About

Tree of Life ~ Spiritual Practice Education recognises that we have entered a new era in human history; an era characterised by the nature of being human within an emergent cosmos. Such a shift reshapes the responses we discover to our time-honored and time-specific spiritual questions regarding meaning and belonging. Questions like: "Where did we come from?" "What is our purpose?" "What becomes of us when we die?" "Why is there good and evil in the world?" "Is there a god/s?" "What is the nature of love?" "What does it mean to be human in an evolving universe?" Posing spiritual questions and discovering responses that hold true for now, is foundational to the sacred work of being human, that is, experiencing meaning and belonging in today’s world.

Tree of Life ~ Spiritual Practice Education offers an online resource in the form of principles and practices for engaging in the sacred work of being human. Contextualized within a Western worldview and grounded in contemplative principles and practice, the three pillars of Tree of Life ~ Spiritual Practice Education are:

• an attitude of rational curiosity ~ embracing a gentle, open, playful, receptive spirit of enquiry

• reflection on lived experience ~ engaging with our spiritual questions in the light of current knowledge and beliefs regarding the nature of reality, the origins of the world we now inhabit, and our personal and collective place of belonging within such understandings

• the practice of authentic living ~ from a values system that seeks the flourishing of all life.

The images, understandings, and contemplative practices offered on this website are meant to be received as an entry point for readers to reflect upon in light of their current belief system, knowledge, and life experience.

Founder and Sustainer

Kaye was born and still lives in Melbourne, Australia. Being born in Melbourne means that Kaye speaks from and into a Western cultural context. Bearing such a cultural context in mind, Kaye also knows herself to be a human being living within the wider Earth community. Beyond that, she also knows herself to be a daughter, sister, wife, mother, grandmother, and friend. Within such a broad context Kaye has a commitment to spiritual practice education.

Kaye also enjoys bicycle riding, bush walking, reading and conversation about the nature of being human today, outings with her family, meditation, travel within Australia and beyond to such places as Samoa, Russia, India, Europe, Thailand, England, Mongolia, Italy, and Turkey.

Kaye was born into the Christian religious tradition and even though such a tradition is no longer a sacred narrative she calls home, she is grateful to have lived into/from/through that religious tradition. She continues to draw from its wisdom teachings. At the same time, Kaye's path of transformative living now involves an interspiritual orientation, which stands within the context of a system's view of the 13.8 billion years of evolutionary history.

As a mature-aged student, Kaye gained a degree in theology through the United Faculty of Theology, Melbourne College of Divinity. Her degree included philosophy, human faith development, Buddhism - The Noble Middle Path; the History of Christianity; World Religions - Diversity and Dialogue; Christian theology and Australian Aboriginal Spirituality; and Clinical Pastoral Education.

Kaye also gained a Graduate Diploma (spiritual direction) and Masters Degree through the Institute of Christian Spirituality and Pastoral Formation, Melbourne College of Divinity. Her Master’s thesis is entitled: the contribution of a spiritual director to the spiritual journey of a person diagnosed with bipolar disorder. Kaye qualified as a spiritual director in 2003 through the Heart of Life Spirituality Centre, Melbourne. She is a member of Spiritual Director’s International and adheres to their code of ethics. Kaye also has certificates from the Campion Centre of Ignatian Spirituality for two Supervision of Spiritual Directors intensives: one with Janet Ruffing RSM, PhD and one with Maureen Conroy RSM, D.Min.

In connection with her commitment to the field of spiritual practice education, Kaye

• 2009 gave the keynote address at the National Conference - Mental Healthcare Chaplaincy entitled: "Who do I say that I am?" The Role of Narrative in Spirituality.

• 2010 gave an academic presentation at the Inaugural Symposium of the Australian Ecumenical Council for Spiritual Direction entitled: The Question of Grace in a Face of Human Disorientation.

• 2012 published in Presence: an International Journal of Spiritual Direction, Vol. 18, No. 3, September 2012, pp28-33. Title: The question of Grace in a Face of human disorientation.

• 2012 workshop presenter at the Australian Ecumenical Council for Spiritual Direction Conference. Theme: Sitting Meditation

• 2015 workshop presenter at the Australian Network for Spiritual Direction.
  Theme: Living a New Story

• 2015 workshop presenter at Spiritual Directors International Emerging Wisdom Conference, Louisville, KY, USA. Theme: Gently Integrating our Shadow-side toward Wholeness

• 2015 professional development workshop at Wellspring Centre. Theme: What does spirituality have to do with depression?

• 2015 published article in Connections: The Newsletter of Spiritual Directors International. Nov. 2015 Vol. 24.3. Theme: Living in Gratitude

• 2017 workshop presenter at Spiritual Directors International Seeking Connection Conference, Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Theme: The Sacred Work of Being Human

• 2018 published in Presence: an International Journal of Spiritual Direction, Vol. 24, No. 1, March 2018, pp34-43. Title: The Sacred Work of Being Human and the Role of Spiritual Direction

• 2018 workshop presenter at Kardia Summit, 'Imagining the Self in a Spiritually Expansive World,' Melbourne, Australia. Theme: Standing in our own ground, openheartedly

• 2019 workshop presenter at Australian Network for Spiritual Direction, Melbourne. Theme: Spiritual Mentoring beyond god or religion

• 2019 round table presenter at SDI Research Symposium, Melbourne, Australia. Theme: Spiritual Mentoring beyond god or religion

• 2019 presenter (within the category of spiritual but not religious) at SDI Inter-spiritual day, 'Listening for Wisdom,' Melbourne, Australia. Theme: Allowing our spiritual questions to work their way through us.

• 2020 in response to COVID-19 physical restrictions, facilitated a zoom professional development workshop through WellSpring, Ashburton, Australia. Theme: For everything there is a season . . . even conscious grieving.

• 2020 facilitated a zoom general workshop through WellSpring, Ashburton, Australia. Theme: The gentle art of conscious grieving 

• 2020 zoom professional development workshop through WellSpring, Ashburton, Australia. Theme: What does depression have to do with spirituality?

• 2020 published in Presence: an International Journal of Spiritual Direction, Vol. 26, No. 4, December, 2020, pp. 5-11. Title: Responding to Life's Enduring Call of Belonging

• 2021 authored and published a book entitled: Call of the Era: being the Change, through changing our Being. The beating heart of the book is the experience of identity and belonging in the world. The two interweaving themes of identity and belonging are set within the broader context of this era’s Call for change toward a more equitable world for all.

• 2022 presenter at the Australian Network for Spiritual Direction (Victoria), February zoom gathering. Theme: Images and insights from Call of the Era: being the Change, through changing our Being.

• 2022 zoom contemplative workshop at WellSpring, Ashburton. Theme: Attuning to the spirit of the age: sowing seeds of possibility, for a viable future.

• 2022 Artwork exhibited for the months of May/June at WellSpring, Ashburton. Under the title of The Sacred Work of Being Human, the artworks drew from my book Call of the Era: being the Change, through changing our Being.

• 2022 presented a hybrid session (face-to-face and remote attendees) through Heart of Life Centre for Spiritual and Pastoral Formation, Melbourne, Australia. Theme: Gently integrating our shadow-side toward wholeness.

• 2022 Art Exhibition entitled: Call of the Era - December, Northcote Library, Melbourne.
  Description: No problem can be solved with the same consciousness that created it. (Scientist, the late Albert Einstein). Our world is crying out for social, economic, and climate action. Yet significant action will require a new consciousness, a new cultural identity. Why is identity the centre-point for change, rather than technological advances, education, or financial incentives? Because our cultural identity determines our purpose. Our purpose determines our values system. Our values system shapes the way we collectively live within, and act upon, our world. So, our actions are conditioned by our identity. Therefore, the call of the era for Western societies is for change from the inside . . . out. The artworks form a visual expression of such a call of the era.
  

Alongside the formal study and in response to her current knowledge, beliefs, values, and life experience, Kaye continues to consciously engage in the sacred work of being human. Kaye continues to post her explorations on the Resources page of this website.

History

The Story of Tree of Life ~ Spiritual Practice Education so far...

2007 As a program of Chalice Community of Faith the dream of establishing an interfaith spirituality centre was given expression. Under the name Tree of Life – Centre for Spirituality (interfaith), a charter was formulated and agreed to with Chalice. The Charter articulated the reason for being, the philosophy underpinning the intention of the programs, and the relationship between Tree of Life and Chalice. The reason for being was to offer a place of shelter for people to explore and deepen their spirituality, i.e., personal meaning, authentic communal belonging, and connection with the sacred as experienced in daily life. Foundational to the programs was and still is an attitude of rational curiosity, reflection on lived experience, and the practice of authentic living.

2008 The dream of establishing an interfaith spirituality centre commenced taking physical form. The venue was the beautiful old Uniting Church Manse in Northcote. The building, situated in the heart of suburban Northcote, Melbourne, supported the intention of the Centre to focus on spirituality in daily life. Even though the building was situated in the 'burbs', when people entered the contemplative space, they seemed to visibly relax and breathe more restfully. A Reference Group was established to offer guidance and encouragement to the coordinator. The website and brochures were designed and produced. A couple of programs were trialed and well received.

2009 The logo was designed by Selina Bayliss and generously donated to the Centre.

2009 – 2015 During these years a range of diverse programs was offered with the view of determining which programs inspired public interest and which were sustainable. These years seemed like a season of sprouting, nurturing, and pruning. Sometimes the pruning seemed severe. There were times when I even wondered if the dream would flourish or shrivel up and die.

Over these years a number of significant shifts took place:

• The shift from spirituality framed within an interfaith context ~ to spirituality framed within the general human experience of giving meaning and experiencing belonging. In response to such a shift, the name was changed from Tree of Life Centre for Spirituality (interfaith) to Tree of Life Spiritual Wellbeing.

• The shift from being 'a Centre' that people attended ~ to offering contemplative workshops offsite within Melbourne and regional Victoria. Such places included: Contemplative Living Centre, Bunyip; Daybreak Centre of Spirituality, Bendigo; Kildara Centre, Malvern; Prayer Guides, Port Melbourne/Boronia; Northern Community Church of Christ, Preston; Sancta Sophia Meditation Community, Warburton; WellSpring Centre, Ashburton.

• The shift from the 'place' of Tree of Life being a physical building ~ to Tree of Life's home being the internet including email, website, and Facebook.

• The shift from Tree of Life being a program of Chalice ~ to Tree of Life operating independently.

2016 Another major shift took place. While the focus continued to be personal spiritual wellbeing, the context for experiencing spiritual wellbeing shifted to the sacred work of being human. The sacred work of being human involves discerning the Call of the era to discover and take up our place of belonging as individuals, as cultures, and as a species within the wider Earth community. The inner venture of responding to such a Call draws each person into an ever-deepening experience of connection and belonging in the here-and-now, while at the same time continuing to participate in the ongoing evolution of the human community. Personal spiritual wellbeing within the context of the sacred work of being human can be experienced as: 1. personal wholeness, giving rise to inner freedom 2. authentic communal belonging and response-ability 3. joyful humility and reverence for the mystery of participating in Life's ongoing creative dance of being and becoming.

The shift in focus gave rise to the establishment of an online Intentional Community, grounded by an integral framework of understanding ourselves-in-our-world. An integral framework draws from the enduring knowledge, belief systems, wisdom teachings, and spiritual practices throughout human history that continue to resonate in our time and place in history.

2017 Tree of Life Spiritual Wellbeing initiated a project entitled Living Intentionally: being the change we want to see in the world. The reason for this project was to test both the interest in, and the process chosen for, developing an intentional community. The intentional community drew together like-intentioned individuals who physically gathered once a month to explore and deepen their understanding of their Self-in-the-world. As each individual grew in their Self-awareness they were more able to live within, and act upon their world, with inner freedom and communal responsibility; each one in their own way continuing to become the change they want to see in the world.

2018 – 2019 Apart from public presentations and Facebook offerings, Kaye continued to post her writings on the Resources page of this website. Themes included: Our sacred stories: the essential pathway for meaning and belonging; The path of self knowledge; Spiritual mentoring ~ beyond god or religion;  The Land I now inhabit.

2020 Will be remembered as the year of 'global pause' in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Due to the pandemic, many societies were thrust into a time of great change without warning or time to prepare. With change comes a sense of loss. A healthy response to loss is to grieve; to grieve consciously. In response, Tree of Life ~ Spiritual Practice Education offerings centred on life affirming responses to the pandemic. Also, Kaye offered two webinars on the theme of conscious grieving. Drawing from the two webinars, Kaye then posted an essay on the Resources page entitled: The gentle art of conscious grieving.

2021-2022 Heralded another turning point, this time toward spiritual activism. Spiritual activism here refers to: spirituality as the impetus for social change. Spiritual activism recognises that the inner work of identity transformation and the outer work of changing cultural structures are two sides of one coin. Why? Because our current experience of identity determines our purpose in the world. Our purpose determines our values system. Our values system shapes the way we live within and act upon our world. Therefore, our actions are conditioned by our identity.

Spiritual activism: beyond the personal . . . toward the collective experience

We are living in turbulent times. In response, spiritual activism involves deep change; change from the inside . . . out. In this regard, Indian lawyer and social/political activist, the late Mahatma Gandhi challenged his followers to the practice of: "being the change they wanted to see in the world." If indeed Gandhi's challenge continues to be relevant today, the challenge is more than a personal one. The challenge is a collective one; collectively being the change we want to see in the world, through changing our collective way of being in the world.

A transformation of our Western way of being in the world will involve a profound shift in the deeply held assumptions that shape our shared experience of identity. No longer can the assumptions of anthropocentrism, ethnocentrism, individualism, and consumerism orientate our view of ourselves in the world. Such assumptions have given rise to a values system that seeks the flourishing of an individual, or an elite group, over-and-above the whole. An individualistic values system has contributed to climate change and the extinction of numerous animal and plant species, systemic racism, and perhaps to the rising rates of anxiety, depression, and suicide. It would seem that such a values system has run its course of usefulness. 

It is no easy task to transform our collective way of being in the world. The good news, however, is that a new orientating reference point for our collective way of being is emerging guided by the principles of unity with diversity, and participation rather than domination. Such principles can give rise to a values system that seeks the flourishing of all life forms.

In response to the above shift in orientation, Tree of Life Spiritual Wellbeing will now become:
Tree of Life ~ Spiritual Practice Education

2023 The work of consciously lifting the collective Western gaze from individualism to interconnectedness via unity with diversity continues. The website Blog page has focussed on this theme. Also, an article entitled: The what, why, and how of shifting the cultural mindset was posted on the Resources page of the website.

2024 continues to focus on spiritual activism in the form of a contemplative approach to shifting the cultural mindset through sowing seeds of possibility for a viable future

Many people have believed in the dream and contributed to the flourishing of Tree of Life ~ Spiritual Practice Education. They have also sustained and encouraged Kaye during the sprouting, nurturing, and pruning process of the last seventeen years. To every one of you, Kaye is grateful for the part you have played.

Kaye Twining
Founder and Sustainer
Tree of Life ~ Spiritual Practice Education