The tradition distinguishes prayer of petition, thanksgiving, and praise from contemplative prayer — in which one sets words aside and rests in the presence of God. The mystics insist it is not a technique but a gift; however, certain dispositions and practices open the way.
Contemporary forms include Centering Prayer (developed by thomas-keating and Basil Pennington from the The Cloud of Unknowing tradition) and the hesychast The Jesus Prayer. Both involve a word or phrase to which one returns, not as content but as a ticket back from distraction.