One Heart One Mind

Today’s episode offers a longer, deeper meditation to help you integrate the themes and skills from the past 7 episodes. Practice fasting not just from food and drink, but from thought and feeling. Consent to God’s Presence and action within. Cling to nothing. Risk getting lost— forget even who you think you are. And trust that you hold in hand the only key you need to unlock the Divine Force in your life.   7-day meditation retreat (September 30th - October 7th) 9-month deep dive in the contemplative life (still accepting applications)  

In a sense, contemplative prayer is none other than the practice of deepening one’s faith in God. But faith manifests in many guises. Perhaps a less obvious quality of faith is confidence. What does it mean to sit with a “restful confidence,” fully trusting that God is bringing about a mighty work in you? Listen to this episode as Thomas draws from the inspired thinking of Sri Aurobindo as well as a favorite scripture of his from back home. May you live prayerfully, always with a “perfect brightness of hope.”   7-day meditation retreat (September 30th - October 7th) 9-month deep dive in the contemplative life (still accepting applications)  

It feels assuring to know the answers to the most important questions in life. It takes more humility to admit we might not know where we’re going, and at a deeper level, who we even are. Thomas reflects in this episode on the vulnerability of not knowing and shares a poem from Thomas Merton that shows this special kind of faith in action. And now that Thomas is all done with graduate studies, he’ll be dedicating more time to his teaching practice and the broader community. Learn more about two of his upcoming offerings: 7-day meditation retreat (September 30th - October 7th) 9-month deep dive in the contemplative life (still accepting applications)  

It’s common in Christian life to focus on the aspects of God that we can know and understand—we say God is merciful, patient, loving like a parent…It is less common for most of us to attend to the aspect of God that is too subtle to perceive, too deep to fathom. In this school, to say anything of God is to say too much. This is classically known as the via negativa, leading to the unknowable God. And yet walking this path of unknowing, we come to know things, we come to a new intimacy with God that we couldn’t have previously imagined.

Happy Easter, friends. In this special episode, Thomas explores Jesus’s words to marry when she recognizes Him risen from the tomb: “Do not cling to me.” From a contemplative perspective, what could this mean? What happens when we stop clinging to our wrong ideas, our limiting beliefs? With open mind and open heart, we can come to know the Living Presence that is already in our midst. Christ is risen, indeed! Enjoy this Easter meditation.    

We delve into the Gospel of Thomas this week, a treasure trove of contemplative inspiration. Have you ever gone through an experience where you simply weren’t the same person on the other side? What part of you passed away, and what new quality came into being? Give yourself some space to settle in for this one, and, as Jesus invites, “Come into being as you pass away.”   Logion 42, tr. Lynn Bauman Yeshua says, Come into being As you pass away.   Upcoming workshop: Thomas will be in Salt Lake City May 15-17 to guide students in embodied practice, meditation and all sorts of surprises! Scholarships and financial aid always available.

Explore the transformative practice of Centering Prayer, a method for deepening spiritual connection developed by Father Thomas Keating. Discover how intention drives attention and learn techniques to cultivate a divine presence in your daily life. The discussion intertwines personal stories with practical advice, making Christian contemplation accessible for everyone. Plus, find out about an upcoming workshop in Salt Lake City, promising immersive experiences and surprises for participants!

Explore the intriguing concept of contemplative fasting, where the focus shifts from food to the mind. Delve into its spiritual significance and learn a meditation practice that nurtures your connection with the divine. Experience the discomfort of transformation as fasting serves as a metaphor for spiritual growth. Discover how changing habits can lead to deeper insights, urging you to invest love and attention in others for enriched living. This is a journey not just of the body, but of the soul.

Thomas guides a longer, deeper practice in this episode, weaving the themes from the previous five episodes together. Whether you’re a regular listener or first-timer, this episode provides a great opportunity to internalize some of the deep principles at work in contemplation and to bring your own unique flavor to them. Upcoming workshop: Thomas will be in Salt Lake City May 15-17 to guide students in embodied practice, meditation and all sorts of surprises! Scholarships and financial aid always available.

Contemplation is all about cultivating a relationship with the Divine, and relationship is inherently vulnerable. It’s not surprising then that when we set out to cultivate this most unique of relationships that we find ourselves putting up defenses—resisting the process of deepening our encounter with God. But even our resistance proves to be a great resource in opening our hearts in prayer. Upcoming workshop: Thomas will be in Salt Lake City May 15-17 to guide students in embodied practice, meditation and all sorts of surprises! Scholarships and financial aid always available.