Category Archives: Mindfulness

Caught One

Posted on November 2, 2018 by Esther Hizsa

I caught a dream. I dreamt I was driving someone else’s car and giving a few friends a ride. We got in and I took off, then traffic slowed down. I applied the brakes but the car didn’t respond as … Continue reading →

Posted in Mindfulness, Reflections, Stories | Tagged bc211, car keys, caring for our bodies, dream catcher, dreams, Esther Hizsa, Joslynn Gallant, Progressive Housing Society, Psalm 32:8, spiritual direction, spiritual director Burnaby, spiritual director Vancouver, Wednesday Lunch Club | 1 Comment

Shame’s Spell

Posted on October 19, 2018 by Esther Hizsa

Jesus pushes me out of uncomfortable places and pulls me into them. –Steve Garnaas-Holmes I almost said no to co-facilitating Living from the Heart next year because it makes me uncomfortable at times. I’ve told you how it tosses me … Continue reading →

Posted in Childhood, Mindfulness, Reflections, Stories | Tagged Bono, Esther Hizsa, Eugene Peterson, Jessie Wilcox Smith, Living from the Heart, Psalm 18:16-19, Shame, spiritual direction, spiritual director Burnaby, spiritual director Vancouver, Steve Garnaas-Holmes, Who do you say that I am? | 2 Comments

A New Kind of Happy

Posted on September 14, 2018 by Esther Hizsa

It was raining and the forecast was for rain all week. I wouldn’t have minded if it was a typical week of writing, seeing directees, and going to the Wednesday Lunch Club, but all that was scheduled for the next … Continue reading →

Posted in Homelessness, Mindfulness, Reflections, Stories | Tagged Anne Yungwirth, Esther Hizsa, If you can't beat it, Karen O'Shannacery, Psalm 16:11, Society to End Homelessness, spiritual director, spiritual director Burnaby, spiritual director Vancouver, Splash | 2 Comments

How My Suffering is Ending My Suffering

Posted on June 22, 2018 by Esther Hizsa

In my post “Releasing Reality,” I referred to Anthony de Mello’s counsel to let our suffering end our suffering. How does that work? Suffering reveals my siren gods. It reveals the alluring attachments that toss me about. Suffering helps me notice … Continue reading →

Posted in Mindfulness, Prayer, Reflections | Tagged 2 Peter 1:3, Anthony de Mello, attachments, awareness, Coco Love Alcorn, Esther Hizsa, Herbert James Draper, Luke 5:1-11, Matthew 7:9-11, Psalm 16, Psalm 17:15, Psalm 27:13, Richard Rohr, spiritual direction, spiritual director Burnaby, spiritual director Vancouver, suffering, The Naked Now, The River, Ulysses and the Sirens | Leave a comment

Life below the Surface

Posted on June 15, 2018 by Esther Hizsa

Saturday morning at the annual SoulStream partner gathering at Sorrento, Lorie Martin, our retreat facilitator, invited us to enter the meeting room in silence. Pictures of creation were scattered over two long tables. She asked us to choose an image that … Continue reading →

Posted in Creation, Mindfulness, Prayer, Reflections | Tagged Anthony de Mello, awareness, Choose Love, Esther Hizsa, Grace upon Grace, Invited, John 10:10, Living from the Heart, Lorie Martin, SoulStream, spiritual director Burnaby, spiritual director Vancouver, The Next Dawn | 4 Comments

Releasing Reality

Posted on June 8, 2018 by Esther Hizsa

I’ve been feeling out of sorts for a week or two–unmotivated to pray or read in the evenings. I just want to disappear and indulge in things that make me feel good. I feel this way whenever uncomfortable stuff gets … Continue reading →

Posted in Mindfulness, Reflections | Tagged Anthony de Mello, awareness, Christian.Rudman, Esther Hizsa, John 3:19, Jon 12:46, Lonely Tree, Mika Hiironniemi, Nicholas A Tonelli, spiritual director, spiritual director Burnaby, spiritual director Vancouver, stillness | 5 Comments

God Sees Me

Posted on May 4, 2018 by Esther Hizsa

All of a sudden, I was the boy in the story. I heard Jesus tell the disciples, “You give them something to eat.” While they stood there perplexed, I made my way through the crowd and offered Jesus my uneaten … Continue reading →

Posted in Ignatian Spirituality, Mindfulness, Praying with the Imagination, Reflections | Tagged Contemplation of Place, Esther Hizsa, Feeding of 5000, John 6:1-14, Luke 9:12-17, Mark 6:31-44, Matthew 14:13-21, Michael D. O'Brien, Prayer of the imagination, spiritual director, spiritual director Burnaby, spiritual director Vancouver | 1 Comment

Seeing Ellery

Posted on April 27, 2018 by Esther Hizsa

God, help me see what you see, I pray as I walk. I wonder if I’ll ever slow down enough to see more than a label: that’s a tree, a flower, a truck that needs a new muffler. Annie Dillard … Continue reading →

Posted in Creation, Mindfulness, Reflections | Tagged Annie Dillard, Earth Day, Elizabeth McKitrick, Ellery, Erin Khoo, Esther Hizsa, Genesis 1:31, goldfish, Maryam Khezrzadeh, maxxum, Medium, Mindfulness, Pilgrim at Tinker Creek, Second Nature Home Boutique, spiritual direction, spiritual director Burnaby, spiritual director Vancouver | 7 Comments

Time for Rising

Posted on April 13, 2018 by Esther Hizsa

Lift your head and dry your eyes. Time for rising. –Steve Bell, Bethany in the Morning During Lent, I tried unsuccessfully to refrain from zoning out. Many evenings I succumbed to temptation and played Scrabble on my tablet or snacked while watching … Continue reading →

Posted in Easter, Ignatian Spirituality, Mindfulness, Overeating, Reflections | Tagged Abbey of the Arts, Bethany in the Morning, Christine Valters Paintner, consolation, desolation, Esther Hizsa, Ignatian Spirituality, Mindfulness, Raising of Lazarus, Richard Rohr, SoulStream, spiritual director, spiritual director Burnaby, spiritual director Vancouver, Steve Bell, Sunrise, Susanne Nilsson, Ted, The Miracle of Mindfulness, Thich Naht Hanh | Leave a comment

Miracle Moments

Posted on April 6, 2018 by Esther Hizsa

I love the drama in the stories of Jesus’ resurrection, watching the progression from sadness and despair to confusion and then to joy. One minute life is dark and pointless and the next, it’s bright and full of possibility. Jesus’ presence changes … Continue reading →