Course proceeds will be donated by our teachers for the rebuilding of La Casa de Maria in Montecito, California, that was largely destroyed by the historic fires and mudslides in January, 2018.


With each new day, our hearts are broken by the news of suffering caused by catastrophic fires, floods, hurricanes, violence, and deaths of friends and strangers both near and afar. Yet deep in our souls, we know that life’s tragedies can also yield hidden gifts of profound healing, renewal, and thriving. Gradually, we discover how catastrophes can even become sources of gratitude. With faith and courage, we learn how to open these gifts, to mend our broken hearts, and to move forward with wise, loving hope, energy, and optimism.

In this e-course, seven dear spiritual friends and respected teachers share the gifts of resilience, rebirth, and renewal from the spiritual traditions that have shaped their lives. They invite you to open these gifts together in loving community with them. They are donating the proceeds of this course to the rebuilding of a beloved retreat center, La Casa de Maria.

This e-course provides a multifaith and interspiritual guide to “Coping and Thriving with Catastrophe.” Each week will feature a different teacher who will share the wisdom and practices from their tradition. We are honored to welcome these teachers:

Week 1: Mirabai Starr for Multifaith and Spiritually Independent. Mirabai is an author, translator, and interspiritual pioneer. She leads retreats worldwide on the mystics of all traditions, the transformational power of loss, and the wisdom of the feminine.

Week 2: Camille and Kabir Helminski for Islam and Sufism. Kabir and Camille have been on the Sufi path for decades as translators, authors, and spiritual teachers. They founded and direct The Threshold Society, committed to creating a just, joyful, and generative world.

Week 3: Rami Shapiro for Judaism. A Jewish practitioner of Perennial Wisdom, Rabbi Rami is an award–winning author of more than 30 books on religion and spirituality. He currently helps direct the One River Foundation and hosts a weekly radio show, Essential Conversations with Rabbi Rami.

Week 4: Ed Bastian for Buddhism. Ed is an award-winning author and documentary film producer who has worked closely with more than 50 contemplative teachers from diverse spiritual traditions. He is on the faculty of Antioch University where he teaches Buddhism and Mindfulness Meditation.

Week 5: Swami Atmarupananda for Hinduism. Swami Atmarupananda has had a lifelong fascination and dedication with the Vedanta tradition. He joined the Ramakrishna Order of India and for many years has traveled worldwide giving lectures and retreats and participating in interspiritual dialogue.

Week 6: Cynthia Bourgeault for Christianity. Cynthia is a modern day mystic, Episcopal priest, writer, and internationally known retreat leader who divides her time between solitude at her seaside hermitage in Maine and traveling globally to spread the recovery of the Christian contemplative and Wisdom path.

As a participant in this e-course, you will receive:

  • Twelve emails at a pace that you choose. In each email, our teachers reflect on teachings from their traditions and provide instructions on practices.
  • The opportunity to reflect on your experience in your personal journal.

Whether you are coping with catastrophe in your personal life or have a heart attuned to the world's suffering and want to earn best ways to help, this course is for you.

(4 CEHs for Chaplains available.) To register for this e-course, click on the "Subscribe to E-Course" button below.

Available On-Demand
(choose your own start date and frequency)

$49.95

SubscribeGive as Gift