Some food is healthy and some food is not. We all need to eat…but the actual practice of eating can help or hurt us, depending on what we actually INGEST.
Is it not the same with meditation? What our mind ingests? Can we meditate to calm our anxiety? Can we meditate our way to mental health? Exactly what is meditation and does it work?
Meditation can have many different connotations, some secular and some spiritual.
For example, it is a part of modern yoga where it has come to mean a form of mindfulness….an effort to increase one’s awareness by paying nonjudgemental attention to the present moment.
( Though yoga may help stress, anxiety, and quality of life, there are studies that show that simple stretching may be as or more effective than yoga in this regard. I don’t think mandatory Yoga classes will solve the world’s problems…or yours.)
There are other forms of meditation –
Some forms of meditation involve an effort to “empty the mind”.
Some involve chanting.
Some involve focusing on sounds or visualization techniques.
Some involve breathing awareness or breathing techniques.
It is obvious that meditation can mean a lot of different things. I would like to make the argument that, just like eating can help or hurt, some meditation is helpful and some is harmful.
Soooooo…………..What is helpful meditation?
#1 – if your life is always in a drive mode to do more, be more, accomplish more….If you are always busy, then shifting from drive to neutral and taking time to slow down is helpful. We were not created to always be in high gear, always in “drive.” We were created with a need for rest. Not just physical rest, but mental rest also. We all do need to learn the art of BEING STILL.
#2 – Don’t JUST be still. God says to be still AND know that I am God! No matter what the world says about how we can help ourselves or what we need, I am thoroughly convinced that apart from God you will never find true, lasting rest. You were created by God, but also for God. Just like I think a man and wife, deeply in love, were MADE for each other and are not happy apart, you were made for God and will be restless until you find your rest in Him.
#3 – Once you “come to your senses,” so to speak, like the prodigal son, and come home to God, begin to meditate or focus on the absolute truths that God has revealed. Your mind is capable of being deceived. It does need to be renewed, but only by ingesting or dwelling on healthy things. You need to develop a worldview based on reality. It is amazing how something very simple, like admitting that God is God, and I AM NOT, can bring a lot of relief to a troubled heart. A restful mind is a wonderful thing to experience. Center your mind on Your Creator, who promises that our peace increases as our trust of Him increases.
#4 – The media, in all its forms, and even some well meaning Christian leaders would have us focus on what is wrong in the world. I think they seek to use fear to influence us. After all, there is a lot wrong! But there is hope. There are solutions. Our focus should be on finding the right paths forward. The past is in the past. It might be a good learning tool, but mistakes in the past cannot be undone. We are commanded by God to actively look today for “Whatever is true and honorable. We are told to hunt for what is JUST! What is pure and lovely.” These are safe things to meditate on and pursue. (Phillipians 4)
#5 – In keeping with dwelling on what is good, If we spent more time thinking about and honoring those who acted unselfishly, those who put others first, those who wanted to really solve a problem and not just use it to promote an agenda, I think our society would look very different. Healthy thoughts and gratefulness produce one chemical response in our brains. Unhealthy thoughts produce another. After all, a cheerful heart doeth good like medicine!
So, yes, meditation can help (or hurt) your mental health away … it all depends on what you meditate on!
