on January 9, 2013in Christian Meditation
Summarized from the Meditation chapter of
“A Search For God”
A knowledge, cleansing, and consecration (or dedication) of your (physical) body.
We are mini copies of the universe. There is a miniature copy of everything in the universe within our bodies. We have our (physical) bodies, our mind (the mental body), and our spirit (the spiritual body). These three parts of us (body, mind, and spirit) are closely knit together so that whatever happens in one part will effect the other two parts. Our bodies are the temple of the Living God. It is our duty and our privilege to know ourselves.
Throughout history, people have realized that if they want to meditate deeply, they need to prepare for meditation. Some people feel they need to shower, wash, or drink pure water. Some people need to avoid certain foods or avoid sexual activity before meditating. For others, breathing properly helps to balance the body. Now some people feel that they can meditate best if they use odors (like incense), incantations, sounds, or music. As you enter into meditation and God starts activating your Spiritual Centers, these outer things (music, etc) can help to cleanse your thoughts and quiet your mind and body. A good example is when people use a battle cry which helps them feel passionate for destruction, and prepares them mentally for war. The battle cry is a sound and an incantation, but of course in this situation it is being used in a negative way. It’s the same thing, just used negatively.
Another example: when a doctor goes to work, he puts on his white coat. He makes sure to have his tools and stethoscope. His mind must be filled with all of the knowledge and understanding of the human person so that he can help them. Otherwise, the doctor can really hurt or kill that person, if for example he gave the wrong medicine. So now in meditation, you are tuning in to the source of all Force, the source of all creation! You are attuning (tuning in) to God Himself. Isn’t it super important that you prepare yourself for this attunement?! We have to cleanse ourselves and understand what we are getting ourselves into. If we do it properly, then He has promised to meet us in our own bodies. Remember, your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit. The temple is where God lives. He will meet us here in our own bodies if we let Him. But if you go in without proper preparation and understanding, than you can really hurt yourself, spiritually. You can not play with fire.
Everyone has a different way to meditate. At the same time, some basic things are super important to keep in mind.
We must purify our bodies, physically.
We have to shut out all of the worldly things that we constantly think about (friends, family, money, cars, work, school, etc.)
We must “consecrate” ourselves for meditation. To consecrate ourselves means to deeply dedicate ourselves to God, so that our only purpose is to worship God. When we consecrate ourselves, we can present ourselves to God, in meditation, and He can speak to us. He will speak to us the way a loving father speaks to his children. Have we wandered so far away from God that we have become afraid of Him? Have we messed up our lives so much that we feel like we could never approach Him? Always remember God’s promises: “If you will be my children, then I will be your God!” Also, “Even if you wander far away, simply call me and I will hear you.” He waits patiently and eagerly for you to return to Him.
Before we start our meditation, we need to figure out the best way to purify our minds and our bodies. It is a very personal choice and is different for everyone. A simple method to start out with is to drink a cup of pure water and to wash your hands and your face. By cleansing ourselves in whatever way we have figured out is best for us, we don’t have to be afraid of having any harmful or negative experiences during meditation. But again, if we do not cleanse properly, we can bring disaster, pain, or disease to ourselves.
When we cleanse properly, God, or “Creative Force,” will rise up in our bodies along the Spiritual Centers. Actual creation happens in our bodies. To maximize our meditation experience, we must cleanse properly. When we figure out the best way for us to cleanse, then we allow God to fill us completely. As this happens, we can realize that our thoughts are so powerful that they can fill us (and others!) with every kind of healing.