A regular practice of meditation lies at the core of an authentic spiritual life. Meditation is the truest form of engagement with God, the essence of what “prayer” means, and it takes you past the externalities of religion, past traditions, cultural aspects, philosophy and theology, and invites you into a direct experience of God.
If you prefer to avoid religion for whatever reason, you can think of it meditation as one of life’s great wellness practices, possibly the most important of them all. The neurological and physiological benefits are thoroughly and scientifically researched in fields ranging from medicine to psychology.
My journey began in the quest for greater spiritual depth in the context of my Protestant Christian upbringing and you will see that emphasis on this website. I came to realize that meditation was the most direct access to the “Presence of God”, and as I progressed, it seemed that everything was became real, rich and alive. I was truly experiencing the Divine; and the warm glow of God’s companionship became much more consistent than before. More than that, the idea that God is “out there” and that I need to do religious things to bring God closer, transformed to an experience of my being part of God, of the gift being inside of me. “Christ indwelling” and “participating the in the divine nature” became realities instead of concepts.
Meditation is described in the Bible and Christian tradition by various phrases such as “waiting on God”, “abiding in the secret place”, “the prayer of the heart” and “the cloud of unknowing” this great practice is the essence of the Biblical recommendation to “be still and know that I am God” and Christ’s first teaching on prayer in Matthew 6:6 describing “prayer in secret”.
The Centering Prayer Practice
My introduction to meditation as spirit-level prayer began with Centering Prayer, an ancient Christian practice refreshed over the last 40 years by the late Father Thomas Keating, a Cistercian abbot, priest and monk and his colleagues, drawing on numerous traditional sources and Biblical practices.
Click here to watch a single video that describes the Centering Prayer practice “in a nutshell.”
Other Meditation Practices
Along the way, I discovered a variety of practices that support and enhance the Centering Prayer practice, or that could be practiced independently.
Foundations Course in Meditation
Starting in May 2016, we recorded a series of talks given at our weekly Monday online meditation group meetings, to cover the essential learnings about meditation for newcomers to that group. This teaching series is the broadest look on the topic so far, and incorporates my now 10 year journey in meditation. We divide meditation into the two “T”s – being the techniques of meditation and the target, or goal, of the journey. While exploring different techniques, its important not to lose sight of the life-transforming goals of the practice. Or, put differently, if we remain focused on the powerful effects of meditation experience, it super-charges different techniques that we may try from time to time.
In this course we begin with a science-based approach to meditation where no religious beliefs at all are required, and then we delve into the spiritual journey, or “meditation with God.”
Click here to access the teaching sessions of the Foundations Course, or join the guided meditation sessions to enhance your personal practice.
Inspiration to Prepare the Heart for Meditation
On this website I also share writings, quotes or examples from saints and mystics that serve as “sparks” to lift the heart in preparation for meditation times.
Click here to access what I call the “flames for meditation” materials.
Rob Gerhard 