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Meditation for 12 steppers: an introduction to centering prayer

A course for people in 12 step recovery on developing our conscious contact with God: the listening part of two-way prayer

A 6-week course:
Monday evenings, 7 to 8.30pm
14th Nov to 19th Dec 2022 *

Please note new venue:
St Augustine’s Church Hall
Gildencroft, Norwich NR3 1DS

What is centering prayer?

Centering prayer is a form of meditation practiced by thousands of individuals and groups around the world including many in 12 step recovery. It emphasises prayer as a personal relationship in which we can progress through deeper and deeper levels of intimacy.

There’s a wealth of material online about this practice. You might like to explore this website: https://cp12stepoutreach.org/.

Centering prayer and step 11

I often hear people say, “I’d love to meditate, but when I try to, I can’t stop the constant barrage of thoughts!” The fact is we can’t stop thoughts continually arising, and, particularly during times of turmoil, the barrage can be intense. But what we can do is learn to abide at a deeper level of our being.

In this way, our thoughts become the raw material for our spiritual growth. Every time we make the gentle effort to let go, we are developing our step 11 practice, saying, in effect, “Your will be done” with each surrender we make on our meditation cushion (or chair).

The contents of the course

In this six week course I’ll present the basics of this meditation practice, drawing on my 20+ years of experience, and my training and studies with some of the leading teachers of this approach. We will also spend time sitting in prayerful silence with other recovery fellows as we meditate together, drawing motivation and spiritual strength from the power of the group.

Books

If you’re looking to do some studies on this subject, I would recommend Cynthia Bourgeault’s ‘Centering Prayer and Inner Awakening’ as a good place to start.

There’s also ‘Divine Therapy & Addiction: Centering Prayer and the Twelve Steps’ by Thomas Keating, the (late) founder of this centering prayer movement.

Cost

I’m offering this on a gift basis — which basically means pay what feels right for you. I’m asking for an initial £15 deposit to reserve your place, and as a token of your commitment to attending. I will literally give you this amount back on the first week — and you can then decide for yourself how much you want to contribute. I’ll say more about all this when we meet.

Please let me know if this is a problem for you at all, as I don’t want finances to be a barrier for anyone.

* If you can’t make these dates, I’m planning to run further courses in the New Year, daytime and evening. Sign up here to my mailing list to be kept informed.