The Welcoming Prayer practice is a way of “letting” into the present moment in the ordinary routines of daily life. The Welcoming Prayer is used when your needs for security, affection, and control are frustrated or gratified and cause emotional reactions.

Thomas Keating

Welcoming Prayer

Observe the emotions that most upset you and the events that set them off, but without analyzing, rationalizing, or justifying your reactions.

The Welcoming Prayer practice is a way of “letting” into the present moment in the ordinary routines of daily life. The Welcoming Prayer is used when your needs for security, affection, and control are frustrated or gratified and cause emotional reactions. It is a way of turning everything over to God by using these three simple movements:

  1. Focus and sink into the body sensation. Do not resist it, simply experience the sensation.
  2. Welcome. Remain in the body sensation and gently say to the world Welcome interiorly, embracing the Holy Spirit in and through the bodily sensation.
  3. Let go. While continuing to experience and rest in the body sensation, repeat the letting go sentences as you open to the healing act of grace within:

“I let go of my desire for security.”

“I let go of my desire for affection.”

“I let go of my desire for control.”

“I let go of my desire to change the situation.”

Letting go means passing through the experience, not around it, not running away from it, or stuffing it back into the unconscious.

Source: Open Mind, Open Heart, 168-169 (Amazon Affliate)