Social Distance and an Introduction to Meditation

By Luke Lebsack

Let me start by saying I suck at meditation. On my phone there are currently three meditation apps, two of which I’ve never opened and one that has for the last three months been congratulating me on completing my first lesson. People like meditation; it’s good for you, by now most of us know this (if you don’t know this you can read about it).  Over the years I’ve put meditation in the same category as kale smoothies or early morning jogging. It’s healthy and I know I should do it but let’s be real; the only people who actually do that sort of stuff are either trying to get Instagram famous or drive a Subaru. 

So what does meditation look like as a spiritual discipline for a novice like me? Firstly, it’s important to acknowledge that there’s nothing inherently spiritual or religious about meditation. Meditation, generally speaking, is a technique to focus intently on something or to encourage mindfulness about our experiences. Meditation is a tool that can be used in conjunction with prayer to develop our spiritual practice. Why is this distinction important?

Historically my reasoning for creating a meditative practice has always been to accrue the health and psychological benefits that come along with it, which is a good thing. However, when we use meditation as a spiritual discipline it’s done in conjunction with prayer. Our intention must shift away from the western default of self-betterment and instead reflect a desire to grow closer to God. Said another way, if I was to begin a diet that uses fasting to lose weight this might be a good choice for my health. But if on the other hand I chose fasting as a spiritual discipline so that I could lose weight the discipline itself becomes clouded by the intensions from which the actions are originating. In short, any kind of meditation would almost certainly have positive benefits on our brain’s health but when we add prayer to our meditation our focus should be on Christ.

Ok, we got the disclaimers out of the way. You’re bored at home and not doing anything, let’s strap up our brain boots and wade through the waters of Christian meditation. Where do we start? I don’t know, (we’ve been over this) so I asked my enlightened friend Lacey and my other less enlightened friend the internet.

Lacey’s Helpful Hints:

1. Start short, 1-5 minutes of mediation is totally fine to start
2. Sit, walk, or stand, be comfortable but don’t lie down if you’ll fall asleep
3. Be kind to yourself, if you lose focus or get distracted there’s no reason to be frustrated
4. Study yourself, notice what your body and mind are trying to tell you
5. Pray before or after you meditate, you will be able to get more out of both disciplines together
6. Just do something, what meditation you do matters less than the fact that you did it

Easy Christian meditation from the internet:

Concentration Meditation:

1. Find a short phrase or mantra you wish to meditate on
   • A mantra I used was “my peace I give to you” -John 14:27
2. Sit comfortably in a chair or on the floor. Close your eyes and take a few slow, deep breaths. Relax your breath to a neutral state.
3. Begin saying your mantra audibly in natural rhythm with your breath, focusing on its sound.
4. After 10 or so repetitions recite the mantra silently in your mind
5. If your mind begins to wander return to the mantra focusing on the sound of the words
6. Continue for as long as you feel is beneficial
7. Say a short prayer to end your session

Mindfulness Meditation:

1. Sit comfortably in a chair or on the floor. Close your eyes and take a few slow, deep breaths. Relax your breath to a neutral state.
2. Feel your breath going in and out and focus on its pattern
3. Eventually your mind will leave your breath and begin to wander.
4. When you notice that you have gotten so caught up in your thoughts that you have forgotten that you’re sitting in the room, gently bring yourself back to the breath.
5. After your focus begins to wane begin a prayer recognizing the thoughts that were interrupting your focus or preventing you from being present.

Escape Quarantine Meditation:

1. Go on a walk in an peaceful environment
2. In silence begin focusing on your steps
3. Focus on the mechanics of your body thinking either heel, toe or left, right with each step
4. As before your mind will eventually leave your breath and begin to wander.
5. When you notice that you have gotten so caught up in your thoughts that you have forgotten that you’re walking, gently bring yourself back to your steps.
6. After your focus begins to wane begin a prayer recognizing the thoughts that were interrupting your focus or preventing you from being present.

These are only a few of the hundreds of other meditation styles you can try. This week I’ve practiced the walking meditation mostly simply because it was an excuse to take a second walk every day. I don’t think I’ve reached enlightenment yet but there is a calm that comes with intentionality.

For me personally COVID-19 has stolen my ability to feel in control of my own life. Meditation is helping me realize I was never truly in control of the world around me. But it’s also helping me control my inner self and it’s bringing out the stifled fears I should have long ago brought to prayer. For me, and maybe for you, even small acts of mindfulness are a positive step towards dealing with the emotions that endless Netflix binges have been enabling us to avoid.

Sources:

hhhhttps://www.yogajournal.com/poses/mantra-meditation

https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/the-courage-be-present/201001/how-practice-mindfulness-meditation

https://ggia.berkeley.edu/practice/walking_meditation