More On Meditation

On my last blog I talked about meditating and the benefits of it - especially in regard to the slowing down of subjective time. Today I want to elaborate more on "meditation," as the word itself seems to conjure up images of Eastern religions, such as Buddhism. I used to fear that myself but have since discovered there is much rich history of Christian meditation as well as new brain research that show the benefits of meditation.

In general the definition of meditation involves deep contemplation, reflection or pondering of a subject. But I like Richard Foster's definition in his book Celebration of Discipline in which he says, "Christian meditation, very simply, is the ability to hear God's voice and obey his word. It is that simple." Prayer, while it can be contemplative, is different. I think of prayer as talking to God (e.g., praising, confessing, petitioning) whereas meditation involves listening. And another spiritual discipline, according to Foster, is studying. I used to be confused, in that I thought studying was listening to God. It is a form of listening but not the same. As Foster explains: "Meditation is devotional; study is analytical." Study involves a more rational part of our mind, while meditation accesses more of our spiritual core.

I often have to teach my clients about meditation in order to help them calm down their racing thoughts and what I call their "mind chatter." Meditation helps to do this. Just as exercise is helpful to the physical body, so is meditation helpful to the mind. And it's all connected, I believe - the mind, body and spirit. There is a big difference, however, in Easter meditation and Christian meditation. Again according to Foster: Eastern meditation empties the mind while Christian meditation fills the mind. In other words, Eastern meditation detaches us from our worries while Christian meditation attaches us to God. But both do work. I have the privilege of knowing many non-believers from therapy conferences I attend who are practicing Buddhists. They are wonderful people who have learned, through meditation, how to empty their minds from the burdens and pains of this life. As a believer, I am not threatened by this, because I believe that all truth is God's truth. Instead I am encouraged, because this shows the benefits of meditation. I am sad though for these friends and do pray for them to come to know the Lord.

It is great to set aside a few minutes of each day, perhaps in a quiet place, for formal meditation. I like to start with meditating on a specific scripture and after a while, slip into prayer. However, you can meditate throughout the day. You can use ordinary opportunities, such as driving in the car or walking outside, to become contemplative. As my former professor Dr. Bill Richardson used to say, "You have to slow down to go down." Take some deep breaths, paying attention to their infilling and deflation; notice the sights and sounds around you so you can take in the moment; observe nature. You'll be surprised how these moments can rest and refresh you. And should you meditate regularly, you'll be surprised how your life comes more into balance and how you can cope better with your life, rather than it leading you to "unhealty otherworldliness" - again according to Foster.

If you haven't picked up on it yet, I would like to encourage you to read Richard Foster's Celebration of Discipline. This book was a big hit when it came out in 1978. Unfortunately, I missed it that first time around. However, it has stood the test of time and is still very popular in helping people with their spiritual growth. My sister and my niece are both reading it now. And I have taken up the book's challenge, along with my niece and her husband, to meditate on a different scripture every week. That means at the end of one year, I will have 52 scriptures that are special to me. I encourage you to read the book and I challenge you to begin to meditate weekly on a particular verse or passage.

More Time in '10

As I look back to 2009, my first thought was - it flew by! So I've resolved in 2010 to have my life slow down. I've been under the notion for quite a while that my life is flying by because I'm getting older and there is nothing I can do to stop it. But I've come across some ways the mind works that cause this phenomenon, which I'd like to share.

The way our minds work, according to Daniel Siegel in his book The Mindful Brain, is that we begin to make summations and create generalizations based on incoming data to our senses. He says our learning brains seek to find similarities and differences, thus drawing conclusions, and based on these we then act. This process keeps us from having to re-invent the wheel, so to speak, every time we approach something new in our lives. But this same process also can keep us from feeling alive. If most of our life is shuttled into a previously existing category of reality, it can get pretty routine as we mindlessly move through our day. Siegel calls these "top down" influences which can make minor differences disappear and nothing becomes the "odd-ball." We then lose the novelty of everyday living, and subjective time is contracted.

The antidote for this kind of top down processing is mindful reflection. We do literally need to stop and "smell the roses." We begin to wake up our minds when we begin to see more, hear more and smell more - in general, observe more and reflect upon it. What before was "just a flower" can become the one-of-a-kind flower that it actually is. By tuning in to the present moment, we can literally calm down the past's intrusion on our present experience and we can expand the subjective time in our lives! A different area of our brain is activated in mindful awareness that produces more of a "bottom-up" processing.

So when I feel harried or rushed though my day, I plan to stop and take stock, do some deep breathing, and assess what I'm sensing. Another way to develop this core functioning so it becomes more automatic is by meditating daily. You may just start out with 5 minutes per day and eventually work up to 30 minutes. As a Christian, I prefer to meditate on specific scriptures and to rehearse them over and over, interjecting myself into the passage's realities. However, other forms of meditation do work as well, such as focusing on your breathing, tuning in to your physical sensations, or focusing on nature.

You may say you don't have time for this kind of contemplative life. Your life may be too busy or stressed or fragmented. But the opposite is true - that is why it is so. By taking the time to reflect, your life will come more into balance. And time will subjectively slow down. I'm committing to that this new year. What about you?