Stillness

I have a complicated relationship with stillness. I like activity— the hustle and bustle of life moving around me, the promise of a full calendar, the feeling of working and accomplishing difficult tasks. Even when I choose to quiet my body in a place where solitude might seem easy, I often use my mind to address unfinished business in the past or possible projects in the future instead of settling in to the stillness to be with God. I know I need to rest, though. I need to stop the activity in order to remember my dependence on God and my interdependence on all of creation.

Because stillness doesn’t come easy to me, I need the practice of centering prayer. After I set a timer so that I am free to ignore the clock, I settle into a comfortable position with my eyes closed. I choose a sacred word, like Yes, Trust, Home, Mercy, Hope, Comfort, etc. that points my heart towards God. As I rest in stillness in God’s presence, my thoughts will wander. When that happens, I gently use my sacred word to help me return to my open, receptive heart-posture. At the end of my prayer period, I take a few moments to reflect on the experience without judgment before I continue on with my day.

Centering prayer can be done alone or it can be done in a group, either in person or online. There are many different online resources about the practice; I have found Lindsay Boyer’s website the most helpful for me.