Paths to Contemplation - 17

Chapter 5 - Centering Prayer

Centering Prayer, a technique for active contemplation

One of the most difficult problems that anyone attempting active contemplation faces is distraction.  A distraction is simply any thought, noise, annoyance, etc., that prevents us from quietly resting in God.  Distractions are like static on the line or fuzz on the television screen.  They are the phone call in the middle of an important task that requires intense concentration.  Quite clearly, distractions are an obstacle to active contemplation.

One of the major distractions a person can face is discomfort.  Some may tell you that you must pray with your palms up, or your arms raised,  sitting in the lotus position, kneeling or standing.  However, if you are going to engage in active contemplation, it is vitally important that you be comfortable because a sore back or cramps in the legs are going to be big-time distractions.  

You may worry that if you are too comfortable, you will fall asleep.  Don’t worry about going to sleep.  Maybe you need the sleep more than you do the active contemplation.  If you are worried about what others may think of your snoozing during prayer time, or you are concerned that your snoring may be a distraction for others, then practice active contemplation alone.  There is no rule that says you have to be in a group to pray, and Jesus even once advised that when we pray, we should pray in secret.

The fact is that active contemplation can be quite relaxing.  The techniques of Centering Prayer, the form of active contemplation we explore in this chapter, can be used even by non-believers as means to ease tension and to put aside the pressures of the day.  So what is Centering Prayer?

There are two principal schools of Christian Centering Prayer.  One form is a “baptized” version of the mantra prayer used by Hindus.  Fr. John Miles, an English Benedictine monk, lived for a time in a Hindu ashram(or commune) where he learned how to pray with a mantra.  He recognized that this form of prayer could be adapted for Christians.  His colleague, Fr. Lawrence Freeman, also an English Benedictine, travels all over the world teaching this form of Centering Prayer and heads an organization devoted to promoting it, the World Community of Christian Meditation.

A second form of Centering Prayer is taught by Fr. Thomas Keating, Trappist monks, and was also promoted by Fr. Basil Pennington before his untimely death.   Fr. Keating is a much-sought-after speaker and also offers retreats at his monastery in Colorado to train persons to teach Centering Prayer.   Such advanced training is required before someone can offer workshops under the auspices of Contemplative Outreach, an organization devoted to promoting this form of Centering Prayer.

Why are there two forms of Centering Prayer?  Indeed, why are they both called “Centering Prayer” in the first place?  Both are intended to help an individual find his or her “center,” that special place within the soul where the “true self” is to be found, or where God dwells.  I myself do not find these concepts of the “true self,” or the “center” of my being where God dwells, to be particularly helpful, even though I believe Centering Prayer in either form can be an aid in active contemplation.  To me, the essence of both of these methods is that they enable the pray-er to overcome distractions so that he or she might be better able to rest quietly in God.