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Rev. Dr. Catherine Quehl-Engel

As a child I fell in love with The Sacred amid moments of Awe. Wonder. Mystery. Joy when experiencing Oneness out among the trees, quiet earth, and sky. I'd enter the gates of Heaven out among the fireflies and the gloaming too when, as kids in our upstate New York neighborhood, we'd gather at dusk for games of kick the can or ghost in the graveyard. Sensing The Sacred coursing through all of it. Beauty met in moments of tenderness too. Laughter. The energy of love. The Divine drenching all of it. Everything and everyone. Even myself, or so I discovered in the quiet listening, and even fragile times. Even the vulnerable, hard times. 

Through the years this sensing and experiencing Love--Presence--evolved into a vocation of spiritually companioning with others on the life journey. A call to be love. To be peace. Though flawed, as a follower of The Way of Love, to be an outflow of compassionate, healing Presence.  To spiritually companion alongside others on their life journey. Not giving answers. Rather, offering presence and a teaching and healing ministry in ways which help others explore and experience Mystery, healing wholeness, and especially the Inner Peace, Love, and Oneness
it turns out they've had all along.

Though I no longer work full-time, I do provide spiritual companioning (the care and growth of souls...see Events and Spiritual Companioning tabs of this website). I also offer retreats, workshops, and meditative mind-body-Spirit practices to assist in stress reduction, well-being, and for increasing awareness of The Sacred in Everyday life. 

Peace,

Catherine

TEACHING

Three decades of teaching Christian spirituality, Inter-spirituality, theology, Biblical studies, Inter-Faith Understanding, and East-West contemplative and mystical wisdom traditions in academic classrooms, houses of worship, and retreat centers. Current offerings include:

  • Mindfulness, Meditation, and Psychological Health, Cornell College Psychology Dept.

  • Deep Peace Yoga, Cornell College (for students, faculty & staff).

  • Deep Peace Yoga, Lester Buresh Community Wellness Center, Mt. Vernon, IA.

  • Into The Oneness: Qigong for Energy Equanimity, & Ease - Prairiewoods Spirituality Center, Hiawatha, IA.

  • Qigong, Lester Buresh Community Wellness Center, Mt. Vernon, IA.

  • Serenity Sublime Healing with Sound and Vibration, 1st Pres. Church, Mt. Vernon, IA.

  • Dreams as Spiritual Guidance, Healing & Encounter (retreat, friendship group, and individual formats).

Previous college level academic courses crafted and taught include: Suffering and The Sacred, Jesus and Judaism, and a Namaste: Mysticism, Meditation, and the Inner Life of Leadership (taught in India).   

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YOGA & YOGA NIDRA TEACHER CERTIFICATIONS

Yoga Alliance 500RYT.
Certified since 2017, I specialize in meditative breath, energy, and compassion-based approaches to Yin Yoga, Yogic Sleep (Yoga Nidra) and related contemplative

wisdom for life both on and off the mat.

Chair Yoga coming soon at LBC (spring 2024).

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  • 300 hr Yin Yoga Teacher Certification grounded in Buddhist Mindfulness and Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) - Summers School of Yin Yoga.

  • 200 hr Kavi Yoga Teacher Training.

  • 100hr Amrit Method of Yoga Nidra Certified Facilitator Training.

  • Chair Yoga Teacher Training with YogaVista (in progress).

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MEDITATION & MINDFULNESS TEACHING CERTIFICATIONS

  • Koru Mindfulness Instructor

  • The American Institute for Health Care Professionals Certified Mindfulness Instructor

  • See Yoga, Yoga Nidra, & Qigong certifications 
     

QIGONG TEACHING CERTIFICATIONS & EXPERIENCE

Teaching since 2015. 

  • Spring Forest Qigong Practice Group Leader

  • Holden Qi Gong Teacher Training (in progress)


ENERGY HEALING

  • Reiki Master Teacher

  • Healing Touch Spiritual Ministry Certified Practitioner

  • Certified Healing with Sound and Vibration Practitioner, Atma Buti (Soul Medicine) 

  • Spring Forest Qigong

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DREAM TEACHER

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  • Dream Teacher Certification - Level 3 (Moss Dreams) 

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RETREAT LEADERSHIP(sampler)

  • Province VI Daughter's of The King - Experiencing The Sacred In Everyday Life (Omaha, 2023)

  • Lenten Retreat, Order of Franciscan Sisters, (Clinton, IA 2023)

  • Winter's Wisdom, Rest, and Renewal (Prairiewoods, 2022 & 2023)

  • Goodbye/Hello: Healing Relationships for Spiritual Wholeness (Prairiewoods, 2022)

  • Indwelling Light, Day of Prayer for Sisters of the Blessed Virgin Mary (Dubuque, IA 021)

  • Winter Solstice: Opening to Light (Prairiewoods, 2021)

  • The Energy of Love (Prairiewoods Spirituality Center, Hiawatha, Iowa, 2020)

  • Christ Within (The Episcopal Diocese of Iowa Summer Ministry School & Retreat, 2018)

  • Christ Consciousness (Diocesan SMSR, 2017)


ORDINATION & PROFESSIONAL ASSOCIATIONS

Raised and ordained within The United Church of Christ (a tradition I still love), yet eventually followed my mystical wiring and sacramental way of seeing and being into The Sacred Order of Priests of The Episcopal Church in 2006.

  • Non-parochial priest-at-large, The Episcopal Diocese of Iowa

  • Emerita Chaplain of Cornell College, Mt. Vernon, Iowa

  • Affiliate of The Franciscan Sisters of Perpetual Adoration

  •  Priest Associate, Trinity Episcopal Church, Iowa City, IA (2006 - 2018)

  • Professional member of SDI (Spiritual Directors International)

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VISUAL ART

MA, Religion & Visual Art (Pacific School of Religion, Berkeley, CA,1994)

B.A. with majors in Art and Religion (Cornell College, 1989).

Numerous art exhibitions including:

  • Art Heals, solo show Mercy Hospital, Iowa City, Iowa (2021)

  • Alumni Art of the Pandemic; Cornell College (2022)

  • Into the Blue The Cedar Rapids Museum of Art (2019?) 

  • Ubuntu and several other Episcopal Church & Visual Arts exhibitions

  • Lincoln Hwy Arts Festival (ongoing)

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EDUCATION

  • Doctorate of Ministry in Christian Spirituality, Washington Theological Union.

Includes mystical and contemplative wisdom of Saints Francis and Clare of Assisi, and Teresa of Avila. Also creation of a 30 person, multi-week doctoral research project on the use of heart focused compassion, breath, and energy-based meditation/interior prayer for personal and communal healing.Dissertation - Deep Abiding: Praying, Living and Loving from the Inside Out featured by the scientific research and educational org, HeartMath Institute (2014).

  • Doctorate in Theology, Ethics and Culture, Univ. of Iowa (1994-96)
       Left to become a mom, love my daughter, and serve as chaplain of my alma mater.

  • Clinical Pastoral Education, UofI Hospitals & Clinics, Iowa City (Summer 1994)

  • Master of Divinity Pacific School of Religion, Berkeley, CA (1994)

  • Master Degree in Religion and Visual Arts, PSR, Berkeley, CA (1994)

  • Holocaust Studies for Educators, Hebrew University & Yad Vashem, Jerusalem, Israel (Summer 1993)

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