Christian Meditation

I know there are a lot of lifestyle gurus out there who promote the practice of meditation to help improve health and decrease stress -all good things- but that isn't why I'm interested in meditation.

"In recent years, as meditation has entered the mainstream, it has done so strictly as a technique for stress reduction and relaxation. Those methods most extensively utilized in health-care settings were developed in a religious context, but have been stripped of their religious and cultural trappings to make them appropriate for a mass audience in a secular society. Much good has come of this, but something may also have been lost." (Daniel Redwood)

I want to carve out a little space and time to connect with the Divine. If prayer is talking with God than meditation is just being with God. It's a way to recognize, honor and awaken the Holy Spirit.

"Be still, and know that I am God." (Psalm 46:10)

Meditation doesn't come easily to me. I am a thinker and a doer. Being still feels uncomfortable and unnatural -which is the precise reason I so desperately need to cultivate this practice. Unfortunately I even over-think unthinking. I want to know the exact way to do something and I don't want to bother at all if it isn't perfect. Not a good quality to have, believe me, but it is true none-the-less. Luckily I am learning that what matters most about the practice is our purpose -not the technique itself.

"When we ask how to meditate, the real question we are asking is: How do we learn to commune with God? The answer lies not in some technique, though every activity will have some form to it, but with the desire of the heart to know our oneness with Him." (Meredith Puryear)

By examining our purpose for communing with God we can secure a sincere commitment to the practice. We need to find an ideal, such as love, compassion or service so that our meditation will be focused and grounded. If you feel like you should meditate because it's supposed to be relaxing and healthy but you struggle to enjoy the process or get any benefit than maybe you (like me) have been doing it for the wrong reasons.

Meditation means, then, the entering within self to seek for the Creative Forces: or to seek that God may make for the using of the body -mentally, physically, spiritually- as a greater manifestation of His love in and among men. (Edgar Cayce)

"The key is simple: giving rather than getting. It's a matter of surrendering yourself. First surrendering your worries. Being willing to give up your expectations, and not expecting to get anything -not even peace. The whole purpose of this meditation session is to give." (Mark and Sarah Thurston)

The following guidelines for meditation are an interpretation of the Edgar Cayce readings:

1. Make meditation a part of your regular daily routine. Set a time and stick to it.

2. Prepare physically by doing some head and neck exercises to release tension. Do each of the following three times: tilt your head forward, backward, to each side (ear toward shoulder) and look left then right. Hold each position for a few seconds. Rotate your head in a complete circle clockwise and counterclockwise. Move slowly and gently.

3. Do some breathing exercises to help quiet your mind and deepen relaxation. Alternate-nostril breathing involves breathing in and out of one nostril (while holding the other one closed) a few times then switching to the opposite nostril. However, the exact breathing technique isn't important. Just bringing your attention to the breath for a minute or two will be beneficial.

4. Invite Christ into your presence. Ask for protection and guidance. Visualize yourself being surrounded with a pure white light. Recite a prayer important to you -such as the Lord's Prayer or the Twenty-Third Psalm.

5. Recall your purpose. Remind yourself why you have chosen to meditate. Choose an affirmation that supports your purpose, such as, "Make me an instrument of Thy peace."

6. Be still. Return to your affirmation when your mind starts to wander. You may want to shorten the affirmation to one or two words, such as, "Thy peace." This stillness may last one minute or thirty. Don't force it. This is your time with God.

7. Pray. Before ending your meditation send out healing prayers or blessings to others.

The mystery or paradox of meditation is that you must surrender your desire before you can receive. Peace cannot be forced or willed. Give up your expectations and offer yourself to God. Surrender your agenda to spend some time in solitude with the Divine. "Here God, I give you all my fears and worries, my plans and desires so that I might become an empty vessel for you. Your will be done -not mine."

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Reflection and Change

It's been very busy in this neck of the woods but I'm finally getting the opportunity to sit in front of the computer with a cup of coffee and an hour of free time. Woohoo! I've been living on the brink lately. The brink of exhaustion; the brink of losing my sanity; the brink of change. I feel like a leaf in the wind. I'm short-tempered, impatient, ungrateful and full of fear. Quite frankly I'm fed up with myself and my attitude. I thought I was running full-speed ahead but in truth I'm just running in circles. I feel ineffective and irrelevant.

In two days I will be 30 years old. I like that number. I like the roundness of it and I like that it gives me the opportunity to make a fresh start. I'm the queen of broken resolutions so I am a little weary about making them, however, nothing changes if nothing changes so I need to make a move. Every once in a while a commitment sticks (like not drinking!) so it's worth making the repeated effort. It's time to reflect for a few days about the life I am living and the life I want to live. It's not enough to say I'm going to pray more, exercise, eat healthier, cultivate calm or practice compassion. I need some concrete, specific goals.

I need a plan, man.

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A Garland of Roses

Christians, Muslims, Hindus, Buddhists and Sikhs all use prayer beads as an aid for spiritual devotion. Personally, I'm most familiar with the Catholic rosary. I know that praying the rosary isn't for everyone -some Christians feel uncomfortable praying to Mary and some of the prayers may not even be appropriate depending on personal beliefs. However, there are many different versions of prayer beads so if the rosary isn't your thing I'd still encourage you to try and find something that works for you. I know of recovering addicts who use beads for reciting the serenity prayer. Others use beads for reciting healing prayers or personal affirmations. The beads provide an excellent opportunity to sit for a certain amount of time and focus your whole self on the Spirit.

My opinion of the rosary has changed over the years. At first I thought it was a quaint, old-fashioned and outdated tradition. Old ladies said the rosary. Later, I thought of it as a poor substitute for more personal prayer and possibly brainwashing. These days I'm once again enamored with this centuries old devotion. I see it as mysterious, beautiful and profound.

"The Rosary is within the grasp of all, rich or poor, learned or unlearned. It can serve as spiritual nourishment throughout the day in that by meditating on the mysteries which we recall in each decade, we sustain and increase in our souls Faith, Hope and Charity." (Sister Lucy of Fatima)

According to tradition, St. Dominic received the rosary in 1208 during a Marian apparition. The Blessed Mother continues to urge followers to pray the rosary during her appearances. She has appeared to millions of people over hundreds of years -sometimes bringing miraculous healings and mass conversions. Mary says that praying the rosary has the power to "work miracles in the world and [our] lives."

"Through the Rosary we can channel the power of our minds and hearts during a period of fifteen or twenty minutes (the average time it takes to say five decades); whereas, if we were to attempt to pray for that length of time by making up our own prayers, or even reading prayers from a book, we would find ourselves unable to concentrate for anywhere near so long -and definitely not with so much attention and power." (Thomas A. Nelson)

Repeating the prayers of the rosary are not empty, repetitive prayers. They are filled with as much love, attention and sincerity as you can conceive. The main reason I love praying the rosary is because I can actually focus on prayer and meditate on the life of Jesus (the Holy Mysteries) without (much) mental distraction. The rosary gives me direction and perseverance. It teaches me to focus and deepens my connection with Jesus. It is surprisingly simple yet sophisticated.

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A Poem for God/Me/You

An infinite ocean tides before me
but I am facing the opposite direction
watching TV

A private, royal audience awaits
but I am in the park on a soapbox
entertaining fools

I am so weak
so distracted
and full of ego

Help me give
surrender
and be

Teach me love by keeping me humble
give me the gift of long-suffering
and bring me to my knees

I am ready to receive

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Spirit-Numbing Devices

My husband and I have an old 13" television that only receives two free cable channels. Why? Because I love TV. Given the opportunity to watch satellite television on a 42" flat screen I might never leave my home -or read a book, or play scrabble, or make love with my husband. TV is just too damned tempting for my wee little brain. I crave glossy, mindless distractions. I want to be soothed, numbed, pacified. I need to forget about all the very real, big deal issues that bombard me endlessly. Even on my crappy little set I manage to waste a ridiculous amount of time. Usually I'm not even that interested in the program I'm watching but it keeps me occupied.

The Internet is even worse. There's nursing workshops, photography courses, classic books, new music, old friends, parenting advice, soul seekers sharing their experiences, yummy recipes, geography lessons, celebrity gossip, shopping, free documentaries, art, virtual tours, world news, bank account balances, the forecast... Unlimited distraction possibilities at my fingertips. Awesome.

Doesn't it feel weird when the power goes out for an entire evening or (gasp) several days? I enjoy the first few hours but an uneasy, thick silence starts to stir soon after. I think I need to sit with that. It's time to unplug and detox. I'm thinking maybe I'll devote Sundays to techno-free living.

This could get interesting.

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