Centering Prayer, as a contemplative prayer method, is characterized by silence and your intention to grow closer to God. Contemplative prayer is centuries old and practiced by all the world’s principal religions. It is an opening of our minds and hearts, our whole being to God, the Ultimate Mystery, beyond thoughts, words and emotions. It’s simply resting in the presence of God. The Centering Prayer method prepares our faculties to receive this exquisite gift of contemplative prayer.

The chief thing that separates us from God is the thought that we are separated from God. If we get rid of that thought, our troubles will be greatly reduced. We fail to believe that we are always with God and that The Beloved is part of every reality. The present moment, every object we see, our inmost nature are all rooted in the Creator.—Thomas Keating.

If you are visiting this website, you may be experiencing a compelling desire to deepen your relationship with the source of infinite love that we call God (or any other name you choose). Centering Prayer is the prayer of consent—consenting to this powerful intention to grow closer to God. During the prayer, we maintain a silent, receptive disposition, listening with the ear of our heart. For this reason, thoughts and feelings arising from the unconscious may begin almost at once.

Be still and know that I am God. – Psalm 46:10

Centering Prayer is also the prayer of letting go—letting go of expectations, agendas, control and, mostly, letting go of thoughts. Gently and lovingly. We let them go so we can return to our consent to be with The Beloved. In this affirming of our consent, we allow the Divine Therapist to heal the wounds of a lifetime. And the transformation to our True Self begins.

As we grow closer to, and come to better know, God, we gradually let go of who we think we are, to become who we truly are. –Thomas Keating.

The Benefits of Centering Prayer

The effects of Centering Prayer are experienced in daily life, not during the prayer itself.

• We may find ourselves becoming more tolerant and less judgmental. 
• We may be able to come back into balance more easily after an emotional upset. 
• A greater understanding of the needs of the human family emerges and leads each individual to respond with acts of mercy and compassion.
• A growing capacity to listen and be present.
• Growth in self-knowledge.
• A deepening of our prayer life.
• Others may notice changes in us before we notice it ourselves!

The Practice

The practice of centering prayer is very simple. Making time for and committing to the practice may not be easy in this world of distractions.

1. Choose a sacred word as the symbol of your intention to consent to God’s presence and action within. 
2. Sitting comfortably and with eyes closed, settle briefly and silently introduce the sacred word as the symbol of your consent to God’s presence and action within.
3. When engaged with your thoughts, return ever-so-gently to the sacred word, especially when you notice you’re indulging some thought or another.
4. At the end of the prayer period, remain in silence with your eyes closed for a couple of minutes before you slowly open them.

The recommended practice of centering prayer is twice a day, for twenty minutes a session. How you time the sessions is up to you. An online meditation application might be more gentle than, say, an oven timer. However, you can practice more or less, as long as you commit to a time each day to practice centering prayer, regardless of your mood or schedule.