I have felt so connected to the community of writers, and to creators in general. I have appreciated the value of connecting with emotions and expressing thoughts and ideas in ways to get people to empathize with others through fiction.

I took a writing class taught by someone who profoundly affected the way that I thought about people in the world, and also about myself. I took the class because I don't even know why. I knew that for a while I had been wanting to write more creatively than my work demanded or even allowed, but I didn't really know what I would write or why I would want to write it. But I also knew that I kept doing it. Like, I would write law review articles and the first drafts of every one of them I would write would have extensive personal story components. Those parts of my papers didn't always make it to the final drafts, and I was okay with that. But I wanted to listen to the fact that they kept coming into the early drafts. Maybe I was telling myself what I really wanted to be writing, I thought. So I went on sabbatical for a semester and took this class. I learned to be vulnerable and to respect people's honesty more than lists of their accomplishments, and realize that though I could be proud of the fact that I had written law review articles that got placed in fancy journals while having a job at a university in a city that was a job that was really challenging and great, that I could also realize that all of those things were holding me back from being comfortable with my own fallibility. I thought I was a fraud all the time before that class. I still kind of do. I don't know, I'm working on it. But that class was way spiritual.

I became more active on hitrecord and started really enjoying doing little art projects again. I'm hoping something of mine will get used in the TV show, but I'm afraid I'll be disappointed.

After 4yrs at Uni, struggling to make my creative brain be academic, relaising I'd pretty much crushed my creative side in order to do that... I found a group of people who inspired me so much, that I found it again, kept it through my final year, and have re-immersed myself into writing. It's always been the most amazing feeling for me, and I barely realised how much it affected me to not be able to do it. Diving back into storyland again, helping create and produce other things - it's lifted me so much.

I don't feel that I personally had any spiritual experiences this year (unfortunately). I've had amazing, touching, sad and exciting experiences this year. Because I've had many "spiritual" moments in the past, the bar is very high for me to consider "spiritual" as part of a description. However, I do think I witnessed, mostly on TV, other people having "spiritual experiences", especially after Hurricane Sandy.

While vacationing in Sedona, a very spiritual place to start with, I had a silver watch that turned red, with no explanation other than "Sedona." It made me realize that life can be planned for but not predicted. Sometimes, you just gotta go with the flow. Of coure, easier said than done - acceptance is a wonderful goal.

There have been so many spiritual experiences. Particularly special needs Shabbat services and Jared greeting the Torah, and Adam & Elyse lighting Shabbat candles for the first time on the bimah. To name a few.

the most spiritual event was a 5-day art workshop/camp... I was initially uncomfortable with the quasi-religious kum-bay-ya atmosphere, but came around when basking in the mutual appreciation of everyone's talents, efforts and acceptance. an introvert by nature, I was pulled out of my shell on a daily basis by the class camaraderie and experience of trying new techniques by wonderful instructors. would I do it again? yes, if the circumstances line up like they did this year.

My entire life over the past year has been a spiritual experience, learning how to be okay with where I am and what I have rather than focused on where I want to be and what I can't afford. Some days are easy, others are horrible, but a deep belief that the universe has me cradled in its hands has kept me going through days when I'd rather have been jumping off of a bridge.

A conscious decision on New Year's Eve to be more positive and less hard on myself. It's not always worked, but it did feel like a mini-epiphany, and I've definitely been a little kinder to myself since January.

I've found that I've began to ignore that the "illuminate" exists this year. I now listen to all sorts of music and I am pushing away god., It's not where i want to be but it's where I am. I just feel bleh spiritually.

I had a moment during davening that I was taken emotionally and visually taken back to Mt. Sinai and the receiving of Torah. It was mind blowing.

I wish I could say yes, but truthfully, I don't know. I think the closest I've come is singing Hebrew songs to my children and celebrating some holidays with them, not because we are particularly religious, but because I love hearing my kids ask the four questions and participate in a ritual that was a big part of my childhood.

My mom passed away last year. I was cleaning out her bedroom, opened a drawer in her bureau & pulled out a small box. I could hear a tick tock sound. Inside was a great-uncle's pocket watch. It was ticking. No one had been in that room in months. Seeing the painting 'Starry Night' again at MOMA. Realizing I was close enough to touch a fawn in the forest, just before it bounded away. I don't know what to think. Spirituality for me is beauty, strange coincidences, the uncanny. Synchronicity.

when i was in ireland the beauty of the land was utterly amazing. It left me speechless so many times. The pictures I took could never give it justice. I never want to forget what I say and the beauty of pure nature. Even just stopping on the side of the road to see the scenery was incredible.

Taking the Lord's supper. Today, actually. Reminded me of His sacrifice, and what that means in my life.

I have begun to participate in Chevera Kaddisha. This is the traditional bathing an dressing the body of a dead member of our community. I have made closer connections to other women who participate in this service. I feel it is a continuation in my care of patients as a physician to help with this process in my community. I feel very holy after performing tahara for a woman.

My 3 year old fell on a coffee table corner and had to get stitches. I was not home at the time, and my husband had stepped out of the room when it happened. When I asked her to explain how it happened, she was able to tell me the story in clear, understandable words. She had taken her old crib mattress and leaned it against the coffee table to make a ramp. When she climbed up, it slipped. My baby has words! She can relate a story, both real and pretend. Communication with her has really opened up this year. It's amazing!

As I started before, a couple books in the last 6 months have changed my perception and grown my faith and my understanding and confidence in God's Will in my life, as well as the power of prayer. I am so excited to see what is in store for the next year (and the rest of my life).

I lost a very dear friend in the last 2 years, and I have returned to my home church of many years. I allowed this 30 year relationship stand in the way of my religious belief, but now that this road-block has been removed I have gone back to my church, and relived my spiritual self. I am happy to have returned to church, and its lifestyle, but it has caused several new issues.

Spending more time outside in my backyard and on the water in the kayak--I am filled with awe and serenity. I try to carry this over into all aspects of my life--to give thanks for each day. Chanting and meditiation continue to take me to a place of no ego and oneness; having felt it there allows me to recognize it elsewhere. I think I am as close to leading a "spiritual" life as I have ever been.

Starting college again has been I guess somewhat spiritual. I finally feel like I am where I am supposed to be and doing what I'm supposed to be doing

I have completely lost touch with my spirituality. I'm hoping to get it back. I see things, they are beautiful. I don't feel it though. It's a big loss.

The second time I took shrooms. It was incredible! Sam, Lizzie (the chaos nymph), and I started in the arb then came back home to lock ourselves naked in Sam's room and just ride it out. It was my first visual experience, we had waves of intense emotion (i.e. listening to Dream Brother silently in the dark), or high energy-- doing yoga to Mase, and everything in between. I would say this was one of the first days I started looking inward and really admitted my insatiable need to please others, as well as working out certain assumptions I held with friendships. Who really knows me? Me or my friends? How do we reconcile these two ideas?

Each day, I pray, meditate, read Torah and short bits in other spiritual traditions as well. Often my prayers can be said on automatic but there are always those blessed days when I am present to my prayers and my concentration is strong--and then I feel as though I've walked through a gate and emerged exactly where I was standing before, but now everything is suffused with the presence of the Source, and I feel deeply blessed and joyful. In times of difficulty this daily practice supports me and gets me through every crisis.

Like another 10Q member, being with my mother in the final months of her life was a key turning point in my spiritual life. Taking care of her over the past three years allowed me to heal our relationship, and allowed me to pick up where I left off in my spiritual development. As a result, I began a formal spiritual journey (I've always been an informally spiritual person) by joining a congregation and an adult b'nai mitzvah group. I lost my mother from this physical realm, but I gained closeness to her spiritual soul and also to a spiritual community.

I have daily spiritual experiences .. often amazing ones .. but the one where I was 'cleared' of the negative influences of others was probably the one that brought the most profound experience of LIGHTness. I think because I am finally willing to be One with only the Creator .. Hashem .. God. I am finally realizing that it is THIS relationship that holds all the power as well as all of the peace that is possible for me (and for all of us). This is not to say that relationships with people aren't very important, to me and to us all, because they certainly are. It is, though, a matter of Where and What (and Who) we, ultimately, discover our Source to be ☼

I am not a very spiritual person

Being abroad when my grandfather passed away. I felt the detachment from him and the distance there is now between my life as an adult and what it used to be when I was a kid. I really miss going hiking with him

Yes, when I visited Weimar, one of the must cultural cities in the world and saw the Buchenwald camp just outside the city. Humanity and barbarism, side by side. So close. The border between them felt so thin.

The stage is hella spiritual. I slammed the first time 8 months ago and I feel really good about it. Honestly, one of my mentors who leads the writing circle that has been my safe place for years, and who definitely encourages me and is a fan of me as I am a fan of her, told me that she didn't want me to pursue spoken word because I have quote so many other talents endquote and she said I should keep doing all the art forms I'm doing because I'm a special snowflake and she didn't want me to change myself for the scores/ competition. I don't feel good about that and I have a fuck you poem to her coming but it's not here yet and I'm trying to be positive about it. Like she should know that if I'm a special snowflake I should continue to do so. The other side is sometimes I'm fragile and she's definitely seen me when I was not as strong or put together as I am today and I know that reality isn't so far away that it couldn't come back, and I appreciate that. It's just the community I found gave a lot to me and it made me want to stay involved. I think this would have been easier if she told me to pursue my dreams to be the best I can be while never forgetting self-value and the honor of truth. And yet, it's not up to a teacher or anyone else to make me who I am, and I appreciate the time and lessons she has taught me. I can keep going forward.

The birth of my first child was overwhelming, both spiritually and physically. There is no way to prepare for it, it changes your whole life and your whole perspective on life.

Making my third trip to Israel in September 2012 and my first trip to Auschwitz in July 2013 were both spiritual yet in different ways. Being at the Kotel in Jerusalem is Always moving and makes me feel near to God. Auschwitz was moving in a different way. A testimony to those who managed to survive. Unbelievable that they could survive.

I've been healing from a mental illness, and keeping track of my spirituality, dreams, and beliefs. This year a good friend lost her son and described some supernatural experiences. I decided to turn to Judaism mostly in response to some of the artistic and creative work I've decided to take on, but also to give myself a taste of a culture I didn't grow up with that I'm curious about. I've been looking for more peace and more meaningful relationships in my life.

not too long ago i had a dream about my grandpa who passed away two years ago. recently i started feeling like i was forgetting about him and our memories, how he talked and how he looked. and then i had this dream. and he looked so sad and old and like he was hurting and it just broke my heart. and in my dream i asked him, "please, can i just have a hug?" and he said "always." we hugged and he instantly looked better. and it all felt so real. i woke up in tears because i felt like i had really seen him, hugged him and stood with him for a short moment. im not spiritual really, but this meant a lot to me and i was filled with both joy and sorrow when i woke up

I have traveled to what feels like the ends of the Earth this year. Israel. Paris. New York. Washington D.C. Nags Head. Charleston. Savannah. Reykjavik. Berlin. Munich. Prague. Pamplona. Bilbao. Madrid. Los Angeles. Crosslake. I have wandered through creation. Seen mountains, rivers, valleys, plains, oceans, geysers, springs, deserts, volcanoes. I have seen the wonders that have been built by the human hand. Castles. Palaces. Sculptures. Boulevards. Estates. Paintings. I have eaten The Best Foods That The World Has To Offer In The Places That They Originated. I have seen and done so much and yet what it has really served to do is to humble me. To remind me of how small I Am. To show me precisely where my place is in this world.

I was spared major upheavals in personal life. There is no God or Spirit in the Universe. So my year was luckily and largely devoid of spiritual experiences, which I am grateful for. There is plenty of meaning in life as is.

I have not been able to access my spiritual center for some time now. The creativity I depend on to feed my soul has left me.

I spent a weekend with my family in the North Cascades over Labor Day this year. We used to hike there all the time when my brothers and I were younger, but it has been many years since I have been there in the summer. Returning after such a long absences, I was struck by the beauty of the alpine landscape. And it felt like coming home. Something clicked into place in my heart and being there felt right; like getting into a hot bath after a long day. It was inspiring, uplifting, and soothing.

The spiritual experiences that I have had are twofold. The first, is reading to my son from the High Holiday prayers. To explain what the Days of Awe are and what happens in them. And explaining how to "temper G-d's severe decree." I love having these conversations with him as he figures out who he is. The second experience that's affected me has been reading an interview in Oprah Magazine with Brene Brown and being so overwhelmed by what she was saying and understanding it on the most simple level. I've been listening to any pod casts of hers I can find, and will read the books as soon as I can get them from the library. I've adopted a portion of her parenting manifesto and use it as a prayer that I say with my daughter every night at bed time. I love that my sweet girl is memorizing parts of it and says them with me. I'm OVERWHELMED by the joy I'm feeling in learning how to live wholeheartedly.

This year for the first time in many years sitting in services for Rosh Hashannah moved me deeply. the combination of community participation, sermon, and heartfelt music was touching. I am most grateful for our new cantor and rabbi. Our community is transforming and it is a beautiful thing to be a part of.

I managed a young woman in an administrative job that was not a good fit for her lovely energy, creativity and giving nature. I knew that I'd have to fire her before the end of September. She took a two week vacation to Peru in July, visiting many spiritual sites and hiking through orchid cloud forests, where I had also visited and near to where my children were born. I had been meditating on the situation and came to realize that I had to be unattached to the outcome. I repeatedly saw her standing in front of groups, laughing and gesturing. When she returned from her vacation she told me that she'd decided to leave our office to go back to college to get her M.Ed. as a middle school history/humanities teacher!

Well, it's not a singular experience, but my oldest son always runs to watch the sunset. And he always calls me over to enjoy it with him when it is particularly beautiful. I love that he will always run to see a beautiful sunset or a ripe apple tree, and will always want to show me. Watching him notice these beautiful things, even if I am tired and just plain jaded, fills me with happiness.

I converted to Judaism six years ago and this Rosh Hashanah was the first time since then that I have been able to sit in a sanctuary and pray during services. It was not at the shul where I belong, but there was something very powerful about being there and being surrounded my hundreds of other people with the same mindset.

I watch and observe. Those around me are having mystical experiences left right & center, and I'm just watching it all happen. Not detached in a bad way, just hanging out and letting it be. I had what should have been (another) fatal accident. The timing belt blew out the engine and drive train of my Saturn, and I was able to get it off the NY Thruway without a hitch. The tow company traded the cost of the tow for the very dead car, I got free wine and lunch at dinner and lunch respectively, and got a new car without a hitch two days later. When the belt went BOOM- the car seemed surrounded by glittering white and gold light, sort of held in a protective bubble. So I guess that was spiritual. I certainly said thank you! often enough!

Early each morning I go to the end of my driveway to pick up my daily newspaper. On this particular day it had rained during the early hours of the morning. After I pick up my newspaper I always stop for a few moments to look up at the sky. On this morning as I looked up I saw the smallest rainbow that I have ever seen. It was as if this was just for me. I felt that I could reach it and touch it. Everything around me was very quiet. I had this feeling of peace and serenity. I felt that God was letting me know that I was safe and His /Her presence is always with me.

I had the privilege of traveling to Israel this summer and visiting the Western Wall was an extremely spiritual experience for me. It hard to explain the feeling, but I felt the divine presence, and the presence of the Jewish people in my entire heart, soul, and body as I touched the stones and prayed. All of my anxieties about my faith seemed to melt away in that moment.

Being with a new person this year was a spiritual experience - we don't have the same beliefs in many ways, but have learned so much from each other. And I wonder how/why this person came across my path. Did I need this interaction, how has it influenced my life? Am I a better person for it?

yes.... I believe I have had communications from my spirit guide, in the form of who I met this summer.... The dolphin, Mitch The human Mitch The dolphin spirit guide, Helder I got guidance and heard what I needed to hear about my personal development!

We've started a tradition of lighting a candle for Shabbat, saying the brachot, the Shechecheyanu, and doing the blessings for the children. I love it. It adds rhythym and regularity to the week. As my Rosh Hashanah gift, Andrew said "Shabbat!" for the first time, followed by "Amen!" at the end of the blessings. Guess our ritual is paying off!

Listening to the Kol Nidre service at Temple ALWAYS is such a fulfilling spiritual experience for me.

The new rabbi at the temple I belong to is young, gay and very spiritual. I attend a brown bag lunch discussion each week with him and others. The topics we discuss are well-directed by the rabbi and are often a difficult current event topic. I expect that we will be discussing the challenges being posed by Syria's use of chemical weapons. I find this to be such a dilemma for me e.g. my accountability for the safety of my fellow humans and my concern that military force is not the answer.

Reconnecting with the possibility of having an active faith has been challenging this year. I've been more involved than I have in years but haven't been able to really let go and experience it very well.

Burning man allowed me to open my perspective to different points of view-approach living in non conformity as an option .

During a contemplative Shabbat service meditation, I felt myself lost in a dense grey fog. As I was beginning to feel I was alone and would never find my way back, there was light and a sense of peace and calm. I heard a voice say "you are not alone, you are never alone" . This experience has profoundly affected my life and beliefs.

Not really. I gave the eulogy at my father's memorial, but as neither of us was particularly religious, it was a largely secular experience. Having children has proved to be somewhat spiritual in that they increase my faith in humanity.

With every day that passes, I fall deeper, and deeper in love with my partner. As we both set out into the world after college, every challenge, every triumph, every new experience has moved me in a way I never would have expected. While thinking about this, riding my bike to work, missing them after a great weekend visit, I was hit by the realization that nothing would make me happier than to get to go through life's adventures with this person. Something deep within me changed when I realized this was the person I was going to marry, and I wouldn't trade it for the world.

In the hospital, after the surgery to fix my broken leg, I felt unusually calm, happy and rested. Despite the accident, and the surreal ness of the whole experience, I was at peace.

I have spiritual experiences every day. I believe the miracle of living and connecting each day to those around us and watching our lives unfold in ways we never dream, is the ongoing spiritual experience we tend to miss and appreciate. For instance the way friends and/or acquaintances will surprise us by doing small things that touch us. I have been dealing with the challenge of Lyme Disease which has made me very weak and I can't carry my groceries in from the car so usually my neighbor helps me, but they weren't around this one day. So I was unloading them from my car one bag at a time in front of my house and a stranger walking by stopped and offered to help. It was SO touching especially because they were a couple of teenage boys and it was so unexpected. Very sweet, human to human act of kindness!

Starting to write again after a hiatus of many years has connected me with myself in a different way, and re-connected me with the world around me, time, and others differently. Sometimes what I find is scary or unpleasant, but it feels real and engaged, which seems important and somehow spiritual.

This year, I've had to consider the question of what makes us human, what makes us ourselves. It's a complex issue, perhaps without any true answers. But in the end, I did give up something I consider a part of myself under the conviction it was necessary for the good of myself, my employer, and perhaps even most people with whom I interact. If I think on this choice too hard, it breaks my heart. But I still see it as the only choice I had.

No. My spirit is pretty dead after the events of the last 10 months, and the realisation of truth about the preceding three years. I don't have a lot of faith in people. I've become very insular and untrusting.

Surviving my pulmonary surgery and finding out I was cancer free was very meaningful . Equally important was accepting receiving appreciating the love and help from so many people was very spiritual .

Going to temple for my grandmother's yortzeit has always been a very emotional time for me. It has been 10 years since she passed and I think of her every day. She left a void in my life. Still, when I go to temple for her yortzeit I also feel a spiritual connection with her. It's like she is there with me. I feel enveloped in love.

Grown dramatically in my Christian faith as a result of heartfelt prayer which was answered. I am learning to turn over more and more to God, and reaping the benefits.

Singing wordless niggunim in close, concentric circles of new and old friends, led by Joey Weisenberg, felt like I was closing in on something spiritual.

Yoga is by the most spiritual thing that's happened to me this year. The Dallas retreat I went to was very moving and reflective. I'm so happy I did it.

I've become more interested in my Vietnamese culture, started playing the Danh Tranh and making some effort to read, write and speak more fluently. I've also put in effort to write more letters and do more hand written things such as postcards as well as trying to draw more. I've gotten into watercolors again and it's really relaxing and eases my stress.

No spiritual experience this year at all.

I think that in the midst of loss and turmoil this year I have found a path of relative peace to tread. I get buffeted, but have been able to return to that path, place one foot in front of the other, and move on. Faith in myself and faith in my friends have been renewed. I live life hopefully in spite of present circumstance.

When I faced the ark at the beginning of Rosh Hashanah this year, we sang a new version of Achat Sha'alti that lifted my heart and almost moved me to tears. It's been a long time since I've had such a great, spiritual experience in prayer services. Leading often takes the spirit and transcendence out of prayer, replacing it with logistics and choreography.

I've began praying in the mornings in hopes of being happier. It hasn't had an impact yet, but I'm sure it will.

Before my Grandpa died in January, he went through a really rough week. There were several times we thought it was the end, but he pulled through. The last time, he was unresponsive for about five hours. I had a long talk with God about it, explaining that it was time. I told Him that I thought I was ready, but whether I was or not, he was ready, and He should go ahead and let it happen. In the end, I wasn't ready, but I was able to put on a brave face and pretend that I was - I held his hand as he died and told him it was ok, that he could let go. That whole month, really, before and then after he died, I had to put on a brave face and pretend it was alright - I had to be strong for other people. And I was. But God knew, and in the end, He let someone into my life who I didn't have to be strong for, someone who would be strong for me.

Every so often I'm flooded with the realization that I don't know how much time I have left -- with this home, this husband, this pet, these parents, etc. We never know when it's the last time...or, for that matter, the first time going through an experience. Every moment is an opportunity to carry this awareness, and along with it the wonder and appreciation of the present.

My first, long awaited trip to visit Mt. Rainier reminded me of the potent spiritual power of nature emanating from the Pac NW

My "Spiritual" experiences are all with the God of the Christian Bible -- His ever-present comfort and the assurance that I can run to Him with anything at any time of day or night.

On retreat I realized that my purpose in life was to live each moment with as much compassion and generosity as possible.

I have felt called to certain 'spiritual' practices. I've felt a step away from 'what's expected' and a step towards what feels true to me. I feel I've found permission to be who I am, and a desire to be authentic. I'm currently exploring following my bliss. Truly discovering my desires, and bringing them into my everyday life.

I discovered how good walking with my girlfriend is for me. It helps me to feel more intouch with my feelings and with her.

I realized that being stubborn was holding me back from achieving what I was capable of. It seems pretty obvious now, but once I was able to let go of that, there was a whole wellspring of blessings to take the place. It was like I've been spending years trying to shut the door on the goodness G-d was trying to let flow into my life.

Every time a do taharah (ritual washing and preparing a dead person for burial) it is a spiritual experience. I also had a very spiritual experience when I went to the mikvah for the first time this year. These experiences have helped me to fee more grounded, and to be grateful for how wonderful my life is.

Finally it clicked, my new career, with an offer that showed me I can do it, and I am good at it, and all the crap I'd put up with was suddenly highlighted to be a good thing after all. I had been learning throughout it all, and I deserve it.

I have had many spiritual experiences this year. I have definitely learned the benefits of praying and fasting and incorporated this discipline I my life frequently. I love the closeness I feel to God when I am fasting. I also love the way praise dancing lifts my spirit. I was blessed to be taught how to praise dance but then truly realized through the guidance of the Holy Spirit how important it is to be used by God and just let His Spirit flow. Lastly, the most important spiritual experience was seeing God's hand in my life. He planted me in the ministry I now serve in and showed me each step of the way that I was making the right decision. I just love all of the mighty ways God has made His presence known in my life and look forward to this next year of blessings!!

I don't know. I can't think of any articulate ones. I have enjoyed swimming in the lake- although in reality I think I have enjoyed having swum in the lake than the actual moments spent swimming in the lake -so I don't know if it is spiritual or I am just proud of myself for making/trying to make peace with the lake... What can I say... I might just be shallow....

I went to the wailing wall in Jerusalem and it was very powerful. I definitely felt in touch with god. It was the day after Margo told me she slept with someone else and I was thinking and talking a lot about what I should do. At the wall, I cried because I knew that even if I let go of Margo, God would fill that hole. That even if she doesn't love me, God loves me. And that God would ALWAYS be there, even in the deepest of tragedies, just like that wall has always been there.

Just the continuation of being in winter, but getting glimpses of spring. Summer is always hard for me, and this year in particular was a tough one - discontentedness, feelings of uncertainty and inability to do anything excellent, feeling unrecognized and unappreciated... Instead of a change of circumstance, however, I need a change of heart. God, help me.

On a trip to Ethiopia, we woke early to go to St Georges Church in Lalibella for St Georges day. It was breathtaking, so many people in white, preying at this church dug out of a rock. You couldn't help but be in awe and to be reflective of the world, life and beyond... and looking around me, I was humbled and moved to be with such brilliant friends and my amazing boyfriend, all of whom I deeply love.

No, not really. My 3 year old son though has become really religious, and as someone who converted to the faith that I am, i am simultaneously charmed and weirded out by it. Like who IS this kid? did i really give birth to this awesome little human who is teaching me to be a better Jew?

Yes and no... What I have experienced is an acceptance of "spirituality". I long used the expression "You are in my thoughts...". Recently, however, I have accepted the that those thoughts are prayers. I don't know who or what I am praying to, but there simply is no other word for it. I used to begrudge the word. I had a very religious great uncle who, after my brain surgery as an infant, added me to his "prayer list". He prayed for me every single day of the rest of his life. I met the man probably less than half a dozen times in my life. Growing up, knowing this man I hardly knew, prayed for me every single day, used to give me a bit of the heebies. This year, after allowing the word and concept into my life, I thought of that uncle and was absolutely blown over and humbled at the idea that this man who barely knew me, thought of me, wished good things for me, if only for a few seconds, every. single. day. Wow. I still have trouble saying the word "prayer" aloud, but I do write it to people -- "You are in my prayers..."

No

Yes. I spent Rosh Hashana at a mindfulness retreat in the forest and discovered how strong my connection God.

A spiritual experience? We brought the Thelonious Monk Institute of Jazz High School All-Star Sextet to perform at the Mendocino Music Festival. After the event, I was talking with a close friend and she said to me, "I garden all day, mostly thinking about what I have heard on the news. I get pretty depressed. I think, 'What is going on in the world?' After I listened to those young musicians I had hope." Hope is a universal that gets lost sometimes and I was reminded of how music can, and does, speak to one's soul. Be still and listen.

There are moments - when I'm working on something creative, when a friend hears my heart, when children smile - that I feel the forces of good in the universe. How to keep hearing that among the din of darkness is the New Years challenge.

i felt a great deal of spirituality this new year as i visited the cemetery and prayed at the graves of my ancestors

Nothing stands out. Every time i ride my horse or hike the Oregon woods, bring food out of the soil in my garden... These things are profoundly spiritual to me. I've tried to see and feel that in small things -- and the untimely death of my sister-in-law has brought that lesson into focus for me...

Organized religion has fully lost it's luster for me. I'm feeling more comfortable with doing yoga and embracing Eastern philosophical ideas. I find myself being centered and feeling stronger. This week my teacher spoke about the importance of core for being strong. And that if it isn't, we are wobbly. I truly believe that a strong physical and emotional core is key to everything. A second idea from a different teacher, that by building a solid base, we can then allow ourselves the freedom to explore and take risks. Finally a third teacher told me, "You are stronger than you think". I try and remind myself of that whenever I falter. Breathing & remembering, Pema Chodrun's ideas, things are constantly falling apart and coming back together. Embracing these ideas will keep me sane or at least bring me back to peace.

Nothing overtly spiritual. I do get a feeling when I'm creating something and I'm in the moment of doing that.

I shared a few hours with a distant friend and during those hours I realized how connected we were and that I hadn't realized it until then. The conversation and emotions stayed with me for days, if not weeks. We shared stories of loss and work and somewhere in there I felt an overwhelming sense of having known her before and even after I drove away her presence was with me for a long time. It was spiritual in the realms of not being able to define or articulate the feelings or emotions, and that I knew these were hours and feelings and stories that I would never forget. We aren't in contact anymore, for now I guess, but at the time it felt like a comforting sign from God that I am still on the right path!

I have had a deeply spiritual experience this year. My desperate longing to become recognised as a member of my Jewish people finally became a reality when my conversion took place this past year. This was the culmination of a journey of 36 years for me. It was like 'coming home'. I look forward to the next chapter of my spiritual journey.

The group women's Batmitzvah I led was particularly moving. It was very meaningful for me that the women wore tallit and that the experience and journey meant so much to them all individually and collectively. And leading my first Shabbat morning service in my new community and hearing the names of the matriarchs being read aloud. And praying in a community of women of all ages who wear tallitot and kippot. It was wonderful to not be the only one. I felt less alone and it felt spiritually moving and like home.

my most 'spiritual' moments come in shavasana after a good session of yoga

I am trying to find my way this year spiritually. I used to believe in so much and it seems now as I enter my late 50's I believe in so little. I have been going to Temple and have found the cantor to be very inspirational. I still witness bizarre psycho dramas that go on around me and how petty people can be and even if you are a rabbi or a priest, no one is more human than the other.

I had my Bat Mitvah on top of Masada which strengthened my commitiment to Judaism.

We have found some land that will be coming up for county auction soon. It will be perfect for a small shul for our community.

Watching Diane's bees.

I was at a catholic youth meeting with my friends and it was very moving. I understood much and became unaffraid. It helped me move forward in my faith, as this whole year has been doing. I understood my calling and I understood confession. I felt a real connection to God and I know better how to speak to him. I am a part of a church, which is warm and welcoming and full of joy.

After the recent death of my father and after a life time of learning, and reading books and The Bible and The Bhagavad Gita and more, I decided to believe that we are all connected according to the density and energy of our molecules -- and that all molecules are transformed at one point or another for whatever reason. As life changes, so do molecules. God is in those molecules. I decided to believe that I am connected to all that has existed before, exists today and will exist in the future. Which means I am connected to Hitler just as I am connected to Jesus. Which means I am responsible for everything. I own it. It's a part of me. We all own it. Its a part of us. I decided to believe that it does not matter what we do in life,. Rather what matters is whether we have a "healthy" love for others, for ourselves, for our world, or whether we don't. I decided to believe that our actions are always a response to the nature of the love we hold in our hearts. For it is God. God lives in us. We are connected because of God. God is in the molecules. God is in our hearts. God is within us. We are perfect and when our behaviors are not perfect, when we are being greedy or proud or vain or mean to others, it is because we are not acting out of Love. We are acting out of our egos. I decided to believe that Jesus saves because his teachings are teachings of Love, and Love is the currency of heaven.

I don't really do spiritual... But I had a great first day I school this morning! The Stepping Stones kickoff went really well.

I really can't think of anything exceptionally spiritual this year. G-d has been with me at all the turns in my life. He has helped me through some difficult decisions, and to see things differently than I normally do. He has brought back a measure of calm into my life that I thought was missing forever.

I had an amazing experience at meditation group one November night. I invited my Dad, an aunt and my close friend (all who were dead) into my meditation. I can no longer remember of lot of the experience except I heard music that was not of this world, heard a door slam shut and got the message "you need to start praying." That night I woke up in the middle of the night thirsty. As I got to the bottom of the stairs the house was freezing. I checked the thermostat and it said the normal 64. The front door was wide open and both dogs were still in the house and sleeping. I calmly walked to the front door and closed it. Both my husband and I had checked that door before going to bed and it was closed and locked. When I came back to bed I was telling my husband about my meditation experience and then I knew. That door was my friend Brenda who had taken her own life a couple of years ago confirming what I learned in meditation. Letting me know when a door closes, another opens.

I had my bat mitzvah and it has created a closer relationship between me and g-d.

Our church has been going through a transition for several years to become intentionally multicultural. I recognize that the things that disturb me in the service are cultural issues. I have struggled with remaining a regular attender and feeling frustrated and negative or going somewhere else. About 10 years ago my husband and I moved far enough away that finding a new place of worship would seem reasonable to everyone. Other friends have done that. I have remained at that church for the sake of my elderly parents - both to support them in having fewer options than I do to go elsewhere and to guarantee that I see them at least once per week. I was headed for a crossroads that if I continued to attend while being negative, I would poison myself and possibly the atmosphere for others. Maybe it was just time to make the break. A few months ago I realized that I was no longer having the intense feelings. Granted, some of what bothered me has been toned down; but I decided that I needed to leave "now" if I were going to, and if I am to stay I needed to let go of the distractions and become more fully involved again in the life of the church. I got involved in several activities outside of church hours. I worked on remaining positive and looking for things I did like in the newer traditions. I have found that I am content most Sundays and even deeply moved on some Sundays. There are still irritations from time to time (even today, as a matter of fact), but I am settled that this church is still where I belong.

Letting go of accusations for an indescretion has been liberating. I have peace of mind and now see the mistake as a slip up instead of blaming myself and my perceived inadquacies. The cliche that forgiveness makes you stronger is a cliche for a reason.

I wish I was more "spiritual." I'm not religious, and the only "spiritual" awakenings I've had have been through my strong belief in karma.

No, I haven't had any such experiences this year.

I can say my writing and illustrating feels spiritual. The ideas come to me in dreams, and then I am compelled to act on them by manifesting them into stories and books. I'm not even sure what they mean or why these ideas have come to me, but I feel compelled to create them. It's as if I'm channelling from another plane. Many good things are coming from this process. With my sister we have created a business called Shoe Banter. While I manifest the work, and work with her on the polish. She has the skills to then send it into the world, and share the work. We hope it will lead to a growing brand, and we will be picked up. I can only think that good things will come of it. It feels as if it has a life of it's own and is meant to be.

I did have a spiritual experience this year. I went back to church about a year ago, but more importantly I reestablished my relationship with God. While I haven't been to church for several months, I have continued to develop my relationship with God through His son Jesus Christ, and I am learning to trust in Him and the plan He has for me. For some reason, God wants me here, in Siletz, teaching technology K - 12. How totally ironic. Having spent many years running away from children, and the responsibilities they bring, I am now surrounded by them all day which forces me to admit I rather like the little buggers, and believe I may have found my niche. LOL...God must be laughing his a$$ off! He started me on this path many years ago, and brought me back to it more than once after I veered off to do my own thing. As I look back, I can see his hand in my life for many years... I am blessed, and thankful to God, through His son Jesus Christ, for the many blessings in my life.

Still inthe dark night of the soul going on 3.5 yrs sure YHWY is there still involved but can i feel, sense, hear taste him no.................but still gotta trust..........

I had a tooth that suddenly erupted in a severe abscess. It failed despite trying everything my dentist and I knew to save it. The tooth was supporting a bridge and had dealt with the twisting pressures of the fixed bridge by disengaging from surrounding tissue and forming a protective sac. Cutting the bridge eliminated my chronic neck pain immediately. Getting rid of the infection also got rid of my chronic brain fog and fatigue. I had been looking for a spiritual answer to my pain, thinking that the stress was all in my head. It was, but not in the way I thought. This experience was a painful lesson in how mind and body are never separate. Disengaging from the physical is like putting a protective sac around my problems. Nothing gets resolved; the issues just fester and create more severe problems until I finally pay attention.

http://theseandthose.pardes.org/2013/06/03/my-peak-attack/#more-16698

The whole year has been a continuum of spiritual experiences beginning on an architectural tour of La Sagrada Familia. With my headphones on and the voice telling me about the design inspiration for the columns, I felt faith - the kind where you would willingly live in a hovel, committing all your resurces to God. But I still had no relationship to God. Right here in my village, nearly a year later, sitting in Circle, I closed my eyes and it came to me: god is Love and love is God. My goal now is to be able to go to work and keep that front and centre.

Yes, I met Teal Scott and she helped me realize that I create, co-create and live in an interdependent world. This helped me take even more responsibility for my existence.

No, and it's interesting because in the past I've been a very spiritual person, but right now that's not where I'm drawing the meaning in my life.

My two months in Israel was, what I believe to be, the most spiritual time in my life thus far. I opened myself up to discover who I am and what Judaism is for me, and I really think I got incredible things out of it

I can't say this has been a particularly spiritual year, but there have been a few books I've read that had extraordinary passages, especially Karen Green's Bough Down and George Saunders' Tenth of December. Mainly, my spiritual side has been shored up by my love of the nature around me, walking here and in Amsterdam especially. The James Turrell piece that I saw at the Whitney did it for me. So did a few things at the Rijksmuseum.

Visiting churches in Germany I was reminded of the power of religion and how connected we all are. I'm not a very religious person but when I enter a beautiful church I am reminded of the power of God. And to see people there praying and lighting candles in many case hoping for a Miracle, I was reminded how blessed and lucky I truly am.

Hands down, my experience at the silent retreat I attended at Yogaville over New Year's was one of my most spiritual experiences -- and that was during a year of spiritual experiences. I took my meditation practice to a new level and found the peace that I was so craving after my first semester of rabbinical school.

I stood at the Kotel at the end of the March of the living and I was struck a way of emotion as i realized that I was doing what so many millions before me had not been able to do. I was standing before one of the holiest sites in Judaism and I was going it with thousands of other Jews to show the world that we survived and I have never been so happy to be Jewish.

My hubby & I joined a Torah Study group on retreat in Guanacaste, Costa Rica. We traveled with the rabbi I study with regularly. Being in a perfect setting and among people who were so hamish was a wonderful experience. The beauty of the setting augmented the spiritual essence of the study. We had some time to take day trips, which completed the wholeness of the experience. Words can't fully describe what I felt.

The Guided Imagery work has brought a deeper understanding of how rooted my spirituality is in who I am and how I perceive the world and how much nurturing that part of me really needs. I am also aware of my own strength and f look this year to root more in that in order to be in flow - that is engaged in purpose with ease and joy. in creating and recognizing beauty.

There is a nature trail by my apartment. When I go there, it is completely quiet from every day life. All I can hear are the leaves blowing, the birds singing and the chipmunks running through the woods. It gives me a sense of calm and peace that I don't experience any where else. I feel close to God.

My life is about Spiritual Experience - I'm the spiritual leader of a New Thought Center. I have deepened my work, and become more committed to it

I can't think of any time which felt particularly spiritual. I did have a moment watching West Side Story where the music transcended my direct experience and connected me with all the times I had watched and listened to the musical before. It connected me with former versions of myself.

I have been given a gift of time to plan & create the next phase of my professional life. I am fully aware at how rare an opportunity this is. It's allowed me a kind of spaciousness to let my mind be free, to really vision exactly what I want, even if the execution might be different from the original.

There are times when I'm chanting Nam Myoho Renge Kyo that I feel so connected to the Universe that there's nothing that I can't do. It's a wonderful feeling. Doesn't last as long as I'd like it to but it's wonderful.

I tried a meditation class with some friends, and I just can't get into it. I can't seem to find anything spiritual in that way. It's just not for me. I wish I could find something to influence me in that way.

My father died last September. I've been thinking hard about what comes after this life. It's the ultimate adventure because no one knows what comes next. When it's your time, like it or lump it, off you go. I look for reminders of him in the blue late summer sky, in the wind, in the skittering of birds overhead.

This Rosh Hashana 6 people from my immediate family led services in London, Melbourne, New Orleans and Rochester NY...It is meaningful for me to know that our children can provide music and meaning.

I think that I really believe now that once you die, leave this exsistance , that is it. I used to believe people could stay,in some way. Now, in sadness , I must say that I believe once gone, soon forgotten

My dearest aunt passed four years ago. There have been many times during the past years that make her more dear and near than ever. Once I was discussing how upset I was that my aunts husband survived her and he was rude enough to give ALL of my aunts things to strangers , rather than family who would have cherished each tiny amount for memory. She came to me in voice and said, gwennie, you don't need those to remember me. Ever since then I smile when I think of certain things, she would yell I had the fire on under the small pot! Lol. I think of her often as I cook. And it makes me smile with love*

Going to the Kotel with some of my 5th grade students, many who had never been there before, despite living an hour away. I, on the other hand, had been there at least 5 times and am not from Israel. Getting that chance to explain to them the significance of the wall, and see their faces light up when seeing it and being able to touch it and pray in front of it was such a spiritual moment for me.

I have developed a budding interest in meditation. I often feel the need to find a "place of peace" and am just beginning to investigate carving out a few moments each day to meditate/pray.

I took a create manifestation 4 week course. When I set my intentions and focused and meditated, things began to work inmy favor. I make it a habit to listen. Tomy intuition.

I have joined the synagogue choir after I realised I love to sing. There are three particular things that we sing (part of the Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur liturgy) which affect me and that was especially the case this year as I sang them on Rosh Hashanah surrounded by the other members of the choir.

I had a moment at our staff retreat (talk about an unlikely setting!) where I reconnected to a creative part of myself that had been lying somewhat dormant for a while, and started to write again. Since then the urge to write has come and gone and come and gone, but I'm trying to make more space for it, because it feels deeply right.

I went to the Dominican Republic on a mission trip. The trip reminded me that the simplest things are often the most spiritual. Someone on the trip said that she keeps returning to the DR because she feels closer to God when she is there and I can see that. The beauty of the area is so apparent in the children, the people and the land.

After the ending of my engagement, I spent time reading Buddhist author Pema Chodron. Much of the work focused on forms of meditation and the practice of gentleness and loving kindness. These were spiritual to me in that they helped me shift my life into a different gear and be more aware of my relationships with others and, more importantly, my relationship with myself.

Well, yes, I'm actually on a path of spiritual self-discovery. I've become very, very interested in the Law of Attraction, energy healing and energy work, psychics/intuitives, the power of positive thinking, etc. I have decided that what I am doing is not working, and therefore I need to find something that really speaks to me as a person and as a soul. I have had experiences that have made me really believe that Thoughts Create Things; both in good and bad ways. It's my goal through the next year to begin to manifest more positives than negatives, and to really trust in my Higher Self and the Universe to provide me with what I desire in my life...with some work from me, obviously!

As my Day 4 answer had stated...the 2 powerful storms (Sandy and Nemo) gave me such a feeling of humility and gratitude for G-d's Provision. Additionally, the timing of my daughter's cancelled August vacation was miraculous. I know G-d cares for even the smallest detail of my life and works all things together for the Good.

THis year has been a little dry of spiritual experiences, although I know that the beauty of working in the garden is one. I feel so of this year and unable to really break through. Wish it wasn't so, but I have learned to accept the dry times, as there will be times full of the unique spirituality that I have experienced in the past. Although, as I write this in my office, looking out the west window as the sun sets through a huge beautiful tree in the front yard, I can say that that brings me to a sense of spirituality. I suppose I can look for it in everyday life. Also, the camp weekend was a uniquely Jewish spiritual weekend, but mostly it was the environment and less the services.

I don't know. I think my negative experiences really sucked the spiritual life out of me. I have had some nice coincidences, chance meetings, feelings of being connected....I think this is what I want to open up to more this year. Get out of my own body, stop focusing on it, open up to something deeper.

I was in Taos and woke early in the morning to see the sunrise. The cold air and the colors in the sky reminded me that the world is full of mystery.

I've really made the yoga connection in the past month. grounded me again in why the practice is so important.

Going to Anthony Robins and walking on hot coals was a very empowering experience. Sharing very personal experiences and stories with other fellow seekers made me feel connected to the world and really made exercise empathy. Also made some really good friends.

no

Being with my partner, and growing closer intellectually, has been a blessing. Starting to talk about him moving in this year has given me a feeling of future and safety. I found a shul I like a lot. Every year I've dipped my toes back in the water, and in Elul I finally found a niche I can handle within the rich fabric of the community. The goal for the new year is now to ramp up the Jewish learning! But it's sufficient blessing to just enjoy Shabbat with neighbours.

Nothing especial comes to mind...I still, however, occasionally float into different realms of awareness and bump into overwhelming bergs of an awareness of oneness and love.

Even though it has been two years since my granny died, I really feel her presence with me. I know that she is with us and watching over us. I have even felt a touch on my shoulder when no one is there. I am a firm believer that her spirit is still with me.

I have been moved by the strength of my sister through her battles with lung cancer.

It's been a year of incredible growth and change. The grief of infertility diagnosis has been so hard. Sometimes I have only felt that I could "cling" to the idea that there was something I might be processing, in all of this--that at least there would be that. That might be a spiritual lesson. But beyond that, I have felt more guided by a sense of learning to trust myself, more and more. I've realized that second-guessing becomes a way to play things small. I typically "know" what I need to do, and it's just a matter of acting on it. This has really played out in relationships with other people. I have a tendency to tell myself that I "don't know" what to do about a relationship with someone, when truly I do know and just get afraid.

Just recently my father's uncle was diagnosed with incurable cancer. a few days ago his wife took a bad fall which resulted in internal injuries that because of her husband's cancer went without medical care for a few days. She lapsed into a coma and is not expected to survive. While reading through her past text messages to me, I noted that she ended every message saying "love you" or "xoxo" or some variety of that. I really feel like there's a lesson in that because while she may not survive, her words will and we will always have those words of comfort from her to us.

The spiritual experience I had was seeing Amma. Although I didn't think at first that anything significant had happened, my mortality issue seemed to lighten. I asked her to help me live in the moment and to be relieved of the worry about death. And it has happened. The other spiritual experience was seeing the medium at Omega. I now feel as if there are sprits around us and there is am afterlife.

Losing Dad was so hard, but I'm happy I got to spend his last days with him. I had gone up to see him while he was still ok, of course, the dementia affected his memory, but he was still him. When I came back a few days before he passed, I saw him slipping away, but his essence was still there. Whenever I said I loved him, he said the same back to me. He thought Steven was me, the day before he passed. I sang, "You are My Sunshine" to him and I saw him mouth the words along with me. Even with his faults, I loved him very much, he was the best father he knew how to be.

Spending time in Scotland. it was gorgeous and i loved it. Haste me back!

I held my dad as he died. I told him, "You held me when I came into the world, now I am going to hold you as you leave it."

Stopping going to church has caused me to have to create my own faith experience. Through Hillsong United, Casting Crowns, Starfield, etc. I have learned to love God in a different way and I appreciate my faith and love for what God has given me.

Embracing forgiveness has helped me rekindle a sense of spirituality.

I've always felt a bit empty on the spiritual side of myself. I want to have faith that something bigger exists, but it's tough. If tough, seeing what happens in this universe, and believing that there is something bigger. And I feel like the way that our society is going, no one really, genuinely cares... Until they're afraid. I feel as if I have something, that could tap into that mystery spiritual world, but just need to hone in on it... I believe everyone has it, but they mask it with materialisticly tangible things, environments, and people... Everyone needs something to believe in, otherwise they have nothing.

Several things come to mind that "should have" or "could have" been spiritual, based on my interests/tendencies, but I am not remembering a specific, tangible spiritual feeling at any point in the past year... yet. "Could have"s: - Completing level 1 yoga teacher training/sharing experiences with out like-minded yogis - Being at a Greek Orthodox service for the first time - Bonnaroo... hooping with strangers? Contact improv jam with strangers? Any specific bands? - Beach sunsets - Dance performances - Blindfolded dance improv class - what was that called? Oo! Phish New Year's Eve. Something about Auld Lang Syne is very spiritual for me, and hearing it at the best party in the world, with a man whom I love and am so grateful for, and completely sober... I cried. I was grateful. I started a new year. I do love new year situations - oh hey 10Q thank you!

The month of Ramadan was transforming for me this year. My version of fasting was to cut my food intake by half.....it was much harder than normal fasting but ultimately more rewarding. It helped me figure out what is important and what really isn't.

Being with my mom while her body was still alive but her mind and spirit were gone - saying goodbye. Then coming home, getting pregnant and having the most beautiful and happy little girl, who was due on my birthday. If there was anything my mom could've done from the other side it would have been just that: my having a little girl baby on valentine's day just like she did 41 years ago. Life is truly an awe-inspiring thing and I see it with such wonder now, in a way I hadn't before these two experiences.

Let me count the ways! I discovered 5Rhythms in December 2012 and my life has not been the same! It has become a major spiritual outlet for me and has increased my confidence, consciousness and connection to my Self and this world. I've also become massively drawn to chanting mantras like the Moola Mantra, Hanuman Chalesa and Triple Mantra. I've never felt more alive, connected and on Purpose.

Spiritually, this has been a tough year. Historically, I have experienced at least a few moments of connectedness, groundedness and oneness during woodland walks. This past year has been so full of professional and personal, stress inducing activity, starting with emergency surgery to repair a rupture disc my son suffered last autumn - erasing his chances of being recruited as a rower - and ending with my 94 year-old mother falling, fracturing her hip and the subsequent increased rate with which she is slipping into dementia, I haven't felt any of the sustaining, spiritual experiences that I typically have during any given year.

I actually feel like I have been lacking a spiritual connection to things this year. There's been a spark missing, and to add to my disconnectedness I also joined the Vestry at church and find myself with duties and responsibilities that can feel very mundane and earthly. I've just been asked to be a canvasser for this year's pledge drive, and when I hear the stark reality that 25% of churches will close their doors in the next 5 years I think to myself, yeah - because so few of my generation has found connection with the church in any real way, whether it's because of how Christianity has become a political slogan or because of the church's incredible inability to get over the hatred of LGBTQ people and live the real message of Love.

I have experience an abundance of emotional and emotionally present experience during t'filah this year. Especially while leading services. Liturgy has affected me deeply this year--both internalizing and personalizing the words as I see them reflected in the experiences with my congregants. Birth, death, illness, shiva, unveilings, graduations, etc...it has all begun to settle within me quite deeply.

Having an extremely rich discussion a couple of days ago about the Binding of Issac on Friday (customarily read on RH day 2). Three liberal, open-hearted Rabbis and about 20 people from college age through 80 years old sat in a circle and dug into the text. We approached it with open minds and open hearts and discussed everything from the dangers of sacrificing our children on the altars of our own ideas/opinions and desires for them to what "test" Abraham was really called to and did he pass or fail? We went Far Beyond the superficial "applause" for Abraham's absolute faith and/or relief that "everything was OK" once God's messenger stepped in and stopped the sacrifice. We went deep into the psycho-spiritual depths of the story and raised many possibilities as to how it might speak to us today.

I have been fortunate this year to have found the kind of exercise that helps me get through RA. Sometimes I leave class with an enormous sense of peace and well-being. Similar to how I used to feel when I could do yoga. MELT -- I feel so lucky to have found it, exactly when I needed to find it; so finding it seems like one of those things that was meant to be. I needed help, and help was there. Whether this is spiritual or not, it means so much to me.

Um, yes.

My kids and I being sick in December with bronchitis/pneumonia made me refocus on my self-care as well as renewed my goal of moving to better our family as a whole. It forced all of us to rest and spend a lot of time together. Plus I had to learn to let go and trust my husband to run the house without me micromanaging him.

I feel like this hasn't been a spiritual year for me; more one where I built a family

I actually think this year has been incredibly spiritual for me. First in manifesting a long goal of moving to and building a home in Philadelphia. Second, participating in the healing and rebuilding our communities training where I really tapped into my own power to forgive, and heal more deeply. Deepening my relationship with my husband as we build this new life together has also been a spiritually grounding and expanding experience for me. And a few times in yoga I felt myself as part of the cosmic dance. Ganesh's earring. And had an out of body experience. So much.

Last year really was the beginning of my spiritual awakening and this year it all firmed up. I realized the power of my intuition, synchronicity, and most importantly, purpose. As a result of my connection to the univerer I realized the lie that "I'm not good enough" is. I also realized my purpose and why I'm here. Meditation, prayer, listening to my intuition, love, and serving others continues to be the cornerstone on my spiritual practice. I am so thankful for my faith and as the days pays I will continue to call on it when things are great and not so great.

I think going to Singapore was pretty dang spiritual for me. I had what I consider the best day of my life there (at the zoo, of all places!) & there were so many other moments where I felt so, SO happy & inspired. I don't know whether that would fall under the realm of spiritual, though judging by the criteria given, it seems like it does. I can't wait to go back there, anyway, & I think about it almost every day. I have terrible nostalgia.

I have had many spiritual experiences this past year. In all types of forms. From connections with g-d, artistic connections and lots of serendipitous moments. It's been quite an amazing journey. Every day I wake up looking forward to seeing what my day will bring. All of these things came through forcing myself to take action with a relationship that I knew could not work if things didn't change for both of us. And so I pulled the trigger and decided to take a break to find ourselves on our own. I ultimately found myself and my purpose through this.

I think beng exposed to a broader world and other ways of living and viewing life has given me a little peace. I don't feelcas eished to get fixed and be the best. I see there are lots of different and noble ways to live and no one is really measuring us against each other. I am also in a more serious and challengong relationship with Gd. I angry often and am working through pain while tryung to accepy that I don't get to understand why pain happens. Even though I don't feel like we talk, I still feel like you're there.

hah I don't even know where to start on this one. I have had a full on spiritual awakening. it has been completely overwhelming and the most wonderful addition to my life yet. I am starting to not only understand my own place in this universe but make some sense out of why we are here and most importantly, how to make the best of it.

When I went to the Kotel on the March of the Living this year. I remember it happened when I was backing away from the wall. I stopped and looked up at this huge wall and realized, this wall was attacked multiple times by the Romans, but it still stands today. Just like the Jewish people have been attacked countless times throughout history and even in today's society, yet we still stand stronger than ever. The Jewish people will never be destroyed; when we are knocked down, we get right back up even stronger than before. I have never felt more proud to be Jewish than in that moment.

I love buildings. There is a very impressive looking synagogue in Phl that I have always wanted to get inside of. One night I took myself out for dinner and as I was walking back to my car I saw people coming out and asked if I might go in. They cordially invited m,. It was as awesome. As I was leaving a woman approached me and said,"Come have a glass of wine with me that is left over from my daughter's Bat Mitvah celebration." She poured two, raised a glass to me and said, "La hiam/ spelling?? It was a sweet experience. Being with a dying friend Live chamber music Being with difficult people and staying open, present and not absorbing their energy Being inspired by an exhibition of paintings at Swarthmore College All of it adding up to comfortable being me

I think my most spiritual experience has been being able to do the work I want to do in life. I waited a long time to get to the point where I could be a social worker, where I could help people day in and day out, and I feel this has been the most rewaring thing I have accomplished in a very long time. I love what I do, I can't wait to get up each day to do it. What more could one want in life?

I recently had a job interview where I shared openly about my journey in recovery. The affirmation of the interview team was huge and the whole experience felt like it was redemptive of the experience of being fired from a job that was one of the catalysts for the start of my recovery in 2011.

The realisation that I am spun from starlight and other people couldn't touch me as a human being. Creative people are built differently. There is starlight in our souls, and while we live and breathe and walk amongst the word, something inside of us burns with the need to create - to sculpt, to paint, to write. The starlight weaved into our lives pours from our hands and we are never truly satisfied unless we live a life with creativity at the core.

1. I read a collection of John Muir's writing. He explained that he went on these incredible nature adventures, into the eye of the storm so to speak, not because he didn't think that he could die, but because he thought that it was the best way to die. 2. Dvar Torah from Tablet magazine for Rosh HaShana. Our life story is a plot over which we have very limited control. We are the main characters of this story, however, and we are totally in control of how we play the part. To guide us, we have Tshuva, Tfilla, and Tzedaka. This is what we are called to remember every Rosh HaShana.

Closure can be spiritual. I've been in and out of a broken romance for nearly 7 years but finally I am out. It's almost like being re-born, like I have re-discovered myself, who I was before the destructive relationship and feel unburdened, free, light, like my problem has shifted from me to someone or something else... We still have our little girl and she will be my light but I no longer have the care or concern I've held for the past 7 years. It is gone, like smoke in the wind that filled the air with it's rancid toxicity. It once choked my breath, burnt my throat and caused tears to stream down my eyes. Now the wind of change has come and blown the problem away. All that remains is charcoal and a seedling ready to sprout in it's place. That seedling is my little girl, she will rise from the charcoal to become a great tree to nurture a new forrest.

No significant spiritual experiences come to mind. Although, I've had many strange dreams this year. For some reason, I've had quite a few dreams about men in my life. Whether it was a guy I met only a couple times, or someone I studied with, or a guy I was hooking up with, I've had a sexual dream about them.....weird! I don't know what it means...

The birth of my second son - nothing more to say. He's beautiful, like his brother, and I am blessed.

I've been able to relate to God as a parent in a new way. I know when I was a parent how filled with love I was for my daughter, and how I could be patient with her as she learned to crawl, then to cruise, then to walk with a million stumbles. I didn't get impatient because it's such a big job to learn all that and I admired her fortitude so much and wished her well so much. How much moreso our heavenly Father loves us and is patient with us. It's a cliche, but somehow I was able to feel it deeply and personally in a new way.

I have come to realize more and more the interconnectedness of everything.

Yes, simply finding Judaism.

This is always the most difficult question for me. But I think waking up for the first week in my new house. Our bedroom window view is a tree with beautiful purple flowers and an out of place palm tree. It felt like vacation. It felt peaceful and right. With my daughter's birth my family was complete and we are living in our "growing up" house. It felt like the beginning of the rest of my life.

Spirit is a huge part of life for me ,Every day you see the sun come up , it rains , a gift from God . Just being alive is a joyous spiritual experience especially if you can still walk out to see it .

I think this year has been a real rollercoaster for me emotionally, mentally and physically. I constantly turn to my friends, family and even books for spritual guidance. They have been so helpful getting me throught rough patches and allowing me to grow and learn more about myself. Also I have been trying to focus more on my art, what helps being in such a creative city like New York is having galleries at my disposal. Being influenced from some truly inspiring artist throughout the decades and having access to their works helps me flourish more as a young artist and how to develop my personal practice.

The most spiritual experience I've had this year is watching my son become a Bar Mitzvah. Since then, he seems to have matured and grown up in ways I never would have imagined. He is such a thoughtful and good-hearted young man. I pray both my sons live lives that make them happy and give them meaning, and I am so enjoying watching them grow and change.

The Natural Spirituality Regional Gathering at Camp Mikell in Taccoa, GA , where I heard Doug Bennett connect the dots between physics and the world of the spirit brought me a verbal framework for what I always knew deep inside. That our prayers, thoughts and wishes move the universe if we are intentional about it.

Being at Lisa and Tim's wedding was somewhat spiritual. Watching they join together with a community in such a strong spiritual way was beautiful. Being injured was a somewhat spiritual experience. I've had to find resilience inside myself to continue on with my life. It was a blessing to have Ben with me, but a lot of what I needed to do I needed to pull from myself. Looking back, I know that I'll never take my ability to walk for granted.

many. just reminds me of the magic of the cosmos. my art continues to tell my cosmic story.

The most moving experience was living in Cape Town and waking up to Table Mountain everyday. I realized how awe inspiring scenery and nature can be at the most unexpected times. There were many mornings when I would be grumpy about being up early but then would get out the building and see the sun perfectly lighting the mountains and the colored clouds on top, and would realize how awesome it was that I was able to be up to see that. Another great experience was realizing that not every empty space needs to be filled with words. Simply sitting, by yourself or with others, and listening to your thoughts and the world around is often enough.

Yes, actually. I had a very profound spiritual experience at purden about 5 months ago. I met up with some friends from truckee to hang out in Nevada city since we were all from the area but never really met before we all lived together in truckee. Anyway, my friend Mat had brought some mushrooms and he was already tripping when i got there and he had some extra so I asked if I could buy them from him. I later ended up trading him a big bag o shake for it. But during my trip I began to peek so I sought out a quiet peaceful place to meditate and let the full effect take place without inhibitions. I was sitting on a rock with a sort of bowl shape on the side of a steep canyon hill across the river from my friends. The whole time I was meditating I was trying to focus on a certain question and I know I found the answer but I'm still trying to interpret it. Anyway, as I was sittin there looking down the ravine, I saw lots of trees and other plants and bushes and such swaying in the breeze and felt the sunshine on my skin and the cool tickle of the breeze and as I watched these trees that were protruding out of the steep wall of the ravine, I took a long deep breathe and could then see everything with immaculate clarity and vividness. I saw them thriving in the sun and breathing in the air. I could see the pine needles of the huge grey pines open up to receive the air and sort of shrink back to expel their breath. I could see them growing and living and eating up the sunshine. I felt I could understand everything about them and truly knew them to their very essence. I believe all of this honestly happened and was only catalyzed by the drugs. This was all very very real. Anyway, my question I was asking was kind of vague. I wanted to ask something profound instead of too literal and single minded. I asked, "WHY are we doing?" When I closed my eyes I saw an image of a tree made of glowing arrows. Interchanging between warm reds and yellows and oranges as they reached upward and onward. I can still see that image as clear as that day it came to me. I will never forget what I learned that day. the reason WHY we are doing.

Oh my lord, seeing Darren Hayes in concert twice! He is insanely bloody brilliant. He opened his set with God Walking Into the Room, incredibly appropriately, and I spent the next hour and a half entranced, by both his unreal ability to sing perfectly and his adorable dancing. That man...just wow.

Yes, I'm about to be married in a week's time by my Pastor. My Pastor is an amazing man who allows me to be, wherever I am on my journey with God, without ever making me feel like I'm less than I am, or I'm not in the right place. I have finally come to realize that God is not here to "do things" for me; He can't make things, this way or that to my liking. I have accepted once and for all that this is not how God works in my life. He is here to help me get through, whatever troubles I mu have.

God has been by my side and my rock so much this past year. He has helped guide me to accomplish my longest long-term goal I have yet to have. Earning my AA, saving up money from two jobs to move across the country back to my hometown, the actual move, going back to school to earn my BA, etc. etc. etc. I love Him.

I can't say that this is a major event, but being in Israel this year was a truly life changing experience. I made new friends around my age whom i have connected with and whom i hope to stay connected with forever. It's crazy how kids across the world are the exact same as you and you don't even realize any of it until you are put in the situation of meeting them. Truly honoured and blessed to go on this trip.

Spiritual experiences this year include my trip to Kripalu school for yoga and health. It was a wonderful experience and I would love to do it again. it taught me what peace and serenity is. I cant wait to go back for the yoga dance teacher training.

The past year has been a transformative year for me. When the year started I had recently come out to family and friends. As the year went on I entered more queer spaces and queer Jewish spaces and began to connect being Jewish with being gay. I found Keshet which was a good community, I wouldn't say it was "spiritual". But, I did lead my first Shabbat service with them and my second. I also found Moishe Kavod in Brookline. Everytime I go there, I feel a great spiritual connection with those around me in the community and G-d. I do feel thought that I am missing some spirituality in my life.

Seeing for just a moment the very top on the volcano Concepcion on the island of Ometepe in Nicaragua. Our whole trip the tip of the cone was covered by clouds. Just when you thought they would disappear and you would get a glimpse of the entire volcano the clouds would stubbornly persist swirling around the mountain. Day after day of this I began to realize that there was a strong possibility that I would never see the top. Then one afternoon, walking on the beach we looked up and saw it. It lasted less than five minutes and was gone.

Seeing my Dad just a few minutes after he passed away.. I tried to shake him.... I thought that maybe he was still alive but.... He wasn't !! I hugged him! I talked to him! I asked him Perdon , I apologize for the things I didn't make him.....but he didn't hear me !!! It was such a tough moment !!!! I tired to memorize his voice, the last time I spoke with him on the phone, the last words he told me, the last night that I saw him and he sent me a kiss !!! Don't want to forget him, not his voice, not him !!!! Not his presence !! He will always be an example of Life for me !!! A great Man...... A great Human Being !

I've been praying for a new job with better pay and a less hectic work schedule. I know the Job G-ds have their ears full right now, but if it'll mean less stress, I'm willing to become more 'spiritual' in a quest for a sweeter work/life balance.

Visited Gettysburg national battlefield and reflected on the deaths of all the Americans there.

Something that helped me spiritually was when I joined my church. I left my former church and was looking for a new place to experience God. It took three years, but I finally found a warm, loving, and friendly place to call home. The best part? I officially joined on Resurrection Sunday, a day where miracles are notorious for happening. ;)

Every day. I smell the air in the morning, feel the breeze from the bright blue sky, and smile at the sun. Every day I feel blessed to be here and know some one or some spirit watches over me And my family.

Today my inner voice told me that I don't want to be a professional screenwriter. I want to be a professional actor, and let my words be in service of that goal. Writing is holy to me. I don't know what that means for me down the road. I've had many spiritual experiences while both acting and writing. I also often have a spiritual experience while driving alone, feeling the Los Angeles breeze, in the morning light. The more my inner voice and I are in conversation - specifically at morning and at night - the more whole I feel.

connecting with the best of modern Israeli culture (via a shaliach) in a mode that's neither 'secular' nor 'religious' but part of the new "Israeli Jewish Culture" movement -- I've been inspired by it, and touched, and deepened.

I'm not overly Christian/don't wear that on my sleeve, but I think just realizing that made me stronger and understand myself more. So many people at my college put such an emphasis on that, and it never felt super comfortable for me. Realizing that that in itself is my strength, and that all I really need to feel spiritual is to talk to Jesus on my own and not in front of people, made me feel somewhat at peace.

I've begun taking my meditations much more seriously this year, and I have had a few deep meditative moments that seemed to transcend the place and time I was in.

I found myself and my inner happiness again when I went to NYC by myself in May. I laughed more openly, was relaxed when interacting with people, let my guard down. I wasn't ON, trying to please or care for others. It was liberating and awakened my inner soul.

Doing things that bust through my comfort zone like camping or hiking on the backcountry which allows me to have conversations with my higher self. Both of which I've never done before this year! Nature; is inspiring :)

Spending 4 days with Karla in Big Sur was certainly spiritual. We left for the trip on the tail end of a pretty big fight, but we both let our guards down and by the time we got up north we were both very open to experiencing nature and leaving the minutia of our everyday lives behind. We spent most of the trip reading, hiking, and staring out into the ocean sitting next to each other on our own private little bluff. There was a cleansing sensation to the trip which I'd like to think has carried over into the rest of our lives. Reading Henry Miller's Big Sur and the Oranges of Hieronymous Bosch leant an even deeper poetic ambiance to the camp and experiencing nature through his eyes was beautiful and got me out of my own head.

How to be helpful and do random kinds of good behavior....treat everyone the way you want to be treated!

The closest I come to spiritual experiences have been the times I've been by the ocean. I've been to the Atlantic twice, the Pacific once, and the Caribbean Sea once this year - so it's been pretty spiritual.

Every once in a while I watch my (older) daughter do something or hear her say something and I am so moved by who she is and who she is becoming, it's honestly a spiritual experience. It is as if time stops and next thing I know there are tears rolling down my face. She isn't even 3 yet so...I'm screwed.

When I went to jail, I'd already been to at least one meeting of SAA and looked over a lot of the literature, so I had a sense of some of the philosophy behind it. I think this primed me to look out for some spiritual element to my time there. Fucking up that bad and feeling so desperate has a tendency to do that; "there are no atheists in foxholes." In the weeks leading up to turning myself in, I was already working hard on a compassionate mindset, as if I could maybe undo what I'd done if I could just be devoted enough to spiritual ideals. "If it be your will, let this cup pass away from me..." The Bible study group I took part in impressed me with the seriousness of their devotion. I was glad to be invited after a few casual conversations with Br. James and Br. Stephen, and I was very proud to be asked to lead when Br. Stephen left. What it came down to was that all of us were taking seriously the fact that we'd gone a wrong way in life, that there was something in our hearts out of sync with how things should be. "O Lord, have mercy on me, sinner that I am." The fact that I prayed again in jail was amazing, with such intensity, and what I prayed. "Heavenly Father, thank you for beans, thank you for sanitary living conditions, thank you for a window..." I remembered the SAA admonition not to "pray for our own selfish ends, but we may pray for ourselves if others will be helped." I didn't pray to be released at first. I prayed that Kate be comforted. Then I prayed that, if no one else could comfort her, that I be released to do so. There seems to be a trend of religious figures experiencing incarceration. That has got to be some of the most utter helplessness a person can face outside of a hospital, so while fully healthy, fully cognizant of that helplessness, and I think that must encourage an awareness that we are not islands, that we do require some small grace from outside to sustain ourselves in the world.

I started going to a new yoga class, starts with 30 minutes chanting, then a short reading, various asanas and ends with pranayama. I feel so very peaceful and happy afterwards and I also love the other people who go. I feel so much happier now in my life, more serene and I'm so glad I'm incorporating this into my life! I've also started daily meditation at home, blissful :-D

I saw Martin Espada read Imagine Angels of Bread just before Pesach. It reminded me of why I NEED to write. Sent chills up and down my spine

I cried while praying this year. It was unbelievable. I was teaching yoga at a silent meditation retreat, and I skipped morning prayer every day. I thought to myself "I'm here to teach yoga, I don't need the praying." But on shabbat, I went. It was everything I've been seeking in prayer for years. Chanting, full body movement. I was so caught up in sound and the feeling that I just HAD to stand up, I HAD to shake, I HAD to cry. This experience spurred a renewed spirit in me for seeking meaningful Jewish experiences. I started going to shul more, I started reading more Jewish text... I even dated a rabbinical student. I was so moved to get in touch with that part of me. I continue to be even now. That was in January.

Hm... I have been feeling deeply regretful about my continued habit of peeling my skin on the Sabbath and holidays. It's forbidden and it also ruins my skin, and I, who value self-control and mind over matter, am ashamed at how I am unable to control myself.

Reconnecting with my estranged mother has profoundly affected me. She behaves like a mother now which she was unable or unwilling to do when I was a girl and especially when I was a teenager. I look forward to the drive across the country in a week to get her to her new temporary quarters. In approximately six months, more or less, I will make the make the move out there and join her in a new living space together. I look forward to spending the rest of her days together and helping her to take good care of herself. My mom is an end stage renal patient...she is dying. We have much to learn together in these twilight years.

Ik ben heel ontroerd geraakt bij een optreden van Rita Mitsouka. De sfeer, haar energie maar vooral haar teksten waren zo herkenbaar. Dat mooie moment is nog lang bij mij gebleven.

Not really. Very recently, I have been quite schizophrenic in my feelings. I have been gut wrenchingly sad and full of despair. For a brief spate, I pondered what it would be like to be able to "turn my problems over to 'god.'" Then I realized that a lobotomy would be easier.

I suppose the eulogy I wrote for Mimi after she passed was fairly spiritual. I knew it was going to be painful to be away from the funeral, but it would've been crazy to fly that far for just a day and turn around. There was no way. Instead, I wrote a piece that my uncle read there. From the responses I've heard, it was received well. My family, especially, appreciated my words. It did me a world of good to commit the thoughts to paper. It was my way of saying goodbye.

I have experienced many spiritual moments this past year. Just over a year ago I sat on a mountain and looked down at Machu Picchu....there was something there. Within the year, though I have too. It's just been a year of so much reflection and growth so I don't know if I can really choose one moment amongst all of them. Counterpoint and Made In America were both spiritual. Sitting on top of the terrace in Venice where I finally had a breakthrough with my self-perception. I think spiritual moments come with reflection and reflecting is something I very much enjoy to do. It makes me become a better person and it makes me more aware of myself and my surroundings.

Oof. My instinct is to say that my pregnancy and miscarriage were spiritual. I knew that I was part of bringing another life into being, and yet I could not do what I most wanted to do: keep that life going. That entire process was both terrible and miraculous.

Probably the most spiritual experience(s) for me involves my exploration of my creative side. Within just a few months I wrote and recorded several new songs on my own. This is something I've never done before, and it was very liberating for me. It made me realize that the creative part of me is still alive and well, and that I still have the ability to delve into that part of myself and to actually express it. All of my songs tend to have a spiritual bent to them in the sense that I'm always exploring the battle between opposites (dark/light, "good"/"evil" male/female, etc) whether that is within us as human beings or around us in nature or the universe.

So many wonderful spiritual experiences - they make life worth living. I am surrounded by miracles on a daily basis, and I thank G-d for each and every one. One in particular - while taking my fiance for the first time to see the temple in which we're going to be married, we ended up through a series of "mishaps" being escorted by their cantor/rabbi who in the course of the conversation, said out of the blue that I should be a cantor. She said she could hear in my voice that I would be a good one.

My most spiritual experiences came from my interaction with others, whether my family, my friends, connecting with new colleagues or seeing the wonder and delight of others learning from each other.

Learning about mindful awareness, not just as an intellectual idea, but applying it as a daily and moment by moment practice. I am more grounded in the present and each unfolding moment but I also feel and experience things around me with an amazing sensory texture- the sound of birds, the glowing colours of dusk, the shimmer of white gumtrees. I am excited about how my life will unfold moment by moment and where my life's path will lead me as I continue to practice mindful awareness.

Moments of meditation, dance and prayer. Connection with my girlfriend.

Not really. I had some mind blowing sex. I quit my jew class because it was boring and tiny, and too far a commute. I wish I could attend this fall's class, as it's more centered on psychoanalysis and modern jewry. Unfortunately the commute part stands, and it's really expensive. I'm still toying with it though. I think I would do the readings for this. But maybe I could get the syllabus? Self: remember that yoga and cycling bring you back to your center. Spirit and body are so so so entwined. Maybe some intellectual stimulation would be spiritual. I am hungry for it.

My Mother has died yet I feel her with me, her arms around me, soothing yet coaxing me onward. I talk to her everyday. Our relationship will never end. I have so enjoyed climbing inside myself during yoga and feeling genderless, timeless, ageless.

My most spiritual exoerience of this and many years was when my partner and I joined a temple and I became very attached to it and the people and ultimately Judaism. I call it "the change."

My experiences at the Western Wall, my first sighting and interaction, were especially powerful. First because I felt overwhelmed with anger at seeing the women's section so diminished next to the men's and second when I felt flooding emotion as I sat and observed and found stillness right next to the Wall. A powerful place indeed.

Nothing spectacular, but frequentlya sense that "God's in his heaven, all's right with the world," as the poem says. This may occur during church (especially when we're singing) or while walking along by myself; working in the garden, re-reading a particularly favorite book, or hearing a song. I just got home from a two-day retreat with the parish group, up at the Bishop's Ranch, and that's a little foretaste of heaven even when the high's are close to 100. I will gladly "dwell in the house of the Lord forever" if it's something like the ranch house!

I guess the mosst spiritual experience of the past year would be when I took my girlfriend to see her favourite band. I'd seen them a few times, but she never had. To see such joy and excitement on her face was one of the best things that's ever happened to me.

I've done a regression and understand why I felt certain things that didn't belong to my own emotions. It was very relieving and comforting to know that I don't need to feed those feelings and thoughts. They're not mine at all.

As Trixie nears the end of her life and had some real touch and go moments this summer, I am aware of how short life is and how lucky I have been to have such unconditional love from her. The purring is magical and I feel so connected to the world around me and at peace. Also, in Belize I felt proud that I challenged myself in so many ways. Confronting so many fears and reminding myself that I only live once... that growth of person felt very spiritual and prideful at once. I felt at moments I was really living life and experiencing it all, not missing a thing.

I am still in process of discovering my spirit but being in Israel significantly impacted how I view the difference I can make and that might be the most spiritual I have ever felt. Standing in the mecca of so many cultures and people. This has pushed me in so many different artistic directions I havn't even been able to grasp all of them.

I didn't.

No, don't think so. Not sure if I've ever had any experience which I'd really describe as spiritual. Perhaps I'm expecting too much - hoping for some experience which will make me feel as though I am connected to the universe etc. I'm jealous of those people who have had such experiences.

I think the spiritual thing of this past year has been the steady realisation that my life doesn't belong in London any more. Between Thanksgiving last year, Darlene's 50th this January, and then this recent visit in August for Mom's birthday, i have moved in a very definite line toward the realisation that my spirit is not happy or fulfilled in the life i have created here any more and it is time to re-assess priorities and make changes in the form of establishing options for my long future, and then making the changes in the short term to remove myself from this situation and start into a new paradigm.

Glad you included the bit about secular experiences. I'd have to say I felt most transcendent this summer during the Washington State Parks GeoTour. 100 geocaches placed in 100 state parks to celebrate 100 years of the park system. Washington State is filled with some of the most gorgeous and diverse geology in the nation. From mountain top vistas to sandy and rocky beaches. Streams and rivers of every size and color imaginable from the deep blue of the mighty Columbia River to the emerald green of the northern Skagit River. Waterfalls and lakes and alpine meadows. The state park tour took us to see them all. It's very hard not to marvel at your personal insignificance in our brief spot in time when you see the wealth of history laid out before you in the remnants of the enormous post-ice age flood that created the Dry Falls Coulee, a waterfall of the past many times larger and wider than Niagra.

I wish I could have spiritual experiences. I've become so spiritually cynical and drained. I live within my mind and the spirit is parched. The 'touchy-feely' nature of my synagogue community's rabbi-and the community, itself, seems to prevent any spiritual experience I might have. However, I should meditate; it would relax me and make me more effective, probably. I also need a bulwark against Ron's future, expected illnesses.

I don't know that I've had many - but I guess one would be the time I spent alone in the winter while my husband was overseas. It wasn't spiritual in a consistent way, but moreover in the way that it forced me to lean on myself and my faith.

My spiritual experiences are many daily since I live with a daily intention to connect with larger higher self and source of all there is. These are some highlights: The year of study with my Grace community culminating in our Retreat in June, major breakthrough moments of ah-ha. Experiencing Wagners Parcifsl twice --once at the Met with Brian and once at UPAC with Peter. Wow! My grandsons Bar Mitzvah in Feb. realizing my own ripple effect on the lives around me. Being at Barnert Temple last Yom Kippir and feeling the awe of community and my history there Being at Barnert Temple this Rosh Hashana and feeling my own historical presence. Singing as Cantor last Rosh Hashana/Yom Kippur in FAirlawn. Connecting with the music and feeling the texts come alive in me The process of my mothers passing. I was 3000 miles away and was kything with her. Had spiritual support of Grace community and Naomi and Lisa. Felt mamas spirit as she was passing. Praying she felt mine. The hug Mark came to give me after mama died The process of dating and listening to my intuition. While officiating at the weddings of several couples. Feeling that we were in a field of loving energy that we co-created. While in the process of writing. Allowing creative energies and inspiration to flow to and through me The few moments of nuzzling with Mark moments before he announced he was moving away. My digging deep with issues of forgiveness The experiences of videotaping when I trust that spirit is guiding me and I will find the words. Conversations with clients when they identify and distinguish their bigger selves. Those moments if divine connection in the conversations. Whenever I feel tears come to my eyes when I recognize those moments of truth. Grappling with my own feelings of aloneness

I am beginning to sound like a broken record, but giving birth is probably the most powerful thing I will ever exeperience. Between contractions, I would sleep. It is as if I found my zen doing the most natural thing a woman can do.

Walking down the aisle, my arm linked with my dad's. We passed through the quartet of singers, and their music washed over me, and around me. I kissed my dad at the half way point, and continued on through the sound, where I met my beloved under the chuppah.

Remembering to say the Shehecheyanu with Daniel when we see or do something that warrants being in touch with the Creator. Mostly a giving thanks thing, but it comes up other times, too. Also beginning to talk with Daniel about my faith in G-d and why I believe and how my faith is strengthened.

Spiritual experiences? Yes. I went to a John Edwards show (the 'Crossing Over' medium) and was absolutely convinced that there is something out there after death. It's a very comforting thought.

A couple of gigs this year, in particular The Killers in Brussels and especially Muse in Belgium, just felt like I don't want to be anywhere else on earth expect standing here watching this, so it was a kind of spiritual experience I suppose. It's amazing how much music can change your mood and I've noticed how when I'm feeling down I don't want to listen to any. So, just realising the importance of music to me I suppose, even though I can't play a note myself!

I was moved during the Night of the Silent Drums in Olinda, Brazil in the week before carnival in February. I just remember being moved almost to tears by how beautiful the singing was floating above the thunder of the drums. Maracatu has this amazing ability to get you "there". I was also feeling a bit shitty emotionally (girl trouble), so I was probably more vulnerable than usual, more prone to being moved by something like this.

I would have to say helping my mom, aunt, and uncle taking care of my grandma who has Alzheimer's and Dementia. Even though it can be frustrating at times, I still love her because I enjoy spending time with her, and she's the only grandparent I have left.

Stargazing was about as close to a spiritual experience I've had in awhile.

My most memorable spiritual experience was attending a Vivaldi concert in Venice. It is such an amazing city and to hear my favorite piece of music on the grande canal was really special.

I fell in love this year, after six years of thinking it never could happen again. It kind of is like being born again, with all of the challenges and joys of learning to continue to be one's self while being attuned to another person in all of his or her neurotic glory. Attachment, independence, mutual respect, neediness, jealousy, regard, inspiration, empathy, judgement.....This is one of the fundamental spiritual experiences of life, Martin Buber's "I-thou" in all its complexity. I am humbled by the experience, and often terrified and despairing of the possibility of navigating the differences and samenesses of two persons, no matter how much love there is here.

I am so deeply in love w/ my nephew that I admitted to a friend (and fellow atheist and non-believer) that it felt a little like god. I choked up even explaining it to her. He is so delicious and delightful (and annoying sometimes). Watching him learn --- every single f*n' day! Watching him develop and have amazement at everything and having no bounds on his creativity or imagination, has been absolutely inspiring.

When I got my wisdom teeth removed, I woke up from the surgery and the only think I could think was. Adonai S'fatai Tiftach Ufi Ya'agid Tehilatecha, Eternal G-D, open my lips so my mouth can declare your glory. I found this to be unbelievably powerful as it seemed to be almost like a blessing god has sent me to heal from this surgery.

I don't know if this really qualifies, but I realized I was burned out on my house of worship & announced that I was taking a break. Since then I have proclaimed Art First, and have gone back to my first love, poetry, in a determined way.

Seeing the Kotel.

No secular, artistic, cultural or any other spiritual experiences. How I need to slow down and allow myself to truly feel all the beauty around me.

I wish I could say yes, but the honest answer is no. The last year has not been very spiritual for me as I've had very little alone time to reflect and be with my thoughts.

I guess it would be when i was suffering from depression and anxiety in early 2012. I had no job, no place to live and no direction. So i prayed to god to help me get one thing right. And i went back home, and i got a job soon after, saved money and found a house and new friends. It made me believe in a higher power guiding me, even though i still refuse to define what it is..... And it gave me faith in myself, my capacity for resilience...

I feel broken spiritually. I still believe in God and I would be unable to deny that fact, but I feel spiritually abandoned by people I thought were my friends. I see "so-called" Christians behaving anything but, and it makes me not want to be Christian anymore. I know other faiths have similar issues, but I feel so betrayed by those who are to have our best interests at heart. The fact that I haven't given up must mean something, but it is becoming harder to maintain my faith. If it weren't for my children, trying to instill in them my beliefs in God, I probably would give up.

To be honest one of my most spiritual experiences was on Erev Rosh Hashana. The message really struck me that taking care of myself and really looking inward is the first step to being able to help others.

I went to the Kotel for the first time and placed a note for my father who has been gone for 18 years. " Dad- I miss you and love you always, Teri " and as I finished writing it I realized that it hd been almost two decades since I had written a note to him. No birthday cards. No Father's Day cards. I think of him daily and miss him tremendously but this act of pen to paper made him not being here feel like an even larger void.... I wrote it on the back of my business card. I know he'd love that too!!

Yes and I have been more focused on strengthening and cultivating my spiritual being.

I feel like I have learned so much about the metaphysical aspect of illness. I see unresolved hurt I experienced as a child lives in my body, especially my "lower chakra areas" (And yes, I feel like a hippy saying all of this.) I feel like there is a LOT I need to release. I've also felt my mind has been expanded so much in so many arenas regarding spiritual matters, I've felt drawn to goddess imagery, energy work, and lots of inner healing. I no longer feel as beholden to the conservative Christianity I was raised on.

I haven't actually, which is unfortunate. I did realize that I need to access my creative outlet though.

Yes! Many! When I bike by myself in nature, I feel such as peace with myself and life in general. It has changed me for the better! I realize now that happiness lays in simplicity. I tend to overcomplicate things and if I can see joy on the simple things, these add up!

I have had many spiritual experiences in the last year, but the one that keeps coming back to me as I have pondered this question is that when I was 1800 miles from home, taking care of a sick family member, my sweet cousin suffered a seizure and his wife brought him to the same medical facility where I was staying with my sister. My aunt called and asked that I go down to the ER to check on my cousin and when I did I could see the pain and shame in my cousins eyes. He had relapsed from his recovery program and had been taking pain pills, which caused the seizure. I was able to comfort him and counsel him about getting back to his 12 step program and I was uniquely fitted to do that for him. Upon my return home, when I was sharing this experience with some friends, I was told that I might have THOUGHT I was there to help my sister, but God probably had me there to help my cousin. One more example to me that God is always working out in front of me, and I am always right where I need to be, both physically and mentally.

Sadly, i keep neglecting my spiritual life although i regularly talk with Gd and am always grateful for the many many blessings I do have.

There have been days where I have been able to achieve pure bliss and that is hard for me. I treasure those days and I am trying to have those days out number the onces where I feel toxic. I hope this happens more and more and I am trying to get back into nature, that seems to be where I feel those moments.

Sadly, no! I used to have many at my synagogue, but so much has changed and with no regard to people's feelings. I have started to look elsewhere for spiritual experience.

Last year I had been spending more time at synagogue. This year, it had been a while when Rosh Hashana came around. I found myself feeling so overwhelmed when I was in the service praying with everyone else I could hardly keep myself from crying.

My (brief) visit to Muir Woods is the closest things I have experienced to spiritual to date. The world is incredible. I am always amazed by the wildlife and plant life - all beyond my imagination.

the most spiritual moments of my life over the e\last year have been when we have family and friends around the table -- it is reminder of both the richness of who we have and the sadness of who is gone -- no longer there. thanksgiving. passover seder. rosh hashanah eve. and when i stand up to give the opening toast and say a few words -- or too many of them -- i take it all in and then some. last week as i spoke about the moment of looking back and looking forward -- and having both girls at the table -- i think was the most emotional and spiritual moment of the year. no one was getting on a plane to go back home. here was home. and both girls sleeping under our roof. i thought -- boy, diane and i have done well. we have two great friends and daughters in our girls. this is a house which is truly a home. and in thinking about the future -- this next year -- i remarked that all is infinite, all is possible. it is all pure potential. a new slate. a new beginning but one which is based on the past, on knowledge. on knowing and on living and on being loved and loving. that was a God moment. filled and rich. a great soil from which to grow the year. There are a limited number of these moments to come -- make the most of them, make them every day.

The closest thing I had to a spiritual experience this year was when Sam and I ate weed brownies and went to the space show at the Haden Planetarium. After losing my religion and belief in god, there was something missing for me. I was happier, but not fulfilled about my general existence. In the pre-show of the Space Show, Neill DeGrasse Tyson explained how we are literally made up of stardust. That had never occurred to me before- where the physical material that makes us up comes from. That was amazing to me. There are particles that originated in the big bang that now make me up as a being. The same exact particles exist in every other being too- man and animal. I just think that's beautiful. Of course, the first time I took molly I felt the need to tell every single person at the party about this, which is a bit embarrassing, but I think they were into it. Having that knowledge, watching the planetarium space show for the first time on edibles was amazing. I started looking at the stars more and the sky and appreciating my existence not only on earth, but in the Universe.

I went on a trip with a friend which made me see the beauty there is in the world. I had been feeling down for a month, unwilling to do anything at all, sleeping all day and locked in at home. This trip had been planned with four months of anticipation, so there was no way I could just regret and stay home. I remember being quite scared of leaving, of not being able to enjoy, of missing my family and my place. The moment the plane took off, I couldn't help crying. It was that very moment that I was able to let go of that awful feeling of oppression and uselessness. Not only did I enjoy the trip and had fun with my friend, but I also realised that life wouldn't come to look for me wherever I chose to hide. It is me who must always go out and see the world, and search for happiness somewhere out of my bed. I believe this trip made me understand and actually feel what to "seize the day" means.

Every time I hold S I am amazed at the wonder that is encompassed in this child and I am overwhelmed by my feelings of love and affection for this child, even though we share no blood relation. I feel blessed to be so close to her family and to be able to witness her growth and development over the past year.

Yes, No matter how Ii feel at any givern moment my Lord and Higher Power wants me to remember to "bloom where I am planted", "stay in the game", "be positive or be quiet", trust in God, believe that we will get out of debt, change will come, be thankful I am still gainfully employed, the place (job) for me to be will be revealed, and that we will someday be reaping extreme blessing and favor. Some days it is not so easy to believe all this, but I must hang in there, be patient, and trust. I wish all this would happen sooner than later, and that I know what the positive answers are.

Not so much. I have renewed my practice of mindfulness and meditation, but have not been as diligent as I should be in terms of regularly scheduling it. The only "spiritual" revelation I've had is more of a reinforcement of my atheism. It's kind of stealth atheism, as I don't shout it from the rooftops, but when I see friends and family "thanking God it wasn't worse" after a storm, or "let's pray for a miracle" when some is sick or injured, all I can think is that if there is a God like the one they believe in and pray to, He would not have let the bad stuff happen to begin with. Kids being killed with guns (and in other ways, usually by people who are supposed to love and care for them), the situation in Syria and throughout the Middle East, poverty and violence in our own cities here - WTF, God?

Watching my son grow and mature. He is only 3 but I am amazed everyday I see the world through his eyes.

Just growing in my faith, though I am getting better with prayer and quiet times, also times of worship where I can really feel God near me. Also good friendships, and being chosen as Godmother for a close friends unborn child has brought me closer to understanding spiritual things.

Does quitting my job, starting a new career and my wife becoming pregnant count? I thin the work we have done over the past year to rehab our home and garden has been very cleansing and rejuvenating in a closely spiritual way.

When he went in for his surgery, and he called me to tell me it was slightly delayed, and I thought he was calling me from beyond the grave -- for the very briefest moment -- the overwhelming need to go with him, was palpable throughout my body. At some point I need to realize I've had an amazing experience here on earth and it will be okay to move on to another experience. But I am not certain I will ever be ready during this adventure to leave without him. The depersonalization was to an extent, also a spiritual moment, mainly because I am not convinced I am nothing but chemicals that can be altered by more or fewer chemicals being introduced. Or even if I am, then for me to allow and control such metamorphasis of self is mine to determine. I will evolve, but such changes are mine to decide, invite, accept or counter. If there is an element of me that wishes to relinquish control, then I will be possessed. If there is an element of me that wishes to absorb the desires of others than I will adopt practices for that reason alone rather than deep research. If I am tired of a certain recurring fear, I will administer parts of this universe, parts of my greater being, in such a way as to remold that fear -- and others may see this as me taking medications. And still this is me, this is what I consider my conscious, my soul -- until I can again unite my soul as the entire universe while at the same time be as individual as one portion of infinity. Tea and no tea.

Nothing in particular but I feel that this whole year has been an interesting spiritual journey. I went to a Buddhist meditation center for the first time. I loved it, I thought it was interesting and I enjoyed the service. I also participated in a meditation challenge. The challenge was difficult but through it, I became vegetarian, which I feel was the right choice for me. I also started attending a church called Vox. It's a great community and I really enjoy being a part of it.

I don't think I have had any particularly spiritual experiences yet. I did go to Fiji and loved that everyone there just seemed happy and at peace with their life. They don't have much and have to work away from home for 10 days in row. I would not want to be away from my family or friends that long, but these people were just happy to be. I hope I can find peace like that someday.

I do long distance swimming and this last year I have become very aware of the beauty of motion and creation in general when gliding through the water. So, I now view this time as meditative as well as physical fitness.

The experience of watching my baby grow up... amazing, and endlessly fascinating.

Nothing particularly spiritual comes to mind, although I am always amazed by nature's magnificence. This year I felt very small when I was watching for meteors in a dark and clear sky by a lake. I guess that counts as spiritual!

No, not really. I find myself less spiritual as I get older and that worries me.

I have had many spiritual experiences this past year. Each experience builds on the next. The most significant for me would be my adventure to Tie Creek in the Whiteshell Provincial Park in Manitoba. I sounded my voice in this very sacred space, a space that is on the same energy grid as sacred sites to the south like the Mayan Ruins and to sacred sites in Europe and Asia. It is a powerful place. Sounding my voice here has connected me to all those other places and has opened me up in a way that is still evolving. I also received a blessing there and an experience that connected me to my inner light. It also gave me a strong sense of peace in the process of letting go of my father as he made his transition.

This whole summer has been a radical 180, moving from depression to feeling so alive that I don't even know how to handle it. Hosting couchsurfers for the first time has been hugely influential. Each stranger that has come into my life has impacted me in some way or another, and nearly all in beautiful ways. It's uncanny how some of these people came into my life exactly when I needed them. Sometimes it was unexpected conversation, or touch, or silly instruments and fun tricks, or just having someone to wander the city with, someone wanting to hear what I had to say, or seeing in someone's smile that they were as grateful for me as I was for them. I also did a lot of getting drunk and high and falling apart this summer, which was healthy and necessary but is hopefully done now. I said terrible things that I didn't even realize I was holding inside of me. My friend calmed me down and held me so tightly I had a bruise on my arm. I was too hysterical to hear her words so she squeezed them into me until I knew they were true and I stopped crying. I'm developing a clearer sense than ever before of who I am and who I'd like to continue to be.

This year I've started going to Shabbat services more regularly - not all the time but definitely more regularly than I had in the past. It has been really nice to have the weekly experience of just coming together with my community and having a routine to make my Saturdays a little more spiritual than normal.

This may be a stretch to call it spiritual, but when one of my close friends a work left her job, we picked up this practice of sharing the "one good thing" that happened to us each day over email. I'm so very grateful that we found a way to stay regularly connected to each other, and in such a wonderfully positive way. She isn't someone I'd like to lose touch with so this is a lovely, personal way to keep her in my life. And a good way for me to routinely reflect on the good things in my life.

Being with my daughter when she finds joy in just BEING - the sun, clouds, the moon, the ocean, learning how to run, throw a ball, etc etc. Put the screen down and LIVE YOUR LIFE. This is the only time you get. Right now.

There are two spiritual moments in the past year that stand out: First, at a dinner with my sister - something most people find easy, but for many reasons for us is quite difficult - I could feel an unmistakable, comforting warmth on my back. Akin to the feeling of sitting in a spot of sunlight. There was, however, no apparent reason for the sensation. I'd like to think it was my father, sending us a reminder of his love and support from heaven. The second came by proxy: My aunt visited a psychic who relayed a messaged from my father, who passed nearly five years ago. The psychic asked who the man with brain cancer had been. My aunt replied that it was my father, her brother in law. The psychic informed my aunt that he said to tell me, specifically, to "let go." I'm still uncertain of the meaning, but I know that it shook my world for a long time after. It is overwhelming and comforting to know that he is still here with us after his death.

During my church's annual retreat last February, 2 members of my church community passed away--one from cancer (unexpectedly) at age 63, the other from sudden cardiac arrest while waiting for the bus, at age 55. What I realized was that being with my spiritual community during that time of rather sudden loss was extremely consoling. This is why we gather and maintain ties, right? As an introvert and lover of solitude, I often forget how the support of others who are traveling a similar journey can be fill loss, or attempt to fill it, with meaning. I can do that alone sometimes, but during the big storms, other people are needed to make it slightly easier.

Right now, my Judaism is the cool breeze wrapping around me after sundown. A calendar based on the phases of the moon. Men's deep voices dripping with history. Women's strong voices rising from next to them. My Judaism is creating heaven here, not searching for it later. My Judaism is being giddy on a Friday afternoon because I am going home to clean. My Judaism is occasionally skipping services because I found another way of honoring the holiday. It is the carb coma after oneg. My Judaism is with me whether I sit at home, or am out. It is rational. It is alive. It is a journey. My Judaism allows me to say thank you for the color of the sunset, the smell of the air, the beauty of life without asking me to define who, or what or if I am talking to someone. I thought my Judaism was about talking to others, but I am learning it is about talking with myself.

There are so many moments where I feel a connection to the giant universe. When Shadow died, three times in three days did things happen that seemed a direct comfort toward me, as if he and the Universe wanted me to feel loved and cared for in the middle of one of the biggest losses I've experienced in my life.

I feel enlightened, excited, happy and proud every time I see Glasgow 2014 in the media following an amazing summer in London in 2012 working there. It just gets me giddy.

I haven't had any one specific spiritual experience but I have tried to work on my personal outlook on the world- trying to be a more positive person in general, but also a more positive role model for my children and their friends.

The most moving, spiritual experiences have been just the simple moments with my family. The spiritual experience has been to just be present. Catch a glance from my daughter, enjoy a moment with my son, do something new with my whole family....

I became aware that my spirituality is complex in ways I had not previously acknowledged. My belief system doesn't "match" or "fit" any organized religion that I know. This is a challenge as I feel that my spirituality is an important part of who I am. And I want to teach my daughter about connecting to her own spirituality.

Moving across country on my own was a spiritual exp for me. I'm learning to be strong for myself and be independent....rather than being a weak people pleasing doormat. It's hard to break the habit of 2 generations or more, but its starting to feel good.

No? Being in Israel was very interesting but I can not say I had any specific spiritual experience. I really enjoyed the Havdallah service for the graduating SJNM students. I really enjoyed the service at Beit Tshuvah. In a way the engagement party was a 'spiritual expereince'- gave me a good sense of what the wedding will be like but hopefully a little cooler and with more space :) Similarly, being proposed to was shocking and very surreal. Watching the sun rise over the grand canyon was really amazing. I should keep better track of these things... I know there have been a couple of times where I was praying or in a situation where my hair stood on end and I felt exceptionally calm or serene (which is a spiritual experience as far as I'm concerned) but I am sad that I can not specifically remember when these were. Many that is the point of a spiritual experience, you can't hold on to it for long. Oddly enough, being with my nephew is pretty spiritual- just watching him explore and play and interact is amazing and although he can be tough and annoyed 60% of the time, that 40% is really something special!

Last fall, while walking through my university's library, I felt guided to pick up and read a book called 'Spirit Junkie,' by Gabrielle Bernstein. In it, she lays out her own spiritual transformation via A Course in Miracles. I started working through ACIM myself, and feel that it has provided a kind of spiritual foundation for my life that I have always wanted and did not know how to get. I feel much happier, more secure, less fearful, more loved, more loving, more optimistic, and more functional that I have in 10 years (or more!). I am so grateful to have found this and hope this feeling lasts forever.

My most spiritually moving experiences in the past year involve God bringing the exactly right people into my life at the right time. When past friendships have stood for years and years, but suddenly seem to be crumbling, others have come into my life and have stood by my in ways that surprise me. I've found a very close connection with several that have lost children during the past year. Even though the loss of my son was nearly 9 years ago, I've connected with this group of Share parents and it has really reached beyond the friendships of the past. I'm so grateful for my dear friends.

You know, I actually visited a Shin Buddhist Temple. And if I had to choose a religion right now, they'd be in the running and contending for the lead. They have a meditation night that I can't attend regularly, but when I have gone, it has been a peace-inducing, healing experience. Good Stuff.

Mostly these come in dreams and even when I understand at the time, I often lose grasp of it during the day. The effect is still there though - it gives me the sense of something beyond myself and the knowledge of connection to those I love who have died.

As much as I want to believe in the Spiritual world, I find myself becoming jaded and disillusioned. I have been away from my spiritual college for almost a year now and have never been more lost than ever. They teach you in class that all you need to do is ask for guidance and you will find it. But I never do. I never find anything spiritual which can help me guide my life. This really upsets me because i know others who have found their way through their spirituality. I just wish I could get a sign that I am not alone, I have a purpose and I am on the right tract. But I never do.

Not sure how spiritual it is, but in some ways it has to do with deciding to become a coach. Being with all these different types of people in the classroom and recognizing where i am in my understanding of self. I feel very evolved and awake. Not in comparison - but very aware of what I have achieved and yet humbled to know I need to do more work on myself

Over this past year, the stresses in my daily life really led me to discover a new sense of faith. I asked just a few months ago 'What is faith and how can I get some?' and feel very lucky to say that I now have a much better (but still imperfect) understanding of what faith is and how it is present in my life.

My spiritual experiences came when I sat shiva and observed shloshim for my beloved husband, David, who tragically passed away. I was angry at God for ripping him away from me. I have been attending Torah study and Shabbat services regularly. I am focusing on getting closer to God to understand life and why things happen. It has been a more meaningful experience and a turning point in my life.

To start answering this question, I'd say I have found some sort of spirituality or strength of sorts since moving to California from Washington and being a strong, self sustaining woman. I have learned a lot about myself, my capabilities, my strength, the way I cope, the way I think, just everything. This past year has been a year full of such very valuable lessons. It's so good. I am glad I was strong to take a risk.

Going to Poland Springs Me over the 4th of July weekend is as close as I can get to a spiritual event this year. My mom with her 5 children, 12 out of 13 grandchildren and 4 great grandchildren. My dad must have been there looking down at the lives that he and my mom were responsible for. The weather was hot and the food mediocre. But it was all about family. That was an A+.

I visited Wanaka, New Zealand. Beautiful land, beautiful people. So very different from the commercial, LOUD culture of America.

Not really.

Being in the Galapagos islands was pretty profound, and reinforced how much strength I draw from experiencing nature. I found myself not only smiling broadly and genuinely for the first time in many months, I was nearly in tears with the beauty and incredible sense of privilege/grace I had in being able to be there.

Reading a lot. That's my passion. And some books helped me to find myself again, because I was losing my targets, so this made me reflect and gave me courage to keep going on living.

I was at that campground outside of Boston, in a beautiful campsite next to the lake. I had not planned this trip or expected it would be anything other than a family obligation/ordeal. I woke up early and went outside to use the toilet, then decided to walk around the lake rather than go back to bed. The sun was rising and it was so incredibly quiet. suddenly a white heron flew across the lake, just skimming over the water. The stillness, the white bird against the green trees and water, was so peaceful and unexpected that it filled me with awe. And to think that I'd never intended to even be there.

My dad just died, and while it's too soon to see what affect this will have on me and my life, I know it's a defining moment in my spirituality.

I realized just last night that I do have faith. I always considered myself to be a person without true faith. I'm definitely Jewish, but the question of God, what God does for ME personally, and so on has always been a little hairy for me. I'm science minded, logical and rational. I don't but any stock in things that I can't prove, or see evidence for. But.... it occurred to me last night that I do believe in an order of things. Sometimes things don't always turn out the way you WANT or the way you THINK they will, but they will always work out the way they were MEANT to. There's a reason things happen, a method to the madness. While I'm still "in the storm" it's hard to see the reason so I have to have faith that it will all work itself out, and once the dust settles the reason usually makes itself obvious. It hasn't failed me yet. I don't know if I've constructed this rationale just to help me deal better with conflict in my life, but regardless of if it's real or not, it WORKS. It's never failed me, and that is evidence enough for me to believe in it. Who knew faith and evidence could work so closely together. Who knew I was a person of faith.

I often experience spiritual moments. Whether it's standing in line at the grocery store, and talking with a homeless person "down on their luck," or sitting at home in my day-to-day routine with my PR work and kitty cat - I usually can summon up that "connection," a lot of people seek in attending seminars, ritual ceremonies, church services or the likes. My relationship with spirit has always been quite strong. I suppose that is where I get my confidence as well. So - to say that it affects me would be amiss. It enhances me. The ultimate "magic trick," of plugging this gift into the world - is for me - where the mystery lies. I am yet to find my "calling," if I even have one. I've always felt very strongly that I did - though I still don't quite know what that looks like. So...for now...it's in the small daily things that I can practice my "big" calling :)

I continue to do spiritual work. As with so much in my life, I am not as connected to it as I would like to be. It helps me in small ways, but I have not had a big Aha moment as of yet. Still waiting for that to hit me.

I think in this past year I have felt the power of the Psalms and I know the power still works.

Nothing spiritual, except, perhaps immersing in the springs. It reminds me I'm alive.

music (enough said)

Nothing specific. I find many small things spiritual, especially when it involves me spending time outside. Running in Central Park when it was only 20 degrees, going to the Rockaways with friends, it all makes me think how wonderful life is.

My daughter's birth was the most epic all around experience this year. At home, all natural, I used all my resources: breathwork, yoga, visualization, prayer. It was the ultimate integrated, earthly spiritual experience of my life.

I started meditation on a semi regular basis. Not sure about spiritual, but it feels good for my general mental well-being!

I'd been struggling about what to do about my career and my fears of making the wrong decision when I heard this quote (by Goethe) from a teacher of mine: "As soon as you trust yourself, you will know how to live." It was definitely one of those moments when I felt that the message was one I'd been needing to hear at that exact moment, that I was open to great spiritual truth for that moment in time.

I dunno.

I retired several weeks ago. I am now in a spiritual crisis of meaning...who am I? what am I worth? what do I do with everything that's in my head? Living in the now, moment to moment, and having that be my "value" is a big stretch for me. As I come to the end of my 7th decade, I am facing all of the spiritual questions that many "great" people have written about. It's very scary.

Over the last year, I have made a new friend of the Sikh faith (and I'm a Jesus follower). Often our conversations turn spiritual in nature and I love it! She is a dear, beautiful woman. I hope my friendship has blessed her as much as hers has me.

This past year I've been going through the closing stages of a metamorphosis, kind of like the moth-life-cycle: egg, grub, chrysalis, imago. I've got to the imago stage by now, after about 30 years of egg, 10 years of grub and 5 years of chrysalis, I think. So right now I'm still an imago that's wriggling out from the casing of its chrysalis, the crucible, as it were, wherein I completed my second egg-to-grub-like transformation and, although I already can feel that I have my wings, I'm still not quite out into the open where I could spread those wings. Was it the New Testament where it is written "unless a man be born again... he cannot attain the kingdom of heaven" perhaps that refers to the passing through of a chrysalis to imago stage? Many, many times over the course of the past 15 years I have experienced griefs so intense, robberies so devastating of nearly every meaningful thing I'd had in my life, even of my own physical integrity and identity, even of my capacity to cope with the most basic tasks of feeding and sheltering my own body, that those griefs felt severe enough to disorder my neurological system, temporarily dissociating my visual and proprioceptive representations, which were normally coordinated, so that I found I was viewing the world, including my body, from the perspective of my own eyes, my head, and causing my brain to generate hallucinations, perceptual distortions, triggered by my neural signalling's overwhelmed, chaotic state, that presented physical impressions to me as if I were feeling physical contact with a transcendent reality, as if I were directly encountering the divine. After I'd been robbed, on those occasions, it was as if I'd said, as the Kabbalist said to the hotdog vendor: "Make me one with everything" and, instead of being handed a loaded dog, I'd temporarily been stripped of any remaining vestiges of my illusion of individuality and separateness and transcended to a completely synaesthetic experience of my indistinguishableness from all there is, thrown into an ecstatic, out-of-body experience that was deploying the very same systems in my brain that my actual perceptions do. The raging, blazing, searing pain signals sped through my nervous system, as they went, activating all of my brain's areas and pathways with level 10 alarm, so that my activated auditory pathways caused me to hallucinate God's voice, the stimulation of my brain's fusiform face area, that I normally use to perceive and identify faces in my environment, caused me to hallucinate God's face and the activation of the areas and pathways for perceiving touch caused me to hallucinate that I was being held in the warm, vast embrace of the Universe itself. Although in the past year I have again had these experiences, I expect quite shortly to have freed myself from the straitjacket or chrysalis within which I effected my second transformation and, within 18 months, to have spread my wings and flown off into the "happily ever after" and most likely to leave such spiritual experiences behind for a very, very long time indeed.

My work with The Ford Institute has given me a lot in that area. Mostly the courage to trust there is something above and beyond, which is scary and comforting at the same time. Still implementing the resigning as the General Manager of the Universe

I don't get much time to be spiritual, working full time with a toddler. But I find the times when I am most peaceful, serene and inspired are when I am reading to my daughter before bed, watching her sleep or looking on in amazement as I watch her language develop daily. It is a miracle every day.

Visiting the 9/11 Memorial fountains was surprisingly spiritual. I was moved to tears after reading only a few of the names and finding the first one that had "and unborn child" at the end. Because we have started talking about starting our own family, those words helped me see the tragedy of that day in new light. I felt very connected to all of the people all over the world throughout history who have experienced deep loss and trauma. I try to keep focus on my blessings, but sometimes I get lost in the despair of life.

It might not be spiritual, but since I started a year to swim I have found an inner calm that you could call a spiritual experience – or as spiritual it can be without any spirit.

I tend to have spiritual experiences every once in a while, and while I can't necessarily place any right now, I tend to find them both in nature and in prayer. I often get lost on Shabbat if someone particularly spirited is leading a service, and I love it. I also love experiences with nature- going outside somewhere at night where the sounds just fill your senses and the night sky is filled with stars.

I can't think of a specific right now, except sometimes I feel like I connect with Tony, my grandpa who died. Sometimes I think I can sense him telling me something...correcting or affirming my actions.

Not one specific spiritual experience. I have been trying, though, to meditate on helping others, and often I have a particular person in mind, someone who is sick, for example, or who needs help. Sometimes, however, I try to sort of psychically scan the planet for someone who particularly needs soothing, a victim of domestic violence or an abused child, someone like that. Occasionally I feel as if I'm experiencing a brief profound connection with a specific person. Of course I can't know if the person exists, but it is comforting to feel as if there's something that I can do to make some small difference. Perhaps I only do it to alleviate some guilt, but I do believe it can help.

I can't pinpoint any specific experience, but I know there have been times when I've stopped to appreciate the beauty of nature--a striking combination of sky and clouds--and it made me happy to be alive.

I have for the first time in my life felt this weird urge to have a child. It makes me so nervous that I usually cry when I think about it. I always thought I'd be one of those people who never had any kids, but when you have nephews and a lot of your friends have kids it feels like we're doing something wrong in our marriage to not have any.

My last conversation with a dying friend. I felt that we could talk, and that I could support his need to think about finishing his life. He sought a sort of permission, not from me but from himself through talking to me, to let go - to give up the struggle. He was so peaceful and thoughtful. After a life of giving and caring, he needed to do what was right for him: close his eyes, stop struggling, and peacefully leave the living. It made me think about life as a journey that one can decide to end - but to yearn for it to be a peaceful ending with dignity.

Not really

Starting some different plants this past spring from seed was the first time I'd done so, and I felt like I got to witness something both vibrant with life force and dependent upon my care. It was a beautiful experience to help bring these plants to - literal - fruition!

I wish I had been more open to having spiritual experiences. I often feel like a robot.

I led Kabbalat Shabbat at Gabe and Shira's wedding. It was a moment in which I let all the different iterations of my spiritual worlds come together. Standing there, totally exposed, in that shaky room, with a storm a brewing outside, I felt like I was channeling my understanding of God into the room. And, the most spiritual part was my desire to do it again, and to learn how to be better at it.

Unfortunately no. Unless you count meeting my soul-city in NYC.

I wouldn't necessarily say that I experienced anything particularly spiritual this year, however, I was able to take a class on Christianity and Islam (two religions that I knew very little of). The class opened my eyes to both the beauty and ugliness of the two religions and I feel as though I have a better understanding of the core beliefs held by Christians and Muslims. I found that Islam is a truly beautiful religion at the heart of its foundation. To the future me: How did you like your "Religion as Resistance" theology class? I hope it sparked the same passion for knowledge as your previous theology class did.

I believe all things happen for a reason and this last year, I lost yet another meaningful friendship. I definitely took it hard and it made me really look inward at myself to the relationships that I form and why. In the end I realize that God has a plan for me and while I still don't know what he has planned for me or why I have this pattern in my life, I know deep down it is all for a reason.

Seeing the joy in all my mommy friends as they grow babies in their bellies and then meeting the babies and watching them grow. The joy in a happy baby's smile can brighten up my day just by thinking about it, and they're not even my children!

I would consider getting married a "spiritual" experience in as far as it was a life-changing event that brought together Tyler and I legally. I suppose the inclusion of a nod to my Mormon heritage and a Jewish officiant can wrap it into the spiritual realm as well. It took us nine years to get to that, due in large part to a lot of mistakes on my side. Being to the point where he was ready to publicly and legally commit to me for the rest of his life was a big milestone. It hasn't changed much, but it's changed everything, if that's possible. We don't have the kind of yelling matches we used to, we found a great system of splitting chores, and we are more affectionate.

I honestly have not had any "spiritual" experiences this year.

I meditate somewhat regularly. There have been some quite ordinary meditations and a few, extraordinary experiences when I feel I am communicating with higher worlds, compassionate and wise beings-- or maybe my own Christ-self. It's an experience I wish to know regularly-- but I try not to be attached to any particular outcome in mediation, which aims to teach us to let go of attachments.

I love the end of the island on Wrightsville beach. I loved being there early morning, mid day, evening, alone and with the boys. I realized how much I love the being at the beach, esp when it is warm. It's probably as close to a spiritual moment as I can think of.

I think that the most spiritual experience in the past year was being with Sam in Cincinnati at the Valley Temple with Dan Nichols singing. All parts of it were fabulous. The Friday night services, Saturday morning services and the evening concert. I feel very lucky to have the opportunities like this with him :)

Concerts both Jewish and secular. A renewed interest in poetry. Learning to forgive myself for health and wealth setbacks. Learning to forgive others.

eXTREME WRITER'S BLOCK - I LONG FOR MY mUSE...

I have loved taking my Bible and going for a bike ride to a secluded place to read and meditate and talk to God and listen for Him. It has centred my days and I really miss it when I can't do it or don't take the time to do it.

The James Turrell show at the Guggenheim . Laid on the floor with my daughter Hannah and just watched it happening above us. It was both calming and exhilarating at the same time.

Yes. My return to poetry. I hope I will always be able to say that. I think, in ways, it's saving me from myself.

Just that time I went to Blessed Sacrament to drop off an urn on the same day all those little kids got slaughtered in an elementary school, and a woman was there, praying, and told me about the tragedy, and asked if I was there to pray for them. I said, "Nope!" and when she went to go kneel at the side Mary altar, she said, "Well, I guess Nancy had to go to heaven to take care of all those little kids! I'll pray for her, too." Then she left. Then the priest came in, and I handed him the urn, "Why do you have tears in your eyes?" I told him about what the lady who had just left had said, and he said, "Let us kneel and pray." So I went to the side Mary altar, and clasped my hands, and looked up. And this ray of Seattle sunshine came in through the stained glass windows, and hit me in the back of the head. Then Nancy's family came in and saw, and they asked me if I was praying for Nancy, and I explained what the lady had said, blubbering the whole time. And they burst into tears and said how beautiful everything was and how it was okay that their wife, mom, grandma had gone to heaven to take care of all those little kids, since she was such a great mother.

I think there's a fine balance between spirit and commitment. Sometimes its the commitment that opens you up to the spiritual, and sometimes the spiritual leads you to commitment. For me, the spiritual experience of this year was a rediscovering of myself, what I'm committed to and who I am committed to.

I became a Eucharistic Minister this past year and have had the good fortune to be assigned to a nursing home to provide communion 2X month. I go to noon Mass, receive the Hosts, and then drive out to the nursing home. I have come to expect a group of about 10-12 residents who are the "regulars" . We run thru the beginning prayers, the Gospel readings, and the Our Father. We even have a woman who plays the organ and sings! About a week ago, one sweet woman, stopped me after the service and said "you are so kind to come, You inspire me!" I was so touched, it was the connection to her kindness that made MY day.... I am so enjoying this volunteer part of my day, hope it continues into the new year!

I have unfortunately quite distant from religion this year. It has been a shame, but I haven't really had the time - which is fairly inexcusable. I have spent many hours with the Group, and I have to ask that Gd understands that that has been my commitment to my religion and I hope he understands that. I have, I believe, still found myself praying a lot, and I guess that means I have not been too busy to have Gd in my life. The good news is I have found time for me, and time to clear my head and maybe that has been a good thing for me and understanding myself and my religion. I have returned to painting, which I put off after many years and it has been an amazing experience. I have returned almost a better, actually, definitely a better artist than I ever was. I love to lose myself in music and draw and paint, and its been a cathartic experience - taking my mind off my business, my social life and every thing else. Its perhaps the deepest religious experience I've allowed myself this year.

Oh have I ever! I converted to Judaism in April, a couple of weeks before Shavuot. This time last year, I was meeting with my rabbi approximately once every four to six weeks, and had not yet started my class. Once my class began, I was on quite a spiritual roller coaster as I explored and formed my new Jewish identity. If I want to nail it down to specific spiritual experiences, I would say going to the mikvah, which is probably a once-in-a-lifetime experience for me, and the Shavuot that closely followed it. The whole experience was just emotionally intense and overwhelming and impacted me to my very core. I feel more in love than ever with Judaism, bonded with my community, and more connected to God than ever.

I'm not particularly a "spiritual" guy, but the closest I came was at the (previously mentioned) "They Will Surf Again" event. I also go to a meeting in the morning, every Mon-Fri, which is supposed to make me more "spiritual." Others can judge the effectiveness of that.

I think teaching Hebrew school really helped me develop more spirituality. Making more friends of my religion and finding my true best friends who are two different religions than me really helped me develop.

I have come to realize that I am not the only person who felt unloved and unsupported by their parents. We all choose or even fall into different patterns to try and ease this pain. I have always sought approval in every relationship, large or small, important or casual. This has given away almost all of my power, frequently to undeserving people who do not and or cannot have my best interest in mind. Some are even delighted to have someone to kick. Knowing that I am not alone in this feeling can help me. If I remind myself daily that others have faced this and come through it, I can find the strength to overcome it.

My trip to Zion last fall was a very spiritual experience, even for this atheist. Backpacking teaches you what you take for granted, brings you back down to earth. It reminds you of who you really are at your core and what truly matters. Sharing that trip with my husband and staring off into the sunset over the west rim was one of the best moments of my life. I could have died at that moment and been happy. Now, whenever I need to find peace, I think back to that sunset.

This whole year has been a sort of slow progressive spiritual growing period. There wasn't any one particular "wow" incident, but I have been steadily increasing and sustaining my yoga practice throughout the year, and I know that it has been changing the way I am in relationship to my world.

I generally feel I am a spiritual person, but exploring the new state I moved to with my husband made me feel ever more connected. The gorgeous landscapes, the hikes...it made me feel rooted to my surroundings in a way I haven't felt since I stopped spending time in nature.

I had an incredible artistic experience this year. I was cast in a local theater company's production of Les Miserables, and it was easily the most fun I have ever had performing. It was my first mainstage show, and I was incredibly honored to be included in a group of such talented people. I feel like I have grown as an actor. It was definitely one of the most rewarding experiences of my life. I love performing and it means the world to me that so many of my friends and family came to see me.

Have had numerous "spiritual" experiences. Being called to the Torah at the Conference of American Rabbis convention was, surprisingly, a high spiritual moment. equally, or more of a spiritual moment was delivering the sermon to my colleagues and their spouses/partners at the annual convention of NAORRR as the ordination class of 1963 was honored.

This year has been HUGE for me, spiritually..and I have no idea the sequence because I have been bad at journaling...but I saw Iyanla VanZant on the Oprah show, talking about how you tell a story and that is what and who you are. Sounds so simple and easy, but to me it opened my eyes! I did not want to be the pitiful one, fighting all odds and losing....that is not the story I wanted to tell. and that simple idea opened many doors and I am still kind of walking forward and finding the story I want to tell. I do know it is a happy and hopeful tale and that I am a warrior, and I am going to fulfill the task I am here to perform (having said that, right now I don't really know what it is...but I am so UP for it and on the search...send me good thoughts?)

I am only just now beginning to embrace the concept of "spiritual" to apply to my experience of finding meaning through reflection, community, ritual, and religion. I feel like I am in the process of a transformation on this question, and what springs to mind is the afternoon I recently spent with a dear friend who is a Rabbi and who built with me a beautiful tashlich ritual that we conducted together and separate, at the Ocean. It involved talking about the meaning of tashlich and other ritual, writing and reflecting about those things that I wanted to cast off, because they were ways I had erred or were ways that no longer served me. I collected shells on the beach and wrote one word on each -- and then she and I traded turns speaking them aloud, sharing as much or as little as we wanted. We then tossed them into the ocean. Afterwards we did a small mikvah -- she explained that it could symbolize going from not ready to ready, which I felt was symbolic of what I needed to do in order to enter my new year with energy for transformation.

No. Sorry I'm just not spiritual. Don't believe there's a higher power.

Something big had to happen on top of a mountain in the Simien Mountain Range in northern Ethiopia. It was a soul-searching trip in the first place, but that 3-day trek was the most beautiful landscape I've ever seen. Open, epic, cascading canyons and escarpments, populated by small villages of impoverished Ethiopians. Standing at the apex of one vista, panting from the altitude, scorching under the hot sun, I realized I had to leave New York. I had to leave because there is so much more I want to do, to see, and I can't do it with a home base in such an expensive city, nor can I do it from a city. I need the space to reflect that a city does not allow. I need the trees and the water and air and the white noise of solitude. I came home from the trip and put in my notice.

The closest experiences I've had to spiritual this year are some of my experiences out in nature, in Canada especially but also at home looking at the waves from my balcony at Mom's or other times that I can't even remember, when I've just been really grateful for the beauty of the world I live in. I've been trying to be more grateful (found an amazing poem about gratitude and also started to write 3 things I'm grateful for in my journal each night this past month or so).

I have continued to participate in Makom Havurah, and this year have felt more a part of it. This summer I went to a silent meditation retreat at Garrison Institute run by Sharon Salzberg and Rachel Cowan. Since that workshop, I've been meditating many days - more than half the days, I'd say. I've been sitting on the glider on our balcony with a pillow behind my back, enjoying the breeze and meditating. The breeze always reminds me of my mother, who insisted on having the window of her hospital room open in January and February of 2000, when she was dying, because the breeze gave her reason to stay alive even though she couldn't eat, and the kidney dialysis was very exhausting.

I found Damien Jurado's music this year. It affects me on a level that music rarely ever does. I find myself wanting to copy the lyrics in longhand, something I haven't done since high school.

I love Mumbai. Its a great place to be and spend your life, where people from different professions, cultures and family background come. There is a different feel to this city - you're are always welcome here.

I had so many "spiritual" experiences this year while in Israel on Birthright. One that stands out was at the Western Wall. I did not have a particular physical or emotional reaction when touching the wall, as many on my group did, but it was the thought of how many people, jews and non-jews, had traveled the world to touch the same wall, the same stone... How all of the adults in my family, ancestors and relatives I have never even met, had touched that same wall. The thought was extremely moving and was heightened by seeing so many people being brought to tears by the sight or touch of this wall. Israel is definitely a place that brings people together and sparks stimulating thoughts and conversations which I experienced many times while traveling there.

I had a wonderful service on Limmud In The Woods that nobody turned up to. Just Hoff with his guitar, and me with my viola, sat in the woods and created beautiful music around psalms, prayers and the parsha. So magical and musical. I visited Carmel at her nursing home. She was such an instrumental figure in my upbringing. She is so small, confused, and helpless. It was terrifying. I could only pray for her.

I have definitely had some spiritual experiences, both religiously and secularly. Secular spiritual experiences really haven't been new to me though. I have been especially touched by certain moments this year concerning friends and family, especially post-breakup. One notable one was on a fairly chilly Sunday morning run, probably in February. It was a pretty gray morning, and I had my music in. As "Casimir Pulaski Day" reached its conclusion, with the French horn crescendo, things seemed to come together for me, and the clouds parted... it was a touching moment, for reasons I still don't entirely understand. But the ones I'll probably remember most sharply are my Masada and Shabbat experiences in Israel. The Kabbalat Shabbat service in Tsfat was truly unlike anything I've ever experienced. It gave me a sense of pride and joyousness in my culture and my surroundings that I'd really never felt before. To sing and dance with strangers in a strange language seemed uncomfortable, but when it all began to come together, it was possibly the most moving religious experience of my life, and certainly one of the most memorable.

I don't think that I have. Thinking back on that and realizing I didn't really have one, isn't making me as sad as I thought it would. Maybe this year I will have one.

I a year had gotten very angry with my mom about a man that was taking advantage of her. I told him that he was an alcohlic and a drug addict and that he was stealing from her. Instead of believing me, she told him what I had said, I heard him say to her that I was a spoiled bitch. I walked out, it was passover, and never spoke to her again. Then in February, while I was on the computer, I felt a pain in my chest, I called the advice nurse and she said to call 911, I called my son instead and he took me to the hospital. At the hospital they put me into a gurney and stuck an IV in my arm, my blood pressure was through the roof, they tested my heart. I called my brother a few days later and told him what happened....He said, "what day was that?" I told him again, and he said that it was the same day Mom went to the hospital, with a presumed heart attack. I called my mom. (Unfortunately, a year and a half later, I was proved right. The man was stealing from her)

Yes at my school we go on a Spiritual camp. it really enlightened me in Judaism and in Zionism. I feel that after that i have more respect and connection to G-D.

not any that stick to mind. But there have been moments of clarity, moments when I truly appreciated all that I have. I've recently taken up yoga and I hope it will help me connect with myself.

couple things come to mind - our visit to Israel in october 2012, and trip to South Africa in August 2013. both vacations were very emotional and full of new understandings of our own Judaism and what it's meant to be a Jew.

Hiking near a volcano in Central America this spring was transformative - it was the most beautiful, perfectly shaped volcano rising from a plain in a jungle, and the power and majesty of God's creation. Going back to a museum after many years and admiring the paintings of the great masters was a supremely moving experience. Finished read "The Road Less Traveled" and understood a great many things that didn't make sense before. Realized after many years of struggle that there are many ways to embrace my husband's religion and just as there are many ways to practice it, and since there is no Hindu "pope", there is no one who can really tell me that I'm not allowed to be Hindu.

Literally, from opening this window to typing my Dad just turned up to tell me his dog of 12 years died last night. I was about to make a very important call that could affect the rest of my life but I'm in no state now. I'm sorry about the dog of course but I just got the longest hug I've ever had off my Dad (still only seconds). I'm not sure what I'm crying about the most. I'm not sure how that answers this question but it's all I've got.

I am in need of a spiritual awakening, and hoping to find it via introspection and excellent uplifting discussions.

Since the age of 8 I have been brought up in a reform Jewish family, my mum is a Jewish convert who has recently decided to train as a Rabbi. Whilst I has always been willing to participate in the cultural side of being Jewish, the whole religious side had never particularly engaged me. But whilst at Limmud in the woods this year, I met some seriously wonderful people who changed my view on what it meant to be Jewish and also what it meant to me, it has now got me thinking of whether or not to actually formalise my Jewish identity.

I am not a religious person, or even a spiritual person, so "spiritual" as a concept is hard for me to wrap my mind around. As I see it, "spiritual" means "feeling connected with all things." Moments with my daughter are spiritual to me. When I look at her, I see parts that she inherited from me and parts she inherited from her father...and parts that are all her. He and I came together and created something greater than ourselves, and we have the privilege of guiding her and protecting her as she learns about this world. It is an awesome and humbling responsibility, and it has changed how I look at everything forever. No matter what I think of a person, when I look at them I see that they were once someone's baby. Some of them are someone's parent. Everyone around me has touched a part of this small miracle I'm living. I'd never seen life, or the human experience, in quite this light before. I'm explaining it badly, but this realization has transformed how I see my fellow humans.

I think the definition here is woolly. But every time I swim in the ponds on the Heath it feels akin to a spiritual experience - being immersed in nature and feeling completely alive is a blessing.

Watching my daughter having fun. When she laughs or happy she has pure, unadulterated joy. That reminds me that I have the capacity for that too, but I rarely practice it. There is always something else on my mind, even when I am happy and having a blast. But seeing her is so uplifting. (On the other side, when she is sad it seems to her that the whole world is dark and nothing will ever change it. Sometimes when I manage to make her laugh in ta mood I call it "rainbow" as she can be crying and laughing at the same time.)

This year honestly in itself counts as a "spritual experience" there is nothing more spiritual than the journey I embarked on at the beggining of last year to become Jewish. It has been an amazing experience each time I think I couldnt possibly fall more in love with Judaism I find a new thing to make me love it even more. This week especially though I heard the shofar blow for the first time and I cried. Maybe because I finally felt at home, or because in that moment everything Ive been working so hard for all made more sense than any previous moment. I sat surrounded by my adopted family and cried for joy at that sound and for some reason even the thought makes me cry again. My spirit is finally home.

Not particularly. Last year, Marci and I saw Sanford Bigger's The Cartographer's Conundrum at Mass MoCa http://www.massmoca.org/event_details.php?id=666 and it felt like a truly spiritual experience. And I find some kind of spirituality on my yoga mat regularly.

Much of my work has been spiritually powerful. Rosh HAshanah this year really touched me.

I've been going through a period of doubt in Jesus - that He is the Messiah. That's tough because that's the foundation of everything I believe! I think I've come to a point that I believe it with my head, but my heart isn't following exactly. I want to know Jesus and I think encountering Him will reassure me. Right now I'm just desperate - trying to depend on God like I'm grasping for a tree root as I'm sliding off the edge of a cliff.

I went to the wedding of my friends in Dubrovnik. The ceremony was in a beautiful open-air palace, and you could feel the love and joy filling the room. It was a great moment, where I felt connected to everyone there and even those who weren't.

I have definitely branched out musically and artistically and have experienced so many eye-opening things. I can't wait to experience even more.

Last year when Robert died, that was a very difficult spiritual time for me. Robert was such a dear friend to me, and he was so young and smart and funny and loving. And I couldn't understand why he had to die, in his sleep, at 27. 27! So young and with so much potential. He'd faced so much sadness and hardship in his life already; I think he deserved happiness. He deserved to see what he could achieve. I'm really upset about that. What was g-d thinking to take someone like Robert but leave all the terrible people of the world? Robert believed in Buddhism and reincarnation, so I know that he will exist again. But what if I don't know him? Or what if he's so different? I miss him very much.

My husband and I are in an interfaith marriage, and we are raising our children as Jewish (although they get to "celebrate" the Christian holidays). We were at Easter services this year, and I was struck by how warm and welcoming everyone was. I remember taking my daughter to the crying room, and we ran into the Preschool Director. She was so sweet and kind. My daughter stuck her finger up her nose, and the other woman said, with all sincerity, "Well, honey, that is EXACTLY what God intended for you to be able to do with that little finger! He made it just the right size for your nose." I hadn't gotten that kind of reception or warmth in the synagogues we've attended, and I felt as though I was depriving my daughter of a spiritual and social home where she could be welcomed and loved. So I'm at a spiritual crossroads, and this dissonance is difficult to deal with.

This past year was my first year of married life, and I participated in two fasts (vrats) that are important in my husband's family. I'm normally a bit skeptical about stuff like that, but I found it to be a cool way to remember and be thankful for all our blessings in life.

Feeling such a profound sense of connectedness in my loving relationship with my partner--the wise and good ways we rise to meet the challenges before us together.

Seven years ago I spent a lot of time with a friend and colleague during the year in which he died from ALS. In April this year I talked about that for a small group at my church. The original experience was my most personal encounter with death. The experience and talking about it helped me to formulate more clearly what I think about life and death. For the first three weeks of June, I was with my mother as she died. That was an even closer and more personal encounter with death. I think that my mother's being at peace with the experience contributed much more to my own peace than whatever I thought or understood. Like my friend, and completely not like my mother, I mostly think that death is final; that it's everything that comes before that can be of enduring value. I love and admire many things about their two lives; they offer lots to aspire to!

Again, the birth of my first grandchild. Supporting my own child as she became a mother, during and after childbirth. Seeing what a good mother she is and feeling good about being a role model for her mothering behavior. Bonding with her even more and, this time, it is her who is ASKING me for my advice. It "warms my heart" to see her so lovingly take care of her child and get sheer delight out of it. I wish that I had been a more relaxed mother and feel more of the joys. I wish I could have let my house go more and my 'to do' list lag. She is great at doing that. I am very proud of her and enjoy seeing Eli's steps in development. I delight when he smiles at me and hope he gets to know me well and feel close to me. I will make every effort to make that happen but it is more difficult because she is a plane ride away. Another spiritual part of this experience was seeing my 90 year old father at the b'ris and he could witness a great grandchild. We were both sad that my mother was not alive to see this as she would have just loved it so completely and thoroughly.

An animal communicator relayed a message from Lucy, that I am capable of a deeper connection, I just need to 'expand'. I've been thinking about 'expansion' more and been thinking about Tarot and spirit guides more often. In Beijing - some of the temples contained amazing energy that reverberated in an incredible way. While that didn't change me, the moment was beautiful. I'm learning to encompass my space within the new condo (I hosted Thanksgiving, N&E a couple times, mom and Cait, a handful of game nights, pumpkin carving, and had a wonderful birthday party). Enjoying the moment in those situations is always spiritual for me.

I have witnessed God's love in so many ways and deep within my heart. It is liberating to open your mind, heart, and soul to His control.

Nothing. I'm somehow completely untouched by spirituality.

Yes, daily. I have a living, breathing relationship with Jesus. The effects are peace, love, healing, restoration and purpose.

Being at Kol Ami and blowing the shofar at the children's service filled my heart in a wonderful way. Specifically, I prayed before beginning and asked that I do a good job so I wouldn't disappoint the children or the student rabbi. Well, the shofar blasts sounded really good. And the tekiah gadol lasted a really long time. I still believe I could have gone a little longer, but I wanted to end on a strong note. I could hear the kids taking additional breaths to keep up with me. It was fun and exceedingly fulfilling. The experience made me feel closer to God; as if He was blowing the shofar through me.

A close acquaintance died of Pancreatic Cancer. We had tried to do business together for years, finally making it happen just months before he died. A few weeks before he died we were working together and he was hopeful for a new Clinical Trial treatment he was taking. Said he felt great. A couple weeks later he was given a less than year prognosis and dies in a couple weeks. Live as much as possible for today with the understanding that tomorrow is not guaranteed, even to the nicest an d "healthiest" people.

This past year in April, I defended my Ph.D thesis. I was quite pleased that I had many supporting faces in the audience including my Dad, step-mom, husband, in-laws and several close friends (including my personal trainer). The main result of the days, weeks, months, and years leading up to my defense was that I truly began to feel like a leader in my sub-field. I believe that nobody knows more about my specific topic than I do.

You know, this has been a year of learning how to best listen to God. and i think that's the biggest thing, brought down to lots of small instances. Like praying about the crap with Kara, and it being resolved.

I've recently been reflecting a lot on the queer community I'm involved in: queer culture, queer genders, the way we interact with one another. And there's a ferocity to it, an honesty and an authenticity and a fearlessness to it that feels downright holy to me. How can something this deep and true NOT be holy? The more I reflect on it, the Bigger and Truer it feels.

I've been trying to get to grips with my life and the realization that I need to actually do things. The spiritual aspect of this is in the idea that I don't really have a vision to connect my life with; that there's somehow this void that I need to find a way to fill so that I can actually move on.

The most "spiritual" I got this year was probably my experiments with meditation and nature. Especially while I was studying abroad, I made it a habit to take long walks by myself around the lake. I would find a place to sit and watch the water, listen to relaxing music, and think about my life. This was a really calming, centering activity for me. It was about sort of learning to be alone with my thoughts, to be quiet and just let whatever wants to come to the surface, come to the surface. It ignited in me an interest in meditation and mindfulness, which I am pursuing through a class this October.

I have been getting into a closer relationship to the divine. I started praying almost every day - the Amidah in particular. It has shifted my world profoundly. Saying the Amidah everyday is a deep spiritual practice of letting go and surrendering to something larger than yourself. Realizing that it is not all about me. When I start my day with it, I am calmer and there is a rootedness. I stopped at one point recently and noticed a black cloud that began to descend on my thoughts. I was cranky and lashed out more often. Then I 'returned' and it was like a miracle. I understand Teshuvah on a whole new level.

I have finally embraced my atheism. In the past, I would mumble that I was agnostic, or that I believed in something but hadn't solidified what it was. But the truth is, I have beliefs, but they are based in science and observable facts, not on some spiritual realm. I finally feel at peace with myself for making the choice to go whole hog. If it's okay for Christians, Muslims, Jewish people, etc. to believe what they believe, than it's okay for me to believe what I believe, too.

My entire YEAR has been spiritual. I had a direct encounter with God while on retreat at a convent and it changed my entire trajectory. I attend mass daily and I look for spiritual lessons in everything that happens to me.

My sister's husband died of cancer this past year and it made me rethink a lot of things in my life including how precious time is. We are only human though, and programmed to forget the bad, and move onward. Still, it's a wake up call to remember how fortunate one is and to appreciate our days here on earth.

I am always touched by the spiritual journeys of others. Their stories inspire me to document my own "aha moments" and work more routinely on my own sporadic writings.

I live a spiritual life at which meditation is the core. I know we all want the same thing, unconditional love. We are always building some mythology to one thing or another, when clearly it is all found inside. Whatever I do, including managing social media, is spiritual. I am conscious of how, why and when I do things. Then I get out of my own way and remember if what I am doing is from the heart...then that is all there is.

Yes many! Spiritual cleansing in the Essex waters (a hottub in Berkekey), meeting the Swirlians crew (dancers who work with contact improv and shine their lights brightly), and getting in touch with the Wilderness Torah community! Had a profound healing experience at Passover in the Desert. Grateful to find a community of folks that believe in nature-based spirituality.

Honestly no. It has been a very secular year. All of my religious experiences have been during moments of deep hardship, and this year as been relatively soft in comparison.

Understood that there is no God out there and the whole concept of creation.

It's funny--in a year full of religious experiences (yeshiva, monastery, endless temples, drugs, nature), the two things that most directly transformed me were... books. Granted, these other experiences played huge parts in the overall arc (one thing led to another, which laid the groundwork for the third, etc). But it was two, one in the beginning, and one in the end, which turned me into a different person. The first: Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance. My first introduction into experiential thought. It primed me for what else was coming. The second: Sex, Ecology, Spirituality. This book really changed my life. All of my inner thoughts and hopes, things that I had seen in the world but didn't fully understand, were explained with immense clarity and wisdom. Astounding. Those books changed my view towards reality and helped me understand my place in the world. Fantastic.

This year I was the lead in a play, and the pre-performance jitters were enormous. I was the second person on stage, and had to wait backstage on a staircase during the first actor's monologue. As I was waiting, and struggling with fear, I began to pray to God, and turned it over to Him. I prayed, "Dear God, please be with me during this performance, and help me to remember my lines!" I also asked St. Michael to intercede, "Oh St. Michael, help me to defeat my fear..." A sense of calm came over me, and I owned the stage when I walked onto it.

Ah, I guess realizing how badly I actually do want to go into filmmaking and me finally be able to embrace that dream I always shot down before it even had a chance to manifest. After taking my screenwriting class last year, which was honestly my favorite class I've taken at DePaul so far, I finally realized that film was exactly what I wanted and I would do whatever to get to it. I still haven't exactly narrowed down what I want to do but I'm really attracted to documentaries and being able to send a message, though cinematography seems so interesting too but we'll see. It's just so liberating accepting that.

Beginning on the yoga path, and through physical, hard work, becoming aware of the interlocking nature of body, mind and spirit. It takes a LOT of patience.

The whole trip I took this year and past years to finally become end be more myself. The whole process took place some time ago, but finally this year I could feel the impact of my journey to myself. It find this extremely spiritual, when I experience happiness and love. It has been a long time ago.

T_T i've been pretty detached.

Yes! Giving thanks that the spirit of G-d is constant and unchanging. He shows his living kindness to me day by day...in just the right moment to lift me up when things look bleak...to give me courage...to fan the flame of my faith (confident, expectant, hope in G-d). He sustains me and is the stabilizing force in my life.

Very few spiritual experiences in the past year. My journal is usually my spiritual escape and I have written almost nothing this past year except that which has been required for work.

I still continue to want to put language to my spirituality- namely that Judaism is my portal but isn't my spiritual universe. I have been working tapping into the energies of the universe and their messages, including thinking about my shadow side so I can be aware of it. I have become more aware of it- and am trying to work with my shadows. Seeing Maia develop over the past year, going from crawling, pushing her self up, walking and beginning to talk is amazing. That is spiritual itself. Also as painful things have come up within my relationship with Alan, I have been forced to look at myself and become more accepting of him. Marriage and parenthood is a spiritual path and I hope to remain open and aware so that I can be a mother and wife who loves, is patient and compassionate.

For the first time in my life I went through a fast day and fasted for a reason other than "because my dad wanted me to" was a really spiritual experience for me. I was fasting originally because my girlfriend, who is converting was fasting and I was being supportive, but the actual act of sitting there, being hungry made me think about why I was fasting and what I was doing with my connection to Judaism. I'm still working out what that is, but as I sat there, I thought about my faith and my community and it was a very spiritual moment.

Whenever I write in my gratitude journal I am rewarded with what I am grateful for. I receive new business, new opportunities, better relationships. My relationship with the universe is confirmed every time I make an entry.

My fiancee always says a blessing of gratitude before meals, and now I do that with her so that makes every meal spiritual. My whole relationship with her is spritual. I notice that I always have a choice of staying in the moment with her or tuning out. Staying in the moment makes my whole life more spiritual.

This year on Rosh Hashanah I decided I wanted to rejoin our Temple, after five years of not being affiliated, even if my husband, Joel still did not want to. In a way it was an effort to reclaim the "spiritual" part of my life and my nature. It was always a place where I had time for reflection. A sense peace often filled me during a service. It gave me a sense of belonging to a community, a place where a large part of my identity was understood and shared. It was part of my childhood and adolescence that brought so many positive things into my life. After a wonderful conversation with my husband we are now members of the same Temple we belonged to for many years. I know it will add new meaning to our lives.

Yes, many...most of them focused around the incredible synchronicity I have felt with someone whom I love more deeply than I can describe, but I have never told him. Every time he said something, it was directly related to something I've just been thinking, surprisingly, specifically so. Toward the end of his time here, I was mostly just silent. Anything I could say was not enough or too shallow. He has moved and I miss him deeply, think about him daily, but cannot contact him. Yet I feel connected...in a painful sort of way. It is still better than not having the memory of him. Because I couldn't express my love any other way, he inspired more creative acts of music, art and speech than I have made in many years. I loved doing that...each one was a spiritual experience. They have made me realize I need to do more of the same...and so I need similar inspiration. I am seeking.

I am happy all the time. I can reach out and touch everything at any time. I do not have major events, just a slow crawl, or drift, toward enlightenment. I have started knitting. I give away almost everything I make. It makes me feel good to do the knitting itself - very Zen, very in the moment - and when I give away what I make I am sending love out into the world.

A trip to Chile, traveling through the Ocean, the Desert, the Mountains and Glaciars, meeting with people from those various regions and cultures

Ever since we were sealed, things have picked up for us so much. Toby was able to get into Early Intervention. I got accepted to BYU. We survived last Christmas thanks to a beautiful lady who walked up to us in Walmart and handed me a $100 bill. I couldn't believe a stranger would do that for us. I did great during my first (scary) semester at BYU. We were able to buy a home. Blessings have been pouring out from heaven. It has been beautiful and I hope that I can keep the faith when things inevitably get rough again.

Spiritual...hmmm. Still finding Buddhism the most sensible way to think about life on earth and the future, but it's not an intensely spiritual practice. Living with kindness, compassion, and non-violence seems like a goal. Natural beauty and great art are spiritual practices for me, and I need to do more of that---a trip to the Grand Canyon is high on the bucket list.

thinking how I couldn't bear my commute during the T-day through xmas holidays & being rear-ended in car crash. Thinking was somehow divine intervention - got what I asked for but not the way I'd ever would have wanted. Luckily no broken bones but did lose work time. Makes me realize when I think hard about what I want I also need to think about the consequences and method in how I'd like it to occur. My wish was answered but not in the way I'd hoped. Of course I actually didn't have a 'way' I just asked not to work then, and I didn't. Wow is the power of ....Hashem.

Yes. Connecting to nature, travelling alone by motorbike in New Zealand. I'd call that spiritual. Most days on the road I felt so absolutely, totally in love. I was in love with every second of what I was doing, in love with all of my surroundings, in love with life for the sheer joy of getting to experience the total overload of my senses. I was present, I was on a mission, I was discovering, I was in awe, and I was open. Sometimes the landscapes that rose up over hills or around cliffs were so stunning I'd melt at the sight of them. I'd empty of everything I ever was and fill up with pure awe. And nothing else mattered but the adventure I was on and what it was doing to me. It showed me that I can't possibly go on living without some of this awe for nature in my life on a regular basis. And it also rooted me in the present, and affirmed my dreams and confidence.

I think all of the pain and tumult that have arisen out of my "transition year" has spurred my spiritual growth-- the devastation and disappointment of this year has encouraged me to seek affirmation within myself and also to allow myself to spend some time engaging with darkness. Reckoning with pain and darkness ultimately helps me feel more connected to the universe and all its inhabitants, and also makes moments of joy even sweeter.

I actually started praying to God again this year. I feel like it is more of a meditative thing than any kind of actual religious experience. Reflecting on all that I have, and all of the non-material things that I want for my family and I has been a very calming and affirming moment for me every day.

I have realized that as a matriarch, my mother expects that whatever she can tolerate is fine for everyone else around her as well. I have only recently found my voice and been able to articulate my opinion and have her respect it, instead of immediately trying to squash it and pressure me to conform to hers.

Hmmmm - nothing really stands out. There are certainly landscapes or seeing the baby dolphin or breathtaking performances of music (Mozart's Requiem comes to mind)

This year, my atheistic phase turned into agnosticism which turned into reluctant faith which, two weeks ago, culminated in my labeling myself (Jewish) "Modern- Orthodox", despite my not yet reaching the level of observance practiced by some members of the Israeli Modern- Orthodox community. It's been a confusing year, and I'm still undergoing a spiritually turbulent phase which I hope will resolve itself during the coming year, or perhaps during the year after in Mechina (pre- army prep year).

I became comfortable with energy massage and particulary stomach work. I hold a lot of tension in my stomach and being open to release those deep held emotions was a huge change for me. It opened my eyes to a whole new way of healing and way of managing my stress. Dennis, through stomach massage, really helped me determine how and when I need to speak my mind on a subject. Also that it is very okay to cry, be mad, frustrated and angry. The angry part was the hardest. I'm not completely comfortable with it but I am getting there. It is okay to be angry.

I went to a group meditation session, and I found the power in meditation and how myself, alone, with my mind under my control, can calm me and bring clarity to my life. I've also rediscovered yoga as a pasttime, and I always find that it spiritual to be so connected with my body. I think it's amazing that certain poses and movements can conjure emotion and release tensions that are so deep.

Still a Lokian.

Being in an assisted living facility, I have had many encounters with people who are in poor health, and many who have died. On the one hand, I have started a prayer chain, which has brought me closer to God. On the other, I have begun questioning the idea of "heaven". Because of my health problems. I am trying to be at peace with the idea of dying.

No. Sadly no. It's been a mundane year in many ways. I've lost my habit of meditation. I am letting my passions take expression and feel myself being bound by them and under their control. This is something I wish I could change.

I'm not really sure that I've had any spiritual experiences, but I've had some really special ones. Chaperoning the robotics trip to St. Louis, spending quality time with my friends, and graduating with my master's degree all felt significant and special as I experienced them at the time.

To enter in to a new city, a new Jewish community and be welcomed with open arms in spite of the fact that I am only part way through conversion has been uplifting. I witnessed the B’nai Mitzvah of 15 women at my temple and knew that I had traveled to the right place – the right city, the right time, the right temple, the right community. All of those things made me delve deeper into my own spirituality. To feel swaddled in the comfort and assuredness of my own spirituality and to have found a partner who supports me in those endeavors has emboldened me further.

I've been participating in a group called "Hello Mornings" which incorporates daily bible readings, meditation, sharing insights & prayer. This has helped to ground me somewhat and while I'm not doing very well with the overall premise of getting up early every day to have quiet time with God, I am finding that I'm more mindful in my daily life of what God wants me to learn and how my actions and choices impact others.

I find that floating in a floatation deprivation tank provides the ultimate space and environment to have spiritual aha moments....it is quiet and you are weightless and your heartbeat and breathing are connected. Much like being in the womb. Theta state of bliss...

The image I formulated after college still makes sense to me, of God and spiritual sustenance like an underground stream that parallels the path I'm on. I can hear the roar of the water if I put my ear to the ground, even if I can't see or smell or sip it. I have full confidence that it will come bubbling up or bursting forth, somewhere further along the way. I am very trustful of the journey. I know (how and why do I know?) that God is there and that my prayer and ritual lives will reflect that differently in the future. Honestly, right now my most spiritual moments come from PEOPLE. Overwhelming or even silly moments of connection with Miri, Kiersten, Jessie, Sara, Marissa. Bumming around Madison in the sticky hot summer with Louie and Becky, showing nothing but considerate love for one another. Getting a galvanizing text message or call from Mom that makes me feel fully understood and loved. Falling in love with David, and feeling his love in return.

YES!! In fact, it was a stated intention for me to use 2013 to explore spirituality and it has been a beautiful journey! Kirtan, yoga, meditation, tantra, kundalini. Beauty awe and at times a terrifying rewriting of how I see truth!

Let us raise our hands for Jesus. I am still the same as I was last year.

Traveling on my own through BC seeing the beauty and beginning to Meditate has made me more aware and ready to move on to a better physical, mental and emotional path.

Writing things down, speaking them out. It's helped me manifest my wants and needs. It surprises me everytime.

Unfortunately I can't think of a "spiritual" experience, but this year I've heard music several times in settings which were intense, emotional and involving and realised just how important to me music is. Result? I've started playing again after not doing so for several years.

During my mother's health crisis and death, I went to a few yoga classes, not many, but decided in those moments to really feel grateful for what I have-a body that mostly does what I need it to, physical independence. I take it for granted, but when around someone who doesn't have that, I was reminded that the effect on ones life is significant.

I was painting in a summer class, and on that day I'd already cried in front of my professor because of personal things going on, and I sat down in front of the board on the floor that is larger than my bed in the dorms and just lost myself in the painting; I didn't realize what colors I used until I stepped back to see that something had taken over and turned the surface into a sea of colors that were so melancholy yet calm.

I keep getting drawn to yoga. Coincidentally, I just began a relationship with a woman well-versed in ayurvedic living and sivananda yoga. Seems fortuitous, so I'm going to roll with it.

I have come to realize the value of love in both my personal and professional life. By letting myself feel it and accept it, I have been reborn.

Saying goodbye to my dad was such a hard thing to do but he was ready to go. At the end, he was so uncomfortable and really suffering. I think we did all we could for him at the end. When I got the call from Peter to tell me that he had died, I was still very shocked and desperately sad.

the feeling that I am exactly where I am ought to be, when I am with my youngest child on the loveliest playground in town.

As we were interring my mom's ashes, I saw her standing behind my father. She's moved within me, into my heart. And I am both glad and grateful. We struggled with each other in life; it's good to feel her strength within me now that she is no longer living.

My mom died six years ago this August. It has been beyond hard. She was such a light in the world, such a force of goodness and love. Her loss is still something I'm struggling to navigate. However, I see signs from her, things that remind me of her in the beauty in the world. A family of Cardinals in my back yard peeping in the window. My youngest son singing for the first time. A really great show or joke or book or song or even pair of shoes that I'd love to share with her, now most days, I smile, knowing that not only would my mom love them too, but she is part of them, part of the Universe, and all that is lovely and kind. In that way, she's always with me.

I have been grateful for the calm and the community of Shabbat. An opportunity to re-balance life.

I've started to learn some mindful meditation which has not previously been part of my life. So I would say over all, all of my experiences are been more spiritual this year. I'm feeling more in control of who I am, more empowered and hopeful of a happier future.

When I woke up from my suicide attempt I felt that it was Gods will. I have never felt that way and I dont know if I still do but it was certainly a new experience.

Somehow living--truly living-- in NY has been something of a spiritual experience. I just walk out of my apartment some days and I know it's going to be a great day. I feel like I can do anything here! Or nothing! Whatever! I don't feel small, I just feel part of something big.

I became involved with Musicians for Le Bonheur and that has become literally life changing for me. I'm now a partner with Angry Nerd Music and am back in school to get my second degree, so that's awesome and exciting!!!

I got to see a play that I wrote be produced. It's a pretty amazing experience. I definitely learned a lot, but I think the biggest revelation was: I have the ability to write a play that I would want to see. I liked the end result. And I got a lot of positive feedback. And it was a completely exhilarating, exhausting, overwhelming process.

Not particularly actually. Just trying to get through everything, although I've been taking a very real-life approach to all of that.

I've had the spiritual journey of becoming a teacher and accepting the cruel reality that opposses everything I expected before actually teaching. It's been a long and excruciating process this of understanding how reality is and works and I'm still adapting myself to it. It's hard to realize many of the things you dreamt doing are not that possible and sensical. I'm still on the process of feeling like a proper teacher, and there's an even longer way before I can consider myself an outstanding professional. It's been quite spiritual too having this dichotomic relationship with my students. It's really one of love and hate.

Camp Cross, as always. Twice! Alumni weekend and senior high, the latter of which my husband came along for. I also attended an amazing wedding right after the week at camp ended. It was an epic, exhausting, extremely spiritual, wonderful 24-hour period. I was sad we had to leave camp early to catch a flight to attend the wedding, but it was the right decision. The wedding was for two men, and the cathedral was packed to the brim! Glorious liturgy, perfect music, and the most amazing courtyard receptions ever. We were so supported by everybody logistically and emotionally along each step of our journey from camp to wedding to home.

Yes. I read a book called "The Man who Planted Trees" by David Milard, who is a northern Michigan tree farmer who set out to preserve the genetic heritage of the champion trees, primarily in America, but he does talk about trees elsewhere. It is an inspiring story about a man's determined course to keep on in his cause, a story about some amazing trees and their fates, and a story about science and what it can contribute if we all learn about some of that science and what difference trees make in our world, both practically and spiritually speaking. I think anyone who reads this book has a good chance of being permanently changed by it.

Moving for me was a very spiritual experience. I did a lot of it by myself, carrying all the heavy items up the stairs and transporting everything. I feel that it was an experience I couldn't do alone, and every bit of sweat was a drop of thanks for getting me out of such dark times and getting me started all over again. As I put away the clothes and heard the music, it was such a blessing to have a second chance.

The training at the Greater Good Science Center was the closest thing to spiritual that I've come this year with regard. I would like to continue to explore the ideas I learned there.

It may seem petty in relation to the agonies of this poor world, but helping my precious golden retriever end his life with joy--bucket list of swimming and hiking and eating --has brought me much peace. I feel so connected to this special creature. I hope I find the dignity and bravery he has shown.

I suppose my one "spiritual" experience was meeting Tyler. I finally met someone that had a similar background and a similar longing to be out in the world. Someone I could finally talk to in person about just about everything and someone who I was able to deeply discuss controversial topics with. I think along the way I started to fall in love, but losing him to 7000 miles away and iffy internet has allowed me to treasure the time we had together.

Meditating and running (almost) daily has made a big difference for me. I feel a lot better with that grounding every morning. I also have noticed a lot of spiritual growth after joining the Unity church and starting to read A Course in Miracles. Now to stay more centered at work despite all the chaos - that's a good goal for next year (and the rest of my life!). :)

Uh, yeah. My whole being seems to be shifting in this regard. Today Alison asked me about my faith and I realized that I have intentionally chosen love. I don't always get it right, but it is my choice and by choosing it more each day I feel freed from the desire to judge or to limit the possibilities of this world. I find myself buzzing with this... cranial sacral work has been a bit part, as well as meditation of all kinds. It is subtly shifting me into kinder, more generous person who has priorities that she believes in. Not surprisingly the first one is LOVE. I feel more alive and more exciting about what will come next. I am certainly still working on this and will be curious to see where I make it in a year. I am wondering about this whole Kundalini thing and if I should explore, or if I've reached a place that chilling is a good idea. I don't want to abuse the power or take on more than I am ready for... at the same time, I also want to have no fear about what god/allah/the universe/my goddess/etc might have in store. It's all play. And love. And then we die. But we don't even know what that means. So really, why bother with the bad stuff. But don't forget that the good stuff rarely comes easy!

I feel as if I have had to relinquish the idea that I can control my own life and proceed with a sort of blind faith that if I do what I love, I will be okay..

It feels to me that a couple of my more 'spiritual' friends have been sending 'personal growth' activities my way. This in itself is not miraculous - it is that their timing is so perfect! The activities are slowly awakening me...I am looking forward to the continued journey....

-Cross country skiing with Ben in the silent, snowy, winter wonderland in Northern Michigan. Being out on untouched trails, with snow falling gently and silently around us. Watching the minks and snow hares jumping and running in and out of the snow and warming up inside in front of the fire and cooking delicious food together – the tomato risotto and cardamom chicken and rice dish from the Jerusalem cookbook. -Singing at Mishkan -Carrying grandma’s simple, pine wood coffin with my cousins

Artistic for sure! I actually got to do a PANEL at SMASH called how to produce MANGA! I am loving my creative side, it is coming out in so many ways.

I've started attending a UCC church in the past year. I was dating someone for whom church was a dirty word but I knew it helped me both to find an inner peace and also to find an avenue to sing. I started attending and love the tiny choir, love the slightly wacky minister, and have met so many caring and positive people.

I had a few moments where a song, or a comic book, or a movie, made me feel like I was about to cry, like there was some unproven, unspoken universal connection between every person, every story, every narrative. I can't remember specifically which stories, but I still know the feeling. It's what I consider about as spiritual as I get.

Chaperoning teens from my church to an annual retreat is always a big spiritual experience for me. In keeping with my theme of "Stronger than I think", this year I realized that I'm not always that blubbering emotional mess!

I hope this doesn't make me cringe a year from now, but I've really been moved by the artful storytelling of Breaking Bad. It's a great show, sure, but what elevates it is that quality of the story. Callbacks, foretelling, little clues and references - all these come together with complex characters played by amazing actors. And then, there's the fact that it's just good old fashioned, great storytelling. I love this show, and it's renewed my interest in good stories.

I have begun to re-evaluate my prayer experiences. After a number of years of familiarizing myself with the Reform Prayer service and its parts and prayers, I am beginning to appreciate some prayers more than others - and, in the Reform method, I am personally determining which prayers speak to me and which do not. However, what I am learning is that this is a continual process requiring continuing re-evaluation and understanding how certain prayers have meaning that is situational and which prayers are eternally meaningful.

I've noticed time and time again that God is working in my life and making great things happen without me even realising. It's so reassuring.

My spiritual experience is related to Bill. Bill was in a bed of a hospital after suddenly getting sick. Bill passed away...I don't even remember why. But I do remember that the first time I decided to go and see Bill in the hospital, I entered in his room, he saw me and a tear crossed his cheek. I don't know if that was a true tear or his eyes were just watery...but that is the last image I want to keep of Bill. He decided to go a few hours after I left the hospital while we were all sitting around his bed and every breath felt like the last. I like to think Bill didn't want me to see him going.

This year was the year I studied for and had my adult bat mitzvah. I felt like I finally closed the loop on some of the things that I missed out on in my Jewish upbringing and that I came solidly home to my own religion/faith/set of personal beliefs. I feel like I claimed my own spirituality even more than I ever had before. I enjoyed learning with my classmates and the cantor, and the day of the b'nai mitzvah itself was quite uplifting and wonderful. Reading my portion from the Torah (even though I didn't quite learn Hebrew), leading the congregation in prayers and songs, and giving my drash were all incredibly satisfying and I literally felt like I was glowing for much of that service (and even afterwards). I had people (friends and strangers) tell me afterwards that I should be a rabbi(!) I still have questions, and there are things I don't yet feel comfortable practicing (and might never), but because I feel like I "belong" in Judaism and in my own practice thereof, I feel like I now have additional permission to shape my own experience.

I don't think it necessarily counts as spiritual, but I've been swinging between atheism and agnosticism. Sometimes I think there has to be a benevolent higher power. And sometimes it seems so evident that there isn't, and this is all there is. A great quote from Douglas Adams: "Isn't it enough to see that a garden is beautiful without having to believe that there are fairies at the bottom of it too?"

For the past several years I have experienced an increase in the realization of answered prayer. The more I express gratitude for all the good in my life, the more it is increased. I am not speaking just of financial gain, but all the other more important riches. Daily I say"Thank You" and daily I find my life more complete. I no longer worry about prosperity. It is there for me. All my needs and wants are met, often in surprising ways. My prayers for others are also answered. I asked God for my grandson to find a good job closer to home. A job without the hour long commute he was currently doing every day. Within two days, he was given a good job so close to home that it was walking distance. Amazing! After saying"Thank You" I added a little "Very Funny, God" What a demonstration. As my connection to God gets stronger and closer, I depend on it even more. I know that tough times may come, but I can trust that I will not be alone in them.

I don't really do 'spiritual' all that much. I guess the closest I come to that feeling is when I get immersed in an artistic experience, like seeing a really good band live. This year it would have been IAMX. Seriously awesome. Music is a really strong sense-memory trigger for me, so hearing those songs again in any context puts me back into that state of mind.

I have begun to wrestle with my faith recently and have begun to realize that I am more of a fan then I am a follower of Christ and this is something that I hope to work on changing. I want to be a follower but everything in my nature is resisting right now.

Getting married rocked my spiritual life. The church I attend decided I was no longer able to serve. So all of the playing keyboard, doing sound and Clean Up Comedy came to an abrupt halt. It has also permanently damaged my relationships with pastor Ken and some of the elders. I truly believe that God blesses my relationship, and its so hard sitting in church looking at the church and leadership that are getting the idea of showing God's love so incredibly wrong. I really hope no other gay people come to our church and see the terrible attitude of our members.

This was the year I figured out that Mishkan was stressing me out and that it has long outlived its place as my spiritual home. I'm at Dorshei which has been lovely and so relaxing. This holiday season I am juggling between Dorshei and Linda's new Tikkun Olam Havurah. It's not ideal but I won't complain about having too much choice.

This has been such a hard year for me with the passing of my mom. Everything seems to revolve around that. My mom visited me after she was gone. She walked with me. She held my hand. When I stopped for a moment, she kept going. I asked her to wait for me. I begged her to wait for me. I cried out in anguish for her to wait for me. She kept walking and slowly lifted her hand to wave farewell as she kept going. I know I need to keep going myself. I need to honor my mom, be present for my children, connect to my husband. This visit has kept me going, even though I may only be crawling now.

No, not exactly. I have been experiencing a nearly constant sense of gratitude though. I have been the recipient of a lot of good favor from being able to quickly unload my belongings (at a profit!), sublet my places (two!), get a job and generally exist. Then, I paused. I also had serious and uncomfortable and at times scary health issues this year. But--I have pulled through and as of yet I haven't been diagnosed with anything too bad. And for that too I am grateful. If gratitude can be an expression of spirituality then that is the path I seek. I know I need to increase my outward expression of it but I Know it and feel it frequently. My gratitude for life and circumstance is The reason why I believe n Gd. I believe things can always be worse and I have been lucky to have this set of circumstances. The good with the bad I wouldn't trade my deck for anyone else's. I love my life. Wow. That's a happy realization. :sending love into the cosmos:

When I went to Tzfat, every time. I could feel it, that may sound silly but it was such an open place full of conversation and questioning. I got to listen to others beliefs and thoughts and find my own and share my findings or thoughts. As a group we did a guided meditation, I really let myself let go and get in to it. I became less scared to share what I was thinking and challenge my mind and others, I started my religious journey and found that so many others are on one as well and you can have the most interesting and thought provoking conversations.

I keep being reminded that I feel better when I meditate and pray--everything throughout the day seems to be easier than when I don't. I keep needing to be reminded that everything is going to turn out okay. All of the decisions and worries that I obsess over always turn out okay and are usually out of my hands anyway, so when am I going to remember to just let go and have faith?

The first time I saw my baby's heart beat on the ultrasound was proof enough to me that something larger than us exists. How could a blip on a screen be alive, be a person, be something that I created. She was 5 weeks old, and resembled a chicken mcnugget but I knew I loved her more than anything.

Reading a Fall 2012 Facebook post from Rabbi Wolpe and thinking about Joseph, our family, everything: A radical thought: You do not have to be what you were. Fresh paths are possible; there may be unknown enchantments. The day that dawned on Moses and Miriam dawns on you as well. The same sun warms. The same promise awaits: You who fashioned the bars of your cage can dissolve them with a touch.

I have really come to rely on my faith to get me through what have been my darkest days. I feel God pushing me and propelling me to live up, to live greater, to live a bigger life of peace and service. Without being introduced to a group of women at church and regularly attending meetings and services, I would probably be depressed right now myself, a total mess. Every day still holds ups and downs, but I feel now that I have a personal relationship with Christ that I didn't have in the past. Day by day, little by little, I am learning.

As I have grown and prayed over the last few years to get my life in order and ask for God to show me the way, I think I have incorporated spirituality into my daily life. I remain grateful every day. I ask for God to watch over me. I verbalize my thankfulness daily if only to myself. I think my spiritual experience has been my life unfolding in such a magnificent manner. And that I am forever grateful and humbled by where I am. I see things differently. I am less affected by material wants and physical things. I am happy with the relationships that I have and that is my spiritual experience.

No. This is the greatest need in my life right now.

Being pregnant and seeing what our bodies are capable of doing is mind blowing. I don't think I ever really had the same respect for it before. It's a miracle that any of us are here. I know that for me and for Brian watching our daughter grow inside me and then seeing her before she was a minute old, Brian seeing her eyes open for the first time, breastfeeding this brand new person has been filled with awe. I don't really have words to describe it other than awe, I am awed that we created a new life. That God would give us such an amazing gift. I hope I can live up to all that means to me.

Nope. I don't have spiritual experiences. I dislike the word, and I think applying it to secular things is lazy. I had some eye-opening experiences, and I had some heartwarming experiences, but nothing is spiritual to me.

I had the profound spiritual pleasure of visiting Israel for the first time. In Israel, my spirit was uplifted by the beauty of the land, the passion of the people, the depth of historical connection to my religion, and by davening at the Kotel. It's wonderful to know that Israel exists, and to experience it (even as a visitor). On the other hand, my spirit was brought low by the concrete and the barbed wire, the tanks, walls and guns that make Israel possible. This is the world. I try to make my spirit at home here.

I've been struggling for the last few years with my faith, and honestly I never feel like i'm getting closer to finding the answers I want. So no, not really.

While having difficult times with my wife - and nearly splitting with her a number of times during the past year - I've cranked up taking care of myself spiritually. In order to give me wisdom and peace during this difficult time, I started praying the rosary daily and going to eucharistic adoration once a week. I still have the ups and downs - but feel there's a safety net in my faith and a sense of peace when all hell's breaking loose.

I traveled to the Middle East and was exposed to a Muslim culture for the first time. I loved the recorded calls to worship 5 times a day and the prayer rooms in public buildings. While it is not my faith, I so appreciate the devotion to the ritual and beliefs.

the lead up and the actual week of our wedding was very spiritual experience, i felt cleansed, renewed, reborn. i felt very connected with the divine through the process. it was amazing,, standing beneath the chuppah i alomst felt i could physically feel the divine presence it was amazing

No :(

My spiritual experience this year might be labeled by others as coincidence, but I believe a Power greater than myself helped align the stars..... My daughter was arresting Nevada. I stumbled upon a non-profit that helps assimilate prisoners back into society. The founder is Canadian -- I currently am living in Canada! She told me of an opportunity for my daughter to mental health court -- Nevada is only one of approximately 10 states that have it. Mental health court offered my daughter the opportunity to go to rehab. I believe and pray that this is a life-changer for her.

I don't remember any

Most recently, watching Diana Nyad finish her swim from Cuba to Key West was very spiritual for me. I happened to turn my computer on at the right time and catch a blurb about a life feed of her swimming into Key West, and when I tuned in, she was about ten minutes away from shore. Spectators had jumped in the water to cheer her on and paddled out on surfboards to swim next to her. I started crying immediately--I know the feeling of finishing an endurance event, and that people were there for her, waiting and cheering and swimming with her, was so emotional and spiritual for me.

Davening in tefillin for the first time just after my 48th birthday was special and more spiritual than I expected. Learning to lay them with Rabbi Creditor who gave them to me, davening with them at Pearl's, at minyan before Passover and finally in my own apartment has added new depth to many of my prayers.

Nope

Last year this question was a lot easier since I had just returned from International Kallah. This year it's going to take a little thinking.... I guess I'm going to go with leaving for college. It seems to be a theme for this year's questions for me. When I was packing up my room, all of the things that I deemed necessary to be there for the first eighteen years of my life suddenly seemed irrelevant. All of my medals, trophies, books, they all seemed to officially be categorized as my "Childhood." The spiritual moment came as I turned off the light on my childhood, literally. I went through my room, with all of the things I was taking to school downstairs waiting to go, and I looked at all the things I was leaving behind. I thought about how I obtained all of those things, and the memories that I made. Then I stood in the doorway, looked at my room one last time, put the University of Michigan flag on my door, turned off the light, and closed the door on my room and my childhood.

The most spiritual experience I had this year was last fall. I was performing with a small community theater company--a new group but an old form of theater. We put on a show, perhaps the 15th or so show I had done in my life (not counting many rehearsals) and it was the best show any of us had ever done. We were so connected with one another and with the audience and we created some really beautiful moments. The level of trust the audience had in us and that we had in each other paralleled a feeling that I would describe as faith of some sort.

I think that I learned that being happy, really is a choice. It's a mental state, you really gotta want it. Life is all about perspective. Find joy in what you do, and choose not to get brought down by daily stressors. The majority of things we stress about usually are very little things.

I really haven't had very many spiritual experiences, and that really scares me. I remember in the 2011 version of this answer I talked about going back to services at the Kutz Camp, and how ensconced in community and spirituality I felt then, and I haven't really had anything like that as of late. I feel like I've been too political, too philosophical, too worried about my future, to just step back and be and let the wonders of creation fill every crevice of my mind. As I look into an even more politically-minded future, I have to figure out this balance better than I'm doing now.

Realizing I can push myself and create good works in my school/job. I've learned to push myself into the zone and be able to work - not all the time, but more often. Additionally, the sheer amount of caring, concern, and genuineness of the hospital caring for me during all my medical problems going on. It's nice to experience healthcare as it SHOULD be.

Driving with my parents through a particularly beautiful stretch of Colorado, near the town of Crested Butte, we discovered a little scientific outpost where graduate students were studying marmot social behavior. Outwardly, it was a beautiful little day-trip and one of those pleasant little surprises that open-minded travelling brings about. But on a deeper level, that drive reminded me of a trip through the same region when I was younger, a portal through to the wonders of sensation that had accumulated during one of the happiest and most memorably family experiences of my childhood. As we drove through the rising swells of mountain, wood, and cloud, I felt something opening in me -- grace, perhaps, but also that long dormant sense of wonder, awe, and mysterious harmony that accompanied some of the brightest moments of my childhood...now no longer mere polaroid-static-memories, but a living breathing presence within me...and then at the research station, we saw marmots...

My most spiritual experience s this year have happened though conversations I had with a coworker in regard to emotional problems my son was experiencing. Her sense of self was so strong. Although she did not speak directly to her religious convictions, it was evident in how she approached all areas of her life. I found it inspiring and I am so thankful for her presence when I needed to reach out to someone for help.

I went to the mikvah shortly before the new year and prepared as I had the previous year. The mikvah is a joy and sadness at the same time because I had previously believed that I would enter its embrace before marriage in 2013. But that didn't happen and instead I allowed it to hold me in my grief and transition at the events of the spring and summer of 2012. In any case, for the final immersion this year I mistakenly read the brocha for conversion, for gerim. At first I laughed out loud after the mikvah guide had left - what did she think? Then I wondered if it was a mistake. Freud says that there are no true errors. In what way am I a convert and to what? What is this process that I am undergoing, even covertly? It was, as before, an amazing experience. I will ponder this privately during the year.

I was able to pinpoint why it is I am so paralyzed at the idea of showing people my writing. Similarly so, I began to read feminist texts this year and am slowly beginning to understand what feminism means to me.

I think that the spiritual experience this year that stands out to me are a mixture of my counselling journey, and time taken to cycle. One is group based, and the other up to the individual. Through the counselling group, I have learnt so much about myself, other's perceptions and how to interpret the actions and words of others. I am really itching to get started again in the coming year... On the bike, it is you and your thoughts. For some reason I find the rythem of the pedals, the isolation and the challenge revigorating and therapeutic. The more time I can spend on my bike, the better! I want to learn to love my bike!

I suppose this year has been filled with spiritual experiences. Between becoming assistant coordinator of a crisis hotline, having my own art show (and selling my work!) and finding gainful employment in the field that I love, I can't help but feel utterly blessed to be where I am and know who I know.

After spending a lot of 2012 reinvestigating my faith, I think I fell somewhat out of touch with it again this past year. I know that working at such a commercial company, without doing much "good," did not make me feel spiritually at peace. Moving forward, I would like to resolve to do more for my community and my soul.

Yes, dedicated a lot of time to studying religion and feel I am closer to G-d. My faith has increased and I feel I am on track to being a better person.

I went to Israel and realized that I wished that I would have gone with a more religious group

I was awestruck by a "requiem" concert that was composed by a gentleman who mixed Jewish and Christian compositions and writings to produce an incredibly stirring piece. It was performed by a cantor and two sopranos and conducted by the man's son. Inspiring and haunting!

I've had visionary dreams and moments where I feel very close to spirit. I've begun to study herb and root spiritualism and magic and have taken up certain rituals that I consider to be sacred. I also use these to get more in touch with my artistic muse and create my creations.

Getting engaged. I keep using this answer, but it's completely true.

Being in Auschwitz at a meditation retreat for 5 days in November changed everything for me --- I now really understand the interconnectedness of us all

I was listening to "Started From the Bottom" by Drake at a club - and I had just recently found out I got into my Master's program. And I just felt a huge sense of relief, joy, and such a deep feeling from such a lame, top 40 song. It was great!

I've have several soul-opening experiences with my boyfriend. We've gotten very serious fairly fast (although knowing each other when we were growing up helped that along), and I know without a doubt he's the one for me. Those moments of clarity and baring my soul to another person have been extremely spiritual for me, and whatever happens in the future, I'm so grateful to have been able to experience them.

I experienced the gift of human ability in many forms. Language, music, compassion and analytic thought. Even the latter has a spiritual side. The experience that everything is a choice, from manners and opinions to behaviours, was a fervent and impacting one.

Wes, a man at my new Church, told me that the Holy Spirit wanted him to tell me to stay planted. That by staying in the church and in Craig The Lord will answer my heart's desires and I will bear good fruit. I sincerely hope this is so.

I feel sad and ashamed that nothing is coming to mind. Usually there is something very particular. There certainly HAVE been concerts which have touched something deep, but I just can't think right now. It makes me feel I really do need to keep some sort of journal - I don't want to 'lose' these experiences.

My husband and I have become fast friends with a Baptist minister and his wife whom we met about 18 months ago at a wedding. It has been wonderfully refreshing to be friends with them because we are reminded that clergy members are human beings and as such have human feelings that we who are congregants might not deem acceptable. They have been wonderfully welcoming to us and it is a treat to share our faith with them and learn from them about theirs. I feel truly blessed to have come to know them.

Traveling has been my spiritual experience this year. Although I loved visiting New York again as well as seeing the great sights of London, Paris blew my mind. Montmartre and the top of Norte Dame were two of the most spiritual experiences I have felt in a long time. The views of these places were breathtaking. Overlooking the city of Paris at different angels was wonderful. The feelings I got from these places are ones I cannot put into words. All I know is that these views are something I will never forget. I am thankful for the opportunity God granted me to travel this past year. I pray that I can continue to travel and keep my mind open to the world.

I have never been more ambitiously unspiritual. I have to admit it: I'm in a state of rebellion. The constraints of my religion don't mesh with my personal lifestyle preferences, and, moreover, it has not delivered me a lifestyle that makes religion convenient. And I'm behaving like a teenager. I was disgusted by the guy I dated who created a world that revolved around his own convenience. But the truth is, I'm doing the same thing. I need to figure something out. But I don't want to, because that would make my life more complicated. Is this why people enjoy being 'agnostic'?

The hora at our wedding was spiritual in its own right. Being surrounded by the love of family and friends in the congregation that I grew up in....jumping and dancing and singing......was utterly amazing, and in a way, transformative, although not as much as the marriage that had happened about an hour prior.

I was tremendously moved by the Tashlique ceremony Reboot had at Ocean Beach juts last week. The setting and the ritual had a surprising power that almost brought me to tears. I can't really explain it, though it does hint at the possibility that I have been unnecessarily steeling myself against such experiences, as if that stone-faced demeanor might protect me from harm.

I was able to formulate my "Theory of Everything: more clearly. I was able to express on paper for the first time how everything that everyone believes is possible while seemingly opposite ideas. I'm still realizing all the implications.

When my Native American teacher died in January I sat in my living room at the same time as his memorial service was being held back East. I cried a lot and then asked him to visit me in my dreams...if he had the time. It was something I knew he did from my previous work with him. A way of communicating on a spiritual level. Months went by and then one day I had it. He showed up in my dreams. And he didn't look good. He looked dead..but he was alive. He told me he knew he didn't look good but that he had things to tell me...that I needed to know. He reached out and put his hand on the back of my neck and pulled it forward until our foreheads touched. Information flooded me and I started crying, my tears pooling on a table below me. I couldn't tell you what he said. They weren't words per se but it was definitely a communication. Then he jumped up spryly and headed towards a broad, deep river. We stood on the bank and I could see houses under the clear water. Mansions. A street of mansions. A bridge of sorts linking the other side with the one we were standing on. A stream of moths of some kind streaming badk and forth over the bridge. I hugged him and told him I would miss him so much. He said he would miss me too. I sobbed and woke sobbing. My face wet with tears, my pillow too. I have had many many dreams in my life but nothing like this one. I knew he had visited me before going over to the other land. And a friend of mine told me that the word Psyche means Moth. We don't die. Our bodies do but we don't. The dream stays with me. I know he told me things I needed to know and now I will live out the rest of my own life with the knowledge he communicated to me. This was the most powerful dream I have ever had in my entire life. We don't die.

A few days ago, my dads cousin passed away from cancer. It is still hard to imagine that this summer he was helping me with sales calls. After losing my mother I have become numb to death. However what I cant get over is the timing. out of the blue my father, his family and I met up with him at there old stomping grounds, Atlantic city, they had not been there in 40 years. It almost seems like too perfect of timing, which leaves me to believe that there is some force guiding us. then again it makes me wonder if we don't make up these perfect timings, if he would have died next year would I have said the same. some how I think not. when my mother died I got to go to Cleveland with her for the 1st in over 15 years. That randomness can not be a coincidence, not twice in my life.

This is probably the least spiritual year I've had in a long time. Not that I haven't been looking for something to connect with, but I'm pretty disenchanted with established denominations. I think that the Protestants have got Jesus all wrong, the Catholics focus too much on mass and in general no one really goes to church to get closer to god. It's all about feeling good or at the very least not feeling guilty. I keep thinking I should write a book called The Real Jesus That No One Talks About. Maybe I will. It's just that I have so little time to write as it is. But, it just may be that my spiritual experience will be a solitary one. I guess spiritually, I am treading water.

I made the choice to connect to God. By connecting spirituality, creativity and good intentions. I am now working on consciously believing in God so that I can live in a world of belief and affirmation rather than fear, anger, and what I don't believe in.

i've been praying a lot. to i don't know who. just praying. sometimes pleading. sometimes just calling out into the void. and it makes me feel better. even though i don't know if there's any answer to the call. something about shouting, from the heart into the heart of darkness, makes me feel released.

Going to India is always a spiritual experience in itself. This year I had the pleasure of going again, for work. In one of the stops we toured a big Hindu temple compound that was so charged with prayer, music and just energy, that I couldn't help but feel moved.

I've been having a lot of problems with the conflict between going to shul vs. staying home and playing computer games. I learn a lot more (and it's in some ways more spiritual) when I break Shabbos...

Definitely giving birth to my daughter. The moment that I pushed her out into the world was the most elated, uplifting and powerful thing I've ever felt. She came out screaming - strong, willful and healthy. My husband and I grabbed onto each other and looked so deeply into each other's eyes - I've never experienced anything like it. We cried unbelievable tears of joy and just held each other. When they handed her to me, I couldn't take her in enough. I was so surprised by what she looked like - I guess I thought I'd recognize her. I just laid there with her resting on my chest as she cried and whimpered saying softly to her, "tell me all about it, my love" and that's basically how we've been ever since. I want to know all about her. And when we handed her to my husband, she did a little push up from his chest, held her head perfectly straight and looked him straight in the eye as if to say, "I just need to see you, Dad." Once she had her fill, she snuggled into him and that was that. Purelovesquishmagicstardust!

my spirit is low. creation is low and morale is low. where do i get any sort of spirit from. probably family and friends. they keep me sane and are a beacon in my foggy little life. My mom helps and my friends help me every weekend. THey love and support. They keep the embers burning inside me. I'd probably be way down if it weren't for those things.

I'd call coming into adulthood my spiritual adventure. For the first time, I've been doing everything almost completely on my own. I moved, started a new job in a new city and put down roots in a place I could spend a long time. The realization that I'm not moving from place-to-place anymore was intense. I've always wandered.

I feel free now that I am divorced. I can't believe I didn't see how much I really wasn't allowed to do for myself. I am loving the simple things like being able to look at something in the grocery store and buy it if I want!

When I wanted God to keep Erika alive and free from pain until I was able to return to Canada to make sure her last days were with me. It was selfish but I thank God for the granted wish and that she died relatively peacefully at home with me.

Always, always... drums, Alchemy, Euphoria, teachers, realization of individuation, love, Melson hall, sacred "no"s, yeses, meeting inspiring women. They ARE me.

I am going thru with my husband an experience I have never had before, he had a stroke and I am learning what goes on in hospitols and rehab. centers it is a whole new game for me, I am learning alot and know what I need to do.

Wow, the entire year is spiritual. How can I separate that? This has truly been the Hebrew year of the camel--gimel=3. As I said in question one, God has provided doubly well for us this year. 2773 the year of Ayin Gimel. עד Seeing God's provision. I was humbled and touched by the hospice patients I interviewed as well. It seemed that every patient who was a believer in God in heaven, were ready to go. Those who did not, were anxious and scared. This is why it's so important that my mom and Aunt Marcia find the Lord. Aunt Marcia's man friend Earl died a couple of weeks ago. She is distraught because she doesn't see eternally. She is just lonely and misses him. He is a believer and was longing for heaven. We will see him again! What a great man. I was so privileged to meet him 4th of July weekend. I danced a jig in his smoke saturated home to his excellent fiddle playing. He accompanied us as we (Mom, Auntie M and myself) sang hymns in 3 part harmony in a little cowboy church outside of town. I realize now, that we have to take time for people in need, because this may be the last time we see them. I didn't get to go to enough memorial services for my interviewees. I wish I could have gone back and shared my pieces with them before they passed on. I also realized that worship is not only important, it is warfare. It is how we connect to the Father, but also how we defeat the enemy. Lord, let me worship through out the day at school.

Last week I did yoga for the first time. When doing the excercises I was so hot! I just felt the energy rising!

I prayed as Grandma was dying. I prayed the prayers of childhood -- I reverted to what was comforting and instinctual. I remain a non-believer, but I don't feel above ritual any longer. I understand its place, value, and importance now. And I want to seek it out more. I can participate in rituals that ground me without sacrificing philosophy. It's not all hocus-pocus.

I found writing our ketubah and seven blessings incredibly moving, important, and spiritual. Creating and designing our Judiaca makes me feel like those items have added value and inspire me to use them more. I also really like the tradition that newlyweds put honey on their challah. I had never heard of that tradition before, but I like how the phases of our lives are marked with changes in tradition.

I started observing "unplugged Shabbat" and staying off the computer, phone, and TV from 6 pm Friday - 6 pm Saturday. The first few weeks were hard, but then I started to really look forward to this time. I slipped away from this observance for several months, but am re-committing to spending the day reading uplifting/inspirational/healing words, listening to music, being outside, etc.

I think I said something similar last year, but for me the most profound spiritual moments are the small ones- appreciating a rainbow, the beauty of yeast and flour and water becoming bread, the shine of pride in a child's eyes that can only come from hard work.

I was sitting in church after singing the service - it had been a mellow service, which was odd for this church, and then the organist started to play the recessional/postlude. I don't even remember what the piece was, but I had an overwhelming feeling of happiness. It's been a singularly un-spiritual year for me. I left the faith of my childhood behind, and I walked away from everything I'd professed to believe in the past (and I still haven't told my family). And that's been good. So it was really nice to be able to have a moment of spiritual calm, of peace, of beauty, and know that it was mine, outside religious affiliation, and outside of the supernatural. It just was.

my mother in law getting cancer how that soften her and deepened our connection allowed alot of old "stuff" to dissolve

I sort of went on strike. I told God that I had pursued him my entire life and I was tired of it so this was His turn. Ha. It took me nearly ten months to realize that from the very beginning I had never doubted God. Just myself. Many questions and only a few answers later I was made new.

In the lead up to my pregnancy and during it I did a lot of meditation. I found this helped balance me through stressful times. I took part in a one day silence which I found very peaceful. Since having the baby I feel much of the experience is an exercise in mindfulness.

Ironically, my growing nonprofit roles and employment have impeded my spiritual life. The most critical spiritual moment of my year was in January, watching a commercial during the inauguration. The commercial showed many families in need, and was very moving. And it made me think about how little I'm doing that has any meaning, or fixes the world in any way. I know I can't solve hunger or poverty or ignorance. But I used to be able to chip away at it more, to finish every day feeling like I'd done something. I realized in that moment that my kids have grown up and my job has become big and important, and events have conspired to suck the meaning out of my life.

Moving out on my own, I realized I can do this. I can be independent yet connected to my family; I can have great friendships with old friends, and develop new bonds with new friends. It sounds so simple but it had such an impact on the way I go about my life.

I definitely have. I have been dialoguing with my soul and it has made life possible. Without this I would have gone under with a new baby. Now I can keep my head above water. I need to stay on this path to become who I am meant to be. Not always easy. The right thing is often the hardest.

Visiting Patsy. She remains my soulmate, my inner peace.

I had a deeply powerful spiritual experience this year when my dearest friend and honorary mother chose to resign from our synagogue after over 60 years as an active member. I could not convince her of the error of her decision and I could not find another solution that she would accept. This made me very very sad and it also led me to really clarify and confirm my own commitment to our Temple.

My first second line parade - the diversity and mass of people, simply walking and dancing and smiling and embracing to the beat of drums and clapping hands, the loud, brash melodies of trumpets and trombones and sousaphones. The heat and the cold beers in coolers, the complete lack of shame and self-awareness, the fullness of community and joy and expression. It was so much of everything good, and it was truly what made me fall in love with this city. Subsequent second lines, brass concerts and music festivals have built on that feeling, but nothing will compare to that initial jolt of pure New Orleans joy. Not sure it'll ever be topped.

I feel the whole year has been strong spiritually. Ive gotten to know and accept myself so much more deeply, Im clearer in what I want for myself in life and have lived with courage and tenacity to set goals and work towards them. Im living with more inner energy and vitality than ever before. I think this is the true meaning of 'spiritual'. To live as YOU are, whole-ly and with contentment. There is deep power in coming home to yourself. As for a particular moment - the moment I shifted to a vegan mindset was a game changer for me. It made me realise that EVERYTHING we want, that/who we deeply are inside will DEFINITELY emerge. No matter how long it takes. It helps the journey to take steps to getting clear sooner, but I now live with the faith that everything I want to be, who I truly am inside will, beyond any question of doubt, emerge.

Left non-vegetarian food due to a documentary. Living in Singapore 80% of my meals had meat in it, and then my flatmate Caroline asked me to see a documentary called Earthlings. I will always regret not having one last meaty meal before I saw the movie. And I can't remember which was my last hearty meal with meat. Have shifted to Fish due to nutritional reasons, but 4 months without meat is an achievement I can be proud of.

I have been in and out of spiritual fullness. I know that I long for something more than the regular world can offer. I even miss being in religious life. (not all that religious life was, but certainly there are aspects that I miss)....I try to reconnect with my spiritual side and when that happens it is a good and comforting feeling.

I have been artistically spiritual. I have discovered m acting love. I plan to continue with this hopefully as a career.

Several this past year, all tied in connection with my broken-ness and my daughter. During an energy healing session with my practitioner, I could physically feel things shifting and moving inside me, and my own meditations have continued the experience. And then there is 2 am. 2 am is the witching hour. It is when something creeps up through me and pushes all my anxiety buttons. That i e moment when I know I am connected with her, my little girl, and all barriers are torn down. I try so hard to remain calm, and focused on sending her love, but my heart is usually breaking at knowing that part of me can be SO close to her, and yet I have no idea where she actually is or is going through.

I started meditating. It's been life changing. I felt my soul for the first time ever, like I could actually just feel that my physical body was just a vessel, a shell to hold it for now. And practicing namaste has just made me more compassionate, empathetic, just kinder.

My two weeks in Israel were the most challenging 14 days of my Jewish life. Jews are supposed to reach adulthood at 13, but my bar mitzvah was nothing more than a chance for me to show off my superlative memorization skills. When in Israel, it became clear to me how much Israel needs the support of sane, rational Jews--and yet my fundamental uneasiness with the way the country is run makes it impossible for me to fully throw my support behind the Jewish pledge that the people I met there wanted me to take.

When I was in the hospital, I had an evening of deep depression, followed by an amazing spiritual awakening where I felt so connected to the universe, I had to write down what I was feeling. I read it at a health retreat a few weeks ago, and it really touched a lot of people. I think that was a turning point in my illness, and in my life. I'm still trying to let the effects of that spiritual connection permeate my life.

This year has been more about being spiritually alone. I have celebrated the holidays mostly by myself or with complete strangers. My meditations have also only been alone. Maybe it is growing up or growing in?

I am not spiritual, nor do I like that word regardless of your reasoning. However, I did a Geocaching Challenge that involved visiting 100 State parks to complete. I saw and hiked so many amazing places like Steptoe Butte and Gardiner Cave. I also got married! It has given me a certain sense of security.

I have Chronic Fatigue Syndrome but I attended a week long Christian conference in the next state and after a week of sleeping on a top bunk and people waking me up as they went to bed and as they got up sometimes from 5am and days filled with activity including bush dancing and interviewing people out in the community I was tired but not exhausted. I would have expected to be totally exhausted, in pain, aching all over, dazed and confused and unable to think (that is usually the state I would have been in after that much activity), but I was just a bit tired and less so than other people who are healthy. I have no doubt that I was supernaturally sustained, which became particularly clear in the weeks that followed after I was totally exhausted by a couple of hours of standing around to do an ad. and other events where I was similarly exhausted.

For this particular experience, spiritual correlates with religious. I've come to a lot of realisations about God and what He wants--particularly so, what I've been interpreting wrong and what I should be doing.

I started to have the feeling I'm missing something last year. I am still not quite sure what I am missing, but I'm determined to figure it out. It might be a hobby, or maybe some form of religion or way of living. So this year I am going to work on my goals i set for myself last year. I think there might be something good for me in Taoism or meditation. This year I got to work that out.

Shifting my relationship to my body after having two miscarriages. Understanding how to grieve, by painting and writing a poem and having a private memorial service by myself, and grieving these losses.

A person touched my life who empowered me to believe in myself as an artist. I am an artist.

I havent had any spiritual experiences in the traditional sense of the word, but I have discovered a new vehicle towards meditative states through sports. I have realized that through the triathlon I've learned all kinds of new things such as how to set a goal and accomplish it, and not to give up on it. Also how you learn to embrace the suck and to see the bigger picture and just keep going.

I was so discouraged, feeling alone and failing alone here at work, but I was talking to the chaplain and I felt a sudden inspiration. When I told him my idea (the picture of a 'thankfulness tree' for Thanksgiving that we can all contribute to) he was thrilled. I felt that it was a picture and and inspiration from God with the message (a little nudge) saying 'you are not alone, I am helping you'.

I accepted that I will always carry some love for a man I will never be with. A shared past, a brief re-encounter solidified some things we once and always will share. I'd never considered that I could truly love someone from afar, wish for their best life, and carry on to live my alone ...apart from them. All for the best.

I began celebrating shabbat on Friday evenings, with friends. (Nobody would have believed this - I've always been secular.) Now I look forward to gathering regularly with warm, funny, loving people to sing and eat and laugh and beckon candlelight.

Spiritual? I'm not sure. I have been extremely introspective, and I continue to push myself forward. I enjoy the meditation that I'm doing 1-2 times a week, and I hope to continue that. I'm laughing now because I'm thinking about the NYE Phish show and how "spiritual" that was. What a night!

Oh, yes! I feel like this whole past year I've grown so much spiritually. I've learned that there really is "something else" beyond our physical realm; I feel it and have been much more connected every day with my sense of complete peace and well-being. My faith has grown tremendously. I pray now, give thanks, and even started meditating. When you pray you should believe in it whole-heartedly, and know that the outcome will be given to you, as long as it is from a pure place in your heart. So many spiritual lessons learned, and I cannot wait to see how much more I will grow in the upcoming year! I am filled with love, too.

One constant spiritual experience. I am waking up. I feel aware of myself for the first time. When I look in the mirror I see me and not my imagined faults. I erased all the layers of grit to get to the raw foundation of me. A spiritual re-birth through a baptism of fire and pain. I am finally able to take the steps that I need to achieve the life I want. I can admit what I want.

I classify as spiritual the listening to the sounds of the canyon while I walk - the breath of the earth.

I noticed I've moved farther away from my spiritual practice(s) in this past year than ever before. Surprising since I had a very spiritual thing going on inside me (the development of a whole separate human being). I guess that is not unusual though--growing more self-centered and growing away from a connection to any Higher Power. Ready for that to change though. I suppose it already is as I am constantly filled with a spiritual level of love for this tiny person who will someday call me "mum."

My chanting made me strong. I survived 2012 and that was a plus!!! I saw the light at the end of the tunnel!!!!

I have had several moments in this year where I was stuck in the muck of the moment: overcome with feelings of worthlessness and petty aggravations. The world would quite literally shrink to the size of my view, the problems plaguing me blocking out all other experiences. In the very instant of that seeming endless misery, I knew that the moment ALSO held gentleness and peace and openness. I knew that I was having trouble experiencing it, but if I looked- if I felt where my muscles were relaxed, if I listened to the sounds arising and fading around me, if I saw the breadth of the sky, even covered in clouds- I could rest in a sense of calm. Crankiness, self judgement, even despair could co-exist with peace. If I began to wish the negative experiences go away, they got stronger. If I berated myself for slipping into old habits, the tension grew. As I just let it all be, my ability to find the peace and relax in it strengthened. Responding from a place of calm always resulted in better choices. It has not become an experience that I have more often than not, but it is more frequent than it was, and that alone gives me hope.

Standing next to his final resting place in late June. Seeing the beautiful trees and green grasses; hearing the soothing sound of water in the background, I felt the circle of his life was complete.

Recently I was going thru some thing very sad. I was at work writing in my journal about the entire thing that had happen to me. At the very end of what I was writing I was compering my self to a rose, and my last sentence was "God do you know how much I love flowers?" A little later a women from my church comes to my job with a single Red Rose... for me. She told me she was shopping when God put it in her heart to buy a single Red Rose and bring it to my job for me. Instantly my eyes became flooded with tears of joy because I know God was telling me that he heard me, that he loves me and he cares about me.

My work with the Boston Jewish Music Festival continues to give me great joy and fulfillment. Having an essay about the importance of Jewish Culture published was a tremendous high for me.

Spending time alone, driving in the desert gave me a great time spend time alone and just be quiet, it was wonderful.

This is always a tough one to answer bc I don't perceive myself as a particularly spiritual person. I think perhaps the best way to answer this is to reflect on a situation where I was offered a spiritual experience and fear got the better of me. I was on a Jewish conference and walked past the room where services were being held, a woman called and asked if I'd be no. 10, this was the first time that I had ever been asked to be part of a minyan or considered eligible to be part of one. My complete rejection of the opportunity (I literally ran away) left me so unbelievably shocked. I think I have felt so detached from prayer and synagogue for so long that I am scared to reenter that world. I hope that this incident is the impetus to better integrate synagogue and prayer into my Jewish journey.

Hiking up to the summit of Katahdin was a beautiful and spiritual experience. It was beautiful for obvious reasons, and we were very lucky that the weather was so good that day. It was also incredible to see several hikers finishing their journey on the AT.

I went to Jerusalem and experienced it as all one big self-indulgent show. It actually turned me away from religion more than before. "The greatest argument against religion"

Watching my daughter in the hands of two nurses counting the seconds before she could safely take her first breath, that had to be as close to holy as I've come.

Truly realizing and accepting that "I am my own destiny" was the most significant spiritual experience I had this past year. No single event triggered this experience/acceptance...day-to-day life underscored it for me. Guessing it all goes back to "free will."

September 11th has always been spritual to me, sort of like a connector. So has giving back to charity. So when I did the AIDS walk and the breast cancer walk, it meant a lot, as well as seeing Ground Zero and having that touch my life.

It would be the Kenyan trip again. Having been led to feel that a huge transformation would take place in my life, I'm a tad disappointed. I saw poverty and wealth side by side. I found it interesting that the people of the slums walked around, socializing, going about their business - but they did so in freedom. The people in the wealthier houses on the other hand built walls around their houses and had guards at the gates. I had to ask myself who were the rich people here?

This summer I finally admitted to myself that I don't believe in the typical concept of God. As of this moment I am Agnostic (Ignostic) but I continue to search for my spirituality.

I have finally started meditating on a more regualr basis and I can see the benefits that I will eventually accrue through practice.

The closest thing I feel to "spiritual" is expressed in my writing. During the past year, my writing has improved dramatically, becoming more nuanced, more direct and more fluid. I am developing a style, a "voice," and I am very pleased with it. I will continue writing personal essays, and become more disciplined and focused in my practice.

I don't know the answer to this question. I've certainly had spiritual experiences. Perhaps one of the best was listening to Chris's healing mix CD for the first time in a couple years and remembering the power of vulnerability and earnestness, bottom power, etc. I don't know the protocol, the sacrifice, and what it means to be reverent of the sacred. In weird juxtaposition to that, I am also appreciating in myself and others charm, wit, social skill, grace, and game.

The birth of my son was a spiritual experience. I will never forget seeing my husband break down in tears of joy by my side in the hospital. I will never forget dancing all night in his arms and on my own, doing cat cow over and over again, asking him to push on my back, singing, yelling, and riding the waves of contractions. It was incredible. It was painful. It was a gift from the universe.

Not to my recognition. Hopefully as the school year continues, I will be more active in class discussions unlike my years in high school. This will enable me to speak confidently every class from then on.

I had a great experience singing with my synagogue's choir for the first time this year, and it was so good to reconnect to choral singing for the first time in 6 years. I'm not a great singer, but the feeling of overflowing with song, wrapped around with the voices of others is just amazing.

Today, is not Day 5 of 10Q I started a new job and am doing it on Day 10. And today is Yom Kippur, the Rabbi's sermon today was about dealing with enemies and harboring feelings of hate and how pointless it is. How some jewish man had to flee Austria during WWII and came to America and would go back there for business. He was asked don't you hate them, why do you go back there. And his reply was if I had two souls, one would hate them full time, but I only have one so whats the point. The other thing the Rabbi said was to help your enemies if they need it, because showing kindness is a way to actually become friends and find common ground.

No. Just happiness.

Dave and I decided to start praying together. It hasn't stuck. Yet. But when we did, I felt a real closeness to my husband. I hope we can incorporate it for good.

Chanting in New Mexico for a week with Shefa Gold at the alumni retreat. More specifically, chanting alone Sat morning before services on the mountain bike path where I chanted Ner Adonai as each of the Four Elements, and realized that there is only one inner Chamber-- it encompasses everything.

A month after my double mastectomy, the week I was about to start chemotherapy, I took a Qi Jong class. For the first time in a month that day I moved my upper body deliberately for the sake of meditation, creativity, dance, and joy. My body hurt, but my soul soared.

This pregnancy was indeed a miracle in ways i couldn't have imagined. it's likely that my daughter "implanted" on the anniversary of my dad's death - 25+ years later. (i know thanks to IVF technology - science!) she was born weeks before the death of my beloved grandmother. last rosh hashanah i was afraid to even speak the word "pregnant" out loud and cried through the whole service with gratitude and hope. this year i barely even made it inside before the tears came. i am so blessed.

Absolutely! This was the spiritual year to top all spiritual years: I studied Torah weekly with my chavruta partner, even after she broke her leg. I went from "get hives just thinking about a bf" to "G-d wants us in pairs and I'm fully ready to cooperate with that." Counted the Omer all the way through and, in so doing, spent 49 days in deep meditation over the intersection of the seven character traits considered therein. Backpacked through Israel for nearly all of Elul, preparing me for Rosh Hashanah 5774 in a way I could never have anticipated -- especially the week in Tzfat. Helped my sister economically in terms prescribed by the Torah -- a first!

I feel like I was pretty spiritually disconnected this year, whatever that means. Playing Shylock tapped into my Jewish reserves in a big way, and I got to perform a lot of my own prayerful reserves. That was a kind of release, but not a renewal of any kind. Little things, maybe. Moments with trees or grass. A long, long silent conversation I had with a dog a couple months ago. If I knew how to take care of myself enough I would go live on a mountain. That's what 'spiritual' means to me right now. 'Rocks and stones and trees.'

Yesss!! Camp HASC was so so beautiful and spiritual. Walking with Yaeli, singing to the campers, connecting to that basic goodness in them, it makes me want to cry. Holding Ezra. Pure children make my heart shake. It's such a privilege and a miracle to be near such pure souls. Also watching Perks of being a Wallflower with Dani was very moving for me because I think I realized how much of an impact sexual abuse makes on a person. When I was crying I was also crying for myself.

My slow move toward conversion to Judaism is really touching me on a deep level. I find the encouragement of deeper and deeper study to fill a need in me that I had always felt stifled in the Christian traditions I was raised in. I am looking forward to deepening my study this next year.

Having my long term girlfriend cheat on me. But realising that I wouldnt become like my father and become abusive or lost my shit or be as spiteful as I really thought I could be. I can and will be a better man.

Not religiously. Honestly I feel disconnected from Judaism. I love being Jewish but as I read the bible and read the prayers there are just some things that seem impossible to me. I don't want to lose my jewish faith and traditions but I also don't want to be a part of something fully if I disagree or feel disdain towards it. Other than religiously I guess I've been more into reading and poetry and the art of writing-which is awesome. HAHAH who am I kidding- I wish I was. Culturally I've watched more TV shows-hell yes.

Unfortunately, this year I did not connect spiritually as much as I have in the past. Maybe I had filled my life with too many unfulfilling distractions, and I am seeing the ill effects now. I need to pay attention to my spiritual life.

No epiphanies! But I'm starting to understand the meta thing with Buddhism, sometimes I just feel warm feelings emanating from me and people respond positively, and I want more of it. The self-love I have started to really develop has been really encouraging, and I do my best to use it for the good of others - and I hope it continues to grow and my internal flame grow brighter. I also feel more mindful, trying to put into practice 'the spy' who looks at your concentration and motivation for what your doing. I would love to get a better mindset looking at the present and being mindful of death. And now hospital pharmacy is over I think the stress has now washed away :)

I feel less spiritual these days. I don't know if its menopause or taking effexor numbing my feelings a little. I still enjoy yoga, but have been taking more physical classes, like yoga/pilates. I miss Joy's endings. I guess the most spiritual thing actually is sailing, being by the water and sunsets. Heavenly! feel renewed.

Looking at my perfectly healthy and intelligent and sweet children fills me with awe and gratitude. I am very lucky to have had two perfect babies at my age and in my health condition. That's as close to spiritual as it got for me this year. In terms of artistic experiences, the girls' weekly Music Together classes are the highlight of MY week. The teacher is talented and beautiful and the songs and dances are great therapy.

No, this was a year that was spiritually lacking for me. I know that is something I want to work for in 2014. How and where to find the spiritual, to make sure that my soul is nourished as well as my body and mind.

Sadly no. I continue to feel pulled apart spiritually, trying to cope with so many different perspectives and needs and temperaments within my own family.

I have been greatly affected and helped by my acting training. I have become more present , more determined to be creative, and more committed to learning and growing creatively.

The synagogues in Rome. It grounded my mission.

Yoga has become a huge spiritual experience for me in the past year. The more I've gotten into it, the more I see it as my space to to really look inward, but also to look outward and consider things bigger than myself. I hope to find a way to continue that experience on my budget.

I started meditating. That was the most spiritual thing I did, but really this was the year I spent mostly engaged in my body. It was my most physical and least spiritual year by far. Illness will do that to you, make you completely and inescapably aware of your physical body. I guess that's spiritual in its own way.

Making the decision to commit to my writing has been deeply spiritual for me. Writing feels soul fulfilling in a way that I need to remember as I move forward. Few things connect me back to myself the way that writing does. Whether I am writing a drash or digging up memories from long ago, I feel like I am exactly where I am meant to be.

The moment beneath the huppah, holding my almost-husband's hands and surrounded by so many friends and family members who have supported and loved us the whole way, was profoundly moving. It's humbling how much care everyone has had and how they have helped our relationship flourish, and it felt so comfortable and meaningful to be able to affirm our devotion for each other with everyone there. The love I feel for my husband was so strong in that moment, and it's wonderful to always have that even in times that are more challenging.

Being in Thailand during Songkran (Thai New Year) was an experience. I'll never forget listening to my friend DJ'n in front of 10k people, water spraying everywhere and rain falling. It was quite an experience. I don't think I would have enjoyed it nearly as much if I wasn't in his DJ VIP area.

I don't know if you call it spiritual, but I am lately preoccupied with thoughts of death, of suffering, of how we are All going to die and of how we don't let ourselves know it too intimately. If we did, how could we go on? I feel pity. For us all. All. The small and the big. I only hope that the joy of being or having been alive somehow compensates for the grim emptiness of the prospect of not . I think lately of my mom, my dad, Joe's mom....I miss them and feel sad they cannot witness the exploits and triumphs of,their,offspring....and Their offspring. I am lonely. I miss my Amore. Is it possible he's really gone for ever? I guess I understand better peoples' longing to believe there is more out there, spiritually...

My spirituality comes from my memories and in appreciating beauty around me. I haven't the imagination to believe that there's an afterlife but I get a lot of comfort from remembering the people I miss particularly doing things they would have loved too, baking, knitting, gardening. Music is still the most powerful force in my life and I think always will be. The songs that describe an emotion you could not, that move you to feel the opposite of how should be feeling! Music is the only thing that recaptures the heady rush of falling in love. We had a concert in our house this year for the very first time. A small group of friends gathered in our home, and we talked and laughed and ate and drank together. And then we listened. It was so wonderful being in the place I call home, hearing this incredible voice soaring around us, looking around at familiar, smiling faces.

Nothing spiritually stands out, as least nothing like the type experiences I used to have in days gone by. Just part of the spiritual wasteland I have been wandering over the last 15-20 years, though I am recognizing they may be occurring without the old thrill that accompanied those experiences back then, thereby just making them more difficult to recognize. Hummmmm.

No particular experiences of the spiritual nature but have become more calm and aware of who I am and being.

Being with family, both immediate and extended following my mother's death, for my aunt's 8oth birthday and for a cousin's son's Bar Mitzvah were all very meaningful to me.

The birth of my son occurred this past year. It is a reminder of the start of my life. It’s a reminder that our lives will one day come to an end and therefore we should live life with purpose!

Celebrating Havdallah with 72 Jewish teenagers from 10 different countries, most of whom I had only known for six days, in Bulgaria was the most spiritual experience I've ever had. As cheesy as it sounds, in that moment, I felt infinite. I felt a part of something bigger than myself and I felt that I mattered.

I have felt the call to ministry more strongly than I ever expected-I feel right at home in the pulpit, and I feel like this is what I was meant to do, more strongly even than when I teach. The strength of this has surprised me-it's almost as though someone else is pulling me toward this.

Nope.

I continue to need to make more time in my life for meditation... I did attend a yoga retreat in Tulum and that had a significant and positive impact on my life. I also traveled to Peru and participated in an ayahuasca ceremony. I felt that insects were monitoring and living inside me... I was told that was a connection with mother earth... I realized that I needed to stop hurting myself and accept my limitations and learn to truly love myself. I continue to remain sober and I am grateful for that... I hope to build on my spiritual practice in 2014...

sparks of creativity have ignited my spirit. this has helped calm me and open my mind to possibility. i think i have been stuck in this time and place for awhile;' in a physical spot on the map that i long to see in the rear-view mirror; in a dull job i am only in to pay the bills but one which dampens my joy. so to have this creative fire burning is a spiritual life-saver for me. hope. love. dream.

The last moment of my retreat in NM.

No.... and I rather wish I did.

Totally! Something opened up. Maybe it started with the Artists' Way and it certainly cracked wide open with M.I.T.T. The value of simply giving to others...the miracle of making magical things happen without talking for 8 hours, the awareness that I'm letting life pass me by

I have not had any spiritual events

I had the opportunity to participate in a women's collective om circle on the beach. I could feel the vibrations and energy of the 10 women chanting in succession.

Reading Be Happy has sparked a spiritual experience for me in some ways. As you can probably guess from the name, it's a self-help book on happiness, whose content I would usually have brushed off as meaningless psychobabble. But I knew I needed the help, and the concept of irrational joy - joy with no reason other than itself, joy that is always present even if we are not always able to tap into it, a joy that is resilient and not conditional on our situations - was one I needed to hear. I view my joy as a lake: I am at peace with myself when I cannot see its bottom. I had been trying to manage my unhappiness by filling the lake with coloured water that obscured the bottom, but in fact the greater joy is when the water is crystal clear, yet so deep the bottom is out of sight. This lets me see my depression as a factor in improving my ultimate joy, in that it has helped me deepen the lake, so that it can contain more crystal-clear water as I learn to be happy again.

A 'spiritual challenge' I've had was to defend my faith and beliefs to somebody who is very close-minded about God and the supernatural. I was pleasantly surprised by how determined I was to hold my ground, though. It's been a while since I've been to Church, and I disagree with a lot of the politics of religion. It was refreshing to realise that my core beliefs are still there, and still strong.

No standout moments are coming to mind. I have this weighty decision on my mind and that is to start going to church and attending regularly. I'm into minds as to what I believe. I was raised as a Christian however have not been baptised or christened. However, over my life I have been more spiritual than religious. I'll keep an open mind and continue to look into both more. One thing I do know is that the power of the mind plays a huge part in it. Whether that be with good health, confidence, abilities and more. So I will work on being more positive and encouraging with the words I tell myself.

We're going big time culture this year: theatre, opera, ballet, we'll see how it works out.

I'm still not much of a spiritual person. I'd like to spend more time thinking about these issues at some point, but life is still too busy. Maybe the closest I come to a spiritual experience is the time to retreat from the pressing issues all around us. Whether that's at the cottage, or going to Punta Cana, or taking a long weekend away with Joan, stepping outside the regular routine of things is rejuvenating.

The day I spent in Tyddyn on my own preparing my eulogy for Gran felt spiritual - in particular, at the end, looking down into the valley and feeling a rush of love for a place that has been such a reliable and beautiful constant in my life

Yes,yes! Living in this beautiful, magical little hamlet is a spiritual experience in itself. Every day I see the beauty around me. I am inspired to create -- painting, gardening, canning, photography. And I am inspired to take better care of myself, I eat almost totally organic and avoid commercially processed foods. In a nutshell my life up here has become a somewhat spiritual experience every day.

Yes, my car accident definitely made me think that God was not only watching out for me, but allowing me to see things differently.

I went through a hellish job situation that culminated in me losing my job earlier this year and through it all I trusted God. I trusted Him that He had a plan, that He would see me through, and He can make good out the situation. I believed that if I continued to do the right thing even though the wrong thing kept happening that He would honor that attitude of trust. He did. I was out of work for only 3 months. I found a good job at a better company. It's been a lesson of trust. God is faithful. I'm learning that to be like Christ, which is the goal of the Christian walk, you must suffer.

NO. And I want one. Bad.

Staffing a Birthright trip for the first time. As someone who never went as a participant, I was highly cynical about the cult of Birthright and (honestly) kind of burned out on trips to Israel. Being able to see the country through a first-timers eyes was an incredible experience for me both personally and professionally, and it also reminded me why I love to work in the Jewish communal world.

Burning Man--it changed the way I walk down the street every day. It changed the way I appreciate others. It changed the way I love. It changed my entire outlook on life for the better and for the more beautiful.

Welcoming my second child into this world and having the birth I wanted brought me back in touch with meditation and alternative therapies.

I have questioned the existence of a supreme power or being of any description - we have tried to be good people, and all four of our close friends and family members whose lives were tragically cut short this year were "true believers". What's up with that God? Are you punishing us, the atheist / skeptics? Or are you cutting their lives short and giving them painful deaths because they didn't pray to the right version of you or pray hard enough? I've asked for comfort and strength from whatever spiritual force is out there, but I haven't gotten any answers or spiritual feelings.

Not one in particular, but on the whole throughout the year, yes. TBM, ESM, and now Natural Healing Systems have improved my health SO much through such unusual, uncommon, means that I know this is coming from a higher place. I feel God more in my life this year that I have in many past years. From the finer details to the big big events. Oh wait, YES! there was a very specific moment of divine intention in my life. I didn't know if I should go out on a limb and pursue my involvement with TBM. I asked God to make it very very obvious if I was supposed to pursue this and I was given a large green light by the invitation to the conference in May. Show changer.

Not much spiritual growth this year. I know I'm not doing as much to feel "connected" as I'd like. I'm not religious. My boyfriend's mother is very, or I'd say overly, so and at one point during a visit, she and her daughter-in-law approached me about why he and I were not religious. This was very awkward.

I really enjoyed Kol Nidre and even much of Yom Kippur. While I used to dread the holidays because of the length and boredom that a day in synagogue entails, I've come to really enjoy the opportunity to be self reflective. I still don't really connect to the chest-thumping, self-flagellation part, since I beat myself up all the time anyway and am hyper aware of my failures, but somehow that time, and reading the machzor and some of the poems and alternate readings feels good.

During the literary theory class that I took over the summer, I was inspired by a lot of the feminist and queer theory that we read. A lot of the feminist readings opened my eyes to the fact that even though women have really advanced in leaps and bounds over the past century, we are still living in a largely male-dominated society and have a long way to go as far as complete equality is concerned. With queer theory, I learned that sexuality is a fluid thing that is not necessarily black or white. It's not something that you can easily slap a label on. That was a significant thing for me, because I've been questioning my sexuality for some time now. Now that I'm aware of the fact that attraction to both genders is more of a common occurrence than one might think, I'm a step closer in accepting that it doesn't matter whether I'm bisexual or a lesbian (as of now, though, I think I'm probably bisexual). I'm attracted to who I'm attracted to. I'm attracted to guys, and I'm attracted to girls. Maybe I'm attracted to girls more often than I am to guys, but that doesn't make me one thing or another. I am who I am.

I am excited about sharing my spiritual life with my children (and my husband). Randy is growing into a thoughtful, caring person. I want to be part of connecting that to Judaism. I also want to learn from my children--their perspective on G-d and life and what's important in life is priceless. I am excited about the Beit Midrash starting at the New Shul, and I hope that becomes a central part of our routine.

AA is my spiritual experience. I'm learning every day about me about the world about how my attitude is the complete basis on how my life is experienced. I want to have a good experience. To do that I need to have a good attitude.

Walking into Grand Central Station for the first time filled me with an awe and wonder that I have never felt in any religious building.

I don't think I have, actually. The "winter break" when the college shuts down for two weeks was a time of reflection and made the clarify -- and be honest with myself -- about my true goals. I don't remember it as particularly spiritual, though.

I've prayed more this year than in a long while. And before I left New York I went to St John the Divine and felt the power of people's prayers, smoothing the stone in the cathedral, making the space sacred. I realized then, that sacred spaces are ones we make, where we welcome the divine, not the other way around.

Sad to say, but no, no particularly spiritual experiences this year.

The marriage ceremony was powerful, and the ketubah signing, in particular, moved me. Something about the friends and family gathered and the contract itself -- so anachronistic and yet so potent -- made the reading, discussion, and signing of the document very special for me. I look forward to having the ketubah framed and on display in our home. Also, during last year's Rosh Hashanah service, I was given the honor of carrying the second Torah. I didn't expect it to feel as meaningful as it did, but I felt very privileged to be carrying the touchstone of my people.

I return to the miracle of my infant daughter Addison. It has revived my belief that there *is* something beyond this plane. For me, there is just no way that my mother and grandmother - atheists though they were - did not have something to do with this perfect perfect girl being dropped into my lap. I will never ever forget the look or the chills down my spine on Father's Day, watching Addison interact with my Dad. I could tell that she had met Mom and was conveying to Dad that everything was ok, that she wanted him to know that it was ok.

I self-published my novella, Dreads, and that was a big accomplishment. I haven't had much success with my writing, so I was really happy to get this done. I also got my first writing and editing work for tabletop RPGs and I was really proud of the work I did.

I am not spiritual. While I still consider myself to be "Jewish", I am still atheist. If anything, I became less spiritual this year. I think this past year is when I really acknowledged to myself and others that I am atheist. I am still "Jewish" in the sense of I love the tradition and the bringing together of people, but without the god mumbo-jumbo. It feels really good being able to tell people that I am atheist. However, I still tread lightly around some people, considering the area I am from and such.

I attend church regularly and find it very spiritual. But I want to pick a different experience. Our family goes to Provincetown each summer. Mom and Bill rent a big house for three weeks, and the kids and grandkids come down for about a week during that time. It's been the same house for 5 years, and been a tradition for a few years before that. It's been a wonderful time to spend a lot of time with family. And this was the first year without Shannon. We all grieve in different ways. We all heal in different ways. Katie and Michelle created a beautiful experience of grieving, memorial, and healing for all of us. They found some Chinese Sky Lanterns online. The plan was to release them on the last full night we all were there. Some family wrote messages to Shannon on the lanterns; I kept my love and message in my heart and mind but didn't want to commit it to paper. We planned for sunset; about an hour beforehand, a thunderstorm came rolling through. We lost electricity - which has never happened with the family - or to me on many other trips. A rainbow across the harbor came after. We gathered on the beach. The storm continued far across the bay, and we could see the lightening land on the shore. We started unfurling, lightening the lanterns. Two would hold as one light, we would wait for them to fill enough, then let them go as they took flight. We watched as they floated up, into the clouds, the heavens, and disappeared from sight. I did not think of it at the time, but the experience echos exactly us gathering to be with Shannon as she transitioned from this world to the next. We held each other; we cried.

As I become more emotionally accepting, I become more open to spiritual models of how the universe is.

I have had very artistically liberating experiences during my auditions this year. I was so proud of myself for putting myself out there and really taking some risks. I will be extending my acting abilities. I spent a lot of time writing for my blog which was really liberating and a cathartic experience in a way. Also, the temples in Xi'an were very moving. It was such a strange feeling to gravitate towards them with no map, tour guide, or anything. They were little treasures in the middle of such a big city and I was able to find peace there. I had a strange experience, however I don't know if spiritual is the way that I would describe it. When I was at the top of the Bell tower on my solo trip to Xi'an, I had the sudden revelation that I could just throw myself off right there and nobody would know for possibly days or weeks. It was not an unhappy thought, which I think is the closest I've ever come to accepting death.

During a meeting of my women's circle, I went on a meditative walk in a forest preserve. I found an enormous tree trunk with branches that seemed to begging to be climbed. I realized I'd never be able to climb it myself because the branches began too high, but I could lift my daughters up to reach, and they'd probably be able to do it. I stared at the tree for a long time from close up, examining the trunk and its roots, and after a while, I stepped about twenty feet back to see the whole thing from a distance. It was only then that I realized that the tree was entirely dead. And then I thought: I've been trying to figure out a way to send my daughters up to the top of a dead tree. It's probably not even worth climbing. When I thought about this as a metaphor for the pursuit of physical beauty, it was utterly amazing.

I suppose my Grandad's funeral was a particularly spiritual/cultural experience for me this year. It was odd coz it was in some ways very different from my Grandma's funeral but then some things were the same. It's something that I want for me. A Chinese funeral. It's the only thing that we really retain from our ancestors and that's probably why I like it so much. It sounds pretty, I dunno, odd, that I like something that's so melancholic in nature, but I feel really at peace at Chinese funerals. Even if I'm really upset I still feel like a part of me is complete by performing and taking part in the rituals and traditions. Like I'm part of something bigger than me and that's ok. I have such a passion for our funerals and their related traditions/rituals that I often tell my friends about them, and I kinda want my friends to be able to take part in one. Only not, because that means someone has to die which isn't something I want. I guess I just want my friends to feel the way I feel about them. They never will, of course, because they don't have that cultural connection but I sure hope they have something like that for themself, whatever it is.

My spiritual experience came with the realization that I can do something to combat human trafficking in my home city. I feel that this is such a strong calling for me. I need to reach out and help others. I must keep my commitment to this by making the time for it.

I discovered a much deeper level of connection with the world, spirituality, creativity and it shifted how I approached the world. Makes me a much better person.

Watching a rabbit dig a burrow where she could have her babies in safety, my knowing it was right under my feet when I watered the garden, and seeing the babies emerge in the early dark of evening. Better than any formal services I have ever attended, this reinforced my continuing knowledge that my heart and mind reside in nature.

I took time out from going to church and explored my spirituality without any boundaries. I went for Yoga classes and spent my days seeking my own authentic ways of connecting to my God. At the Mile, I encountered God in an amazing way where once again I realised that God is not far at all from me internally and that it only takes my going deep within me to access the special connection. With this knowledge I realise that I need not go anywhere to access God but when I go to fellowship with others, it is really to bring and share my own godliness.

Turning 30 was a spiritual moment. I turned 30 on day 4 of the inca trail trek on the day we reached Macchu Picchu. It was my mountain top moment where I realised that I had accomplished something that I had set out to do. This whole trip travelling by myself is one big spiritual moment where I am learning so many things about myself and constantly challenging myself and stepping outside of my comfort zones. The year of I as i like to call this year away is my spiritual coming of age journey.

While I've not created much tangible art, I find I'm doing more creative thinking. For example, the idea for abtract pieces based on patterns in the wet sand left after a receeding tide, or the play of light and shadow in a shallow pool of water.

I have had many spiritual experiences at Vassar, too numerous to count. Vassar was the creation of my spiritual Jewish self. Unfortunately I have not yet found a Jewish home for myself outside of Vassar. I hope to this year, because I miss it terribly.

I found God. Well, my faith was restored. For a long time I was an agnostic. Then I needed to talk to my priest for support. He helped with an upcoming stress-filled weekend, and while I was there, I realized God was with me. I was not ready for that.

Grassroots Jews Yom Kippur 5774. Beautiful services, uplifting voices, melodies, kavanot, intentions. The pouring rain on Kol nidre night and the joy and intensity in the tefillot we created together.

Earlier this year my great aunt passed away after a horrible time suffering from dementia and Parkinson's. She very sadly fell down the stairs and then didn't wake up. Horrendously sad, and a horrible way to go, but at least she was relieved of the "life" she was living. Her funeral was a very spiritual experience for me. Although I've obviously known her my whole life, I learnt so much about her at the funeral, and how much we had alike. I just wish I'd taken the time to realise this whilst I could do something about it...

I have had no experiences worthy enough to remember, and remember O will when I see this next year. Much of this 10Q exercise is about reflection. That is all I have done this year, reflect upon poor judgment, terrible mistakes, wrong choices, dwelling in the past, and I can't stop, and it's ruining me. I have turned into a pathetic "shakki aurat" who has nothing better to do with her time than cast suspicions upon her relationships, and hurt herself in return. I have become undesirable to my boyfriend, I have become insignificant infront of my family, I have become worthless infront of myself. This has been my 2013 experience thus far.

Being in university i feel so much further removed from my Judaic self and that really makes me sad. I stopped reading torah at synagogue so now whenever I go I am reminded of how much I love being Jewish and how much I miss it being such a big part of my life. So I guess my answer is no, I haven't had a spiritual experience this past year but I hope this year brings new ones.

Not really. This was a year of a lot of change. New job, now city, getting engaged. I've been very focused on the day to day of it all. Maybe next year.

My time and experience with myself, being an acolyte and trusting God more than ever continues to make a huge impact on my life. I find myself even in the storm of life. Finishing my Chaplains class and participating in that has had me on a natural high. Riding high on life even when I'm scared out of my natural self!

After my trip to Rome and Ramallah, I felt an open space in my ribcage area... a hollow space, nothing inside, just waiting to be filled. I realize I am always too full. The experience of an empty space was like fresh air and freedom to me. I am working on preserving that space. I do believe it is the hollow core where creativity takes place.

I can't say that I have....

I guess the most spiritual experiences I had this year had to do with Sandy. The first was as simple as a walk. Sandy happened on a Sunday. Monday was calm, but the subway system was down. I cant' remember if it was Monday or Tuesday, but I tried to go into the office. Some numskull decided that we should all "make best efforts" to come in but don't risk safety. Well, turns out 3 hours in a cab won't risk your safety but it sure as hell is a waste of time. That night, I decided I should walk home. The problem was that sundown was at 5:30. I knew it would take me 90 minutes to get home, but most of the walk would be on the parts of Manhattan without power. I was nervous. I left at 4, with a copyeditor, Christine Ma, and a production manager, Jonathan Lopes. I'm pretty sure Jonathan left with us because he knew we were nervous about safety. You see these things on the news but nothing really comes close to the experience of it. On 38th street (the eastern boundary of the power outage) someone had plugged a surge protector into an outdoor outlet, and 5 people were clustered around it, tapping away on their phones as they recharged. We went further. Many intersections had a cop acting as stop light, but certainly not all. I was amazed that that much traffic could make it through without signals. Cars were more often than not very polite to pedestrians. Delis, pitch black, lit only by Advent or Mary Candles, her face glowing from within as she lit boxes of macaroni no one could cook, milk going bad, warm produce. Bars, operating-- and full!-- serving only what wasn't going bad, mostly selling out of red wine if you could pay with cash. Liquor and wine stores-- every single one we passed was open!-- advertising that they were OPEN if you were paying CASH ONLY. Seemed like a holiday, almost. What else was there to do? Walking over the bridge with hundreds and hundreds of people, watching the sun set. All of us, united, in this tragedy, trying to walk on, walk on, walk on. And those in Manhattan, who couldn't? Well, what's wrong with a drink with strangers while you wait for the tide to turn? The next weekend, or maybe it was even two weeks after?-- Stephen organized a trip to Rockaway with the teens at his school. Piled into buses, headed out with shovels and work gloves. I remember thinking how bad it was, even after all that time. The bus could barely navigate, guessing at what blocks were cleared of sand and which weren't. We didn't know where to go, really. We piled out, dropped off our donations of food and diapers and socks at a church, and headed to a block where we new some alums lived. Bulldozers were in the street, hauling away the sand. Feet and feet of it. People would come out and speak up if they needed help or volunteers, although many had already had help in the previous weeks, and a few boys would peel off with a chaperone and get to work. Isn't that incredible? no organized effort, just show up and someone asks for your help. And then you help. It's the true meaning of charity. We got to the houses at the end of the block, nearest the beach. The boardwalk was missing, or mostly in the yard of the house on the left. Piles of sand 10 feet tall-- a Honda, perched on top of one. Later, I found out from the man who owned it, that when the surge came in the car just floated around and around his driveway like a rubber ducky, and when the surge came down, his car was perched halfway on some stairs. The authorities removed it with a backhoe, and that's where it ended up. As we got to work, he climbed in, opened the doors, and played Elvis at the highest his stereo would go. "At least that is still work something!" he said. The rule was, sand in the road would get hauled by the city. But everyone had sand in their driveway, blocking in their cars. Some had basements that needed demolishing. I was on sand duty. We'd shovel into whatever we had-- wheelbarrow, trash can, bucket, and drag out to the street. Shovel and wheel for hours. Finally, we got one car exposed. The owners got in, and the car started after belching up more than a gallon of storm sludge from its exhaust pipe. Same for the second car. Walking to the bus that night, we passed the charred ruins of what used to be Chris's childhood home. His neighbors, those who hadn't lost homes to the fire, had photographs out on stoops, drying in the sun. It wasn't a happy place to be, but it was a happy experience to connect with people over it. Strangers, asking for help. Strangers, giving it. Charity, good heartedness.

I'm going to write about two: After my final long, really hard run while I was training for the NY Marathon, I sat in my car and dissolved into tears. It was the first time I was really connecting the training (something I have done for years so much that it's relatively free of other associations) with having lost my dad. All of a sudden the marathon actually WAS about a lot more than just trying to run a fast time. Just this week - I got to meet and hold my neighbor's 1 week old baby. It was an incredible experience to see a person so fragile and dependent, and how wholly my neighbors' lives had changed. It was a very discrete example of people being a part of something bigger than the individual that was really moving.

I get embarrassed, just thinking about this. But...Macklemore. I can honestly say that his music has changed my life. The End, Otherside, Starting Over. I am convinced that his music gave me the strength to write about my rape. I don't think I would have reached the level of recovery that I am at, if I wasn't for his music. His music comes on and I just have to take a minute. It's the closest to spirituality I've ever been.

There were many times throughout the summer where I felt intensely connected to nature. As we drove through the vast openness of states like South Dakota and Wyoming, I was in awe. Spending those few days in Wilson, Wyoming were so calming. There's so much natural beauty in this country and it makes me terribly sad that we're rapidly causing damage to it.

i wish, but no. my horizons have been broadened via the museum internship stuff. but sadly no.

Friday night Live services at Emmanuel - the music and beautiful tunes washing over me have brought the closest thing to spiritual. Particularly, my first time there, meeting the woman who was grieving for her husband, and holding her hand during Hashkiveinu .. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bUTiKtCS23c .. the song in which we were asked to channel our thoughts and strength toward those going through a particularly difficult time. It brought tears to my eyes thinking of her pain. This was by far my most spiritual moment ... the infusion of music with human connection.

Huh, no. Not really. And now that services are at 6 PM on Fridays we can hardly ever get there on time, which is a disappointment for us as we really did enjoy going as a family. But no, no moments of clarity or spirituality really impacted me this year.

IsraelIsraelIsraelIsraelIsrael By the way, Israel. It was a very moving and important event for me. Watching the couple on the wall to the Old City get engaged was so moving and special for me. I also learned about independence, moreover, to strive to do what makes me happy for me, rather than for other people. My extension was one of the best decisions I've made recently.

No. I feel more and more dead inside as time passes.

While taking a Family Studies - Life Management class online, I overcame a lot of obstacles and I learned a lot about myself and I was also given some tools to help me learn more. Despite feeling constantly overwhelmed by the teachers ego and her "busy work" hurdles, I managed to complete the class with a big fat A!! I learned that I need to trust myself more, among the many sources to help me to grow and grow.

Nothing really earth-shattering, but I spent a few mins. praying many mornings, & kept a list of goals, things I wanted to do & people I wanted to pray for, & nearly all of them came true in some way. Prayer has an effect. I prayed to have opportunities for core activities & they have come about by the grace of God, by others' efforts & asking me to be included, in other words not necessarily by ME making them come true! They just came true. I now have a junior youth group, a Book 5 training, & have been asked to do another Book 4 study. Many other blessings from friends praying for me. Prayer settles me & affects my life greatly.

I don't know that I ever have spiritual experiences - but I do know that this year I've felt more compelled to write, like my stories are about to overflow. It's not spiritual, but it does feel like the pot is boiling over, like I can't keep it inside anymore, like the pressure is building. I feel some sense of this pretty often, but lately, it's felt more pronounced than ever.

Yes, I have grown spiritually and trust my faith to keep my spirits high, even during troubled times.

I believe all growth is spiritual in nature. This has been and continues to be a year of growth for me.

Writing has crawled and meandered its way back into my life and I am okay with it.

A young mother in our community died recently. She was 27, her daughter not yet one year old at the time of her death. The day after she died I saw ridiculous signs in any little thing pointing directly at my own mortality. I've always claimed to be a nihilist, that what happens after death is unimportant. But I still think of her and how her little girl will never know her mother and I want to believe there's more to life and death.

I have been spending many hours with a friend who has been getting chemo. Numbers are not looking good these days but the time with her has been a blessing. Also, after postponing CPE for a variety of reasons, I have finally just started a program. Am beginning to see patients. I will be immersed in spiritual work and am both excited and scared of it. I don't know how I will be after this. I hope to deepen my spiritual connection to God and to see if I still have a call for this work.

The glory of the beach alone in the morning. The realization that a wedding is such a mixture of public and private sentiments, and a mix of tradition and community with the most intensely personal feelings.

I have had many small spiritual experiences. Every day I am in awe and amazement of how beautiful nature is, how wonderful my daughter is, how everything seems to fit, how fantastic sex could be, how complex our world is... There have been years when I experienced God in BIG, memorable ways... but now I live my life with the small encounters of God... they are not as memorable, but no less enjoyable...

Recently TOmmy telling me that he lost his mom but still feels like he is such a lucky person bcs he is really loved by a lot of people. "some people don't even get a cake and I got two"

When I was in the Rockaways after hurricane sandy, my car got stuck in a giant pile of sand. I started to panic, I had no idea how to get out. All the sudden, out of no where, a group of people descended on my car and pushed me out. It happened so quickly, and all the sudden I was free. It was an amazing example of the power of community and everyone coming together. I won't forget that moment.

In the time that I was engaged this year, I started premarital counseling , and then segued into solo sessions with our therapist. I have had such a deepening and intimacy growth in my relationship with The Lord, in my everyday life, and have more healing happen than I could have imagined.

I am soo much closer to God because of the various difficult experiences that I am going through( moms death and divorce) ..This has helped me soo much to still have faith and know that things happen for a reason and happiness still does exist for me...

Been seen...communicating with my mom while unconscious in the ICU.

I think the biggest spiritual experience I've had this year was the process of coming to know myself. I've been so out of touch wit myself for most of my life, so it truly was strange to actually start being able to point a finger to certain labels and say, "yes, that is me." And most especially for the label of being trans. I never looked back at my childhood as this horrible struggle of being trapped in the wrong body. I always knew something felt... wrong about me, but I didn't know how to explain it. Being able to finally reach into the mirror, pull myself out and say,"Hello!" has to be the most gratifying thing I've ever done, ever.

I remain connected to God through music. Sometimes when I am taking a walk, a song comes to mind and my whistle of it is strong and pleasing to me. It is powerfully spiritual. I associate certain songs with each of my parents--now passed-- and sometimes feel they are connecting with me when these tunes come into my head.

I don't use the word spiritual, but I was recently extremely moved by the movie 20 feet from Stardom. The power of these women's voices alone brought me to tears.

My perspective has shifted somewhat, so I more often notice and view serendipity or synchronicity as not mere "coincidence" or chance, but perhaps meaningful. I don't hold a notion of a thinking God at the helm, but am able to drop into a kind of awe of the unknown...that perhaps there is *something happening when things are coming together, occurring in a noteworthy way, seemingly underscoring something, and that I can then muse, reflect, or interpret in ways that may connect to something bigger and are meaningful to me.

I can't explain it, but no matter how confused or uncertain I am about being somewhere or doing something or where I am with my life, at some point something clicks such that I know I am where I can give and get the most.

I'm not really sure that I have. I have had a very stressful year, having to move, losing my tenant and selling my house. I realized that the house I owned was a place where I'd lived for the longest in my life. No wonder it was so hard to sell it. I'm not sure how I feel about it still, it's only been 3 days since the sale completed. I do miss it, but I'm glad that the new person loves it- that is what I'd asked for.

I was really awakened this year to the mortality of my parents and how they will not be around forever. I really hope by the time I read this next year that I take more time to document the knowledge and history my parents have of our history and to relish the 30+ years I still have with them!

Well this is a tough question because I consider all my experiences in life to be spiritual because that is the framework from which I view my life. I think perhaps the most spiritual thing to happen to me this year was coming to the realization that my waitressing job was my spiritual training. A training that was badly needed and so fulfilling once I understood what it was for. In truth I wasnt always up to being so self-motivated anddisciplined--my body was tired and sore at times, but I always tried, and I did a great job. I learned to be efficient, focused and to deal with people (and nto always their best side) on a constant basis. I learned that i could support myself and that I am an independent woman, capabable, disciplined and a leader. Thank you lord for taking such good care fo me. For the perfet opportunity to grow. I love you.

My sense of the spiritual has died along with everything else this year. My shul changed rabbis, I hate the new one, all that was comforting and reassuring, is gone, replaced with a political statement about who 'we' are as 'liberal' Jews...guess what? Turns out I'm not that fucking liberal...and I don't want to listen to a Toastmasters Rabbi...G-d is dead, there's nothing else.

I have fallen deeply and truly in love with a wonderful woman. I feel completely seen and understood. I am so blessed to have found her.