We’ve rounded up the best advice from 25 leading Centering Prayer experts on the following question:
What is your best advice for someone who is starting or deepening a Centering Prayer practice?
We know how difficult it can be to begin or maintain a daily meditation practice, and so we reached out to some of the top leaders and teachers to find out what they would most want you to know!
Here, in Part One of this roundup blog, we bring you thirteen of our responders. Next week, we’ll post Part Two with the remaining responders.
We encourage you to sit with each reading for a minute to consider how you might make it real for yourself.
Enjoy – each piece of advice is a precious gem!
Carmen Acevedo Butcher
Internationally acclaimed speaker, author, educator, poet and award-winning translator of spiritual texts.
“Be gentle with yourself! I’m remembering the time someone came to Thomas Keating, frustrated after a centering prayer session, saying: “I’m such a failure at this—I’ve had 10,000 thoughts in 20 minutes!” Keating replied, “How lovely, 10,000 opportunities to return to God!” Experiment with what works best for you, going back to the basics of intention and practicing letting-go. Rereading the origins of Centering Prayer in the Cloud and Brother Lawrence’s to-go presence practice always helps me too.”
Carl McColman
Rev. Nhien Vuong
Founder of Evolving Enneagram, Reverend Nhien Vuong, J.D., M.Div., (she/her/hers) is a contemplative Enneagram counselor, consultant, and global community builder.
Rev. Dr. Lil Smith
Director and co-founder of Retreat House in Dallas, TX; trained spiritual director and supervisor; faculty at SMU Perkins School of Theology
“Just do it! As an extroverted contemplative, stillness can be elusive to me. Centering Prayer teaches me again and again the importance of the Breath and gentle focus. Be gentle with yourself, and enjoy time with Holy Breath.”
Mary Jane Yates
Lawrence Hamilton
Andrew Lang
Graduate of Living School for Action and Contemplation; teacher and workshop leader on shadow work, embodied spirituality, and contemplative practices.
James E. Woods
D.Min., UMC pastor, vowed oblate of the Trappist-Cistercian order (OCSO), faculty at SMU Perkins School of Theology, author of Putting on the Mind of Christ.
“Contemplative practice is never about success or failure; it’s a preparatory process for encountering and receiving the divine will through the transformational release of our disordered ideas and behaviors. When—not if—your mind wanders during centering prayer, don’t beat yourself up; instead celebrate that drift as a joyful opportunity to get in more practice of self-emptying, of letting go! Received this way, these temporary detours become welcome occasions to ‘re-center’ our attentiveness on the stillness from which divinity emerges, moments that capture the very heart of the discipline itself.”
Mark Dannenfelser
Program Coordinator, Contemplative Outreach
Podcast co-host, Opening Minds, Opening Hearts
“Contemplation is the high-water mark of the spiritual life because it awakens in us greater awareness of our union with Divine Love. We are already one with God, but we forget and begin to see ourselves and others as unlovable. Because we are prone to forgetting, we need a contemplative practice, such as Centering Prayer, to remind us. Practicing CP regularly helps us grow in contemplative awareness of the divine deep waters of loving union.”
Mary Dwyer
“Practice, practice, practice. The more regular our practice is, the easier it is to do. Trusting that the Spirit is praying us; we are just consenting to be prayed!”
Rich Lewis
“Commit to try it for 30 days. Make it the first thing you do to begin your day. Take baby steps: Sit for 5 minutes.”
“Don’t worry when it seems like nothing is happening. This prayer is an act of trust that Love is healing us in the depths of our being, mostly without our knowing it.”
Jana Rentzel
“Regard your time in Centering Prayer as the BEST thing you can do for yourself all day, every day, especially when you think you’re too busy! These opportunities to rest in the divine Love of God’s Presence will serve to soothe all aspects of your life – your psychological experience, your relationships, your difficulties and challenges. Nothing is more important for the quality of your life and the life of those you love.”
We hope you enjoyed the advice above.
Look out for Part 2 of this blog next week!
–Keith and Jana
Thank you! Wonderful words to encourage us all………
Thank you for this wonderful gift! What a blessing to receive such comforting words of encouragement! I will save and reread these often.