Now in my 75th year, I finally got myself into spiritual direction.  Or just as likely, it’s gotten itself into me.  Even that modest move required overcoming of a long-standing preference to manage my spiritual journey without needing outside assistance.  Then one of the first problems to arise was the recurrence of a long-standing difficulty with meditation, namely that I couldn’t sustain the silent centering and breathing for more than 2 or 3 minutes before the brain teased and pestered me back into thoughts and schedules.  After a week or two of this roadblock, I began to recall that when I’ve shared a silence with others—on retreat or in a small group—I could comfortably deepen into the silence for longer stretches of time without giving in to the distractions.  Not having such a group at hand, I hit on a practice that’s helping the meditation problem but bringing other benefits as well.  I’ve been calling that practice my “Virtual Meditation  Group.”Continue Reading