Centering prayer is rooted in the Eastern tradition of early Church prayer as well as the wisdom of early Church fathers. This book returns to these roots, offering contemporary Christians a new approach to ancient prayer forms. Pennington writes about the obstacles that discourage people from praying well, he explains how to relax for prayer, how to listen to and be directed by the Other, and how to handle the pain and distractions that can stifle attempts to communicate with God.