Father Thomas Keating is credited with re-invigorating the early Christian practice of meditation called Centering Prayer. What I love about it is its understanding that the mind will wander during meditation and that one only need redirect it to get back to communing with God.

  1. Choose a sacred word as the symbol of your intention to consent to God’s presence and action within.
  2. Sitting comfortably and with eyes closed, settle briefly and silently introduc the sacred word as the symbol of your consent to God’s presence and action within.
  3. When engaged with your thoughts*, return ever-so-gently to the sacred word.
  4. At the end of the prayer period, remain in silence for a couple of minutes.

*thoughts include body sensations, feelings, images, and reflections

 

(These Guidelines may be copyrighted by Contemplative Outreach Ltd., although I find nothing that states they claim copyright.  A free app can be downloaded from the Apple App Store, Google Play, or Amazon. It provides prayers to say before and after meditation as well as a timer that allows you to know how long to sit. For more information, go to https://www.contemplativeoutreach.org/)