The Heart of Centering Prayer

Nondual Christianity in Theory and Practice

By: Cynthia Bourgeault

Narrated by: Gabra Zackman

Centering prayer is the path to a wonderful and radical new way of seeing the world. It is not, as is sometimes thought, simply an act of devotional piety, nor is it a Christianized form of other meditation methods. Cynthia Bourgeault here cuts through the misconceptions to show that centering prayer is in fact a pioneering development within the Christian contemplative tradition. She provides a practical, complete course in the practice and then goes deeper to analyze what actually happens in centering prayer: the mind effectively switches to a new operating system that makes possible the perception of nonduality. With this understanding in place, she then takes us on a journey through one of the sources of the practice, the Christian contemplative classic The Cloud of Unknowing, revealing it to be among the earliest Christian explorations of the phenomenology of consciousness.

Cynthia Bourgeault's illumination of the centering prayer path provides compelling evidence of how important the practice has become in the half century since it first arose among American Trappist monks and of its maturation and refinement over the ensuing years of sincere study and practice. It will resonate with beginners on the centering prayer path as well as with seasoned practitioners.

Cover image: Mark Tomalty / Masterfile.

©2016 Cynthia Bourgeault (P)2017 Audible, Inc.

Deeper Dive

Well presented exposition of the deeper levels of Centering Prayer that opened the doors to greater possibility

Connecting Science with Mystery

If you are looking to deepen your perception of self and God this is the book for you. I am not a scholar but enjoyed the modern day scientific connections the author teaches to help my mind let go and allow the great mystery of God to settle softly in my soul, discovering an opening or vastness called Love.

Best spiritual book in 32 years

I have been on a spiritual quest for 32 years and this is the best contemplative book I have read. Cynthia Bourgeault has beautifully summarized so many STEs (spiritually transformative experiences) and this has helped me to better ‘see the terrain I have already traveled through’ and it has also given me an overwhelming sense of ‘quenched thirst’ while I long for much more of the same ‘to drink’.

The first part of the book is a good introduction to contemplation in the “centering prayer” tradition. So, this book is both for an introduction to contemplation and also for the advanced, who has been given the divine gift of contemplation many times. I’ve listened twice to this book and will listen several more times as I follow along in the physical book.

shift

a stunning invitation to return to our hearts and to see from a new place

Being present in the Heart of it all

She reconnected me to the 12th Cent book The Cloud of Unknowing What a Gift