Christian Centering Prayer | Rev. Cynthia Bourgeault | 2017 Festival of Faiths 

Cynthia Bourgeault quote highlights from this video: “Centering prayer is a simplified form of meditation in the Christian tradition. It was developed in about the mid-1970s by Father Thomas Keating and a group of his Trappist, Catholic monks with the purpose of putting the essence of the Christian tradition of contemplative prayer into a simple meditational form that would be accessible and practicable for people actually living busy lives out in the world.” “It gives you a very simple method for releasing thinking once you notice you're engaged with it.” “A ‘thought’ in centering prayer is defined as anything that brings your attention to a focal point … The instruction in centering prayer is to just let it go … You catch yourself thinking, you let the thought go.” “‘In 10 minutes, I've had 10,000 thoughts!’ How lovely, 10,000 opportunities to return to God.” - Thomas Keating “Centering prayer is ultimately a pathway of return. It understands that thinking is normal, particularly for us overstimulated Westerners, but every time we're able to let go of the thought it's a pathway of return and opening to something deeper.” “Letting go is in association with what Christian theology calls ‘kenosis’ or the non-clinging or self-emptying of Jesus … It's in solidarity with putting on the mind of Christ.” “Centering prayer is boot camp in meditation form for putting on the mind of Christ, for putting the mind in the heart, for rearranging the neurology and the theology of perception.” “The inner action of letting go becomes the outer action of letting be.” “In centering prayer, the intention is everything because we're not giving our mind a focal point, something to put your attention on-not a breath, not a manta, not anything. So, our intention carries the weight of how we do this practice. It's the depth and sincerity of your intention that will carry how quickly you notice when you're hooked by thinking and return to the practice … Be available to God. Be available to divine source.”

Thank you 🙏

I hate the fact that people comment “witchcraft” or “this lady is not Catholic”, faiths are derived off of others, building off of one another. Also, true Catholics or people who read the Bible have respect for other interpretations “love thy neighbor as thyself” no? People have many different expressions with communicating with God/Allah/Yahweh, etc. Why cant yall just respect that?

Thank you Cynthia for sharing this beautiful practice! Those who fail to understand the essential value of non-discursive meditation in experiencing true intimacy with God are likely the same people who are unable to surrender judgment of themselves and others, and to fill with God’s grace and love. The peace that surpasses all understanding will likely continue to elude them as they clutch tightly to the security of a familiar but limited self. When we are in such a contracted state, we cannot extend love and compassion to others. We must let go of what we think we know to truly let Jesus in to dwell in our hearts.

Thank you Cynthia. Bless you

Love this.

Thank you ❤️🙏

Beautiful.

Excellent practice! Thank you.

My thanks and praise for this. Love and peace. Tim

Love this…the beginning !

What Cynthia is pointing at.. is all about one reality, one God... It is not about faith, it is not about dogmas - Or narrow-mindedness. Cynthia Bourgeault is a Insightful and compassionate fellow human being who knows what the highest truth and happiness really is.

Beautiful

I have read several of Cynthia's books, I trust her and learn from her.

Wonderfully soothing and inviting ❤ Thank you Cynthia, grateful for the gift of your teachings!😊

all thoughts we graciously 😇 let go, become bright lampions in heavens 🌞... so let go, let go...

This explanation and modeling was invaluable to understand what the practice is about and how to be about it. Taking a class Contemplative Practices and this was so helpful.

The practice of letting go - I like that analogy!

A more disciplined form of breathing. Arms were completely relaxed after session; and entire body was settled. No inclination to try to get comfortable like I usually do. Thank you.

this is Zazen which shows the universal understanding of meditation for all faiths.

I actually do this while also praying in tongues. It has helped me tremendously hear from God in ways I wish I would have known how to do earlier in my walk

Wow. It was so great that she explained it practiced it in half an hour. great job. i learned a lot

Thank you Cynthia. I've been following you for a long time without commenting, but all the while soaking up your wisdom. I just finished your book, Centering Prayer and Inner Awakening. You have helped me reach a greater relationship with our God. God bless you and the good people you work with at the Living School.

Love this priest!

I first learn centering prayer from a priest from Bay St Louis,Ms who lives in Cuba

Love this! ❤️

I loved each of the the main tradition morning "prayer sessions". Each was informative and compelling. But in this one, I discovered the prayer/mantra that connected me to my long left childhood traditions and will likely be, if possible, the prayer at the end of my life. Do check out the others too...

Beautiful. Beautiful teacher, thank you. 🙏

Yes, it’s been a game changer in my life.

Such an amazing representation of Centering Prayer! So grateful for you, Cynthia.

Starts off with good mourning. Catholics....

A pathway returning to God. What a great way to view meditation. Solidarity with putting on the mind of Christ! Valuable instruction💙

"be still and know that I am good"

Cynthia I don’t know if I misunderstood what you said about suppression. But in what I know about meditation, what is not suppressed is the though coming into your mind, that is imposible. Then you are thinking and became aware (or notice) that you are thinking and simply change to your focal point (no suppression there). There is no difference from buddhist meditation, is the same practice related to thought and letting go after notice it like you said. Meditation suppose to be done without expectation. I don’t know if expectation and intension like you said are maybe the same in this context. Meditation has a relation with the subconscious and the unknown so you should not have a preconceived mind into it. Thank you.

🙏

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19:11

What did rabbi yeshua know of such things (if anything)?

I have yet to come across any meditation teaching where you try and push away thought.

“Be available to divine source”…hmm..interesting. I’m sensing hints of Buddhism (even Gnostism) here. Sorry to sound so obvious and boring BUT the Christian God has revealed himself through His Word, that is the Bible. He’s right there. This appears to be about glorifying us and not glorifying God.

Is letting it go or resistence of the thought the same thing as not to think a thought? Soo confusing... not to think a thought is thinking not to think the thought. Think or not to think. I choose to think. I think thinking is just a beautiful thing. Think fast, think slow, think, think...... Sleep is the best meditation, it renews your thinker. God bless!

She is my former sister in-law

I wonder if the dessert fathers and the author(s) of the cloud of unknowing sat lotus?

Bourgeault is mistaken in her description of Buddhist meditation. What she describes may be part of an exercise in concentration. Tibetan Buddhism may use mantra meditation; other forms do not.

I’m

WE MUST ALL REALIZE THE KRISHNA CONSCIOUSNESS WITHIN

I was involved in new age practices before becoming a Christian and recognise that spirit here and in Cynthia’s book which was given to me by a friend (I couldn’t get through it), and in Richard Rohr’s teaching too. It is attractive to people but it isn’t the way. It is deception.

My first sister in-law w

Ah...Christian Hinduism.

I don't CARE where it's most played from. I want to make that choice MYSELF. RU-vid, STOP TRYING TO THINK FOR ME. You're lousy at it.

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2 minutes in and all I hear is sound fx 😂

I thought prayer was talking to God.!

When believers left Jesus ...Peter stayed and said where we can go ?!...So he maide active choice even with having some doubts and questions and some knowledge about Jesus and it's natural to have doubts about everything but also having key knowledge very important that can bring always to Jesus by grace and our free will to choose that grace actively conchosely ...not let it go let it go as she says ....but thoughts is important and conversation with full knowledge as your best and as Our Father prayer or Rosary were we mainly asking nothing more nothing less for ourselves but only pray for us because God knows already best will for us but we only stay in communion with God and saints and all Christians as Jesus wanted to pray for eachother and is always active our choice in even repetitive prayer because Jesus didn't say pray once or even Jesus prayed as many times he wanted and it is conversation face to face.And God Jesus was a flash and He left Eucharist true Body and Blood of Himself in Bread and Wine...and if we don't have enough mind what to say or not to say at all we can do active communion with God even taking in our selves His Devine Body and Blood but also with the knowledge what and why we are doing .So Jesus is not only minds mindsets or iliusions or without minds . Christianity is completely different from East religions or hinduism or budhism or even islam and the rest were you can change everything with minds or meditation or so called spiritualities as speaking in tongues or mantras or kundalini practices or energie feelings or without .Jesus is real in Eucharist and Holy Spirit and in Word in Bible if you want to correct yourself and only in Catholic Church is Eucarist valid with union with last supper as Jesus established first mass and communion visual and in the same mistical Church Catholic Church Body of Christ and Holy Spirit. All in one and as a commandments....to do that .Jesus left not only mind salvation but real one as well even without mind but trough grace and act when without mind even baby can be baptised when salvation will do for him God and his Church authority Jesus authority through Peter and successors apostles and priests....in spirit and expression ....not only in mind as agnostics or Eastern religions or protestants do in self inflicted mindset mind salvation idols by own interpretation and are lost because can easily mixed up with eval spirits thinking that from God or Holy Spirit but true salvation is only from Jesus and His established real Church Catholic Church authoritative alive Body of Christ were we are members and Jesus is Head of Church in Heaven and on earth and in prayer and communion and as a family not in dividualistic as eastern or mind philosophy nirvana or not thinking were even for them in Eastern religions God is not necessary because they are doing everything by themselves chandging mind and thinking that everything is chandged and they are holy now what a joke . Why then Jesus Christ died on the Cross ?If only for leaving teaching as mind.? Because He saved us from lost endless our own interpretations and thinking and or not thinking that we are saved but still by our lost own thinking.He gave Himself and in Spirit and in real Body and remains forever.... Please watch why ex Budhist for many years Paul Williams became Catholic on EWTN Catholic Answers network Journey Home With Marcus Grodi or watch Dr.Peter Kreeft ... Eucarist or why JK Chesterton became Catholic and why Christianity and Eastern religions are totally totally different as day and night or East and West.....by the way that lady in that yoga posission is openly open to anti-Christ spirits it can be universe or eval spirits or thinking that holy spirit but only thinking mind and cuold be eval spirits...and as well why they are not talking about demons...?Jesus clearly makes distinctions between God and eval spirits ....also that lady looking mentally already ill lost in own interpretation self inflicted believe sistem mindsets and in own interpretation and even can't prove for herself what's she achieving with that letting go all minds and thoughts letting go prayer? Were is active Peters attitude with a choice to stay with God Jesus despite of another minds but with knowledge as Peter had maybe even with human doubt but tested by knowledge about Jesus and also Our Father is our active cooperation with God with humility not only with pride mind as I desiding what I will keep from prayer nearly as a mindless sutisfaction feeling . God speaks and we speak in Faith choosing and choosing God known God as He revield Himself and died and rise from the death but he is not unknown but known and real even we can not fully understand that but then we can know about Him in the Bible and Jesus life as a person human and devine and as a Holy Spirit and Eucharist true Body and Blood and not only mind

Is this chiristian teaching or buddhist teaching or mixed?

Emptying the mind this is the base of becoming a medium dont let this fool you people. Wolf in sheeps clothing

This is Eastern Mysticism with a Christian veneer. This form of prayer is unjustifiable in scripture and does not honour Christ in him being enough for us.

Unfortunately, this practice opens you up to demons. Dont do it! Prayer is not emptying your minds. Prayer is talking to God, bring your concerns and praises to God. Emptying your minds makes your available to demons.

The spiritual exercises of Ignatius Loyola that include contemplative prayer are programs with occult methodologies and techniques that are being introduced and practiced in churches, seminaries and youth rallies around the world. These exercises are taken from the old Catholic and Eastern Orthodox traditions and are the antithesis of the meditation presented in God’s Word. Other examples of these practices are the Walk to Emmaus, Cursillo, Centering Prayer, Ignatian Awareness, Examen, chanting, biblical imagination, prayers of discernment, and the Jesus Prayer. Disguised Practice? Most evangelicals would immediately reject divination practices like the Ouija board, for example, and see it as a device for contacting evil spirit entities, which the Bible condemns and calls an abomination (Deuteronomy 18:10-12). But the Catholic Spiritual Exercises, such as contemplative prayer, appear to the uneducated in God’s Word less threatening as it is disguised under church related activities. The term “contemplative” means to think about something intently. So by the name, one would assume contemplative prayer to be earnest communication with God. However practitioners of these contemplative methods don’t do that. The goal of these practices is to get people beyond thinking and into the realm of “experiencing” God. A tutorial of this movement is The Spiritual Exercises of Ignatius of Loyola which introduces occult visualization. Sadly, these visualized apparitions are demons that take actual forms and usher the practitioner into the world of the occult and away from God. Not Biblical Contemplative prayer is not Biblical prayer because mystical “spirituality” downplays the role of faith in the Scriptures. It exalts “transcendental” experiences that raises the person from the earthly experiences into a supposedly higher “spiritual” stand. It is based on “experiences” rather than Bible based doctrine. God has given His Word and His Holy Spirit to help His children know what is of Him and what is not. The scriptures clearly teach that we should “give attendance… to doctrine” (1 Timothy 4:13). Faith that is based on mysticism is subjective and does not rely upon the absolute truths of God. The Word of God has been given to us as a light the leads us to the path of righteousness (2 Timothy 3:16-17). Trusting in feelings and experiences is not Biblical, we must “walk by faith, not by sight” (2 Corinthians 5:7). And “faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God” (Romans 10:17). We do not see any of the apostles, prophets or disciples ever using contemplative prayer to connect with God. On the contrary all sorcery and divination were fully condemned (1 Samuel 15:10) and for practicing these evils, the Jews were led into captivity and destroyed (2 Kings 17:17; Jeremiah 14:14; Malachi 3:5). And the apostle Paul lists sorcery as one of many sinful practices that rob people from having eternal life: “Now the works of the flesh are evident: sexual immorality, impurity, sensuality, idolatry, sorcery, enmity, strife . . . and things like these. I warn you, as I warned you before, that those who do such things will not inherit the kingdom of God” (Galatians 5:19-21).

Totally against the catholic faith. Putting oneself at the center and not God. Run away from this syncretism

Witchcraft

heretical teaching

Wicked. Flee from this.Only one faith,one God and one baptism and the way through Jesus. Not multi faiths.