About Anthropos Community
Becoming Anthropos Together
Anthropos means Living Spirit or, as author Cynthia Bourgeault describes, a "fully human being" who can see and hold the beauty, pain, darkness, light, complexity, nuance, everything that the reality of the present moment offers. It's incredibly hard, yet we all - our families, communities, and the world - desperately need fully human beings, Living Spirits, to show up for each other in the service of healing ourselves and the world.
What is spiritual direction?
Spiritual direction is the practice of journeying with someone as they explore a deeper understanding of, and relationship to, the Divine - whatever that means for them. Through listening, story-telling, journaling, reading, silence, and other creative and contemplative practices, we attune to and become more able to hear and trust the Divine voice. Spiritual direction sits at the crossroads of Mystery and daily life, and asks questions like, “What does faith mean for me in my particular life’s circumstances?” Or “How do I hear the voice of the Divine in my life?”
Who am I as a spiritual director?
I see myself as holding a sacred space for the exploration of your own personal soul-work. I have a deep love for the Perennial Tradition – that is, the guidance of teachers of mystic faith traditions passed down over centuries. Together we explore practices that inform the development of a rich interior life in the service of revealing the sacredness of all of life and opening up to becoming an Anthropos through conscious love for all of reality. My practice is inclusive and diverse.
Who can benefit from spiritual direction?
Anyone who wishes to deepen their spiritual life, explore their relationship with the Divine, learn new contemplative practices, discern a transition or next steps in life, or even someone who feels they were created for more than what their current life looks like, and seeks help to hear the Divine voice. All people are hardwired for spiritual connection, but many of us have not been taught how to foster that connection, particularly in the context of our current world and busy lives. Anthropos Community is inclusive - we welcome you as you are and are dedicated to supporting each other as we become more authentically ourselves in our lives and the world.
How is spiritual direction different from therapy?
Mental health counseling or therapy can benefit many people and can be effectively used in tandem with spiritual direction. However, therapy is undertaken with a licensed mental health clinician and focuses on persistent issues that impede healthy interactions with self and others, utilizes therapeutic methods, and can include treatment for mental health diagnosis. While therapy is focuses on problem solving, spiritual direction focuses on exploring personal faith, developing a trust in the inner voice of Spirit, and honing contemplative practices that allow for a deeper sense of Divine presence. Spiritual practices, including spiritual direction, can be transformative, but are never a substitute for mental health care.
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About Carrie Dirks
Let's Journey Together
Carrie is a mom, a writer and musician, and a lifelong traveler on the contemplative spiritual path throughout careers, moves, marriages, parenthood, and her own healing journey. The daughter and granddaughter of Lutheran pastors, Carrie studied the Perennial Tradition at the Center for Action & Contemplation's original Living School, and spiritual direction and dreamwork at the Haden Institute. She has led Contemplative Spaces groups since 2021. Carrie is most at home in nature, spending time with her kiddos and animals, reading, and laughing (and crying) with good friends.
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"From the outside, my spiritual journey looks like many people’s – raised going to church, moved away from institutional religion in my 20s and 30s, and then returned to church to raise my kids, wanting them to experience caring community and to develop a sense of something larger than themselves.
From the inside however, my spiritual journey is a wonder, a throughline woven into the very fabric of my whole life which has been full of loss, heartache, mistakes, depression and anxiety, disappointments, and chaos - alongside unspeakable blessings, friendship, beauty, and miracles. Through some incredible programs including the Center for Action and Contemplation's Living School, and the Haden Institute, I have come to know the mystics of Christianity and other traditions, and have rediscovered the still, small place inside where I can rest and commune with the Divine. I came to understand my childhood wonder at being outside in the Colorado Rockies was a doorway; the deep connection I feel taking to my sons is a doorway; the bird calling at sunset, the friend who I unexpectedly ran into, the peace at my father’s deathbed – all doorways. Thomas Merton said, “The gate of heaven is everywhere,” and Rumi tells us that “there are hundreds of ways to kneel and kiss the ground.” What a blessing to have come to understand there is nothing to be done but to notice, to be in awe, and then to move forward out of that wonder. My life is a spiritual path, and yours is as well.
As humans, we are all wired for spiritual connection and awareness. And it’s good for us. It’s part of becoming whole human beings or “Anthropos” – people who have developed and live out of their full humanity, which includes the integration of our spiritual selves. How you do this is up to you, and talking with a spiritual director and dreamworker can help you navigate this path."
