How to Practice Centering Prayer

What is centering prayer?

Centering prayer is a contemporary form of Christian contemplative prayer developed in the 1970s by three Trappist monks — Thomas Keating, William Meninger, and Basil Pennington — at St. Joseph's Abbey in Spencer, Massachusetts. It draws on the ancient monastic tradition of the Desert Fathers, the fourteenth-century English classic The Cloud of Unknowing, and the writings of John of the Cross and Teresa of Avila.

Unlike meditation that thinks about a Scripture passage (lectio divina) or vocal prayer that speaks words to God, centering prayer is a prayer of resting. Its aim is not to have particular experiences or to empty the mind, but simply to consent to God's presence and action within you. Thoughts will come and go; the practice is learning to let them pass without following them.

Keating called it a method that disposes you to the gift of contemplation. You do not make contemplation happen — you cultivate the interior silence in which God can work. For this reason it is often described as a prayer of intention rather than attention.

The four guidelines of centering prayer

Keating distilled the practice into four simple guidelines. They are worth memorizing, because the whole method rests on them:

1. Settle on a sacred word — a single word that stands for your willingness to let God be present and at work within you.

2. Sit comfortably with your eyes closed, take a moment to grow still, and quietly bring the sacred word to mind as a sign of that willingness.

3. Whenever you notice you have drifted into thoughts, return softly and without effort to the sacred word.

4. When the prayer time ends, stay in silence with your eyes closed for a couple of minutes before you rise.

Notice what these guidelines do not ask. They do not ask you to repeat the word continuously like a mantra, to fight your thoughts, or to achieve any special stillness. The word is only a gesture of consent, picked up lightly and set down again whenever you realize you have wandered.

How do you practice centering prayer step by step?

1. Choose your sacred word. Pick a single word that expresses your willingness to be with God — for example God, Jesus, Abba, peace, love, mercy, or trust. It need not be meaningful in itself; it is a symbol of your intention. Once chosen, keep the same word throughout the prayer period rather than searching for a better one.

2. Settle into a comfortable position. Sit upright but relaxed in a chair, feet flat, hands resting in your lap, eyes gently closed. A quiet place and a set time — many find early morning best — help the practice take root.

3. Introduce the sacred word. Take a moment to settle, then silently and interiorly bring the word to mind, as gently as laying a feather on cotton. This is your quiet yes to God's presence and work within you.

4. Return whenever thoughts arise. You will notice memories, plans, feelings, even prayerful thoughts. This is normal and not a failure. Each time you become aware that you have been carried off, return ever so gently to the sacred word, without irritation or self-judgment. Keating taught that a single period may involve returning hundreds of times, and each return is itself the prayer.

5. Continue for about 20 minutes. The classic period is 20 minutes, practiced ideally twice a day. Beginners may start with 10 minutes and lengthen gradually. Use a soft timer so you are not watching the clock.

6. Rest in silence at the end. When the time is up, do not jump up. Remain still with eyes closed for two or three minutes, letting the silence linger. Many finish by slowly praying a familiar prayer such as the Our Father.

Common questions and gentle corrections

Beginners often feel they are doing it wrong because their minds are so full of thoughts. Keating's reassurance was direct: the practice is not about stopping thoughts but about your response to them. A period thick with distractions in which you keep returning to the sacred word is a good period of centering prayer.

Do not turn the sacred word into a mantra recited without pause. You use it only when you notice you have become engaged with a thought. Between returns, rest in simple, open silence.

Sleepiness, restlessness, and even unexpected emotions can surface as the mind quiets — Keating described this unloading of the unconscious as a normal part of the process. Treat whatever arises as one more thought, and return gently to the word. Consistency over weeks and months matters far more than the quality of any single sitting.

Building a daily contemplative habit

Centering prayer rewards regularity. Keating recommended two periods a day, morning and evening, framed by other forms of prayer such as lectio divina — reading a short Scripture passage slowly beforehand can prepare the heart for silence afterward. Contemplative Outreach, the organization Keating founded, also encourages praying in community when possible, since a weekly group sustains the discipline.

If a timer and a quiet room are hard to keep up on your own, a guided version can help you settle. Bosko includes a guided Centering Prayer among its guided prayer library, walking you through choosing a sacred word, the opening silence, and the closing rest, so you can give your attention to consent rather than the clock. Whatever form your practice takes, the invitation is the same: to sit, to consent, and to let God be God within you.

Häufig gestellte Fragen

How long should centering prayer last?

The traditional period is about 20 minutes, practiced twice daily. Beginners can start with 10 minutes and lengthen it gradually as the practice becomes familiar.

What is a sacred word in centering prayer?

It is a single word — such as God, Jesus, peace, or trust — that symbolizes your intention to consent to God's presence. It is not a mantra; you return to it only when you notice a thought has carried you away.

Is centering prayer the same as meditation?

It shares outward stillness with meditation but differs in aim. Centering prayer is not about emptying the mind or achieving a state; it is a Christian prayer of consenting to God's presence and action within you.

What do I do when my mind keeps wandering?

Return ever so gently to your sacred word, without frustration. Wandering thoughts are expected. Each gentle return is itself the practice, not a failure at it.

Who developed centering prayer?

Trappist monks Thomas Keating, William Meninger, and Basil Pennington developed the method in the 1970s, drawing on The Cloud of Unknowing and the wider Christian contemplative tradition.

Do I need to be experienced to try centering prayer?

No. The four guidelines are simple enough for a beginner to start today. What matters most is showing up regularly, not the quality of any single sitting.