The Pea Beneath the Mattress
from cover of The Princess and the Pea adapted and illusted by Janet Stevens.
September flew right past me. When I realized I had no time to write and publish the first Friday newsletter, I let it go. No guilt. No shame. I had underestimated the time my commitments would take, and deadline upon deadline stacked up like the mattresses in The Princess and the Pea. The pea was the smallest thing, buried under all that stacking, and it kept me from ever settling. Sometimes you can't rest because something is always pressing up from below.
So I've declared October my restorative rest month: rest that refreshes, nourishes, and cleanses mind, heart, body, and spirit. By God's grace, I am not burned out. Through the pressing and stacking, I practiced seven-second pauses, three pages of journaling, 20-minute contemplative sits, and Pilates stretches. I walked 15 to 60 minutes, three times a week. When my commute stretched beyond my home office, I turned to Pray as You Go and Lectio 365 for morning, afternoon, and evening devotions. I didn't do all of these things all the time. I practiced what I needed to stay tethered to God, and that is spiritual practice: intentional actions that deepen your connection to the Divine who dwells within.
A rhythm to consider:
Daily: Be present with God.
Weekly: Keep a one-day Sabbath.
Monthly or quarterly: Go on retreat by yourself, so "you can pay attention to what's going on inside and outside, allowing God to nourish and replenish you," as Ruth Haley Barton suggests.
Yearly: Pursue a deeper relationship with God for an extended time.
My altar, the box to hold my stuff, the card that asks:” Who was I locking in or out?” and the evening labyrinth walk. Photos by Angela.
The Gift of Grace
Amid the pressing and stacking, I received an invitation to serve as one of the Group Spiritual Direction facilitators. The gift was a three-day work-retreat trip and SoulCollage. I am a fan of collage as creative rest. I was introduced to Soul Collage cards using no words, only collage material from other people’s treasures. According to the website, founder Seena Frost (1932–2016) developed the method in her psychotherapy groups in the late 1980s. It “develops creativity and intuition, encourages self-discovery, and provides personal guidance.”
Oranges, reds, and yellows, and doors were the theme of my collages. I shared one collage with another participant, and she asked, “Who are you locking out or in?” A tender moment of personal guidance. I did sit with that question. The colors, hands down, are the fire, energy, and light of God’s glory. I hadn’t realized how locked in I was to those colors.
Instead of offering a breath prayer, I led a 10-minute Pilates Breathing and hip-opener exercise. I told the group that I was incorporating Pilates into my spiritual direction practice. As of September 18, 2026, I am officially a certified Club Pilates instructor. The curious and encouraging question: Why? Spiritual direction and Pilates are both practices of attention: one trains you to notice "the rhythms and movements of God's healing, joy, and grace" in your inner life, the other to notice where your body is gripping, collapsing, or finding its center. Each one centers on the breath, brings you back into your body, and asks you to stop pushing so hard or judging the moves, and to be patient and gentle in your return, as you strengthen the core while resting in Christ as our true center. Together they form a simple rhythm of tending body and soul, connecting our heartbeat to the heartbeat of God, so that you move through life more grounded, present, and open to what is already being offered.
Virtual Holiday Retreat
With this in mind, I’m inviting you to the Virtual Holiday Retreat, November 7, 2026, 1 pm- 4 pm EST | 12 pm- 3 pm CT | 10 am- 1 pm PST. Your investment is $90. Space is limited minimum six maximum eight. If you in: email angela.hooks@heartbeatformation.com
The mini retreat will include Mat Pilates, Diary Scribblers WORDshop, and Contemplative Silence and Prayer, all the things Heartbeat Formation, LLC offers for spiritual direction and soul care. (More information to follow.)
Thanks for reading!
Your heart matters,
Angela
