Vestibule Practices from the 2019 Fall Retreat

In preparation for the "top-down" practice of Centering Prayer, we are encouraged to cultivate and integrate bottom up practices – movement, touch, breath, affirmation, sound. Trauma gets stuck in the body – “the issues are in our tissues” – so integrating bottom up with top down really helps us get "unstuck." In addition to Welcoming Prayer, we used the following two Vestibule Practices  –  Grounding in Gratitude and Grateful Heart - as introduced by Dr. Christine O'Brien at the 2019 annual conference of Contemplative Outreach International, which met in Denver in September.

Grounding in Gratitude

1. Sit comfortably with feet grounded on the floor — or, stand up!
   
2. Expand arms out to the sides with every inhale.
3. With every exhale, place hands to a different energy center and say the associated gratitude phrase:
   

• Hands on thighs: “I am rooted in gratitude.“
  
• Hands just below the navel: “I am balanced in gratitude.”
• Hands to solar plexus: “I am empowered in gratitude.”
• Hands to heart: “I feel gratitude.”
• Hands to throat: “I speak gratitude.”
• Hands to eyebrows: “I see gratitude.”
• Hands to top of head: “I am gratitude.”

Grateful Heart

This is an effort to integrate “bottom-up” physical preparation with the “top-down” approach of Centering Prayer. “Grateful Heart” is a method to invoke a relaxation response, designed to counter the effects of our day-to-day stress responses to life.

1. Sit with toes curled down, feet rooted to the ground.
2. Rest your hands on your lap, opening your hands wide with palms up to symbolize receiving.
3. Sit up tall with a straight, lengthened spine.
4. Drop shoulders from ears by pulling elbows and shoulder blades towards the floor.
5. Pull your ears back, chin down, and place your tongue on the roof of your mouth to avoid clenching.
6. Close your eyes, and gaze to the right or left.
7. Take 10 deep breaths as you visualize and focus on something for which you are grateful.