Practicing Presence
The Abbey Blog
Welcome to The Abbey Blog 2.0, so to speak. In addition to redesigning the website, we are revamping the blog. I’m delighted and humbled to take on the role of editor. My goal is to create and curate content in support of the mission of The Abbey and as a resource to those who visit.
We’ve titled the blog Practicing Presence, a title that could mean several things—creating an individual practice of presence, practicing (repeating, rehearsing) to get better at being present wherever we are, working together in community as a practice of presence to each other and the divine, or whatever these words might mean for you.
At Practicing Presence, we welcome submissions and are open to general submissions year-round. Several times a year we will have special calls for submissions around themed issues. General Submission Guidelines can be found here.
Practicing Presence is published weekly, on Wednesdays. You may subscribe if you’d like to be notified via email each time a new post publishes. Comments are welcome—both public comments on the blog itself as well as comments sent directly to me via email. You may reach me with comments, suggestions, and any feedback you’d like to share at editor@theabbey.us.
I look forward to practicing presence with you as companions on the spiritual path.

That Time I Tried to Take My Spiritual Practice with Me on Vacation
Contemplating the Sea of Cortez with friends. (Photo credit: S.J. Reich) By Melanie P. Moore My

Beholding the Beauty that Surrounds Us
Just as the beauty of nature is taking hold in landscapes this month, we are letting

Motherhood: It Begins with Kindness
By Kathleen Grady-Greene It’s 6:30 a.m. as my son bursts through the bedroom door and flips

Contemplative Trove: Sharing Opportunities in May and June
By Melanie P. Moore, et. al. Each month, we publish a listing of upcoming contemplative and

Celebrating National Poetry Month
While T.S. Eliot called April “the cruellest month” in the opening lines of “The Wasteland,” I

Rethinking Our Relationship with Our Grandmother
By Nichole S. Prescott, Myaamia [Author’s Note: Please be mindful that there is a great diversity

Ruminating on Rumi During Ramadan
By Shakeel Rashed Growing up in India, we celebrated all holidays. In the spring, I would

With a Strong Hand and an Outstretched Arm: The Passover Seder as Riot, Revolution, and Redemption
By Hannah Gourgey We Jewish Americans have a confession to make. There’s nothing we love more

Contemplative Trove: Sharing Opportunities in April and May
By Melanie P. Moore, et. al. Each month, we publish a listing of upcoming contemplative and