Body Awareness into Prayer

Mother Anne Clarke, Abbess OSB, Malling Abbey

This is a simple exercise that awakens a whole-body awareness as a preparation for prayer. It brings our minds into our bodies and makes it easier to bring our whole being to our prayer, to embody loving God with all our heart, all our soul, all our strength and all our mind [Luke 10:27].

First it is helpful to wake up our bodies, loosen up, shake out any tension. Animals do this instinctively after a shock. The following is a sequence I like to use that requires no special teaching. With practice you will find your own way by listening to what your body needs.

- stand up, shake hands, feet, whole body

- pound down your front, bend over to pound up your back

- loosen your head, roll your shoulders, swing your pelvis

- feel your way into what your body needs

- shake one more time

- now stand quietly with hands hanging by your side,
feet firmly planted a little apart

- close your eyes or let your eyes look ahead softly, unfocused

You can sit at this point or continue standing as feels appropriate for you.

Feel your spine erect, down through your legs to your feet on floor, head balanced on the top of your spine, letting go any tension in the joint between spine and skull. Let your breath rise and fall gently.

Bring your awareness to your right arm, feel it from inside, let it fill up with awareness right to the tips of the fingers. Feel the life, the energy, in your arm. Maybe it tingles a bit, feels more alive.

Now bring your awareness in the same way to your right leg, still aware too of your right arm.

In the same way your left leg…

Your left arm… feel all your limbs full of life and energy.

Let this awareness of life and energy flow into your torso through your hips and shoulders to your spine, let the energy flow up from your feet and hands, up your spine to the top of your head.

Feel the aliveness that fills you from your middle right out to finger tips and toes. Receive the gift of your being, grounded on the earth and reaching up to heaven, holding together the physical and the spiritual.

Let your awareness be centred in your heart, sitting deep within yourself but wide and open, not focused on anything particular, Receive whatever is there without judgement or labelling. It simply is.

Let your face soften into a gentle smile as you acknowledge the presence of God both deep within yourself and also utterly beyond all things.

Now consciously mark your intention to enter the place of prayer by saying a simple prayer or making the sign of the cross.

I like to use the following words as I make the sign of the cross:

‘In the power of the Spirit [fingers from head to heart, the Spirit descending into my heart] and in union with Christ [fingers from left shoulder to right, my body united with the incarnate body of Christ] let us pray to the Father [hands together for prayer, in the simplicity of a child of God]’.

Continue with what ever is your chosen form of prayer either standing or sitting as you feel drawn. Find a position for your hands that feels comfortable for you – they could be held together or resting in your lap if you are seated or outspread in front of you if you are standing, reaching out to God in an ancient Christian gesture of prayer. Let your hands express your intent to be present to God and to receive God’s gift of prayer.

Centering Prayer

Centering Prayer is one of the foundations of my prayer practice and is a form of prayer that follows on well from the body awareness practice.

Excerpt from “Finding Grace at the Center – The Beginning of Centering Prayer” by M. Basil Pennington, Thomas Keating, Thomas E. Clark:

In the center of your being lives God: Father, Son, and Spirit. Centering prayer allows you to experience His presence and be touched and transformed by Him.

Simply sit, relaxed and quiet, enjoying your own inner calm and silence. For a few minutes, listen to His presence and allow yourself to be touched by it.

After a time, perhaps a single word will come: Jesus, Lord, Love, or any word that captures your response to His inner presence. Place into this word all your faith, your love, as you enter more and more deeply into Him. Slowly and effortlessly, repeat your word. Allow it to lead you more and more deeply into God's presence at the center of your being, where you are in God and God in you. Surrender to His refreshment and re-creation.

Center all your attention and desire on Him, leaving your faculties at peace, allowing Him to draw you into His perfect prayer of adoration, love, and praise. Let it happen. Whenever you become aware of any thoughts or images, simply return to your word.

In coming out of prayer, move slowly to silent awareness and then a conscious interior prayer, such as Our Father, savoring the words and meaning, entering into them.

The centering prayer may be used once or twice daily for twenty minutes or more.

If you are faithful to it, you will soon discern in your life the maturing of the fruits of the Spirit: love, joy, peace, patience, gentleness, and kindness.

You shall be truly abiding in Him and He in you.

Basic Guidelines for Centering Prayer from Cynthia Bourgeault:

1. Choose a sacred word as a symbol of your willingness 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 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 eye eyes closed for a couple of minutes.

Work with this practice for about twenty minutes at least once and preferably twice a day. Don’t worry if your mind doesn’t seem very quiet or if it feels like you’ve spent most of the prayer time wrestling with thoughts. The real work is done in slowly learning the art of release.

Some suggested books

Thomas Keating on Centering Prayer: “Open Mind, Open Heart – The Contemplative Dimension of the Gospel” and “Intimacy with God”

Cynthia Bourgeault: “The Wisdom Jesus: Transforming Heart and Mind – A New Perspective on Christ and His Message” (2008) – an interesting and fresh take on the Gospels. She provides useful introductions to various Christian contemplative practices including Centering Prayer and Lectio Divina. See also her books “Centering Prayer and Inner Awakening” and “The Wisdom Way of Knowing: Reclaiming an Ancient Tradition to Awaken the Heart”.

Bonnie Thurston: “For God Alone: A Primer on Prayer” – an excellent introduction to prayer in the Christian tradition including discussion of how the body was regarded in early Christian writings. She provides helpful guidance for developing a more embodied practice of prayer.

© The Benedictine Community at Malling Abbey 2025