When I slow myself down I remember I am a divine being. One way I slow myself down is through the practice of centering prayer. I have practiced centering prayer since June 1, 2014. The recommended guidelines are twice per day, twenty minutes each time.
Previously, I dabbled in centering prayer. For a few months, I practiced once per night. Each session lasted no longer than ten minutes. I knew this was not enough. I needed to respond to this inner nudge. God wanted me to experience more and more of Her Spirit.
On June 1, 2014, I stopped my experiments. I decided to consent to the presence and action of God within. I knew that the only way to do this was to follow the recommended guidelines.
Laurence Freeman states,
“Sitting down to meditate for the first time is a decisive moment in your spiritual path. It is similar to turning on the ignition at the beginning of a long car trip. What happens then? The journey simply begins. You will pull away from the curb. Then like all journeys it proceeds by stages. There are delays, traffic jams, wrong turns, moments of exhaustion as well as the thrill of travel and the discovery of the new. These stages and their events could be described by means of a simple map of the levels of consciousness or as stages of self-knowledge unfolding through a gentle and steady discipline.”
This was my decisive moment!
I now center first thing before I begin my day. My second session is in the afternoon or evening. Each time I am refreshed. I call this time “my sit with Jesus.” My sacred word is an interior Jesus icon.
As my thoughts wander or my emotions reflect about the past day or upcoming events, I ever so gently return to this interior icon to bring me back to the purpose that I center. I consent to the presence and action of God within. I expect Jesus to show up. It excites me to know that Jesus will show up.
Go Further:
Centering Prayer and Inner Awakening was the first book I read as I began my Centering Prayer practice. I have read it numerous times. Here is my review of it.
Healing the Divide: Recovering Christianity’s Mystic Roots by Amos Smith
Be Still and Listen: Experience the Presence of God in Your Life by Amos Smith
The Heart of Centering Prayer: Nondual Christianity in Theory and Practice by Cynthia Bourgeault
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