How contemplation looks like

The contemplatives traditionally practiced by sitting in silence. Silence gives us the ability and increased capacity to have that, it's basically inner observation. And by observation I don't mean reflection. Reflection is a cognitive process. Self observation is just a stance of nonjudgment and presence. So just being present and watching what is without judgment. And of course that's very difficult for humans because we are always labeling things good and bad all day long: I like this, I don't like this. I like that, I don't like that. So it's this standing aside from the kind of labelling and judging of things to just merely be present to it. And in that presence we build our inner capacity to be in connection with divine. And it's a way of engaging what Richard Rohr would say is our true self, our divinely connected self which is something that we don't always perceive unless we take the time to sit in silence. And in deep nonjudgmental presence to then be able to begin to feel it and to be aware of it.