Held in Love
A Contemplative Journey into
Consent, Belonging, and Communion
Online via Zoom — All Sessions Recorded
March 14, April 11, and May 9, 2026
Presented by:
Mary Dwyer, Logan Jones, Nhien Vuong, & Marybeth Redmond
Each session is designed as a stand-alone workshop although they are presented as a cohesive arc of spiritual insight and development.
Gather live on second-Saturdays in March, April, and May!
Held in Love: A Contemplative Journey into Consent, Belonging, and Communion is a three-part contemplative series inviting practitioners to rest more completely in the Love that already holds us. Rooted in Centering Prayer and the wisdom of Christian contemplative and interspiritual traditions, these 90-minute workshops gently trace a path from welcoming what is, to remembering our belonging, to awakening communion with God and all of life, to reclaiming the wisdom of the Divine Feminine as our “superpower” for prophetic action.
Through silence, shared practice, and embodied prayer, we will explore:
Consent as sacred yielding to Divine presence
Belonging beneath the stories of separation
Communion as a lived reality that honors difference
The healing and transforming wisdom of the Divine Feminine
This is a journey not of striving, but of surrender—an invitation to be held, together, in Love.
Saturday, March 14, 2026
Welcoming What Is: Centering Prayer, Consent, and the "Grease Spot"
In the first workshop of our series, we begin with the essential movement of Centering Prayer: consenting to the presence and action of God. Through the lens of Thomas Keating’s “grease spot theology,” we will explore the Welcoming Prayer as a way to meet life—on and off the cushion—with openness and compassion. This practice helps us to gently be with the difficult, the beautiful, and everything in between, as we release the illusion of control and deepen our trust in Divine indwelling.
Together, we'll explore:
How Centering Prayer and the Welcoming Prayer work together
What it means to “welcome what is” in daily life
Keating’s “grease spot” as a key to spiritual transformation
Presented by Mary Dwyer & Logan Jones
Mary Dwyer is a long-time student of Fr. Thomas Keating & has been practicing Centering Prayer since the 1980s. She now devotes her time between private practice & giving retreats & workshops throughout the U.S. & internationally.
Logan Jones is a spiritual life coach, contemplative teacher, and spiritual director. Logan integrates Christian contemplative practices like Centering Prayer and the Welcoming Prayer practice with the Enneagram and contemplative wisdom. He serves as the Enneagram Lead for Closer Than Breath and works closely with individuals through his coaching practice: loganjonescoaching.com
"At the deepest level of being, we are already one with what we seek."
— Richard Rohr
Saturday, April 11, 2026
From Apartness to Belonging: Held in Love
As we journey deeper into contemplative life, we encounter the subtle (and not-so-subtle) ways we experience separation—within ourselves, from others, and even from God. This session offers a prayerful container for exploring the reality of unity beneath those divisions. Through gentle teaching, heart-centered sharing, and silence, we’ll rest in the truth that all things belong.
Drawing on the wisdom of Richard Rohr and the contemplative path, this workshop invites us to:
Notice the inner voices that divide and exclude
Deepen into the experience of communion as lived reality
Open to a belonging more enduring than labels or roles
This is an invitation to be held—not just individually, but together—in the Love that unites without erasing, and holds difference within wholeness.
Presented by Nhien Vuong
Rev. Nhien Vuong, JD, MDiv, is an ordained Unity minister, contemplative Enneagram thought leader, international speaker, and spiritual mentor to individuals of diverse faith backgrounds around the world. She is the author of The Enneagram of the Soul and founder of Evolving Enneagram, an interspiritual hub for individuals seeking Enneagram-informed contemplation and transformation as a way of life.
Join Live Online - or - Watch the Recordings
You Won't Miss a Thing!
Saturday, May 9, 2026
The Divine Feminine in Contemplative Spirituality
The Divine Feminine is not something we acquire – it is something we consent to inhabit. It is the receptive, relational, generative dimension of Divine Love already alive within us and woven through the natural world. Through contemplative practice, especially Centering Prayer, we learn to rest in this deeper current of Wisdom and allow it to shape our living. In this final workshop of the series, we will discover how the contemplative path opens us to the Sacred Feminine and the profound interrelatedness of all life. Participants will:
Engage in embodied contemplative practices that awaken relational, intuitive ways of knowing
Receive the wild, wise voices of Clarissa Pinkola Estés, Mirabai Starr, and Sue Monk Kidd for fresh takes on the Divine Feminine
Deepen their felt sense of connection with the Earth and the sacred web of life
Presented by Marybeth Redmond
Rev. Marybeth Redmond is an ordained interfaith/interspiritual minister and certified spiritual director, grounded in Catholic formation and the Christian contemplative wisdom path. A longtime practitioner of Centering Prayer, Lectio Divina, and yoga, she embraces interspirituality as a living path for seekers of diverse spiritual backgrounds. She is also a veteran journalist with a deep commitment to justice and systemic change for justice-involved women, refugees, and immigrants.
"Contemplation is learning to live inside the fullness of what is."
— Cynthia Bourgeault
Dates & Details
Where: Online via Zoom
Dates:
Saturday, March 14, 2026 – Mary Dwyer & Logan Jones
Saturday, April 11, 2026 – Nhien Vuong
Saturday, May 9, 2026 – Marybeth Redmond
Time: 10:00am – 11:30am ET | 7:00am - 8:30am PT | 2:00pm - 3:30pm GMT
Each session includes teaching, guided practice, and time for reflection/Q&A.
Recordings will be available if you cannot attend live.
Give what you can, pay as suggested, or join the Circle of Giving.
Cost
Suggested Contribution of $75 for entire series!
This offering is shared on a pay-from-the-heart basis.
Choose what is right for you:
Pay as suggested — give the suggested offering to support our teachers & work.
Give more if you're able — your generosity helps keep our offerings affordable & accessible to all!
Pay from the heart — no one is turned away for lack of funds.
The suggested range supports our teachers, organizers, and the sustainability of this work.
Thank you!
Join Live Online - or - Watch the Recordings
You Won't Miss a Thing!
Register and get Bonus Recording
Register now and get instant access to our March 2025 Contemplation Day, The Process of Welcoming: Living into Yes. This bonus recording from Mary Dywer is an introduction to the Welcoming Prayer practice and provides insight and context for the March 14th session, which will deepen our understanding.
Ready to Join?
Scholarships Available
We believe that there should be no financial barrier to spiritual formation.
To inquire, email events@closerthanbreath.com