About the Mindfulness and Christian Contemplative Prayer (Day 1 of 3) course
Mindfulness is useful to revive and deepen the contemplative approach to prayer, where abiding silently in the awareness of God’s presence and love matters more than words. The three study days will focus on the core attitudes of mindful practice and their usefulness for contemplative prayer. Christian prayer and life can hugely benefit from the wisdom of mindfulness.
This series of talks has three aims:
(i) understanding more deeply mindfulness and contemplation on their own terms;
(ii) explore the practical ways in which mindfulness can help to improve daily prayer and make it more contemplative;
(iii) expand a mindful and contemplative attitude in all the activities of daily life.
These are the themes of each study day:
Day 1: Suspending judgment for acceptance: the core attitudes of mindful practice and their usefulness for contemplative prayer
Day 2: Guarding of the heart (nepsis) in the Christian ascetical tradition and watchfulness of thought in the practice of mindfulness
Day 3: Abiding with the text in the Christian practice of Lectio Divina and paying attention in the practice of mindfulness
While building on each other, each of these study days is an independent unit and participants can take part in any or all of them and join at any stage.
The study days will combine teaching, times of practice, and reflection on the practice.
Study day 2 is December 2 Mindfulness and Contemplative Prayer Day 2
Study day 3 is January 27 Mindfulness and Contemplative Prayer Day 3
