Opening Minds, Opening Hearts

As we wrap up Season 3 of the Opening Minds, Opening Hearts podcast, we find ourselves reflecting on a season that has been both challenging and enlightening. We've had the privilege of engaging in conversations with guests from a variety of spiritual traditions, each offering profound insights into the nature of Ultimate Reality and non-duality from their spiritual traditions.It has been all about expansion—of our hearts, minds, and understanding. We've explored how our contemplative practices open us up to new ways of seeing and being, helping us move beyond the boundaries of dualistic thinking. The idea of Ultimate Reality as a shared experience, something we can only begin to describe through stories, metaphors, and silence, has deeply shaped our reflections. Our guests invited us to consider how connection, kinship, and the experience of God weave through all of life.To connect further with us:Visit our website: www.contemplativeoutreach.orgFind us on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/prayerofconsentLike us on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/prayerofconsentCheck out our YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/@prayerofconsentTo learn more about the founding theological principles of Contemplative Outreach, visit https://www.contemplativeoutreach.org/vision/Stream and Download the Opening Minds, Opening Hearts Podcast NOW for FREE on Apple Podcast, Google, Amazon and Spotify!

Welcome back, everyone! We're so glad you're joining us as we introduce our final guest of the season. It's hard to believe how quickly this season has flown by, but we're wrapping things up with a truly special guest in this episode. Sister Mary Margaret Funk is a Benedictine nun who has been deeply involved in interreligious dialogue and contemplative practices for decades.Sister Meg shares her profound insights on the teachings of Father Thomas Keating, her journey through various spiritual traditions, and the importance of understanding our thoughts in relation to God. We also explore the nuances of contemplative prayer, the significance of spiritual senses, and the universal quest for Unitive Consciousness.To find out more:Check out Thoughts Matter and other books in the Matters Series written by Sr. Meg: https://litpress.org/Products/3572/The-Matters-Series?srsltid=AfmBOorbxobhc-pGCMe32NPCP7iuqPM7gXJukR8NqlF05IFqWCFYfbxdCheck out the Monastic Interreligious Dialogue website: https://dimmid.org/Listen to the audio files created by Sister Mary Margaret Funk and Kathleen Cahalan which form the 100-day St. Enda Retreat (click on the dropdown arrow): https://stjosephmonastery.org/retreats/#stendaTo connect further with us:Visit our website: www.contemplativeoutreach.orgFind us on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/prayerofconsentLike us on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/prayerofconsentCheck out our YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/@prayerofconsentTo learn more about Father Thomas Keating's guidelines for service and principles visit www.contemplativeoutreach.org/vision. Stream and Download the Opening Minds, Opening Hearts Podcast NOW for FREE on Apple Podcast, Google, Amazon and Spotify!

Welcome to another episode of Opening Minds, Opening Hearts. This time, we are joined by Abdul-Rehman Malik, affectionately known as AR, an award-winning journalist, educator, and cultural organizer whose life story is deeply intertwined with themes of migration, faith, and social justice. As a lecturer at Yale Divinity School and the Yale Jackson School for Global Affairs, AR directs a leadership program focused on social justice and public service. His podcast, "This Being Human," explores the intersections of faith, culture, and social change, inviting meaningful dialogue and action. Through his work, AR embodies the belief that mercy, justice, and compassion are essential in navigating the complexities of our world.Join us as we reflect on the nature of Ultimate Reality, the importance of community practice, and the power of mercy in a fractured world, drawing on AR's rich experiences across the globe. To connect with AR:Follow him on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/armalik/Follow him on X (formerly Twitter): https://x.com/armalikFollow him on LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/armalikListen more on his podcast,This Being Human: https://podcasts.apple.com/ca/podcast/this-being-human/id1549041471To connect further with us:Visit our website: www.contemplativeoutreach.orgFind us on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/prayerofconsentLike us on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/prayerofconsentCheck out our YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/@prayerofconsentTo learn more about Father Thomas Keating's guidelines for service and principles visit www.contemplativeoutreach.org/vision. Stream and Download the Opening Minds, Opening Hearts Podcast NOW for FREE on Apple Podcast, Google, Amazon and Spotify!

As we continue this season's theme of expanding the boundaries of our faith tradition by creating space for dialogue with our brothers and sisters deeply rooted in other spiritual traditions, we're delighted to welcome Dr. Yuria Celidwen. She will guide us in exploring contemplative practices from an Indigenous perspective.Yuria was born to Nahua and Maya indigenous lineages in the cloud forest of the highlands of Chiapas, Mexico. As a scholar, she investigates forms of contemplation and transcendent experiences from the perspective of the ancestral wisdom of Indigenous peoples. She looks into how these forms are embodied in pro-social behavior and refers to this research as the “Ethics of Belonging” to understand the world from consciousness, intention, and actions toward planetary flourishing. Her recently published book is titled Flourishing Kin: Indigenous Wisdom for Collective Wellbeing.To connect with Yuria:Follow her on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/yuria.celidwen/Follow her on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/yuriacelidwen/Check out her Amazon author page: https://www.amazon.com/author/yuriacelidwenGet your copy of her new book: https://www.amazon.com/Flourishing-Kin-Indigenous-Foundations-Collective/dp/1649632045vTo connect further with us:Visit our website: www.contemplativeoutreach.orgFind us on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/prayerofconsentLike us on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/prayerofconsentCheck out our YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/@prayerofconsentOr explore our Threads: https://www.threads.net/@prayerofconsentTo learn more about Father Thomas Keating's guidelines for service and principles visit www.contemplativeoutreach.org/vision.Stream and Download the Opening Minds, Opening Hearts Podcast NOW for FREE on Apple Podcast, Google, Amazon and Spotify!

We're back again and excited to be having a conversation with Kaira Jewel Lingo in this episode. Kaira is a Dharma teacher and mindfulness practitioner with a lifelong interest in spirituality and social justice. She works in Engaged Buddhism, which was developed by one of her teachers, Thich Nhat Hanh, and draws a lot of her experience from her parents' lives of service, in particular, her dad's work with Martin Luther King Jr. She lived as an ordained nun for 15 years in Thich Nhat Hanh's monastic community and is now based in New York with her partner, Fr. Adam Bucko whom you might recognize from season 1 as one of our guests.Our conversation with Kaira touched on the themes of spirituality, interfaith dialogue, and social justice alongside her practice in Engaged Buddhism.To connect with Kaira Jewel:Visit her website: kairajewel.comFollow her on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/kairajewelFollow her on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kairajewel/Find her on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCfmckIOMHnvVnGn-IBYp_CgGet your copy of her new book: amazon.com/author/kairajewelFor more information on their new spiritual center, check out their Give Butter site: https://givebutter.com/JqUSN5To connect further with us:Visit our website: www.contemplativeoutreach.orgFind us on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/prayerofconsentLike us on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/prayerofconsentCheck out our YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/@prayerofconsentOr explore our Threads: https://www.threads.net/@prayerofconsentTo learn more about Father Thomas Keating's guidelines for service and principles visit www.contemplativeoutreach.org/vision.Stream and Download the Opening Minds, Opening Hearts Podcast NOW for FREE on Apple Podcast, Google, Amazon and Spotify!

As we take a moment to reflect halfway through the season, we're struck by the rich dialogues we've been having. Our guests have shared such profound insights, and it's been truly transformative. We're delighted you can join us as we explore the many ways these conversations have reshaped and deepened our understanding.What's been particularly special is how accessible our guests have been—spiritual leaders who are deeply respected yet share their wisdom with such warmth and openness.We also took some time to reflect on how most of these wisdom practitioners were influenced by Thomas Keating, the significance of Centering Prayer, and the importance of being open to different spiritual traditions. Our conversation highlights the beauty of silence as a universal language and the incredible journey of understanding through not knowing.To connect further with us:Visit our website: www.contemplativeoutreach.orgFind us on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/prayerofconsentLike us on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/prayerofconsentCheck out our YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/@prayerofconsentOr explore our Threads: https://www.threads.net/@prayerofconsentTo learn more about Father Thomas Keating's guidelines for service and principles visit www.contemplativeoutreach.org/vision.Stream and Download the Opening Minds, Opening Hearts Podcast NOW for FREE on Apple Podcast, Google, Amazon and Spotify!

These conversations with our guests this season have been a profound privilege and truly humbling experience. Together, Colleen and Mark have embraced the role of students, exploring contemplative practice and meditation from diverse perspectives, and our guest in this episode is offering us some profound insights into the wisdom of the mystics within the Christian perspective.We are honored to ‘sit at the feet' of Dr James Finley, a student of Thomas Merton and also a clinical psychologist. Jim teaches how connecting to our divine indwelling can transcend fear and shame, and awaken us to our true self. He is a faculty member at the Center of Action and Contemplation.Jim has authored numerous books, including Merton's Palace of Nowhere, The Contemplative Heart, and Christian Meditation. He also hosts the Center for Action and Contemplation's podcast, Turning to the Mystics.Join us in exploring the way contemplative practices, particularly within the Christian mystical tradition, opens us up to a unitive experience of God's presence in all aspects of life, transforming both suffering and the ordinary into expressions of extraordinary grace.Find out more about Dr. James Finley:On the CAC website: https://cac.org/about/our-teachers/james-finley/The Turning to the Mystics podcast: https://cac.org/podcast/turning-to-the-mystics/To connect further with us:Visit our website: www.contemplativeoutreach.orgFind us on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/prayerofconsentLike us on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/prayerofconsentCheck out our YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/@prayerofconsentOr explore our Threads: https://www.threads.net/@prayerofconsentTo learn more about Father Thomas Keating's guidelines for service and principles visit www.contemplativeoutreach.org/vision. Stream and Download the Opening Minds, Opening Hearts Podcast NOW for FREE on Apple Podcast, Google, Amazon and Spotify!

In this episode, we have the pleasure of speaking with Mirabai Starr, an acclaimed author, translator of sacred writings, and interspiritual teacher. Her insights blend timeless wisdom with a modern perspective, focusing on contemplative spirituality, the experience of grief, and the profound beauty found in everyday life.With two decades of experience in teaching philosophy and world religions, along with a lifetime of personal practice, Mirabai imparts her insights globally. She explores contemplative living, writing as a spiritual practice, and the profound impact of grief and loss on transformation.From her early years immersed in spirituality at the Lama Foundation, to her recent book, Ordinary Mysticism: Your Life as Sacred Ground, Mirabai shares her journey of finding the divine beyond religious structures.In our conversation, Mirabai invites us to leave the safety of our known spiritual world and encounter Love, the Beloved, the Divine, and Ultimate Reality in a new and less familiar way.To connect with Mirabai Starr:Visit her website: www.mirabaistarr.comCheck out her Instagram:https://www.instagram.com/mirabaistarr/Find her on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/mirabai.starr.author/Order her latest book - Ordinary Mysticism: Your Life as Sacred GroundTo connect further with us:Visit our website: www.contemplativeoutreach.orgFind us on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/contemplativeoutreachltd/Like us on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/contemplativeoutreachCheck out our YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/user/coutreachTo learn more about Father Thomas Keating's guidelines for service and principles visit www.contemplativeoutreach.org/vision. Stream and Download the Opening Minds, Opening Hearts Podcast NOW for FREE on Apple Podcast, Google, Amazon and Spotify!

We're thrilled to share this conversation with Cynthia Bourgeault, an Episcopal priest whose insights into spirituality have transformed our understanding of connecting with Ultimate Reality.Cynthia is a modern-day mystic with a diverse background in contemplative spirituality, theology, and interspiritual dialogue. Known worldwide as a retreat leader and author, she divides her time between her home in Maine and teaching engagements around the globe, where she's a passionate advocate for reviving Christian contemplative practices. Cynthia's work builds bridges across spiritual traditions, and her new book, Thomas Keating: The Making of a Modern Christian Mystic, explores Keating's life and influence on modern spirituality. Her teaching incorporates her profound respect for Thomas Keating, Teilhard de Chardin, and other visionaries of contemplative theology, offering fresh insights into Christian non-duality and inner transformation.To connect with Cynthia Bourgeault:Visit her website https://wisdomwaypoints.org/Get your copy of her new book, Thomas Keating: The Making of a Modern Christian Mystic: https://bookshop.org/p/books/thomas-keating-the-making-of-a-modern-christian-mystic-cynthia-bourgeault/21221862To connect further with us:Visit our website: www.contemplativeoutreach.orgFind us on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/contemplativeoutreachltd/Like us on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/contemplativeoutreachCheck out our YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/user/coutreachTo learn more about Father Thomas Keating's guidelines for service and principles visit www.contemplativeoutreach.org/vision. Stream and Download the Opening Minds, Opening Hearts Podcast NOW for FREE on Apple Podcast, Google, Amazon and Spotify!

We are excited to kick off our first guest conversation of the season with Netanel Miles-Yépez. He is an artist, philosopher, religious scholar, and spiritual teacher deeply involved in the interspiritual movement. Netanel is also a co-founder of the Charis Foundation for New Monasticism and Interspirituality and has authored several books, including The End of Religion and Other Writings.As the head of the Inayati-Maimuni lineage of Sufism and a leading thinker in the interspiritual and new monasticism movements, he provides profound insights into spiritual identity and the blending of religious traditions.To connect with Netanel Miles-Yépez:Order his book: The End of Religion and Other Writingshttps://www.amazon.com/End-Religion-Other-Writings-Interreligious/dp/1960360000Listen to The New Monastics Podcast: https://charisinterspirituality.org/new-monastics-podcastThe Charis Foundation: https://charisinterspirituality.org/The Keating-Schachter Center for Interspirituality: https://www.naropa.edu/academics/schools-centers/keating-schachter-center-for-interspirituality/To connect further with us:Visit our website: www.contemplativeoutreach.orgFind us on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/contemplativeoutreachltd/Like us on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/contemplativeoutreachCheck out our YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/user/coutreachTo learn more about Father Thomas Keating's guidelines for service and principles visit www.contemplativeoutreach.org/vision. Stream and Download the Opening Minds, Opening Hearts Podcast NOW for FREE on Apple Podcast, Google, Amazon and Spotify!

Welcome back to season three of Opening Minds, Opening Hearts. We are your hosts, Colleen Thomas and Mark Dannenfelser, and we're so excited to set the scene for the rest of the season in this episode. We'll be shifting the dialogue away from the method of centering prayer and centering prayer as a practice that leads us to a form of personal transformation into the impact of centering prayer on our relationship with others. In particular, our relationship with others inside and outside of the Christian tradition.In this episode, we explore the origins of the Snowmass Dialogues of 1984, the key points of agreement across various religious traditions, the importance of interfaith solidarity, the non-dual nature of God, and the interconnectedness of different sacred traditions.To connect further with us:Visit our website: www.contemplativeoutreach.orgFind us on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/contemplativeoutreachltd/Like us on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/contemplativeoutreachCheck out our YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/user/coutreachTo learn more about the founding theological principles of Contemplative Outreach, visit https://www.contemplativeoutreach.org/vision/Stream and Download the Opening Minds, Opening Hearts Podcast NOW for FREE on Apple Podcast, Google, Amazon and Spotify!

Welcome back to season three of Opening Minds, Opening Hearts! This season, we're shifting our focus to explore the later teachings of Thomas Keating. Our conversations will feature interspiritual and interreligious insights from guests representing various spiritual traditions. These dialogues will be guided by theological principle #11:“We affirm our solidarity with the contemplative dimension of other religions and sacred traditions. United in our common search for God, we respect and honor other religions and sacred traditions and those committed to them. We engage in ecumenical and interreligious dialogue and work together in areas of social justice, ecological concerns, and contemplative initiatives.”We're excited to have you join us as we experience perspectives from other spiritual traditions.To learn more about Father Thomas Keating's guidelines for service and principles visit www.contemplativeoutreach.org/vision. To connect further with us:Visit our website: www.contemplativeoutreach.orgFind us on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/contemplativeoutreachltd/Like us on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/contemplativeoutreachCheck out our YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/user/coutreacSeason 3 of Opening Minds, Opening Hearts was made possible by a grant from the Trust for the Meditation Process, a charitable foundation encouraging meditation, mindfulness, and contemplative prayer.This season 3 of Opening Minds, Opening Hearts is produced by Rachael SanyaExtra music from Bensound.com. License codes: Z5MRZR8RFEARKTF1 and Z8ATTZIZZVFUOXNCStream and Download the Opening Minds, Opening Hearts Podcast NOW for FREE on Apple Podcast, Google, Amazon and Spotify!

Welcome back to the final episode of Opening Minds, Opening Hearts for this season! We have enjoyed the thought-provoking conversations we've had with our guests this season and today we are excited to speak with Cynthia Bourgealt. Cynthia is a modern-day mystic, Episcopal priest, writer, and internationally known retreat leader. She divides her time between solitude and sailing the waters around her seaside hermitage in Maine, and a demanding schedule traveling globally to teach and spread the recovery of the Christian Contemplative and Wisdom paths. She believes that the strength of a lineage depends on the strength of its students. She has taken an active interest in mentoring the new generation of Wisdom teachers and leaders.To learn more about Father Thomas Keating's guidelines for service and principles visit www.contemplativeoutreach.org/vision. To connect with Rev. Dr. Cynthia Bourgeault: Visit her website: www.cynthiabourgeault.orgEncountering Evil online web course: www.wisdomwayofknowing.orgBooks mentioned in this episode: Lost Christianity by Jacob NeedlemanOpen Minds, Open Hearts: The Contemplative Dimension of the Gospel by Father Thomas KeatingFrom the Mind to the Heart by Father Thomas KeatingGod is all and all: The Evolution of the Contemplative Christian Spiritual Journey by Father Thomas KeatingThat We May Be One - Christian Non-duality: A Companion Book by Father Thomas KeatingTo connect further with us:Visit our website: www.contemplativeoutreach.orgFind us on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/contemplativeoutreachltd/Like us on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/contemplativeoutreachCheck out our YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/user/coutreachSeason 2 of Opening Minds, Opening Hearts was made possible by a grant from the Trust for the Meditation Process, a charitable foundation encouraging meditation, mindfulness, and contemplative prayer.This episode of Opening Minds, Opening Hearts is produced by Crys & Tiana LLC www.crysandtiana.comStream and Download the Opening Minds, Opening Hearts Podcast NOW for FREE on Apple Podcast, Google, Amazon and Spotify!

Centering Prayer is a practice that changes the way we see the world from the inside out and is important for our well-being both physically and mentally. To help us reflect on this important principle, we are excited to welcome Fr. Greg Boyle, the founder of Homeboy Industries, the largest gang intervention, rehabilitation, and re-entry program in the world. Fr. Greg was born and raised in Los Angeles and was a Jesuit priest from 1986 to 1992. He served as pastor of Dolores Mission Church, the poorest Catholic parish in Los Angeles that had the highest concentration of gang activity in the city. After witnessing the devastating impact of gang violence on his community, peaking at 1,000 gang-related killings in 1992, he was inspired to adopt a radical approach at the time, treating gang members as human beings. Homeboy Industries employs and trains former gang members in a range of social enterprises, and provides critical services to thousands of individuals who walk through its doors each year seeking a better life.To connect further with Fr. Greg Boyle:Visit his website: www.homeboyindustries.orgLike him on Facebook - www.facebook.com/HomeboyIndustries/Follow him on Twitter - www.twitter.com/homboyindFind him on Instagram - www.instagram.com/explore/tags/homeboyindustries/Connect with him on LinkedIn - www.linkedin.com/company/homeboy-industries/Check out his YouTube Channel – www.youtube.com/user/JobsNotJailsFr. Boyle is the author of the 2010 New York Times bestseller Tattoos on the Heart: The Power of Boundless Compassion. Followed by Barking to the Choir: The Power of Radical Kinship (2017) and The Whole Language: The Power of Extravagant Tenderness (2021). Most recently, he authored Forgive Everyone Everything, an anthology of writings accompanied by Fabian Debora's artwork. To connect further with us:Visit our website: www.contemplativeoutreach.orgFind us on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/contemplativeoutreachltd/Like us on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/contemplativeoutreachCheck out our YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/user/coutreachTo learn more about Father Thomas Keating's guidelines for service and principles visit www.contemplativeoutreach.org/vision. Season 2 of Opening Minds, Opening Hearts was made possible by a grant from the Trust for the Meditation Process, a charitable foundation encouraging meditation, mindfulness, and contemplative prayer. This episode of Opening Minds, Opening Hearts produced by Crys & Tiana LLC www.crysandtiana.comStream and Download the Opening Minds, Opening Hearts Podcast NOW for FREE on Apple Podcast, Google, Amazon and Spotify!

Today we will discuss the evolving and expanding community of Contemplative Outreach and Centering Prayer. We have a special guest, The Very Reverend Michael Battle, Ph.D. a theologian, professor, author, and speaker. He is the author of 11 books including his most recent title, Desmond Tutu, A Spiritual Biography of South Africa's Confessor. We explore “ubuntu” the African proverb that teaches we are all interdependent on one another. We also explore how we can expand the contemplative life to people of color, his experience spending time with Desmond Tutu, and how our different spiritual gifts are all important. To connect further with The Rev. Michael Battle:Visit his website: www.michaelbattle.comRead his works including his most recent book Desmond Tutu, A Spiritual Biography of South Africa's Confessor at www.michaelbattle.comTo connect further with us:Visit our website: www.contemplativeoutreach.orgFind us on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/contemplativeoutreachltd/Like us on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/contemplativeoutreachCheck out our YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/user/coutreachTo learn more about Father Thomas Keating's guidelines for service and principles visit www.contemplativeoutreach.org/vision.Season 2 of Opening Minds, Opening Hearts was made possible by a grant from the Trust for the Meditation Process, a charitable foundation encouraging meditation, mindfulness, and contemplative prayer. This episode of Opening Minds, Opening Hearts is produced by Crys & Tiana LLC www.crysandtiana.com Stream and Download the Opening Minds, Opening Hearts Podcast NOW for FREE on Apple Podcast, Google, Amazon and Spotify!

On today's episode, we will explore the changing needs of Christian contemplatives through a thought-provoking conversation with our guest, Keith Kristich. Keith is a writer, retreat leader, and founder of the online contemplative community, Closer Than Breath. His mission is to help people unlearn rigid religion, reimagine what is divine, and see God everywhere. Keith is a commissioned presenter of Centering Prayer through Contemplative Outreach and trained with the Shalem Institute for Spiritual Formation in leading contemplative prayer groups and retreats.To learn more about Closer Than Breath, visit their website www.closerthanbreath.comTo connect further with us:Visit our website: www.contemplativeoutreach.orgFind us on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/contemplativeoutreachltd/Like us on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/contemplativeoutreachCheck out our YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/user/coutreachTo learn more about Father Thomas Keating's guidelines for service and principles visit www.contemplativeoutreach.org/vision.Season 2 of Opening Minds, Opening Hearts was made possible by a grant from the Trust for the Meditation Process, a charitable foundation encouraging meditation, mindfulness, and contemplative prayer. This episode of Opening Minds, Opening Hearts is produced by Crys & Tiana LLC www.crysandtiana.comStream and Download the Opening Minds, Opening Hearts Podcast NOW for FREE on Apple Podcast, Google, Amazon and Spotify!

On today's episode of Opening Minds, Opening Hearts, we hear from Dr. Rory McEntee, a religion scholar and philosopher-theologian working at an intersection of contemplative life, education, social justice, and culture. Today we will discuss the support and difficulties that come with being in community, how empathy comes from our own uniqueness and manifestation of God on Earth, and what Rory feels is the greatest challenge of our time. To connect further with Dr. Rory McEntee:Visit his website: https://charisinterspirituality.org/To connect further with us:Visit our website: www.contemplativeoutreach.orgFind us on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/contemplativeoutreachltd/Like us on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/contemplativeoutreachCheck out our YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/user/coutreachTo learn more about Father Thomas Keating's guidelines for service and principles visit www.contemplativeoutreach.org/vision.Season 2 of Opening Minds, Opening Hearts was made possible by a grant from the Trust for the Meditation Process, a charitable foundation encouraging meditation, mindfulness, and contemplative prayer. This episode of Opening Minds, Opening Hearts is produced by Crys & Tiana LLC www.crysandtiana.comStream and Download the Opening Minds, Opening Hearts Podcast NOW for FREE on Apple Podcast, Google, Amazon and Spotify!

On today's episode of Opening Minds, Opening Hearts, we are delighted to welcome Heather Ruce who will help us dive into the deepening practice of Centering Prayer, a Wisdom Spiritual Director who facilitates Wisdom Practices and hosts retreats at schools focused on the Christian Wisdom Tradition. Heather weaves the lineage of teacher, Cynthia Bourgeault, into her work and training including Family Systems Therapy, Systematic Experiencing, Organic Intelligence, and her spiritual direction. Her approach to teaching is guiding people in practice with wisdom and in the service of the Christian Wisdom Tradition. Join us as we explore our relationship with everything around us through Centering Prayer.To connect further with Heather Ruce::Visit her website: https://www.heatherruce.com/To connect further with us:Visit our website: www.contemplativeoutreach.orgFind us on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/contemplativeoutreachltd/Like us on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/contemplativeoutreachCheck out our YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/user/coutreachTo learn more about Father Thomas Keating's guidelines for service and principles visit www.contemplativeoutreach.org/vision.Season 2 of Opening Minds, Opening Hearts was made possible by a grant from the Trust for the Meditation Process, a charitable foundation encouraging meditation, mindfulness, and contemplative prayer. This episode of Opening Minds, Opening Hearts is produced by Crys & Tiana LLC www.crysandtiana.comStream and Download the Opening Minds, Opening Hearts Podcast NOW for FREE on Apple Podcast, Google, Amazon and Spotify!

On today's episode, we speak with Gigi Ross, who began practicing Centering Prayer after attending an introductory workshop in 1998. Gigi has been a Spiritual Director since 2000 and worked as an Associate Director at the Shalem Institute for Spiritual Foundation. She also served on the leadership team for Contemplative Outreach of Maryland and Washington from 2003 to 2005. She is currently working at the Center for Action and Contemplation (CAC) as the Living School Student Experience Manager. We are so grateful for our long-standing partnership with CAC and the tremendous work she is doing there. To connect further with us:Visit our website: www.contemplativeoutreach.orgFind us on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/contemplativeoutreachltd/Like us on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/contemplativeoutreachCheck out our YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/user/coutreachTo learn more about Father Thomas Keating's guidelines for service and principles visit www.contemplativeoutreach.org/vision.Season 2 of Opening Minds, Opening Hearts was made possible by a grant from the Trust for the Meditation Process, a charitable foundation encouraging meditation, mindfulness, and contemplative prayer. This episode of Opening Minds, Opening Hearts is produced by Crys & Tiana LLC www.crysandtiana.comStream and Download the Opening Minds, Opening Hearts Podcast NOW for FREE on Apple Podcast, Google, Amazon and Spotify!

On today's episode, we talk with Phileena Nikole who is well known in contemplative communities and spaces where she works as a Spiritual Director and Centering Prayer Practitioner. Phileena spent her early adult life in social justice work with poor and marginalized communities. This work led her to more than 70 countries where she helped to build community among victims of human trafficking, HIV and AIDS survivors, abandoned children, child soldiers, and war brides. She is passionate about spirituality and making the world a better place. She shares how she came to the practice of Centering Prayer, how it changed her life, and has shaped her work. To connect further with us:Visit our website: www.contemplativeoutreach.orgFind us on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/contemplativeoutreachltd/Like us on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/contemplativeoutreachCheck out our YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/user/coutreachTo learn more about Father Thomas Keating's guidelines for service and principles visit www.contemplativeoutreach.org/vision.Season 2 of Opening Minds, Opening Hearts was made possible by a grant from the Trust for the Meditation Process, a charitable foundation encouraging meditation, mindfulness, and contemplative prayer. This episode of Opening Minds, Opening Hearts is produced by Crys & Tiana LLC www.crysandtiana.comStream and Download the Opening Minds, Opening Hearts Podcast NOW for FREE on Apple Podcast, Google, Amazon and Spotify!

On this episode, we welcome Mary Dwyer who has been practicing Centering Prayer for over 30 years. In the early 1990's she lived in Chrysalis House, a contemplative community experiment blessed by Father Thomas, which became an incubator of practice and programs in the early years of growth for Contemplative Outreach and Centering Prayer. She attended Georgetown University and majored in economics, later she went back to school and became a licensed social worker. Mary is currently in private practice as a social worker, while serving Contemplative Outreach as a member of the community, welcoming service team, a chairperson for Contemplative Outreach, and a member of the faculty. Mary has been in complete service to the Contemplative Outreach community. We are so grateful to have her on the show. To connect further with us:Visit our website: www.contemplativeoutreach.orgFind us on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/contemplativeoutreachltd/Like us on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/contemplativeoutreachCheck out our YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/user/coutreachTo learn more about Father Thomas Keating's guidelines for service and principles visit www.contemplativeoutreach.org/vision.Season 2 of Opening Minds, Opening Hearts was made possible by a grant from the Trust for the Meditation Process, a charitable foundation encouraging meditation, mindfulness, and contemplative prayer. This episode of Opening Minds, Opening Hearts is produced by Crys & Tiana LLC www.crysandtiana.comStream and Download the Opening Minds, Opening Hearts Podcast NOW for FREE on Apple Podcast, Google, Amazon and Spotify!

In today's episode, we welcome Father Justin Lanier, a Priest in the Episcopal Church. He was born in Louisiana and grew up in Delaware where he went to Methodist, Roman Catholic and Episcopal churches. Early in his formation, Father Justin entered the St. Benedict's Trappist monastery community in Snowmass under Abbot Joseph Boyle where Father Thomas Keating was resident. Fr. Justin was under the direction of these two men until their deaths in 2018. Fr. Justin was also sent to train in a Rinzai Zen monastery in Japan as part of his formation. Throughout his formation, he has been in touch with Contemplative Outreach teachers and presenters. In this episode, we will focus on the expanding vision of the community of Contemplative Outreach.To connect further with us:Visit our website: www.contemplativeoutreach.orgFind us on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/contemplativeoutreachltd/Like us on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/contemplativeoutreachCheck out our YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/user/coutreachTo learn more about Father Thomas Keating's guidelines for service and principles visit www.contemplativeoutreach.org/vision.Season 2 of Opening Minds, Opening Hearts was made possible by a grant from the Trust for the Meditation Process, a charitable foundation encouraging meditation, mindfulness, and contemplative prayer. This episode of Opening Minds, Opening Hearts is produced by Crys & Tiana LLC www.crysandtiana.comStream and Download the Opening Minds, Opening Hearts Podcast NOW for FREE on Apple Podcast, Google, Amazon and Spotify!

Welcome back to season two of Opening Minds, Opening Hearts. We are your hosts, Colleen Thomas and Mark Dannenfelser and our hope this season is to open the door for you to explore more deeply this powerful practice of Centering Prayer. Each week we will talk with a guest from the contemplative community and unpack Father Thomas Keating's principle: “Contemplative Outreach is an evolving community with an expanding vision and deepening practice of Centering Prayer that serves the changing needs of Christian contemplatives.”To connect further with us:Visit our website: www.contemplativeoutreach.orgFind us on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/contemplativeoutreachltd/Like us on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/contemplativeoutreachCheck out our YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/user/coutreachTo learn more about Father Thomas Keating's guidelines for service and principles visit www.contemplativeoutreach.org/vision.Season 2 of Opening Minds, Opening Hearts was made possible by a grant from the Trust for the Meditation Process, a charitable foundation encouraging meditation, mindfulness, and contemplative prayer. This episode of Opening Minds, Opening Hearts is produced by Crys & Tiana LLC www.crysandtiana.comStream and Download the Opening Minds, Opening Hearts Podcast NOW for FREE on Apple Podcast, Google, Amazon and Spotify!

Welcome back to season two of Opening Minds, Opening Hearts. Co-host Mark Dannenfelser and Colleen Thomas framed their conversation around one of Thomas Keating's guiding principles:“Contemplative Outreach is an evolving community with an expanding vision and deepening practice of Centering Prayer that serves the changing needs of Christian contemplatives.” Throughout the season, Mark and Colleen will unpack this principle with guests who are involved in the evolving contemplative community. To learn more about Father Thomas Keating's guidelines for service and principles visit www.contemplativeoutreach.org/vision. To connect further with us:Visit our website: www.contemplativeoutreach.orgFind us on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/contemplativeoutreachltd/Like us on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/contemplativeoutreachCheck out our YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/user/coutreachTo learn more about Father Thomas Keating's guidelines for service and principles visit www.contemplativeoutreach.org/vision.Season 2 of Opening Minds, Opening Hearts was made possible by a grant from the Trust for the Meditation Process, a charitable foundation encouraging meditation, mindfulness, and contemplative prayer.This season of Opening Minds, Opening Hearts is produced by Crys & Tiana LLC www.crysandtiana.comStream and Download the Opening Minds, Opening Hearts Podcast NOW for FREE on Apple Podcast, Google, Amazon and Spotify!

Today, on this final episode of the first season of Opening Minds, Opening Hearts, our guest is Mark Kutolowski. He is an oblate of Saint Benedict and a Centering Prayer instructor committed to supporting the revitalization of Christian contemplation. Mark and his wife are the co-directors of Metanoia of Vermont, a lay contemplative homestead and ministry that seeks to nurture the way of Christ through work and prayer in relationship with the land. We discuss Mark's personal interactions with Father Thomas, the unity found in Centering Prayer, metanoia or a spiritual conversion that comes with contemplation, how our prayer practice is a bridge to all other areas of life and more. To connect further with Mark Kutolowski - Visit his website - Metanoia of Vermont www.metanoiavt.com - Visit Mark's Substack https://metanoiavt.substack.com/ To connect further with us:- Visit our website: www.contemplativeoutreach.org- Find us on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/contemplativeoutreachltd/- Like us on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/contemplativeoutreach- Check out our YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/user/coutreachStream and Download the Opening Minds, Opening Hearts Podcast NOW for FREE on Apple Podcast, Google, Amazon and Spotify!

On Today's episode of Opening Minds, Opening Hearts, we welcome internationally acclaimed speaker, author, poet and translator of spiritual texts, Carmen Acevedo Butcher. Today she shares her thoughts on Centering Prayer practice, self-compassion, community with others, and how trauma can be turned into connection through meditation and contemplation.To connect further with Carmen Acevedo ButcherVisit her website: https://www.carmenbutcher.com/Visit her Linktree: https://linktr.ee/carmenacevedobutcherCheck out her YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/c/CarmenAcevedoButcherPresenceCarmen's translations:Brother Lawrence's Practice of the Presence (Broadleaf) now available on AudibleThe Cloud of Unknowing (Shambhala)To connect further with us:Visit our website: www.contemplativeoutreach.orgFind us on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/contemplativeoutreachltd/ Like us on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/contemplativeoutreach Check out our YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/user/coutreach Stream and Download the Opening Minds, Opening Hearts Podcast NOW for FREE on Apple Podcast, Google, Amazon and Spotify!

On this episode of Opening Minds, Opening Hearts, Pastor Tia Norman, shares her perspective on incorporating gentleness during the practice of Centering Prayer, the relationship flow between prayer and the divine, and her thoughts on being a woman of color in the contemplative community. Tia is a teacher and guide specializing in the spirituality and practices anchored in the mystical teachings of the Christan Contemplative tradition. She serves as the Pastor of Awakenings, a contemplative community in Houston, TX and is a certified Embodied Yin and Yoga Nidra Teacher. To connect further with Pastor Tia Norman:Visit her website: https://tiaariane.comFollow her on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/2btia/Check out her free Guided Meditation Download: https://mailchi.mp/9c19517d01a5/free-guided-meditation-from-tia-normanVisit Awakenings Website: http://awakeningsinc.org/Follow Awakenings on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/awakenings_inc/To connect further with us:Visit our website: www.contemplativeoutreach.orgFind us on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/contemplativeoutreachltd/ Like us on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/contemplativeoutreach Check out our YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/user/coutreach Stream and Download the Opening Minds, Opening Hearts Podcast NOW for FREE on Apple Podcast, Google, Amazon and Spotify!

On this episode of Opening Minds, Opening Hearts, we are excited to welcome a friend of Contemplative Outreach, Father Adam Bucko. He shares how Father Thomas Keating helped shape his work and inspired him to write his new book Let Your Heartbreak be Your Guide: Lessons in Engaged Contemplation. We discuss how trauma can change how one practices Centering Prayer and the discernment that comes with remaining silent or speaking out against social justice. Father Bucko also shares his experience working with homeless youth in New York City and leading The Center for Spiritual Imagination at the Episcopal Cathedral of the Incarnation.⁣⁣

On this episode of Opening Minds, Opening Hearts, we are excited to welcome a friend of Contemplative Outreach, Dr. Lerita Coleman Brown. She walks us through how we can center down during our contemplative time so that we can focus on the silent space where we can hear from God instead of the chatter that pulls us away from stillness. She also encourages us to have an accurate self portrayal of ourselves and strengthen our inner, so that the prejudice and perceptions of others cannot enter. Dr. Brown promotes the renowned mystic and theologian, Howard Thurman, contemplative spirituality and uncovering the peace and joy in one's heart. She is a professor of psychology emerita, spiritual director and companion, retreat leader, speaker, and author.To connect further with Dr. Lerita Coleman Brown:Visit her websites: www.leritacolemanbrown.com and www.peaceforhearts.comLike her on Facebook: Peace for Hearts | FacebookFollow her on Twitter: @peace4hearts Follow her on Instagram: Lerita Coleman Brown (@peaceforhearts) • Instagram photos and videosShe appears in the documentaries, Back Against the Wall: The Howard Thurman Story and The Black Church as well as several podcasts.Dr. Brown is the author of several articles, chapters, essays, and When the Heart Speaks, Listens: Discovering Inner Wisdom. Her newest book, What Makes you Come Alive: A Spiritual Walk with Howard Thurman will be released by Broadleaf Press in February and is available for pre-order now.To connect further with us:Visit our website: www.contemplativeoutreach.orgFind us on Instagram: Contemplative Outreach Ltd (@contemplativeoutreachltd) • Instagram photos and videosLike us on Facebook: (1) Contemplative Outreach | West Milford NJ | FacebookCheck out our YouTube channel: (1) coutreach - YouTubeThis podcast is produced by Crys & Tiana LLC www.crysandtiana.comStream and Download the Opening Minds, Opening Hearts Podcast NOW for FREE on Apple Podcast, Google, Amazon and Spotify!

On this very first episode of Opening Minds, Opening Hearts, we speak with author and spiritual leader, Carl Mcloman. Carl walks us through a deeper understanding of the relationships and distinctions between mystical traditions, Christian meditation, contemplation and Centering Prayer. He also helps us accept our humanness while building a healthy daily practice using silence, sacred words and the four guidelines of Centering Prayer as stated by Father Thomas Keating. Carl sees the elegance and simplicity of the method of centering prayer as a larger conversation that the Christian community is having about reclaiming this contemplative practice. To connect further with Carl McCloman:Visit his website: www.anamchara.comCheck out his course The Contemplative Study of Mystical Writings coming in January 2023 on Patreon.To provide financial support for Carl McCloman and to have access to his teachings visit his Patreon: www.patreon.com/carlmccolmanCarl McCloman is the author of many books including The Big Book of Christian Mysticism, Eternal Heart: The Mystical Path to a Joyful Life, and Unteachable Lessons: Why Wisdom Can't Be Taught and Why That's Okay. He is also one of the co-hosts of the Encountering Silence podcast. To connect further with us:Visit our website: www.contemplativeoutreach.orgFind us on Instagram: Contemplative Outreach Ltd (@contemplativeoutreachltd) • Instagram photos and videosLike us on Facebook: (1) Contemplative Outreach | West Milford NJ | FacebookCheck out our YouTube channel: (1) coutreach - YouTubeThis podcast is produced by Crys & Tiana LLC www.crysandtiana.comStream and Download the Opening Minds, Opening Hearts Podcast NOW for FREE on Apple Podcast, Google, Amazon and Spotify!

Are you seeking to deepen your interior life through the practice of Centering Prayer? Do you have a desire to develop a closer connection to the divine as well as those around you? Opening Minds, Opening Hearts is a podcast for both the curious meditator and long-time practitioner of Centering Prayer. On each episode, hosts Colleen Thomas and Mark Dannenfelser will reflect on the method of Centering Prayer with some friends of Contemplative Outreach who share their personal experiences of encountering God through the prayer, and through their work in the world. Topics discussed will include New Monasticism, the value of silence, the practice of contemplation and the call to social action. Through this podcast, we hope to provide new perspectives on the future of this prayer in the rapidly changing spiritual and technological landscape. Centering Prayer is a practice and a gift and we are excited to share this blessing with our listeners.