Living Compass Spirituality & Wellness

Scott Stoner
  • 4.8 (22)
  • Religion
  • Updated Semiweekly

The Living Compass Spirituality and Wellness Initiative is a non-profit that creates low-cost, often free, wellness resources, including this podcast, currently used by tens of thousands of adults, teens, parents, faith communities, and organizations around the world. The Rev. Dr. Scott Stoner, the founder of this initiative, is a licensed marriage and family therapist and Episcopal minister. He has over forty years of experience equipping individuals, couples, parents, and families with the tools and inspiration they need to navigate their lives and relationships with awareness and intention.

  1. "Is Your Recreation Truly Re-Creative?" Episode #175, May 26, 2026

    May 29

    "Is Your Recreation Truly Re-Creative?" Episode #175, May 26, 2026

    Is Your Recreation Truly Re-Creative? As summer begins, host Scott Stoner invites listeners to reflect on a simple but important question: Is your recreation actually restoring you — or are you just zoning out? Scott distinguishes between mindlessly scrolling or numbing out (easy to do, but not truly restorative) and activities that create genuine flow — that quality of being so present and engaged that you lose track of time. For Scott, those activities are playing mandolin at bluegrass jams and riding his bike. Both draw him fully into the moment and replenish him body, mind, and spirit. This idea of true rest has deep roots. Sabbath — woven into the founding traditions of Judaism and Christianity — is ancient wisdom about the necessity of restoration. When we neglect it, the signs show up across all dimensions of our wellbeing: emotional flatness, spiritual dryness, physical depletion, relational withdrawal. A simple practice to try this week: Choose one dimension of your wellbeing — physical, emotional, spiritual, or relational — and do one thing that is genuinely replenishing for that area. You already know what it is. The challenge is simply remembering and then choosing it. Bonus points if one activity nourishes more than one dimension at once. The Living Compass app offers courses, self-guided retreats, and guided meditations. Find it at app.livingcompass.org or in any app store. Questions or reflections? Reach Scott at scott@livingcompass.org.

    8 min
  2. "Beginner's Mind: The Spiritual Practice of Not Knowing," Episode 174, May 18, 2026

    May 18

    "Beginner's Mind: The Spiritual Practice of Not Knowing," Episode 174, May 18, 2026

    Beginner's Mind: The Spiritual Practice of Not Knowing Living Compass Spirituality and Wellness Podcast Episode Summary What if not knowing were a gift rather than a failure? In this episode, Scott Stoner explores the Zen concept of beginner's mind — the practice of approaching life's questions with openness, humility, and curiosity rather than the pressure to have all the answers. Drawing on decades of experience as both a therapist and Episcopal priest, Scott shares how embracing "not knowing" has transformed the way he accompanies others — and himself — through life's deepest challenges. In This Episode A story from Scott's therapy practice about a man in midlife — and the reminder that every person's story is truly unique, heard for the first time How Scott's approach shifted over the years from giving answers to holding space for deeper wisdom to emerge The Zen teaching: "In the beginner's mind there are many possibilities; in the expert's mind there are few" How "expert mind" can show up as "should" language — and why that closes us off to possibility The connection between beginner's mind and the Quaker wisdom that "way will open" An invitation to trust the deeper wisdom already within you Reflection Questions Where in your life right now might a beginner's mind open up new possibilities? When you face uncertainty, do you tend toward "expert mind" — trying to force clarity or resolution? What helps you practice not knowing? Quote of the Episode "In the beginner's mind there are many possibilities. In the expert's mind there are few." Connect with Scott Questions or reflections? Scott welcomes your emails at scott@livingcompass.org

    7 min
  3. "No Ahead, No Behind: What Trees Can Teach Us About Sacred Timing," Episode #173

    May 11

    "No Ahead, No Behind: What Trees Can Teach Us About Sacred Timing," Episode #173

    Show Notes In this episode, Scott reflects on one of spring's most quietly profound lessons: that trees bud in their own time, on their own internal rhythm — and that the same is true for each of us. Walking near the Ice Age Trail and in his own neighborhood, Scott has noticed that even two trees of the same species, standing side by side, can be weeks apart in their budding. One is fully leafing out while the other shows barely a sign of life. And yet neither is ahead or behind. Each is simply following its own inner clock. This observation opens into a deeper invitation: to release the pressure we place on ourselves — and on others — to bud on our timeline. Whether we're longing for clarity, resolution, healing, or change in our own lives or in someone we love, the wisdom of the trees reminds us that we cannot force the budding. We can only trust it. Scott draws on several threads woven throughout the Living Compass community: The Quaker saying "Way will open" — revisited from a recent episode, and deepened here through the image of a tree's patient, unhurried unfolding. Coaching youth soccer — a vivid reminder that children, like trees, bud in dramatically different ways and timeframes, physically, emotionally, and in skill — and that the difference is not a deficit but a beautiful symphony. The hidden life of trees — recent research showing that trees in distress are actually supported by neighboring trees through their root systems, sending nutrients underground. Not competition, but communion. That underground network becomes a metaphor for the Living Compass community itself — people whose roots, Scott reflects, are by divine design interconnected, supporting one another as the life force moves through each of us in its own time. The episode closes with a gentle reframe: we are not the creators of our own growth. We are the receivers. The river is flowing. Our calling is not to force it, but to trust it. Please know that a seven-minute Guided Meditation is offered on this same theme in our Living Compass app.  See below for how to access the app--you can also access it here at: https://app.livingcompass.org Connect with Scott about this episode or your own journey with integrating spirituality and well-being at scott@livingcompass.org The Living Compass mobile app with Guided Meditations, Courses, Self-Guided Retreats, and Contemplative Practices is available through any mobile app store (Apple or Google) or online at our web app--here are the links for each. https://apps.apple.com/us/app/living-compass/id6738334257 https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=org.livingcompass&hl=en https://app.livingcompass.org

    7 min
  4. "Befriending Uncertainty: Living in the 'Not Yet,'" Episode #172, April 21, 2026

    Apr 21

    "Befriending Uncertainty: Living in the 'Not Yet,'" Episode #172, April 21, 2026

    "Leave everything undefined, including yourself. Befriend uncertainty. Fall in love with mystery. Kneel at the altar of Not Knowing. Give your questions time to breathe. And the answers will find you." Jeff Foster Befriending Uncertainty: Learning to Live in the "Not Yet" Living Compass Spirituality and Wellness Podcast About This Episode This episode is a follow-up to last week's reflection on the Quaker wisdom phrase "Way Will Open." If we're going to trust that way will open, what do we do in the meantime? How do we learn not just to live with uncertainty, but to actually befriend it? Scott explores this question through the lens of both Christian and Buddhist wisdom, and through the surprising insight that befriending uncertainty works much the same way as being a good, patient friend. In This Episode The Jeff Foster quote that anchors this reflection: "Leave everything undefined, including yourself. Befriend uncertainty. Fall in love with mystery. Kneel at the altar of not knowing. Give your questions time to breathe. And the answers will find you." The Christian tradition of actively waiting on the Spirit — not passive, but attentive and expectant How the way we hold space for an anxious friend is the same posture we need with our own uncertainty The Buddhist practice of beginner's mind — approaching even familiar situations as if for the first time Scott's experience as a therapist: "I've never heard this story before" The compass as a tool for reorientation — not a guarantee, but a way back to true north A Practice to Carry With You This week, try approaching one conversation, one relationship, or one unresolved situation with beginner's mind. Set aside what you think you already know, and simply listen — to the other person, or to your own heart — as if you're hearing it for the first time. We don't so much find the answers as we make space for the answers to find us. Resources 📱 A guided meditation on this theme is available in the Living Compass app — search Living Compass in your app store or visit app.livingcompass.org 📧 Reach Scott at scott@livingcompass.org 🌐 Learn more at livingcompass.org "Leave everything undefined, including yourself. Befriend uncertainty. Fall in love with mystery. Kneel at the altar of not knowing. Give your questions time to breathe. And the answers will find you." — Jeff Foster

    8 min
  5. "Way Will Open," Episode #171, April 13, 2026

    Apr 13

    "Way Will Open," Episode #171, April 13, 2026

    Way Will Open: An Easter Reflection Living Compass Spirituality and Wellness Podcast Episode Summary In this Easter season episode, Scott explores the ancient Quaker wisdom phrase "Way will open" and its profound connection to the resurrection story. With honesty and hope, he reflects on why we sometimes close ourselves off to new life — and why trusting that way will open is both a radical act and a deeply grounded spiritual practice. In This Episode Why "Way will open" may be the most-used phrase in Scott's coaching work How we sometimes unconsciously seal ourselves inside our own tombs — in relationships, at work, and in our inner lives The healing of the man ill for 38 years (John 5) and what his response reveals about our own resistance to new life Why way doesn't always open in the direction or manner we expect — and why that's actually part of the wisdom The cave illustration: sometimes the opening is right behind us, if we're willing to turn around and walk through the darkness Easter as a way of seeing — a counter-cultural mindset of hope in the middle of a world full of Good Fridays Key Quote "Do I believe that way will open? Yes, I do. Believe it? Heck, I've seen it." Scripture Reference John 5 — The healing of the man who had been ill for 38 years Reflection Question Where in your life right now might way be opening — perhaps in a direction you haven't yet turned toward? Resources & Connect 📧 Reach Scott at: scott@livingcompass.org 📱 Living Compass App: available in your phone's app store (search Living Compass) or at app.livingcompass.org 🎧 A guided meditation based on this episode will be available in the Living Compass app Living Compass is a nonprofit spirituality and wellness initiative helping tens of thousands of people walk toward greater wholeness through the integration of faith and well-being.

    8 min
  6. "The Ground Begins to Soften," Episode #170, Easter, 2026

    Apr 4

    "The Ground Begins to Soften," Episode #170, Easter, 2026

    Show Notes: The Ground Begins to Soften "I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit in you; I will remove from you your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh." — Ezekiel 36:26 Happy Easter! In this episode, Scott Stoner reflects on one of his favorite Easter metaphors — one rooted right here in Wisconsin: the slow, unmistakable thawing of frozen ground in spring. Alongside the powerful images from the Easter story itself — the stone rolled away, the risen Christ, the road to Emmaus — the annual spring thaw offers its own quiet resurrection message. The ground that has been locked and hardened through winter softens, loosens, and comes alive again. And so can we. The episode centers on Ezekiel 36:26: "I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit in you; I will remove from you your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh." Just as our hearts, bodies, relationships, and spirits can become hardened — through grief, anxiety, depression, grudges, or the weight of what's happening in the world — Easter holds out the promise of thawing. And crucially, we don't cause the thaw. We receive it. The word resurrection shares its roots with resurgence — divine love never stops wanting to surge again in us. Our part is simply to loosen our grip and let it. This episode is a companion to the guided meditation The Ground Begins to Soften, available on the Living Compass app. 📱 Download or access it at app.livingcompass.org Jesus has risen. The ground is softening — in Wisconsin, in this season, in you. The thaw has already begun. Thanks be to God.

    6 min
  7. Disarmed, and Armed with Love

    Mar 27

    Disarmed, and Armed with Love

    The Living Compass Spirituality and Wellness Podcast Episode: Disarmed, and Armed with Love As we enter Holy Week, Scott reflects on one of the most overlooked details of the Palm Sunday story — how Jesus enters Jerusalem. Rather than arriving with military might, chariots, and armor as the leaders of his day would have done, Jesus enters humbly, on a donkey, armed only with love. This simple but profound choice sets the tone for everything that follows in Holy Week. In this episode, Scott explores: What Jesus' entrance into Jerusalem reveals about the nature of true power Why healing and wholeness are always rooted in love rather than might How vulnerability and simplicity — not armor and force — are the hallmarks of love in action The through-line connecting Palm Sunday, the washing of feet on Maundy Thursday, and the cross Why, as Martin Luther King Jr. said, only love can drive out hate — and what that means for our world today As the Lenten season draws to a close, Scott reminds us that cultivating healing and wholeness with all our heart, soul, strength, and mind is ultimately another way of saying we are choosing love — and that love, as Easter proclaims, always wins. Blessings to you as you enter Holy Week — disarmed, and armed with love. The Living Compass app is available in any app store or at app.livingcompass.org

    6 min
  8. "The Grass is Greener Where We Water It," Episode #168, March 19, 2026

    Mar 12

    "The Grass is Greener Where We Water It," Episode #168, March 19, 2026

    The Grass is Greener Where We Water It Living Compass Spirituality and Wellness Podcast Lent 2026 Series: Cultivating Healing and Wholeness in Heart, Soul, Strength, and Mind Episode Summary We've all heard it: the grass is always greener on the other side of the fence. But what if we changed the saying — and changed our lives in the process? In this episode, Scott Stoner explores how envy and comparison quietly drain our relationships, and offers a simple but transformative reframe: the grass is greener where we water it. Drawing on 40 years as a minister and licensed marriage and family therapist, Scott unpacks what it actually looks like to tend the relationships we already have — with intention, honesty, and love. Key Themes How social media amplifies the comparison trap — showing us everyone's "outsides" while we live our own "insides" Why envy is a natural human emotion, and how to redirect its energy The Living Compass core principle: whatever we pay attention to is what will grow What good "watering" looks like — from simple expressions of gratitude to honest, loving conversations about conflict The gardening metaphor: tending soil, pulling weeds, and creating conditions for new growth in relationships Quote of the Episode "The grass is greener where we water it." From the Counseling Room Scott shares a practice he uses when working with couples and families in conflict: before diving into the presenting problem, he asks them to remember what they love about each other. The shift in energy that follows is a living demonstration of the episode's central truth — what we pay attention to is what grows. Resources Mentioned 📖 Lent 2026 daily readings — livingcompass.org 📱 Living Compass App (guided meditations by Scott and Robbin Brent) — app.livingcompass.org Reflection Questions What influence, if any, does social media have on how you see your own relationships? Is there a relationship in your life where you have been focused more on the weeds than on what is good and life-giving? Choose one relationship right now that would benefit from more intentional watering. What is one specific thing you could do this week to tend it? A Challenge from Scott Don't just take his word for it — try it. Choose one relationship. Water it every day this week. Be creative. And see for yourself whether it's true: the grass is greener where we water it.

    7 min
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4.8
out of 5
22 Ratings

About

The Living Compass Spirituality and Wellness Initiative is a non-profit that creates low-cost, often free, wellness resources, including this podcast, currently used by tens of thousands of adults, teens, parents, faith communities, and organizations around the world. The Rev. Dr. Scott Stoner, the founder of this initiative, is a licensed marriage and family therapist and Episcopal minister. He has over forty years of experience equipping individuals, couples, parents, and families with the tools and inspiration they need to navigate their lives and relationships with awareness and intention.

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