From a very young age, my spiritual yearning began amidst a Catholic upbringing in a very conservative environment. My greatest personal interests have been science and technology. I earned a doctorate in Physiological Sciences as my professional training and studied photography and graphic design, which allowed me to develop my artistic skills and use them in the many volunteer projects I have undertaken over the years.
From a young age, my experience of God has been very different from my religious upbringing, and this produced a profound inner dissatisfaction that led me to distance myself from my Catholic roots. I felt completely lost for a long time, until I had the courage to confront this situation and begin to listen to an inner voice that guided me toward new territories, using my Christian roots as a solid foundation.
Around 2004, I was exposed to a simple meditation practice, Centering Prayer, and to reading the books of Father Thomas Keating, thus beginning my exploration of the Christian contemplative tradition. I received direct training from Contemplative Outreach Ltd (CO) and volunteered as a facilitator of Centering Prayer groups, a retreat leader, and a leader on the organizing and coordinating committee for CO in Northeast Ohio. Around this time, I became familiar with the work of Fr. Richard Rohr, James Finley, and Cynthia Bourgeault.
A debilitating health crisis, devoid of any scientific explanation, led me to study and practice yoga therapeutically. The results were extraordinary, awakening in me a deep interest in deepening my understanding of yoga philosophy as a way of life. My formal exposure and studies with the Bihar/Satyananda Yoga School have given me the tools I needed to integrate my life and learn to integrate my body, energy, mind, and spirit to become a better human being, learning how to develop the faculties of my head, heart, and hands.
My interest in Christian wisdom literature has developed thanks to my studies with William Redfield since 2019, who has helped me understand the works of Cynthia Bourgeault and guided me to join and serve in this new Spanish-speaking community, “Un Camino Sabio” (A Wise Path).
I am originally from Venezuela and live in the United States with my family. I have been practicing Centering Prayer as meditative practice everyday and I have been blessed by all the gifts that I have received during all this years. A new way of seeing reality have opened to me and I feel that I need to share my experience so people arounds me can wake up too.
Praying From The Heart is an Ecumenical Contemplative site. The purpose is to offer material that have touched my soul and that I am very sure other people may benefit for their own spiritual search and meaning in life.
Josefina U Fernandez