62: Creating Family Presence with guest Rich Lewis

Do you have a busy mind, making it hard to be present with your family?

My guest today is coach Rich Lewis. Rich has published articles for numerous publications, including Contemplative Light, Abbey of the Arts, Contemplative Outreach, EerdWord, In Search of a New Eden, the Ordinary Mystic at Patheos, and the Contemplative Writer. ​ Rich’s newest book is titled, Sitting with God: A Journey To Your True Self Through Centering Prayer. He teaches centering prayer in both his local and virtual community and offers one-on-one coaching through his website www.SilenceTeaches.com.

In this episode, Rich shows us how to use a meditative practice known as Centering Prayer to gain control over our thoughts and help us be more present with ourselves and others. I especially loved this schedule of practicing in the morning and then doing a "second sit" mid-afternoon as a way to recharge for the second half of the day!

I asked him how it helped him to be a better dad and he shared, "So I think it helped me be better in that I was more patient with each one of them and would slow myself down and let go and try to give each kid what they each need, because they're each unique. So what works for one doesn't work for the other. Just to give each of them kind of the one on one space they deserve, which is going to be very different."