Be still and know that I am God.

PSALM 46:10

Centering prayer was developed contemporaneously by three Catholic monks in the 1970s: Father Thomas Keating, Father William Meninger, and Father M. Basil Pennington. They developed the method, derived from much more ancient ones traceable to the Desert Fathers in response to discovering that many people in twentieth-century America had no knowledge of, let alone exposure to contemplative forms of prayer and worship in their native Christian traditions, many of whom were exploring comtemplative practices through Eastern religions. Following are excerpts on the method drawn from a publicly available brochure by Contemplative Outreach.

The Method of CENTERING PRAYER: THE PRAYER OF CONSENT
Contemplative Prayer
We may think of prayer as thoughts or feelings expressed in words. But this is only one expression. In the Christian tradition contemplative prayer is considered to be the pure gift of God. It is the opening of mind and heart – our whole being – to God, the Ultimate Mystery, beyond thoughts, words, and emotions. Through grace we open our awareness to God whom we know by faith is within us, closer than breathing, closer than thinking, closer than choosing, closer than consciousness itself.
Centering Prayer
Centering Prayer is a method designed to facilitate the development of contemplative prayer by preparing our faculties to receive this gift. It presents ancient Christian wisdom teachings in an updated form. Centering Prayer is not meant to replace other kinds of prayer; rather it casts a new light and depth of meaning on them. It is at the same time a relationship with God and a discipline to foster that relationship. This method of prayer is a movement beyond conversation with Christ to communion with him.
The Guidelines
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 introduce 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 with eyes closed for a couple of minutes.
*thoughts include body sensations, feelings, images, and reflections
Some Practical Points
1. The minimum time for this prayer is 20 minutes. Two periods are recommended each day, one first thing in the morning and the other in the afternoon or early evening. With practice the time may be extended to 30 minutes or longer.
2. The end of the prayer period can be indicated by a timer which does not have an audible tick or loud sound when it goes off. There is a free Centering Prayer mobile app timer available.
3. Possible physical symptoms during the prayer: • We may notice slight pains, itches, or twitches in various parts of the body or a generalized sense of restlessness. These are usually due to the untying of emotional knots in the body. • We may notice heaviness or lightness in our extremities. This is usually due to a deep level of spiritual attentiveness. • In all cases we pay no attention and ever-so gently return to the sacred word.
4. The principal fruits of Centering Prayer are experienced in daily life and not during the prayer period.
5. Centering Prayer familiarizes us with God’s first language which is SILENCE.

Excerpts, “The Method of CENTERING PRAYER” Thomas Keating, © 2016 Contemplative Outreach, Ltd.

Words suggested as anchoring sacred words are short and symbolic of greater mystery, evocative to the spirit. Examples might include the following:

In addition, Fr. Keating writes, “The method consists in letting go of every kind of thought during prayer, even the most devout thoughts”.

In Centering Prayer, the participant seeks the presence of God directly (aided by the Jesus Prayer, perhaps) and explicitly rejects discursive thoughts and imagined scenes [Emphasis added: editor]. The participant’s aim is to be present to the Lord, to “consent to God’s presence and action during the time of prayer.” Centering Prayer advocates link the practice to traditional forms of Christian meditation, such as on the Rosary, or Lectio Divina.

Although the practice makes use of a “sacred word,” Thomas Keating emphasizes that Centering Prayer is not an exercise in concentrating, or focusing one’s attention on something [Emphasis added: editor] (such as a mantra), but rather is concerned with intention and consent.

In practice, the “sacred word” can integrate with breathing in and out.

Source: Wikipedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Centering_prayer