According to the National Institute of Health,  in 2006 over 20 million adult Americans tried meditation which was a 2% increase from 2002. At this rate, by 2017, there will be more that 27 million Americans who have experienced meditation.

The mind is like a muscle and when you meditate, you actually flex that muscle which leads you to discover the ‘present moment’.

Let’s talk about meditation from a Christian perspective.

The word “meditation’ comes from the words “to cultivate”. It suggests action. 

As Christians, when we meditate it’s not that we are focusing on an idea or a concept or an ideology but our faith is based on a person, that is the person of Christ.

And when we meditate it is about cultivating a relationship with that person who is Jesus Christ.

Meditation requires an active participation but there are two things that we must overcome when we meditate:

Sleepiness – keep a watchful eye by visualization practice.

       (Matthew 26:41 Jesus said, watch and pray so that you do not enter into temptation.)

 

Restlessness – The best way to quiet the inner chatter of restlessness is to focus on the things you are thankful for. Gratitude is the anecdote to restlessness.

       (Philippians 4:6 Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with                   thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God.)

 

From a medical perspective…

Meditation helps preserve the aging brain. We know that there is more gray matter in the brain of those who meditate compared to those who don’t meditate at the same age.

Meditation reduces activity in the brains “me center”, that is the inner chatter area that causes the mind to wander often leading to anxiety and fear.

It is called the default mode and is “on” when we are not thinking about anything. But when we focus on a word or a mantra or a scripture, it quiets the default mode and it leaves us with a real sense of tranquility and happiness.  there is a real sense of happiness that results.