Centering prayer

Tallguy88 · May 14, 2013

Anyone here have experience with centering prayer? I've read that it's based loosely on the meditative practices of the desert fathers and is somewhat similar to hesychasm.

I haven't tried it myself, but am interested and curious if y'all have any insight.

truefiction1 · May 14, 2013

I've not heard of this. You care to offer a brief explanation of what it's about?

27B6 · May 14, 2013

Tallguy88 · May 14, 2013

Centering prayer:

Centering Prayer is a method of silent prayer that prepares us to receive the gift of contemplative prayer, prayer in which we experience God's presence within us, closer than breathing, closer than thinking, closer than consciousness itself. This method of prayer is both a relationship with God and a discipline to foster that relationship.

Centering Prayer is not meant to replace other kinds of prayer. Rather, it adds depth of meaning to all prayer and facilitates the movement from more active modes of prayer -- verbal, mental or affective prayer -- into a receptive prayer of resting in God. Centering Prayer emphasizes prayer as a personal relationship with God and as a movement beyond conversation with Christ to communion with Him.

Source: http://www.centeringprayer.com/centering_prayer.html

As to it's history:

Cistercian monk Father Thomas Keating, a founder of Centering Prayer, was abbot all through the 60s and 70s at St. Joseph's Abbey in Spencer, Massachusetts. This area is thick with religious retreat centers, including the well-known Theravada Buddhist center, Insight Meditation Society. Fr. Keating tells of meeting many young people, some who stumbled on St. Joseph's by accident, many of them born Catholic, who had turned to Eastern practices for contemplative work. He found many of them had no knowledge of the contemplative traditions within Christianity and set out to present those practices in a more accessible way. The result was the practice now called Centering Prayer.

And how to actually practice centering prayer:

1. Sit comfortably with your eyes closed, relax, and quiet yourself. Be in love and faith to God.

2. Choose a sacred word that best supports your sincere intention to be in the Lord's presence and open to His divine action within you (i.e. "Jesus", "Lord," "God," "Savior," "Abba," "Divine," "Shalom," "Spirit," "Love," etc.).

3. Let that word be gently present as your symbol of your sincere intention to be in the Lord's presence and open to His divine action within you. (Thomas Keating advises that the word remain unspoken.)

4. Whenever you become aware of anything (thoughts, feelings, perceptions, images, associations, etc.), simply return to your sacred word, your anchor.

Ideally, the prayer will reach the point where the person is not engaged in their thoughts as they arrive on their stream of consciousness.

Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Centering_prayer

27B6 · May 14, 2013

Gxg (G²) · May 15, 2013

Interesting...

jckstraw72 · May 15, 2013

This type of prayer is an attempt to get to a state of being – but the Jesus Prayer is about dialoguing with a Person. “Jesus” = “YHWH saves” – we don’t pick any random word, we use His name because it means we are asking for salvation. Centering prayer is about relaxation, just like Hindu or Buddhist meditation, but the Jesus Prayer is the most active activity there is. Elder Sophrony says 7 hours of physical labor is equal to 3 hours of mental activity which is equal to one hour of prayer, in terms of effort exerted. We do not relax in prayer because our bodies are an integral part of our personhood which need salvation. Also, the Jesus Prayer is not about getting rid of thoughts, but about having only one thought - Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me, a sinner!

truefiction1 · May 15, 2013

jckstraw72 said:
This type of prayer is an attempt to get to a state of being but the Jesus Prayer is about dialoguing with a Person. Jesus = YHWH saves we dont pick any random word, we use His name because it means we are asking for salvation. Centering prayer is about relaxation, just like Hindu or Buddhist meditation, but the Jesus Prayer is the most active activity there is. Elder Sophrony says 7 hours of physical labor is equal to 3 hours of mental activity which is equal to one hour of prayer, in terms of effort exerted. We do not relax in prayer because our bodies are an integral part of our personhood which need salvation. Also, the Jesus Prayer is not about getting rid of thoughts, but about having only one thought - Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me, a sinner!

This.

And I personally would prefer to continue in the Jesus prayer because I know it leads to Truth. I don't know what this "centering" prayer leads to.

ArmyMatt · May 15, 2013

I would also be wary about focusing on a single attribute of God, rather than on Himself as He is. the idea of hesychasm, as jck pointed out, is dialogue with the Creator, not repetition of something I like about Him.

it also seems, that the self is central to this kinda mediation. it's YOUR word that YOU choose, and it does not seem, at least from what is posted, that there is any spiritual father direction with it.

Tallguy88 · May 15, 2013

I can't comment from experience, but from what I've read, the word isn't repeated like a mantra. It's just a starting point and an anchor to return to if your mind starts to wander.

As to the actual point of the practice, it seems to be to empty your mind of all thoughts so it can commune with God on a subconscious level.

AvilaSurfer · May 15, 2013

It is not a mantra. This Contemplative Outreach Ltd. | Silence Solitude Solidarity Service is a good source.

AureateDawn · May 15, 2013

jckstraw72 said:
This type of prayer is an attempt to get to a state of being but the Jesus Prayer is about dialoguing with a Person. Jesus = YHWH saves we dont pick any random word, we use His name because it means we are asking for salvation. Centering prayer is about relaxation, just like Hindu or Buddhist meditation, but the Jesus Prayer is the most active activity there is. Elder Sophrony says 7 hours of physical labor is equal to 3 hours of mental activity which is equal to one hour of prayer, in terms of effort exerted. We do not relax in prayer because our bodies are an integral part of our personhood which need salvation. Also, the Jesus Prayer is not about getting rid of thoughts, but about having only one thought - Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me, a sinner!

Thank you for this explanation. It made things clearer to me! However, does this mean that centering prayer, or that general form of meditative type of prayer into a state of being, have a part in the life of an Orthodox Christian? And if so, is there a distinction between it being meditation, or specifically prayer?

jckstraw72 said:
Jesus = YHWH saves

Really? Explain? Somehow I've not known this, but it's neat!

ArmyMatt · May 15, 2013

However, does this mean that centering prayer, or that general form of meditative type of prayer into a state of being, have a part in the life of an Orthodox Christian? And if so, is there a distinction between it being meditation, or specifically prayer?

there is nothing wrong with internal stillness, and the state of mind that comes from it. I think the difference is that in hesychasm, the Jesus prayer is what has been handed down, and it is never done without spiritual direction, so as to avoid demonic delusion which can happen. we don't just pick a word that makes us feel good or we think points us to God, we were given what points us to God, if that makes sense.

Really? Explain? Somehow I've not known this, but it's neat!

Jesus is the Greek version of the name Joshua, which translates into YHWH saves, savior, the Lord saves, and prolly some others I don't remember. it's one of the reasons Christ was given that name, because it's Who He is.

Centering prayer

We shall see the King when he comes!

Fool

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We shall see the King when he comes!

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Pilgrim/Monastic on the Road to God (Psalm 84:1-7)

Doin' that whole Orthodox thing

Fool

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We shall see the King when he comes!

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Love & Peace

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