Today's episode focuses on the practice of centering prayer as a method of witness to the presence of God, as we understand Him. This presence derives from within us. It is connected to our essence, and being as individuals who often navigate secular worlds. Whether you consent to the presence of God, or rather, consent to the presence of yourself, the art of centering prayer takes you on a journey inside of yourself and leaves you with an external response amounting to several health benefits.
"Wherever you pray, go into your room and shut the door and pray to your Father who is in Secret; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you.” Matthew 6:6
In the 1970s, a group of Trappist monks- Thomas Keating, William Menninger, and Basil Pennington- got together to recover contemplative practices from the Christian tradition. These practices were first practiced and taught by the Desert Fathers and Mothers of Egypt, Palestine, and Syria. We attribute St. Bernard of Clairvaux and the Rhineland mystics to contemplative practices during the middle ages. Followed by, the Carmelites of St. Teresa of Avila, St. John of the Cross after the reformation. Those mentioned, all cultivated practices in their lives that they believed led to the spiritual gift of contemplation.
Prayer is powerful and individual. We pray for different reasons- guidance, thanksgiving, protection. When we can enter prayer with an approach to God as a partner or collaborator, we are more likely to have better physical and mental health outcomes.
In 2005, the Journal of Behavioral Medicine released a study that found those who participated in a spiritual form of meditation showed a greater decrease in anxiety and an elevated mood. One study found that prayer had similar benefits to meditation, it can calm your nervous system, reduce your heart rate, boost your immune response, reduce stress and anxiety, and enhance one’s self-esteem.
