Centering Prayer
/“By consenting to God’s creation, to our basic goodness as human beings, and to the letting go of what we love in this world, we are brought to the final surrender, which is to allow the false self to die and the true self to emerge.”
Centering Prayer is a contemplative way of praying and is quite different from other prayer practices. This is a meditation practice where we aim to let go of thoughts, feelings, and sensations as they arise. This practice is a practice of consent to being in the presence of God that is beyond all words, thoughts, and emotions.
In the Christian tradition, we see this approach coming out of the Desert Mothers and Fathers in the 3rd and 4th century and again highlighted in the teaching of the anonymous author of the Cloud of UnKnowing in the 14th century.
This can be described as an “apophatic” (or non-conceptual) practice – we are not in a prayer practice where we are trying to connect with something specific, known, or felt about God, but rather a practice where we consent to communion with God beyond words.
To begin, make sure you have no distractions.
Find a comfortable seated position, ensuring that your back is straight and supported which allows your heart space to be open.
Close your eyes and take a couple of deep centering belly breaths, moving your attention down from your head, through to your heart which is in your body.
Bring to mind your sacred word or image. This is one word or image that is used as a sign of consent to God that you will use throughout this prayer practice. The same word should be used every time you pray in this way. Some would encourage you to use a word from another language that doesn’t have any particular meaning to you (ie. “Maranatha” from scripture) because the sacred word you use is simply to bring you back to consenting to the presence and action of God – not to focus your mind on a specific thought.
Begin your Centering Prayer coming back to your sacred word, image, or your breath every time you find your mind has wandered to a thought, feeling or sensation.
Start by doing this practice for 5-10 minutes and work your way up to 20 minutes.
The fruit of the practice is not found in the practice itself. Of course, it can be relaxing for some, but the fruit is found in the playing field of your life – more peace, self-control, perspective, etc.
Most often, people who commit to a Centering Prayer practice say that they feel nothing in particular (other than being reminded how active their mind really is!). There is a deep trust that God is doing what only God can do in the deepest parts of ourselves as we give our consent.
Today, there are two popular “movements” that support practitioners. Father Thomas Keating founded Contemplative Outreach, and John Main (now Lawrence Freeman) lead the Worldwide Community of Christian Meditation. There are also a number of apps that can support this practice, including Insight Timer & Centering Prayer.
