Guide to Centering Prayer
Centering Prayer is a method of contemplative prayer in which we rest silently in the presence of God. It is a very simple method that is easy to learn.
In the 1970s a group of Trappist monks realized that young people were increasingly turning to eastern forms of meditation and that these people were having significant spiritual experiences. The monks - Thomas Keating, William Meninger, and Basil Pennington - set out to recover and make more widely available contemplative prayer practices from the Christian tradition, which were almost completely unknown at that time. Inspired in particular by the Christian classic The Cloud of Unknowing, they developed the simple method of centering prayer. As Thomas Keating describes it, centering prayer is “a way of saying ‘Here I am.’ The next step is up to God. It is a way of putting yourself at God’s disposal; it is He who determines the consequences.”
Find a quiet place where you won’t be interrupted. Sit with your back straight. You can sit on a cushion or on a chair with your back straight. Set an alarm clock or timer if you have one for a short period of time, say between five and twenty minutes. Allow your body to relax and feel yourself in your body. Begin to notice your breath flowing in and out at its natural speed. Choose a sacred word as the symbol of your intention to be open to God’s presence. It can be any word with which you are comfortable and that reminds you to be present to God. Examples of a sacred word: God, Jesus, Abba, Father, Mother, Mary, Amen, Love, Listen, Peace, Mercy, Let Go, Silence, Stillness, Faith, Trust, Holy, Glory. Sitting comfortably and with eyes closed, silently begin to repeat the sacred word, which points you gently towards God. When you are ready, you can let go of the sacred word and simply rest in God. When thoughts arise, gently let go of them and turn towards God, repeating the sacred word again if necessary.
Centering prayer bears some similarities to Zen meditation in that it is a silent form of meditation that involves letting go, but rather than concentrating on the breath we surrender to God. Centering prayer is different from mantra meditation in that the sacred word is usually repeated only briefly as a way of helping us to let go and point towards God.
Listen to an audio introduction of a centering prayer session.
Suggestions for Home Practice | The Welcoming Prayer | Mindful Living
Centering Prayer Reading List | Setting Up a Centering Prayer Group
Weekly Centering Prayer Group