Vegas Magazine - Niche Media - There is a place beyond the crowds, beyond the ropes, where dreams are realized and success is celebrated. You are invited.
Issue link: http://digital.greengale.com/i/84122
PHOTOGRAPHY BY AL GIBBS LIVING THE LIFE the spiritual side of sin city STILLPOINT'S INTERFAITH SPIRITUAL PROGRAM BREAKS ALL STEREOTYPES ABOUT THE KINDS OF SEEKERS WHO FLOCK TO LAS VEGAS. BY CINDY PEARLMAN I t's easy to find a little redemption in Sin City, but do you need divine interven- tion, too? Then make the trek to Stillpoint Center for Spiritual Development, where prayers go beyond, "Please, God, let me win that jackpot!" This is the spiritual equivalent of hitting all sevens: Stillpoint founding director and spiritual director Roisin O'Loughlin, who hails from Ireland, says there is no lack of seekers in the land of neon lights. "I've traveled the world," she says, "and I have met the most profoundly humane and spiritual people here in Las Vegas." "Our vision and mission is to provide a gathering place that's hospitable to nurturing a spiritual life," says Delise Sartini, president of Stillpoint's board of trustees and director of prayer groups. "We welcome people of all faiths who are seeking a deeper relationship with the divine." The center is a little spiritual oasis in hectic Vegas. Stroll inside to find gurgling fountains, soft lighting, and enough soothing music that even the staunchest Type-A personality will have to say, "ahh," "amen," or "om." Harried types 116 VEGASMAGAZINE.COM with limited time for spirituality have no excuse: Stillpoint welcomes lunch-hour drop-ins. "People come to Stillpoint on their way home from Pilates or on the way to a doctor," says O'Loughlin. "It can be done like any other errand. Some people say their blood pressure drops several notches when they walk in the front door." Though it was founded by Roman Catholic women, Stillpoint accepts followers of all faiths. "Everyone has a spirituality in them," says O'Loughlin, who was in private practice as a spiritual director before helping open Stillpoint in 2004. "Everyone has a guiding principal or force that drives his or her life—it could be money, power, or success. For us, the guiding force is how they would like the divine to influence his or her life. It's about how they can be more whole and God-like." Programs at Stillpoint are geared toward spiritual development, personal growth, and social transformation. One course uses meditation to crack open the body's true energy while creating balance and getting