Our fast-paced lives are filled with distractions, frequently leaving us disillusioned and dissatisfied—with ourselves, with others, and even with God. Spiritual practices that used to sustain us fall short when life circumstancesbring us to the limits of our self.After many years leading an international humanitarian organization, Phileena Heuertz experienced the deconstruction of her identity, worldview, and faith. Centering prayer, a Christian expression of mindfulness, was a crucial remedy for her fragmented condition, offering a more peace-filled and purposeful life.The hallmarks of contemplative spirituality—solitude, silence, and stillness—have never been more important for our society:In solitude, we develop thecapacity to be present.In silence, we cultivate the ability to listen.In stillness, we acquire the skill of self-control.Contemplative prayer helps us discern the voice of God, uncover our true self, and live a life of meaning and purpose.Filled with insights and wisdom from personal experiences, Phileena introduces us to themes and teachers of contemplative spirituality, as well as several prayer practices, and invites us to greater healing and wholeness by learningto practice faith through prayer.This is an opportunity to go deeper with God—to experience the Divine and be transformed.



Phileena Heuertz is the author of Pilgrimage of a Soul and a founding partner of Gravity, a Center for Contemplative Activism. For nearly twenty years she and her husband, Chris, codirected an international nonprofit. Spiritual director,yoga instructor, public speaker, retreat guide, and author, Phileena is passionate about spirituality and making the world a better place.







Richard Rohr, OFM, is a globally recognized ecumenical teacher bearing witness to the universal awakening within Christian mysticism and the perennial tradition. He is a Franciscan priest of the New Mexico Province and founder of the Center for Action and Contemplation in Albuquerque, New Mexico. His teaching is grounded in the Franciscan alternative orthodoxy—practices of contemplation and self-emptying, expressing itself in radical compassion, particularly for the socially marginalized. Fr.Richard is the author of numerous books, including Everything Belongs, Adam's Return, The Naked Now, Breathing Under Water, Falling Upward, Immortal Diamond, and Eager to Love: The Alternative Way of Francis of Assisi, and The Divine Dance: The Trinity and Your Transformation(with Mike Morrell).



Foreword by Richard Rohr, OFM

1. Sleepwalking

2. Withdrawing to Engage

3. Finding Liberation by Discernment

4. Discovering Darkness Is Light

5. Exploring a Deep Well

6. Dying for Life

7. Unknowing to Know

8.Waking Up

Afterword by Kirsten Powers

Acknowledgments

Notes