The Awakened Heart: Opening Yourself to the Love You Need
About this ebook
"Integrating the wisdom of ancient mystics and the insights of contemporary thinkers, May examines the spiritual longings that are often hidden and controlled by society's pressures and expectations.
"—Publishers Weekly
The work examines how contemplative traditions dismantle the illusion of self-sufficiency. Moving beyond rigid techniques, May explores how personal brokenness gives way to genuine spiritual wholeness.
Drawing on his clinical background in psychiatric wards, the author contrasts our fixation on functional performance with accessible disciplines of silent prayer, from Brother Lawrence's interior glance to the rhythm of the breath.
- Spiritual Formation: Unpack how unconscious conditioning and attachments bind human energy, discovering why lasting freedom requires opening to grace rather than relying on sheer willpower.
- Daily Practices: Learn simple methods of continuous prayer and breath awareness, including the ancient Jesus Prayer, designed to quiet internal anxiety without withdrawing from family or work.
- Pastoral Care: Discover insights for caregivers and counselors on dismantling professional armoring, avoiding burnout, and trusting the healing power of shared vulnerability.
- Also by This Author: Addiction and Grace, The Dark Night of the Soul and The Wisdom of Wilderness.
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About the author
Gerald G. May, M.D. (1940-2005), practiced medicine and psychiatry for twenty-five years before becoming a senior fellow in contemplative theology and psychology at the Shalem Institute for Spiritual Formation in Bethesda, Maryland. He was the author of many books and articles blending spirituality and psychology, including Addiction and Grace, Care of Mind/Care of Spirit, Will and Spirit, and The Dark Night of the Soul.
