About
This retreat was recorded live in 2003 at Olympic Park Institute, WA, USA, and revised and re-released in 2012. This purchase includes an MP3 audio download with a total running time of approximately 6 hours and 40 minutes. In this five-day immersion retreat, Cynthia Bourgeault moves beyond the introductory material on Centering Prayer to explore its deeper dimensions and implications for the spiritual journey. She teaches that the path of Centering Prayer is not about cultivating calm or stability but about spiritual non-possessiveness, surrender, and self-emptying, which connect us to the flow of Being itself. As self-emptying becomes the whole path, we discover that relinquishing our will, identity, and vitality does not deplete us but leads through the “dark night of the spirit” to a greater realization that we are not the source of our own energy. Cynthia also addresses the relationship between contemplation and action, showing how both are integrated in authentic practice. Key themes include the true self and false self, cataphatic and apophatic prayer, the theological basis of surrender, kenosis, love as self-emptying, conscious non-possessiveness, the dark night, and the direct path of Centering Prayer. Practical guidance is also given on embodiment, attention, and integrating contemplative practice with daily life. Cynthia Bourgeault is a modern-day mystic, Episcopal priest, and internationally known retreat leader. She is the author of numerous books, including The Wisdom Jesus and Centering Prayer and Inner Awakening, and is recognized for her pioneering work in integrating the Christian contemplative path with other global streams of wisdom.