Kim Mulder

When a friend told me about the practice of spiritual direction, I felt my heart stir. A few years ago I sought out a Spiritual Director as I realized my life experiences no longer fit into the neat framework of faith and life that I had built my foundation upon. In spiritual direction, I found a place to voice my questions, be still, notice divine movement in my life and then respond authentically from my true self.

Instead of pursuing a master’s degree in the mental health field, I felt called to the vocation and profession of spiritual direction. After three years of training with the Dominican Center at Marywood, I became a Certified Spiritual Director. I began offering spiritual direction in 2015. Being able to provide a sacred space for the questions and conversations of faith and life is a beautiful calling. It is a privilege to walk alongside another as they discover that there is a path toward love, clarity and transformation being offered by their own life’s circumstances. I, too, am touched by this journey as these paths become part of my own for a time.

I grew up in the Christian faith and it was the context for an evolving, intimate experience in God. The Biblical narrative still teaches me. However, as I continue to seek the Divine hidden in my own life, I embrace the beauty, truth and language of other paths including other faith traditions, scientific discovery and nature. If it’s true, it’s true everywhere.

After 5 years of steady practice, yoga beckoned me to go deeper. I came upon From the Heart Yoga and Tai Chi Center in Grand Rapids, Michigan and began studying the Anusara method of yoga. It is alignment-based Hatha yoga which offers the body both stability and freedom in every pose.  Yoga reconnects us to our innate goodness, power and beauty. I became a Registered Yoga Teacher in 2017. It is my experience that the mat is like a mirror, always reflecting back the struggle and celebration that is within. Yoga provides a way to meet the Self, a space to hold truth gently and a platform from which to step forward. Offering this gift to others who are searching for connection in body, mind and heart while building strength and flexibility is truly awesome.

Currently, I am training for certification in teaching the Enneagram and have recently completed the 2-year Mindfulness Meditation Teacher Certification Program. Both are paths of wisdom and compassion and thus, transformation. These are meaningful tools for my life and I use them in spiritual direction with those who are interested.

I am married to Michael and we have four children. I enjoy Pilates, cooking and walking. I especially love anything that expands the way I experience and think about the world such as: conversations with friends, reading and traveling.