A meditation program with Ted Jones
Attention to the breath is a common starting point for insight meditation, which can then expand sequentially to include the body, sound, and mental/emotional phenomena, gradually opening to a totally receptive, choiceness awareness of the present moment, just as it is. Contemplative prayer, as described by the late Trappist monk Father Thomas Keating, is also a practice of total receptivity, where that interior silence is infused with Divine Presence. Centering prayer is one practice of moving toward contemplative prayer. In centering prayer, "the sacred breath" is one of several symbols that can be used as a way of consenting to the presence of the Divine. The use of breath in these two traditions reveals how they flow in the same direction, intersecting in the sacredness of deep interior silence, stillness, and surrender.
This retreat will be conducted mainly in silence, with guidance provided during the periods of meditation and prayer. This program is open to anyone with an established practice in either insight meditation or centering prayer.
Ted Jones, a nephew of Father Thomas Keating, has been practicing insight meditation since 1978, when he began sitting with his principal teacher, Larry Rosenberg. He spent his professional career in mental health as a therapist, clinical supervisor, and program manager. Read more at Ted’s teacher page.
The fee for this program is $45 for members and $50 for nonmembers (become a member here). To register and pay online, click below; if paying by cash or check, send an email to northshoreimc@gmail.com.