Key Terms: kavanah, Relaxation Response, mindfulness

Learning Targets:

Describe the concept of kavanah (“focusing”) and its role in Jewish and Christian prayer. Learners will explain how kavanah involves silent, reverential preparation of the heart, fostering loving attention to God’s presence and deepening the experience of prayer beyond spoken words.
Analyze the importance of silence, solitude, and mindful attention in spiritual practice. Learners will discuss how traditions encourage silent reflection, intentional focus, and “waiting on the Lord,” drawing on examples from Jesus, Augustine, and other spiritual teachers to illustrate how these practices cultivate awareness of God.
Evaluate the difference between prayer as technique and prayer as encounter with the divine. Learners will compare physiological and psychological benefits of practices like the Relaxation Response and mindfulness with the theological aim of prayer—attentive relationship with the living God—highlighting the distinction between method and spiritual purpose.