"The majority of the 'great religions' which have sought union with God in prayer have also pointed out ways to achieve it. Just as the Catholic Church rejects nothing of what is true and holy in these religions, neither should these ways be rejected out of hand simply because they are not Christian. On the contrary, one can take from them what is useful so long as the Christian conception of prayer, its logic and requirements are never obscured. It is within the context of all of this that these bits and pieces should be taken up and expressed anew…" - Excerpt from "Letter to the Bishops of the Catholic Church on some aspects of Christian Meditation" by Cardinal Ratzinger (Pope Benedict XVI)



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Wednesday, April 01, 2009

Centering Prayer

I just returned from a "Centering Prayer" retreat with Father Thomas Keating this past weekend in NY. Can I tell you how amazing it is to have 130 people sitting together in the same space, in total silence?We meditated together 3 times a day for 1 hour each time. The silence was almost tangible...This is where it's at!!! - it is yoga in the sense that all of these people, different ages, backgrounds, belief systems, we were all one, I felt it- oneness, unity, when everything and everyone is working together towards the same thing- it's like shivasana at the end of a really great yoga class. This silence shared by the group was like...you don't really care how wrong or right these people are, you just want to understand and be there with and for that person. It's like that with the centering prayer- you become one.
How many times have I heard the great yoga instructors say the phrase "Be light"..."Be light" means stop focusing on what's wrong and lets begin focusing on what's right...
"Be the Change You Want to See..."



Posted by at 4:07 PM

4 comments:

Anonymous said...

What an incredibly thought-provoking song - so much truth in it. Beautiful.
Yes, that kind of prayer is
"where it's at!"
I was with you in spirit, praying that way in Iowa.
Clearly - God is with us.
May we all find Him in each way that He calls us.
Mom

1:52 PM
Ritesh said...

Yoga is an art of discipline that was developed by an Indian Hindu named Patanjali. Retreat yoga about benefits of yoga exercises, yoga meditation, yoga practice.

8:41 AM
Anonymous said...

Everything is about yoga for you. Even when at prayer with a room full of Christians, you are viewing and experiencing it through a yoga lens.

That thing you experienced, that unity? It's called THE HOLY SPIRIT. It is NOT called yoga.

You are really, really in too deep Melisa.

3:39 PM
iqbal singh said...

SHIVANANDA YOGA RETREAT
Yoga Alliance is the only professional organization that embraces all traditions and styles of yoga. Given the wide variety of yoga styles, it can be very confusing to determine what style and teacher is right for you or your facility. It can help to have a basic understanding of the characteristics shared by most yoga styles

6:47 AM

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