Soul Friends

"Most of us will have many friends throughout our lifetimes—friends of all shapes, sizes, and callings. Many of these are wonderful, meaningful friendships. Some are difficult. But some magic few of these are connections that have gone right to our soul. These five or seven or ten friendships have been powerful keys to determining who we have become and who we will become. . . . These are the people I call Soul Friends." As the Senior Scholar-in-Residence for over 25 years at the renowned Kripalu Center, Stephen Cope has spent decades investigating—and writing about—the integration of body, mind, and spirit and the rich complexity of our relationships with others, and with ourselves. Perhaps the central truth that arises from his work is this: human beings are universally wired for one thing—vital connection with one another.Soul Friends invites us on a compelling journey into the connectivity of the human psyche, the study of which has fascinated scholars, philosophers, and thinkers for centuries. Cope seamlessly blends science, scholarship, and storytelling, drawing on his own life as well as the histories of famous figures—from Eleanor Roosevelt to Charles Darwin to Queen Victoria—whose formative relationships shed light on the nature of friendship itself. In his exploration, he distills human connection into six distinct yet interconnected mechanisms: containment, twinship, adversity, mirroring, identification, and conscious partnership. Then he invites us to reflect on how these forms of connection appear in our own lives, helping us work toward a fuller understanding of "who we have become and who we will become."Without a doubt, the journey to our most fulfilled selves requires us to look within. But in order to truly thrive, we must make the most of who we are in relation to one another as well. Unsparingly honest, deeply wise, and irresistibly readable, Soul Friends gives us a map to find our way.

Are you missing out on one of the most transforming means to a deeper and more vibrant faith? In Soul Friends, Dr. Leslie Parrott explores the intimate stages of a woman's spiritual journey while showing you how soul friendships can deepen and enlarge your faith. God brings us soul-friends to help in our spiritual journey, sometimes in predictable places: small groups, friendships, and mentors. But they’re sometimes found in places we don’t expect—these “hidden guides” are people, past or present, whose role in our life may even be hidden from them, but nevertheless, have a deep impact on our growth and vitality. Whether it’s a hidden guide, a member of a small group, or a friend we’ve had for years, these soul-friends all hold the potential to embody grace that enables us to take a next step in the unfolding journey of our faith. Leslie reveals how every woman traverses four stages of spiritual growth—quest, calling, crisis, and communion – again and again. And whatever stage you find yourself traveling right now, you need soul friends to help you move forward When we seize the initiative to connect, together we will form a part of the deep communion that is the sisterhood of the traveling saints, journeying together in our desire to know God, serve him, and love him more deeply. Through story, poem, and reflection, Leslie Parrott reminds each of us of the incredibly intimate, intricate, faith-forming work God does in us through the gift of the women he places in our lives.

Spiritual Friends provides a biblically relevant training manual and relationally practical workbook for relating God's truth to human relationships. Spiritual Friends is for the layperson, pastor, or professional Christian counselor. It will equip the reader to master the personal ministry of the Word and spiritual friendships with thousands of illustrative interactions and hundreds of skill-building exercises.

This companion volume to Care of the Soul offers more of Thomas Moore's inspiring wisdom and empathy as it expands on his ideas about life, love, and the mysteries of human relationships. In Care of the Soul, Thomas Moore explored the importance of nurturing the soul and struck a chord nationwide—the book became a long-standing bestseller, topping charts across the country. Building on that book's wisdom, Soul Mates explores how relationships of all kinds enhance our lives and fulfill the needs of our souls. Moore emphasizes the difficulties that inevitably accompany many relationships and focuses on the need to work through these differences in order to experience the deep reward that comes with intimacy and unconfined love.

If you've looked up this book, chances are you're looking for something more than a casual date or another dead-end relationship. You're looking for someone to share your hopes and dreams with, someone with whom you share an eternal bond—your soul mate. Or maybe you're one of the lucky ones who have already found their other half—and you want to make sure the relationship lasts. Popular metaphysical author and hypnotherapist Richard Webster has regressed hundreds of clients back into their past lives. He has discovered that, somewhere out there, everyone has a soul mate. And finding your soul mate isn't an impossible dream—you just have to be ready. Soul mates enter our lives at the right moment—the time when we are physically, mentally, emotionally, and spiritually prepared to meet them. As you progress through Soul Mates, you will: Explore the theory of reincarnation, karma, and the soul Perform meditations and exercises designed to help you open yourself to love and attract your soul mate Read actual case histories of soul mates from the author's private hypnotherapy practice The two of you have been together countless times before. You may have enjoyed a passionate romance in ancient Egypt, medieval England, or Renaissance Rome. You may have spent pleasant lifetimes in the Holy Land, Thailand, or Russia. You found your soul mate then. You can do it again in this lifetime. The purpose of this book is to help you find—and then keep—this special person. Discover for yourself that the soul mate bond goes beyond "'Til death do us part"—for true love never dies.

Your girlfriends believe in God but do they know He believes in them? His heart toward your friends is filled with desire and determination to bless, help, and promote them. He wants to treat each one as “special.” This book encourages, nurtures, and inspires friends to discover their unique beYOUtiful spirit.

“Most of us will have many friends throughout our lifetimes —friends of all shapes, sizes, and callings. Many of these are wonderful, meaningful friendships. Some are difficult. But some magic few of these are connections that have gone right to our soul. These five or seven or ten friendships have been powerful keys to determining who we have become and who we will become. . . . These are the people I call Soul Friends.” As the Senior Scholar-in-Residence for over 25 years at the renowned Kripalu Center, Stephen Cope has spent decades investigating —and writing about —the integration of body, mind, and spirit and the rich complexity of our relationships with others, and with ourselves. Perhaps the central truth that arises from his work is this: human beings are universally wired for one thing —vital connection with one another. Soul Friends invites us on a compelling journey into the connectivity of the human psyche, the study of which has fascinated scholars, philosophers, and thinkers for centuries. Cope seamlessly blends science, scholarship, and storytelling, drawing on his own life as well as the histories of famous figures —from Eleanor Roosevelt to Charles Darwin to Queen Victoria —whose formative relationships shed light on the nature of friendship itself. In his exploration, he distills human connection into six distinct yet interconnected mechanisms: containment, twinship, adversity, mirroring, identification, and conscious partnership. Then he invites us to reflect on how these forms of connection appear in our own lives, helping us work toward a fuller understanding of “who we have become and who we will become.” Without a doubt, the journey to our most fulfilled selves requires us to look within. But in order to truly thrive, we must make the most of who we are in relation to one another as well. Unsparingly honest, deeply wise, and irresistibly readable, Soul Friends gives us a map to find our way.

“Lovingly crafted, deep, richly engaging, and wise.” —Jack Kornfield “An important resource...for many years to come.” —Sharon Salzberg “...brilliant and utterly engaging.” —Tara Brach This “glorious book” explores the essence of connection through 5 essential types of relationships, “[guiding] us into the infinite mysteries of human attunement” (Bessel van der Kolk, New York Times–bestselling author of The Body Keeps the Score). Do you long to connect more deeply with other human beings? Do you wonder if you’re living up to your human potential to make these deep connections happen—and perhaps missing out on this most compelling aspect of a vital life? In this groundbreaking book, bestselling author Stephen Cope invites us to explore the most important questions in this domain: What is the nature of human connection? Why, precisely, is a capacity to connect deeply so important to the development of our minds, bodies, and spirits? What are the actual mechanisms of connection that we must master during the course of life? How can our lack of connection inhibit our happiness and satisfaction in life? Can we learn to connect more wisely than we do? Cope is well known as a master storyteller, and he seamlessly blends science, scholarship, and storytelling, drawing on poignant stories from his own life as well as the lives of famous figures—from E. M. Forster to Sigmund Freud to Queen Victoria—whose formative relationships shed light on the nature of connection itself. In the process, he lays out in stunning detail the precise mechanisms of human connection, which he distills into five helpful categories: containment, twinship, adversity, mirroring, and conscious partnership. Then he invites us into a remarkably practical reflection on how these forms of connection appear in our own lives, helping us work toward a fuller understanding of deep human connection—and a more satisfying and fruitful life. Deep Human Connection was originally published as Soul Friends.

In It’s All Love, Black writers celebrate the complexity, power, danger, and glory of love in all its many forms: romantic, familial, communal, and sacred. Editor Marita Golden recounts the morning she woke up certain that she would meet her soul mate in “My Own Happy Ending”; memoirist Reginald Dwayne Betts, in a piece he calls “Learning the Name Dad,” writes stirringly about serving time in prison and how that transformed his life for the better; New York Times bestselling author Pearl Cleage is at her best in the delicate, touching “Missing You”; award-winning author David Anthony Durham enraptures readers with his “An Act of Faith”; New York Times bestselling author L. A. Banks is both funny and wise in her beautiful essay on discovering love as a child, “Two Cents and a Question.” And the poetry of love is here, too—from Gwendolyn Brooks’s classic “Black Wedding Song” to works by Nikki Giovanni, E. Ethelbert Miller, and Kwame Alexander. It’s All Love is a dazzling, delightfully diverse exploration of the wonderful gift of love.

“Life often offers miracles; you just have to see them and take action.” – Max Sometimes life calls upon us to take matters into our own paws. Soul Cats is a book that carries with it a very special and personal mission. The dying wish of “soul cat” Max was for his human guardian to write this very book, as he passed away just a few short weeks after. Within the pages lies a story overflowing with deep love between Max, Flix, Howy, and their human guardians. Together, their love is the prevailing force that sees them through times of significant challenges. Our animal-human relationships exist on a plane of consciousness that transcends that of our relationships between other humans. Soul Cats puts the reader in the perfect center of our animal-human relationship, engaging in a journey about communication, true connection, distress, and the light that gets us all through it. We all come with our own mental and physical baggage, something that older cats from the animal shelter share in common with us. Soul Cats explores the symbiotic healing power of cats and their humans caring for one another until they one day cross the rainbow bridge on their own terms. Soul Cats is teeming with stories—following the alpha cat Max, cerebral thinker Flix, and the ever-bright Howy. The cats and their human guardians experience situations laced with joy and emotion, but also those of profound and sobering reality. At its core, Soul Cats makes an indisputable case for how conventional medicine, natural healing methods, and energy clearing work can create a powerful trinity of relief and deep meaning in our lives. The experience of reading Soul Cats is one that touches the soul of the reader. It’s a beautiful story that weaves together courage, deep care, and shows the power that a legacy of love can produce. “Let love and joy be your guiding principles.” – Howy