“Be still and know that I am God” Psalm 46:10, is at the heart of centering prayer. Centering is a practice of being still before God and attending to His presence. One of the many benefits of centering prayer is that you become more consciously aware of your thoughts and feelings. You also can allow yourself to let go of them more readily when needed. Over time centering becomes a strong cleansing practice.
I first encountered this contemplative form of prayer as a college student while retreating at a trappist monastery. A monk named Basil Pennington centered with us each day. He taught us much about prayer. I later discovered he was at the heart of the renewal of interest in this form of prayer back in the early 80’s when I attended this retreat.
The centering prayer method is incredibly simple.
1) Select a word that has significant meaning for your relationship with God. Your word can be a favored name or expression for God such as, Jesus, Spirit, God, Yahweh, Lord, etc. or a word that helps you think of God such as, love or peace.
2) Get physically comfortable and still in a place where you will be neither interrupted or distracted. You may lie flat or be seated on a floor or a chair. Do not move throughout your practice.
3) Whenever your mind begins to wander gently return your attention to God by saying your centering word in your mind. Use the word only when you need to. Do not repeat it endlessly like an eastern mantra. Let go of any thoughts or feelings that try to push into your mind and simply set quietly before God.
4) After 20 minutes or so, conclude your time of centering with a short prayer of thanks or perhaps the Lord’s prayer to transition your mind back out of your prayer time.
Common struggles
Sitting still – Most people struggle at first with maintaining physical stillness. They fidget and re-position. They are annoyingly distracted by physical sensations like their nose itching or their hair touching their ear. This is not at all unusual and the solution is the same regardless of the distraction, simply and gently return your attention to your word.
Inner chatter — As you become more comfortable with centering prayer, the physical discomforts and distractions become less of an issue. Internal thoughts will become more the problem. Day residue thoughts, such as thinking about a conversation or an unfinished task, will presence themselves with annoying persistence. Ideas may flow or you may find yourself working through a problem. Just return to your word.
Other common thoughts include wondering how much time has past or remains, or wondering if you are doing what you are suppose to be doing. Dismiss the thoughts by returning to your word, just as you did with physical distractions..
Unexpected waves of emotion – Emotions may well up inside of you after centering regularly. I have had an overwhelming sense of fear before and others find themselves laughing or crying. The stillness seems to unmask deeply held feelings. The Holy Spirit begins to touch deeper and deeper aspects of who you are in the silence. Once again, turn your attention to your centering word and return to an inner silence before God.
How long and how often should you pray?
I recommend spending approximately twenty minutes in prayer when you start out. This may sound excessive; however, most people need a good fifteen minutes just to quiet their minds when they first start this practice. Consequently, when people do less, they tend to give up on the practice because they are never getting to a place of stillness.
That said, practice centering prayer for at least once a day for several weeks before giving up on the method as a practice. You may need a week or more of practice just to relax into the method.
Recently, I returned to practicing twenty minutes of centering prayer as part of praying one hour a day for forty days. I prayed for ten days before I got to a place of being able to sit for twenty minutes without consulting my watch. So, give yourself time to adjust to this practice.
By the way, the easy way to prevent worrying about the time is to set a quiet alarm before you begin practicing. This will free you from having to consult your watch or phone to see how much time is left.
Lastly, do not judge the value of centering prayer based off your experience of praying. This was perhaps the most valuable advice that Basil Pennington shared with us. After several weeks of practice, consider how your relationships are changing. Are you more patient with your family? Are you more peaceful in the midst of stressful situations? Do people recognize a positive shift in your demeanor?
The day after I came home from the monastery I had to work a shift as a van driver at a hotel. The shift change was chaotic and demanding, but I floated along within it un-phased by the chaos. Passengers that I picked up commented on how incredibly peaceful I seemed and openly wondered about it. Many hours of my prayer time though were a struggle just to be still. The real mark of valuable pray is the transformation it produces within you. That takes time. So be patient and allow yourself a season of experience before judging the value of centering.
I would love to hear about your experiences and your questions. Feel free to contact me using the contact page.
Blessings,
John Arnold
The Yoga Pastor