Spiritual Adventures in the Snow: Skiing & Snowboarding as Renewal for Your Soul

by Marcia McFee, Karen Foster, Paul Arthur (Foreword by)

Overview

Turn your recreation in the snow into a spiritual high point!

Activities that are exhilarating and fun are not usually thought of as spiritual. But to the contrary, such ventures may well point us to our most profound spiritual connections. For when we are able to come fully into the present moment, turn off the noise in our minds, feel our true essence as complete union of body-mind-spirit, we enter into a kind of other worldly state of ecstasy that we can experience only as a spiritual dimension.from Chapter 1

Debunking the myth that your body has nothing to do with your spiritual life, avid winter sports enthusiasts Dr. Marcia McFee and Rev. Karen Foster demonstrate how spirituality is fed by play and challenge and how your snow-filled adventures can serve as a set of metaphors for seeing lifes ups and downs as part of a sacred rhythm.

Whether you have a need for speed or are drawn toward more lyrical motion, McFee and Foster offer poignant insights on how you can find your peak spiritual life in your favorite snow sport, no matter your skill level. Learn how to:

• Reduce stress and embrace your need for fun
• Achieve harmonious integration of mind, body, and spirit
• Trust your bodys inherent wisdom
• Appreciate the details in nature and everyday life
• Clear your head and persevere in difficult times
• Cultivate a sense of community

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781594734427
Publisher:	Turner Publishing Company
Publication date:	04/13/2012
Series:	the art of spiritual living
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
Pages:	208
File size:	1 MB

About the Author

Dr. Marcia McFee, an avid skier, is a national speaker and consultant to churches on spirituality, arts, and worship.

Rev. Karen Foster, an avid snowboarder, is a teacher of spirituality, a retreat leader and a pastor.

Rev. Karen Foster is available to speak on the following topics:

• Sports and Adventure as Spiritual Practice
• The Natural World

Paul Arthur, a Junior Olympics coach and pioneer backcountry skier, was the first to ski Mt. Whitney in California as well as various couloirs and canyons of Mt. Tallac in California and Mt. Tom in the Sierra Nevada, California.

Table of Contents

Acknowledgments v

Foreword: Paul Arthur, backcountry pioneer and coach vii

Introduction 1

1 Woo-Hoo! Who Said Fun Isn't Spiritual? Adventures in the Snow-Thoughts from Marcia 7

Conversation with an Adventurer: Anne Lamott, author and exuberant novice 23

2 Are You Out of Your Mind? The Physicality of Spirituality-Thoughts from Marcia 27

Conversation with an Adventurer: Alex Heyman, ski instructor 41

3 I Could Kiss the Mountain: Getting Stoked on a Natural High-Thoughts from Karen 45

Conversation with an Adventurer: Bill Seline, backcountry skier, mountain guide, and telemark ski instructor 7

4 Freezing Your Fanny Can Be Spiritual? Opportunities of the Winter Season-Thoughts from Karen 61

Conversation with an Adventurer: Jamie Korngold, spiritual skiing guide 74

5 Zapped into the Zone: Finding Your Kinesthetic Groove-Thoughts from Marcia 77

Conversation with an Adventurer: Neil Elliot, "soulriding" researcher 94

6 More Than Buckling Up: Tuning Awareness beyond the Technical-Thoughts from Marcia 99

Conversation with an Adventurer: Kristen Ulmer, extreme skier and spiritual teacher 115

7 On My Butt Again: Life Lessons from the Mountain-Thoughts from Karen 119

Conversation with an Adventurer: Evan Strong, adaptive snowboarder 136

8 Making a Difference: Putting Spirituality into Action for the Planet and Its Peoples-Thoughts from Karen 141

Conversation with an Adventurer: Tina Basich, U.S. snowboarding champion 161

Epilogue 167

A Week of Meditations for Spiritual Adventures in the Snow 169

How to Talk Cool on the Mountain: A Guide to Slope Slang 177

Suggestions for Further Reading 187

AWord from the Authors 189