Q: “How can I remain grounded among those who are completely mind-centred ... and not be depleted ... ?”
A: It sounds like you have a deep connection with Father Thomas’s teachings on Centering Prayer and I'm sorry to hear about your experience of being “told off” in a way that created obstacles on your spiritual path as you tried to connect with those teachings.
You ask how you can remain grounded and avoid becoming depleted in a mind centered environment and I think you answer your own question by noticing how you are embraced by the Holy Spirit. If you just keep turning towards the Spirit you will be nourished and sustained.
I am reminded of something that Richard Rohr said in his daily email meditations last week on the subject of mentoring. He describes an elderly monk who said to him when he was a young Franciscan, “Richard, I want you always to trust your intuitions. Promise me that you will always trust them, even if they are wrong once in a while. The direction is right and I will personally fight for you in the background if it ever comes to that.”
The Spirit helps us to remain connected to our hearts through our intuition. By following our intuitive promptings, we can learn how to let the Holy Spirit be our guide and how to hear it calling to us. It sounds like you have learned to do that, moving towards what is healing and spiritually nourishing for you, letting go of what is not helpful. Your Centering Prayer practice has helped to strengthen the heart centered, intuitive faculties that connect you with the Spirit’s flowing. Our culture is filled with voices that conflict with the call of the Spirit, but as you ground yourself in your practice, you can continue to discern and clear away whatever like weeds is crowding out the voice of the Spirit. As Richard Rohr's teacher suggests, this is a messy, imperfect, and sometimes risky process, but if you keep cultivating your intuitive heart through your faithful practice you will continue to hear the voice of the Spirit calling you.
God is drawing you towards God, often not through the most rational or linear route. Don’t ignore the rational but continue to listen for the voice of the Spirit that may not always seem so rational. Listen to your guides and those around you while continuing to respect your inner authority.
Your Centering Prayer practice, your Centering Prayer group, your spiritual director and spiritual companions, and scripture can all help you to remain connected to the realm of God. It sounds like your heart is doing a good job of teaching you to remain grounded in the Spirit.
Warm regards,
Lindsay