Integral Spirit

Integral Spirit is designed in response to the emerging spiritual upwelling in our world today that crosses all religious lines and indicates the rise of a new cross-cultural spiritual understanding. Integral Spirit invites us to in-depth work with our personal spiritual lives in the context of the new Universe/Earth story, our interfaith global community, and the environmental imperative.

Guided by universal archetypes, the wisdom of historic religious and indigenous traditions, and our emerging understanding of the sacred, Integral Spirit calls us to:

Are you fascinated by the beauty and mystery of an expanding universe and what this has to do with meaning and purpose in our own lives? Seeking a personal faith that is empowering and truly liberating? Looking for the dimension of depth in life and thought? Convinced that somehow we have to get on a sustainable path for ourselves and the planet and that this has something to do with what we believe? And where to find a vital community of friends who are up to these same things?

For many years, through Chinook and the Whidbey Institute, it has been our privilege to work with people of good heart---people who want their lives to matter and who are committed to doing what they can to serve the highest good. They carry an intense and growing concern about the issues troubling our country and our world. They also hold an equally intense realization that the way forward can only be found in the deepest wellsprings of the human heart.

Two years ago we began to shape the Integral Spirit Program where a lot of these elements hang together in a new pattern of coherence. Two cycles are now complete. In October 2006 we will begin with a new group of sixteen men and women and embark on this same challenging journey into wholeness and sacred responsibility…in an historical period of severe challenges.

Want to join us?

A genuinely exciting thing to be doing

This is a soul-level quest, one that crosses all religious traditions and is inspired by the power of a new spiritual upwelling in our world today.

Guided by the new Universe/Earth story, the wisdom of historic religious and indigenous traditions, our interfaith global community, the environmental imperative, and our emerging understanding of the sacred, Integral Spirit calls us to be radically open to Spirit. It will help us live in the power of big-picture consciousness, to learn the skills and practices that build collective wisdom, to understand and articulate personal core beliefs, to act from universal higher guidance, to give ourselves whole-heartedly to the “great work” of our time, and to love and celebrate the Mystery at the heart of life.

A big undertaking? Yes. But we believe this is what it will take to help shape a truly healthy and sustainable future for ourselves and the Earth. And while the challenges we face in the world are daunting, we also sense that we are among pioneers everywhere who are working to bring about a new and hopeful future.

We believe that we can access the universal wisdom, inspiration, and creative energy necessary to participate in humanity’s perilous evolutionary process and to fulfill our unique calling and contribution to our world. This is what the Integral Spirit journey is all about. And it’s about friendship, community, and great fun.

What happens? - Gatherings once a month on a Saturday. The day includes presentation, discussion, meditation, music, poetry, exploration in the forest, times around the fire and in the Chinook sanctuary, deep sharing of our lives, building common spirit and support. - In the weeks between the gatherings a fair amount of reading, reflection, journaling, crafting affirmations of personal faith, and developing new practices. - Examining together the “integral path,” sixteen elements of empowering faith, and the dynamics of a Spirit infused inner life and creative action in the world. - At the end of seven months each person sharing their unique and newly articulated expression of faith, and declaring to one another our commitment to the Earth and future generations. - An invitation to “chop wood and carry water,” caring for the place, building trails, enjoying and contributing to learning a new ecological consciousness. Becoming at home in forest and field, and under the night sky. - An invitation to participate in an evolving community, committed to a journey of a hundred years.

Where does Integral Spirit meet?

The home of Integral Spirit is the newly constructed Storyhouse on the Upper Meadow of the Chinook lands on Whidbey Island, a simple and beautiful structure that is off the grid! Story House is where we learn the story of the universe, the story of Earth, the human story, and in that context learn to tell our own personal stories.

Whidbey Institute: Integral Spirit is a program of the Whidbey Institute. It is part of the new Spirit of Legacy Project designed by Fritz and Vivienne Hull.

Cost: Sliding scale $900 - $1500. Overnight accommodations are additional.

Contact: Fritz or Vivienne Hull

We would love to hear from you. Please let us know of your interest. Perhaps you have questions, wondering about costs, dates, or logistics. A personal conversation may be important as you make a decision. If you are ready to apply please find the application form on our website and send it to us by email or by surface mail.

The Integral Spirit Program

Journey Into Wholeness and Sacred Responsibility

Whidbey Institute: Integral Spirit is a program of the Whidbey Institute. It is part of the new Spirit of Legacy Project designed by Fritz and Vivienne Hull.