Centering Prayer is a method of prayer, which prepares us to receive the gift of God's presence, traditionally called contemplative prayer. It consists of responding to the Spirit of Christ by consenting to God's presence and action within. It furthers the development of contemplative prayer by quieting our faculties to cooperate with the gift of God's presence.

Centering Prayer facilitates the movement from more active modes of prayer — verbal, mental or affective prayer — into a receptive prayer of resting in God. It emphasizes prayer as a personal relationship with God. At the same time, it is a discipline to foster and serve this relationship by a regular, daily practice of prayer. It is Trinitarian in its source, Christ-centered in its focus, and ecclesial in its effects; that is, it builds communities of faith.

Centering Prayer is drawn from ancient prayer practices of the Christian contemplative heritage, notably the Fathers and Mothers of the Desert, Lectio Divina, (praying the scriptures), The Cloud of Unknowing, St. John of the Cross and St. Teresa of Avila.. It was distilled into a simple method of prayer in the 1970’s by three Trappist monks, Fr. William Meninger, Fr. Basil Pennington and Abbot Thomas Keating at the Trappist Abbey, St. Joseph’s Abbey in Spencer, Massachusetts.

What's the best way to learn Centering Prayer? Many have learned Centering Prayer through a book, from a video or audio tape or from a pamphlet. However we believe the easiest and most thorough way to learn this prayer method is from a person who has a regular practice of Centering Prayer, ample experience in the prayer and its effects in daily life, and who has been trained to teach and transmit Centering Prayer. It's also important to learn it with other people in a group workshop setting.

Contemplative Outreach offers instruction in the method of Centering Prayer through the

       Seven Session Introduction to the Centering Prayer Practice

      The components are: A six hour Centering Prayer introductory workshop followed by six weekly       sessions of ninety minutes each.

The Centering Prayer Introductory Workshop

A six-hour introductory workshop, conducted by a commissioned Presenter, trained by Contemplative Outreach, is typically held on a Saturday. Though it can be split into two sessions, it is not advisable to spread the workshop over more than a two-day period.

The goal of the workshop is to teach the method of Centering Prayer and encourage a daily prayer practice. The workshop consists of four conferences, and two periods of practicing Centering Prayer. Topics covered are:

• Prayer as a Relationship with God. Centering Prayer and the Christian contemplative heritage.
• The Method of Centering Prayer, taught and practiced.
• Thoughts and Use of the Sacred Word in Centering Prayer explained.
• Deepening Our Relationship with God and extending the benefits into daily life.

Weekly Sessions - An Essential Element of the Introduction

Through six weekly sessions, Contemplative Outreach supports participants during the weeks after the Introductory Workshop, as they are establishing a daily commitment to a practice of Centering Prayer. The weekly sessions, conducted by a Facilitator trained by Contemplative Outreach, generally consist of:

• A twenty minute period of Centering Prayer
• Viewing a video tape by Fr. Thomas Keating which provides both a conceptual background for Centering Prayer and consideration of the Christian Contemplative Heritage
• A twenty-minute period of questions and sharing related to the videotapes and the experience of Centering Prayer

Centering Prayer in a group can be very supportive and encouraging to those establishing a daily prayer practice. The sharing and discussion period guided by the Facilitator can prove helpful to integrating Centering Prayer with more familiar forms of prayer. A videotape series by Fr. Thomas Keating offers a deeper understanding of the method of Centering Prayer and its conceptual background. It touches on the place of Centering Prayer in our Christian Contemplative Heritage.