Brian Bard is a Spiritual Director, Guide, & Life Coach who offers a steady presence & fresh insight whilst accompanying you in your connection with Spirit, Soul, & the Sacred. In this feature Brian shares his journey to supporting others with insightful advice on self-care and spiritual practice.
Please tell us a bit about your background and what led you to help guide others in their journey?
Since I was a kid, I’ve had many profound spiritual experiences, especially through Nature and art. My spirituality never quite fit into any one religion, so from a young age, I’ve had to learn how to walk the individualized path of Soul discovery.
I also grew up amidst significant family trauma, and have always been driven to work for healing. First I thought I’d be a therapist and social worker, then I became a community organizer and a teacher – all while being a spiritual guide on the side.
But after my dad died in 2015, I realized I had to fully embrace my calling to accompany others on their sacred journeys. Now, that’s exactly what I do at InVocation, through one-on-one work with clients, classes I teach, and my art and writing.
How does Spiritual Direction resonate with you and how would you describe it to those who are unfamiliar with the term?
I joke with colleagues that “Spiritual Director” is kind of a misnomer – Spirit is the one doing the directing, and I’m as much a directee as my clients are. I do help direct clients’ attention, though, toward the ways the larger spiritual story of their lives is shining through their everyday story.
Spiritual Guide is the term that’s gaining more traction, and it’s the one I and others tend to prefer – I’m a guide for the spiritual journey that is your life. And when you treat life as a spiritual journey, it’s risky, but exciting.
You’re going on an adventure, to a place you’ve only dreamed of or heard about in myth. You leave the comfortable but confining grid of the familiar, for the wider, wilder world of your mysterious Soul. You travel the path that leads to your deepest self – your purpose, the reasons you’re here. And I’m a mentor and companion you meet out there, who helps you find your way, helps you find your gifts and share them.
Have you found your life coaching skills to be an intricate part of your spiritual guidance?
I’ve spent most of my life out in the wilderness of the Soul, so by now I’ve mapped out some of the major features of the terrain – meaning, I’ve developed several customizable programs I can coach clients through.
The major ones I use are for (1) navigating the Ten Touchstones of Grief and (2) defining your Soul Saga – finding and following your callings, in terms of work, relationships, and more. These journeys of processing our grief and living our callings are big ones, which we all must take in order to have a fulfilling life.
I also have many smaller programs, including one on interpreting dreams, visions, and archetypal systems. I’m teaching an ongoing intro class on this – Our Wildest Dreams – starting in March 2023 at Wisdom Ways Center for Spirituality. And stay tuned for intro courses on grief and callings as well!
In your opinion, what is one of the biggest things that holds people back from living a fulfilling life?
Our world is currently in an epidemic of despair. Many people believe the future is bleak, and that we’re each alone and powerless to save it. My biggest mission in life is to counter this narrative of doom.
The truth is, we are all wandering the spiritual wilderness together, and the community and relationships we need in order to get through are at our fingertips. We aren’t alone or powerless in the cosmic sense either: I believe – I know – that Spirit is with us and for us. If we can build spiritual bonds with ourselves and each other, that will enable everything we need.
This isn’t easy, but nor is it actually that hard. The path of awakening to the Soul is available to everyone, and thus a beautiful future is there for the making. I have hope, courage, and a concrete vision for that, and that’s what I invite others into for themselves.
What advice would you offer someone discovering Spirituality and looking to start their journey?
Whether with classes or clients, all my work essentially begins from this premise: your journey has already been a spiritual one, even if it’s not obvious. So you can start with your own life story.
Any time you’ve felt inspired or loved, any time you’ve experienced something you couldn’t quite explain, you’ve touched the deeper spiritual reality that connects us all. Since before you were born, a greater power has already been awake within you. If you wake up to your life, it’s only a matter of time before you awaken to your Soul.
Do you have any spiritual or self-care routines that you enjoy or would recommend?
One I recommend to everyone is to regularly go wandering/wondering in Nature. It doesn’t need to be hiking or anything intense – it can be as simple as sitting or walking in a quiet park, unplugged. This is an all-purpose practice, sure to serve you well whatever you need: relaxation, stimulation, or insights from Nature about your life. Nature is our home, and being present there brings us home to ourselves.
