Do you find it hard to focus and feel like there is a pinball game going on in your head?
Do your thoughts bounce from one random thought to another like the balls in a pinball machine that bounce from one bumper to the next bumper?
Is your mind on automatic flipper?
It seems to never stay focused on your current task but sends your focus elsewhere and on new thoughts?
Does your mind race as if there is a multi ball game going on in your head?
It doesn’t have to be this way.
One way I slow down my thoughts so I can better focus is via my Centering Prayer practice.
When a multi ball game goes on in my head I come back to the present with an interior image.
I find that I can do the same thing during my non Centering Prayer times too.
When I lose my focus on a current task I come back to the present with the use of this same interior image.
I picture this image interiorly to come back to the present and begin to focus once again on the task in front of me.
Go Further:
Open Mind, Open Heart 20th Anniversary Edition by Thomas Keating and Centering Prayer and Inner Awakening were the first two books I read as I began my Centering Prayer practice.
An Ocean of Light: Contemplation, Transformation, and Liberation by Martin Laird
Be Still and Listen: Experience the Presence of God in Your Life by Amos Smith
Mindful Silence: The Heart of Christian Contemplation by Phileena Heuertz
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Enjoy my guest post on In Search of a New Eden titled: Silence is Not Empty: It is Filled With God.
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Centering Prayer by Cynthia Bourgeault: Centering Prayer is a simple, no-frills form of meditation in the Christian tradition. Since it was first developed by Christian contemplative monks in the 1970s, it has allowed tens of thousands of practitioners worldwide to “return home,” developing an authentically Christian meditation practice which not only delivers the healing and quieting of the mind typical of all meditation paths, but also reconnects directly to Christianity’s hidden treasury of mystical and transformational wisdom.
Lean In, Lighten Up and Let Go Practices for a Deeper Commitment to the Contemplative Life by Contemplative Outreach, Mary Dwyer: This retreat encourages a life of prayer and practice, both “on the chair” and in daily life. It will support you in making a deeper commitment to your relationship with God, and strengthen your ability to live the contemplative life through dedication to prayer and practice, all within the normal routines of everyday life.
The Divine Transformation: Essentials of Christian Mysticism – Welcome to a comprehensive introductory through intermediate level course on both practice and perspectives of these timeless teachings from the Christian Mystical and Contemplative traditions! Whether you are a long-time practitioner looking to solidify your understanding and framework for practice or a beginner interested in immersing yourself in this teaching, this course can serve as a rich resource.
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