Winter Feast for the Soul

under the same sky together
yet oceans and worlds apart
hearts softly beating

 In a few minutes it will be January 15. I will be participating in the Winter Feast for the Soul for the next 40 days. Below is a portion of information from the site www.winterfeastforthesoul.com:

Sunshine for the Soul

2010 Winter Feast for the Soul

by Valerie Skonie

On January 15, 2010 thousands of people around the world will come together to form a virtual community. They will be joined by their desire to establish a daily spiritual practice in their lives, along with a commitment to personal and planetary peace. They will come together through an event known as

A Winter Feast for the Soul:
a worldwide 40-day
spiritual practice period

Held each year from January 15 – February 23, the event started as a local event in Sun Valley Idaho in 2008, inspired by a three-line poem by the 13th century poet and mystic Jelaluddin Rumi.

“What nine months does for the embryo
Forty early mornings
Will do for your growing awareness.”

The first Winter Feast for the Soul was held in January of 2008, primarily as a local event in Sun Valley Idaho where a handful of people participated. By 2009 the event had drawn nearly 10,000 people from 29 different countries through its growing internet outreach. People practiced in groups in their local communities or alone in their own homes. They joined with others from their own homes in prayer and meditation daily through guided online sessions on the Winter Feast web site,
`There is no prescribed spiritual practice for this event. People are encouraged to use a spiritual practice that brings them peace and stillness. Although most of those who have participated in the past have used some form of meditation, the Feast also embraces other forms of contemplative prayer, reading sacred texts, yoga, journaling and expressive arts. The idea is to set aside 40 minutes each day to still and focus the mind and to dedicate that time to communion with Spirit.

 May you enjoy some time in contemplation and prayer