“When the field of vision has been unified, the inner being comes to rest, and that inner peaceableness flows into the outer world as harmony and compassion.”
– The Wisdom Jesus: Transforming Heart and Mind
Meet Cynthia
What if wisdom wasn’t something to get from an enlightened monk on a high mountain, but a way of perceiving everything, already available to you now? What if you could integrate monastic, transformative rhythms into your busy life, developing a new way of relating to yourself and others? Discovering and teaching this wisdom way of knowing has been Cynthia Bourgeault’s life’s work.
Cynthia is a modern-day mystic, Episcopal priest, writer, and internationally known retreat leader. She divides her time between solitude at her seaside hermitage in Maine and a demanding schedule traveling globally to teach and spread the recovery of the Christian contemplative and Wisdom paths. Cynthia is a core faculty member at the Center for Action and Contemplation alongside fellow teachers and colleagues James Finley and Richard Rohr.
What is contemplation? How does it intersect with our relationships, families, work, community? Is contemplation relevant to social and environmental justice concerns? In just over a minute, Cynthia explains how contemplation is integral to everyday life.
Student Notes
Newest Book
The Heart of Centering Prayer: Nondual Christianity in theory and practice. Cynthia Bourgeault cuts through the misconceptions to show that Centering Prayer is in fact a pioneering development within the Christian contemplative tradition. This book offers a practical, complete course in the practice and goes deeper to analyze what actually happens in Centering Prayer: the mind effectively switches to a new operating system that makes open-hearted, nondual perception possible. Cynthia then takes readers on a journey through the classic, anonymous text, The Cloud of Unknowing, revealing it to be among the earliest Christian explorations of nondual consciousness.
Recent Articles
Cynthia’s published articles cover a breadth of topics that take us on a journey toward a deeper embrace of our human frailty, messiness, and limitations as the very path and locus of transformation. Read up on Cynthia’s theological insights on the cutting edge between contemplation and “ordinary” life.
Online Courses
E-courses provide an easy way to dive in deeper to some of Cynthia’s most powerful teachings without having to leave home! Each course offers self-paced email lessons that include video or audio recordings, written reflections, contemplative practices, and more.
Latest Talks
If you’re new to the practice of Centering Prayer, watch this practical introduction that Cynthia gave at the 2017 Festival of Faiths. Learn more in Cynthia’s book, The Heart of Centering Prayer.
Cynthia’s network is made up of thoughtful organizations that support her work and the contemplative community. Click the above logos to explore.