The “Let-Go” Process

On workdays, my first centering-prayer sit is at 5:45 a.m. I always feel some anxiety after I wake. Then I retreat to the basement, light a candle, and sit on a couch. It wakes me up. The anxiety fades. It fills me with interior peace and energizes me for the day.

I use the Contemplative Outreach phone app. The timer is set for twenty minutes. I read the opening prayer. I have selected, “Open my heart to Your love.” That is all I want to do. I want to forget me and open my heart to God’s love.

During centering prayer, I begin by detaching from my thoughts and emotions. In my mind I silently say, “I let them go to You.” I think about my upcoming day. I think about what worries me and makes me anxious. I think about areas where I need mental and physical healing. I think about others who I am worried about. I think about my anger, frustration, hurt. As the thoughts arise I let them all go to God. This process heals my mental, physical, and spiritual being.

I might go through my “let-go” process for about one minute. Then I am done. If I have more thoughts after that, I mentally visualize my sacred icon as my intention to open to God’s presence and action within. I internally visualize the icon for no more than one second. (I will say more about the icon later.) My goal then is to forget me, to let go. My goal is to sit in the presence of Mystery—to remove barriers to God. My goal is to let God gaze directly on me. The only way God can do this is if I let go of me and my baggage.

Rich Lewis is an author, speaker and coach who focuses on centering prayer as a means of inner transformation. His book, Sitting with God: A Journey to Your True Self Through Centering Prayer (288 pages) is available now.