2023 Down South Restorative Justice Conference
The Restorative Power of Silence
I have presented a personal meditation practice called "Centering Prayer" since becoming a certified presenter through Contemplative Outreach in 1989. In recent years I have volunteered in prison to bring the residents a tool for cultivating interior silence which will fortify them for survival of their prison experience plus carry them into re-entry when they are released, making them less dependent on external circumstances for peace, clarity, serenity, and effective living. I depend on this practice and recommend it to all those in positions of service, as a defense against burnout, replenishing our inner strength from its Source on a daily basis, providing clarity for discernment and energy for longer hours of productivity, getting back in effectiveness far more than the set-aside time allotted for personal silence.
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Donna Davis
I have been practicing Centering Prayer for almost 35 years and am a certified Presenter of this method for cultivating interior silence through Contemplative Outreach, an international network formed in 1985. I became interested in Restorative Justice after volunteering in Florida prisons for 5 or 6 years. It sounded so hopeful that I enrolled in Vermont Law School to obtain a “Professional Certificate in Restorative Justice” via zoom. It was very affirming to get A’s in all my classes at my age. I’m currently 78. In prison I held classes called “Contemplative Fellowship,” “Overcoming Depression” and “Making Room for God.” After 70 years in Florida, I moved to Iowa for family reasons. I have two adult children and 4 grandchildren. |