Holy Meditation

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Hey, y’all!

I don’t know what you do for a living, but when you work in education, stress is pretty much a package deal. I have been feeling overwhelmed by work and by the time I need to fall asleep, I’m exhausted and over stimulated.

Last school year, it was the same song and dance. I spent all of my summer trying to come down from the stress of the school year. I even bought a guided meditation app, Balance, and honestly, it did help quite a bit. Fast forward a couple months, after doing some soul searching, I wasn’t sure that I wanted to continue doing meditation that wasn’t God-centered. I have nothing against people who do and am not judging people who find that type of meditation helpful. I know that Jesus calls those of us who are tired to come to him and he will give us rest, so that is where I decided to put my hope.

A couple months ago, my husband and I got a rare date night and frequented our typical date night spot: Barnes & Noble. I found a book, Breath as Prayer, written by Jennifer Tucker. This is exactly the type of resource I had been hoping to find. The book explains the benefits and different types of breathing meditation, such as the “Box Method” which is my preferred method to meditate. Think 4-4-4-4. Basically, you breathe in for a count of 4, hold for a count of 4, release for a count of 4, hold for a count of 4 and repeat. Each step is equal, like equal sides to a box.

What is meditation?

So, you may be wondering what is so special about incorporating meditation with prayer.

First - let’s talk about what meditation is and how it can benefit you:

According to the Mayo Clinic, “meditation is considered a type of mind-body complementary medicine. Meditation can produce a deep state of relaxation and a tranquil mind.”

Meditation benefits may include:

Gaining new perspectives on stressful situations,
Gaining a method to de-stress
Increasing self-awareness
Reducing negative emotions and energy
Increasing your imagination and patience
Decreasing your resting heart rate and blood pressure.
That all sounds pretty amazing for something so easy and free!

The Power of Prayer

Most Christians are aware about the power of prayer. Those of you new to Christianity or do not practice prayer, take in this little tidbit of research: studies have shown when groups of patients practice daily prayer, their pain tolerance is greater and they typically respond to treatments quicker. Prayer is powerful stuff! This practice gives you a respite, an opportunity to lay down your stressors in order to focus on your relationship with God.

When you pray using scripture, you’re praying God’s word back to him. This helps define your prayers and keep yourself grounded in the word.

So, what do you have when you combine prayer and meditation? A powerful way to bring your troubles, stress, and heaviness to the Lord while also tapping into the potential benefits mentioned above.

Now, I’m not going to exaggerate and say that I’m praying and meditating all day long, however, I have been using a daily “breath as prayer” meditation and it’s helped a lot. I’m an Enneagram 6, so worse-case-scenario thinking is my go-to mindset. I often have a hard time feeling secure enough to drift off to sleep. On really hard nights, I will look over the visuals I have made in my Bible app of my favorite verses, reminding me of God’s promises, including Psalms 4:8, “I will sleep in peace, for you alone, LORD, make me dwell in safety.” Since I started to incorporate this meditation prayer, I have been able to drift off quicker and stay asleep longer.

My process:

Breathe in for 4 counts while thinking or saying aloud: “I will sleep in peace…

Hold for 4 counts…

Breathe out for 4 counts while thinking or saying aloud: “for You (Lord) alone make me dwell in safety…”

Hold for 4…

Repeat.

If you’re not sure where to start, I recommend picking your favorite Psalm. If you’re new to the Bible, here are some examples to help until you feel more comfortable to dive in on your own.