A solid read. Primarily a case for Centering Prayer within the Christian community. As one who finds value in meditation, many aspects of this book are practical and insightful. For instance, Bourgeaults description of self emptying was a welcome reminder for deepening an early practice. The theological context and persuasive biblical arguments were informative and interesting. However, I did find myself somewhat wading through the middle of the book only to be welcomed by a great final third. Although meant for a target audience, many nice surprises lie within.

This is an okay intro into Centering Prayer. If you want to get the methodology of Centering Prayer *and* an actual elucidation of what it is about, you’re better off reading Basil Pennington’s book on the subject.

The issue with this book is that Bourgeault focuses too much on how Centering Prayer helps *us* and not enough on the true purpose of it, which is to help bring us closer to *God*. Bourgeault seems to want everyone to accept that they need this practice, and as much as I love Centering Prayer, I can’t say that this sentiment is true. She also includes a great deal of “true self/false self” discussion, which is not necessary to accept to effectively practice Centering Prayer.

There is one chapter worth reading in this book- the chapter on the Welcoming Prayer, which gives some good food for thought if not an actual method to use.

I've been practicing, of sorts, for years and I have attended several workshops, one by Thomas Keating himself. Nonetheless, some how it all fell together in these pages. The back cover of my copy has critical pages noted: pg 122,156, 170-171. I note that President Obama's speech at the Newton school massacre interfaith service was parallel to p.123, where Cynthia Bourgeault talks of how the magnetic center will bring us home, true. President Obama said it is the love of our children which will do that. It is love.
The last chapter - or epilogue - is worth reading on its own.

I found this book a hard slog to get through. You have to be quite scholarly to understand it I think. I just kept struggling with what was meant by cataphatic prayer and apophatic prayer. The two are opposites of one another and I kept forgetting which one was which making the book difficult to understand. The instructions on how to do centering prayer are so short that they did not require a whole book. The only reason this got two stars instead of one is that I found the section on welcoming prayer at the back useful. Especially for someone with anxiety like myself. Who needs prayers that help you address such things as fear and pain.

This book provided all of the information I needed to relax and continue with centering prayer. I have enjoyed it, but was not sure I was "doing it right". This book clarified the process, the goal and the journey. It is very well-written and thorough. I highly recommend this book if you are interested in Centering Prayer in addition to, or in place of meditation. This book clearly delineates the difference in method and purpose of the two different types of contemplation.

Maybe the timing was just right, or maybe I waited so long to read it that its value compounded like interest in a spiritual brokerage account, but Cynthia Bourgeault's Centering Prayer and Inner Awakening has renewed my excitement for contemplative practice in a way that I wasn't expecting. There are very few books that I've ever bothered to read twice, and none that moved me so deeply as to warrant an immediate re-reading until now. So, if you'll excuse me...

This was the first book on Centering Prayer that I read as I began this transforming practice in June of 2014.  I recently took a peek back into this wonderful book and wish to share with you six key points.

Interwoven
"As we move toward center, our own being and the divine being become more and more mysteriously interwoven."

This is what happens when we sit in silence and open to the presence of God. We become one with God. We let God pray in us. We arise from our sits ready to act on the prayers God prayed in us.

When we take our second sit, we begin this beautiful cycle again: sit in silence, God prays in us, arise from our sit, act on God's prayers in us.

See In The Dark
"In fact, you could say that learning to shift to seeing with your spiritual awareness is a lot like learning to see in the dark."

Centering prayer is a silent sit in faith. We let go of all thoughts, emotions and physical sensations and open to God. We trust God. We don't know what will happen. We sit and we trust that God's inner actions are best.  We learn to see in the dark.

Place We Come From
"But as the practice becomes more and more established in you so that this inner sanctuary begins to flow out into your life, it becomes more and more a place you come from."

After each morning sit I am ready for the day! I am calm and energized. I am excited for what the day will bring. I seem to know what tasks that God wishes for me to accomplish today.

My second sit is usually in mid afternoon. My second sit refills my reservoir. It helps me to refocus and finish my day.

I need both sits!

Die To Self
"Dying to self means being willing to let go of what I want (or think I want) in order to create space for God to direct, lead, and guide me into a truer way of being."

This is what we do during our silent sits. When we let go we create this most important space. My best actions spawn when I die to self during my silent sit.

Self Empty
"Paul sees that self-emptying is the touchstone, the core reality underlying every moment of Jesus’ human journey. Self-emptying is what first brings him into human form, and self-emptying is what leads him out, returning him to the realm of dominion and glory."

When we sit in silence we experience the death, passion and resurrection of Jesus. It is a beautiful mystery that happens each time we sit with Jesus. To be honest, I am not completely sure what this means but as my silent sits continue more and more of this mystery is revealed to me.

Next Steps
"But the promise contemplative prayer makes is that if you show up, things will start to change."

The fruits of Centering Prayer are unique to the practitioner. We do not enter Centering Prayer for these fruits. They are freely given to us by a most gracious God. I have noticed I am more calm and confident. I slow down and listen to others.  I am filled with energy and excited to live my life.

Rich Lewis
www.SilenceTeaches.com

This is a great introduction to Centering Prayer. Bourgeault explains the practice, placing it in its context of Christian prayer. In the Forward, Bourgeault says, "I hope [this book] will get you up and running in the practice [of Centering Prayer]," and it does just that. In the first chapter, she tells us, "It's very, very simple. You sit . . . and allow your heart to open toward that invisible but always present Origin of all that exists. Whenever a thought comes into your mind, you simply let the thought go and return to that open, silent attending upon the depths." The rest of the book explains why you do this and how it helps, and gives the reader strategies for doing it.

My favorite quote, however, is her acknowledgment that "intentional silence almost always feels like work." Bourgeault does a great job of explaining why it's work well worth doing!

Good starting point to explore that practice of centering prayer, as well as some helpful reflections on how it fits into the much older history of Christian mysticism and theology. The book stands at the intersection of Christian theology, self-help, and contemporary psychology. The combination is productive and insightful at times, but it can feel a bit shoehorned in other cases.

Although centering prayer certainly has a place in the Christian contemplative tradition, I am often unconvinced by Bourgeault's efforts to assert its pedigree. It was developed in the 1970s, and attempts to locate the practice "between the lines" of scripture or medieval theology aren't always convincing. Being honest about its origins feel important to me for two reasons. 1) Because it may underplay the debts centering prayer owes to Buddhist meditative traditions. 2) Because the validity of spiritual practices can't be objectively verified, and thus must rely to some extent on intergenerational observation and modification. There's nothing wrong with more recent traditions/practices, but I believe they should be engaged with a certain cautious humility in order to avoid unforeseen side-effects and pitfalls.

That being said, the value and validity of any spiritual activity is going to be found in its practice, not reading about. Clear and concise, this book should be measured by its ability to encourage people to engage in contemplative prayer, and it has certainly succeeded in that respect.

This is a really good book. Ms. Bourgeault's intelligence is obvious. She expresses herself well. She follows up logically. Obviously, she has given a lot of thought, study, and practice to Centering Prayer.

I am convinced that Centering Prayer requires practice and not book-learning. At one point, Ms. B. refers to something like "doing it instead of talking about it". Nonetheless, her book is very valuable --- as is the Cloud of Unknowing and the book on Centering Prayer by M. Basil Pennington. (And now I have read exactly three books on Centering Prayer! Yay!) I liked very much her discussion of "divine therapy", attention of the heart, and the welcoming prayer. I am a little scared, however, that the welcoming prayer seems a little narcissistic, but we shall see. I also liked sensing in the book that the intellect is good (and Ms. B's is very fine), but is not all.

What I actually love about all the books I've read on Centering Prayer is how encouraging they are to a regular guy who feels drawn to this practice. Ms. B. adds a depth to the discussion --- theology, tradition and psychology. Very nice.

As a type 7 on the enneagram, my spiritual practice is solitude. I have always struggled with this and then a friend of mine recommended this book on centering prayer. The author and Richard Rohr (author of the Christian Perspective to the Enneagram) are friends and run in the same circles so I was intrigued. First, the book is deeply rooted in Christianity. She quotes scripture heavily throughout the book. She gave a very practical guide for how to start practicing centering prayer and how it relates to our spiritual lives. I heavily highlighted this book and know I will pick it up again and again as I start to practice centering prayer in my own life. For anyone looking to enhance their prayer life or finding a practice for stillness and solitude, this is for you!

I need to re-read this book, maybe several times, it is so full of meaning and nuance. I felt the same way with Thomas Keating's Intimacy with God, which started me with Centering Prayer. I love Bougeault's ability to bring Keating's work to a somehow more pragmatic level, tying it in, as he does, with Jungian psychology as well as theological writings of Christian contemplatives from the 5th century on. She provides several useful ways of thinking about "not thinking," surrender, and emotional turmoil, and the curative power of the Centering Prayer practice.

If you are into meditation, particularly in a Christian context, I think this book is invaluable. Her writing style makes it enjoyable as well.