About
This retreat was recorded live March 8–14, 2014 at the Redemptorist Renewal Center in Tucson, Arizona, and the edited audio was released in 2015. This purchase includes an MP3 audio download with a total running time of approximately 15 hours. In this extensive Wisdom School, Cynthia Bourgeault presents the Desert Fathers and Mothers as pioneering Christian sages whose teachings remain deeply relevant for our time. Far from rejecting the body or engaging in self-harm, the desert tradition is revealed as a model of conscious transformation—one that balances asceticism and temperance, solitude and community, vigilance and non-attachment. Cynthia shows how the desert itself, both literal and metaphorical, serves as a crucible for awakening, inviting us to discover our own personal “deserts” as places of transformation. Key themes include the life and teachings of St. Anthony, the meaning of accidie (existential restlessness), discernment of spirits, asceticism as a path of transformation, the balance between solitude and community, the Welcoming Prayer as a continuation of desert practice, non-attachment as the ground of non-dual vision, the intensity of deep prayer, and the role of the Desert Mothers in shaping early Christian spirituality. Participants are invited to reclaim the desert tradition as a living resource for bridging the material realm and the depths of contemplative prayer, and for participating in the unfolding of a new humanity. 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.