In the United States recently, I attended a couple of deeply inspiring interfaith services that, for me, were unexpectedly ruffled by a request from one individual for prayers for American service people currently serving in Iraq. I am aware that the United States is not only the most powerful nation on earth but also among […]
There is nothing most parents want more for their children than happiness, and nothing that causes them greater pain than their children’s unhappiness. Nevertheless, the role that parents play in their children’s happiness is not straightforward, especially as children’s needs and experiences become more complex. Last year, as I was travelling around the country talking […]
One of the songs my children used to sing when they were little – and I imagine countless small children still sing it – went, “If you are happy and you know it clap your hands”. Those few words were repeated many times, accompanied by highly enthusiastic hand clapping, proving in those sweet, simple moments […]
“, Many people suffer a great deal from fluctuations in mood. And the people around them may suffer very nearly as much. So isn’t it odd that we generally pay so little attention to how directly our moods are affected by what we eat and how we treat our bodies? ,” Maybe thinking about food […]
When you think about foods being “good” or “bad” for you, it’s likely you are thinking more about your body than your mind. Yet what you eat dramatically affects the way you feel, think and act. When your brain is short of vital nutrients or water it cannot function optimally – and nor can you. […]
Perhaps you are not married to or living with a leading sports player whose sexual habits make frequent front-page news. Nevertheless, you are concerned about your partner’s attitude to sex. When you met, fell in love and made a commitment to one another, you knew that he (or she – this story does run in […]
I’ve been turning over the Big Question for most of my life: is there meaning to our existence beyond whatever meanings we ourselves ascribe to it? Clearly, I’m not alone in this. It has given rise to religions, philosophies and belief systems of all kinds throughout human history. My own faith background is Christian but […]
Barry Marshall and Robin Warren are my new heroes. It is not just that they are this year’s noble Nobel prizewinners in medicine, they are also shining examples of that glorious and possibly rather rare condition called the open mind. Of course most of us would like to believe we are similarly blessed: open to […]
“”If anyone can cause a happiness revolution, Stephanie Dowrick can””Paul Wilson”,,
This year’s Easter Retreat at Mana Retreat Centre in New Zealand was especially powerful and beautiful. One of the participants, New Zealander Mike Gowing, created this magnificent 8-page pictorial record that combines his stunning photographs with some of the brief texts used by Stephanie as she presented interfaith teachings on love. Click here to download […]
Interfaith in Sydney Monthly services (plus) Weekly meditation with Stephanie Dowrick Pitt Street Uniting Church, 264 Pitt Street, Sydney 2000 (near Park Street) Next Interfaith service, Sun 17 October 2010 3pm Weekly meditation, Wednesdays, 6-6.45pm “The radiance that is neither East nor West comes from a single moon.” Rumi We believe that interfaith can go […]
“”Be still””: A Meditation Day for beginners and experienced meditators. 22 July 2006 – Terrigal, NSW Our Lady Star of the Sea Parish Hall, Serpentine Road, Terrigal, NSW. 9:30am – 4:30pm This is a “learn to meditate day” for experienced meditators and complete beginners. The day is being presented by Spirituality in the Pub and […]