Living Life in to Prayer

Leader:  Jill Benet

In Centering Prayer, our intention is to consent to the presence and action of the Divine within us. It is sometimes referred to as the Prayer of Consent. The effect of Centering Prayer is seen in daily life, increasing our awareness, making us aware of our attachments, identifications and the hidden motivations that lie behind our actions.  Seen as obstacles to being present, we wish to be free of such distractions. But how do we do that? Little do we realise that what we might at first consider an obstacle is, in fact, a welcome step to living into who we truly are. In an atmosphere of silence, presence and practice, learning how to welcome and be with what comes, we sense a new way to living life fully.

Our time together will include extended periods of prayer and silence as well as practical teaching on how to meet and be with the circumstances arising in our daily life.

Jill Benet is the London Co-ordinator of Contemplative Outreach, founded to teach the method of Centering Prayer and to support Centering Prayer groups and communities. She has studied in-depth the conceptual background of Centering Prayer, trained in the US and UK, and has studied under its founder, Fr Thomas Keating. Jill is a co-founder of the Silence in the City series of talks on the contemplative life and has collaborated with Cynthia Bourgeault, James Finley and Richard Rohr, among others. She leads groups, Introductory Days, Quiet Days, and retreats.  She is a professional teacher and guide of Inner Relationship Focusing.