For a year and a half now I have made meditation part of my daily/weekly routine and it has honestly changed my life. I no longer have to take medication for anxiety and almost all of my physical symptoms have gone away.

Not only that but I feel like I enjoy life more now. But recently I have been confronted by the idea that Christians shouldn't meditate. This idea perplexes me honestly, like how does me meditating make me a bad Christian? Meditation gets a bad rap since it is well known for being a Buddhist tradition and is thought of as eastern homeopathic hack medicine.

But over and over again research has shown how effective meditation can be at relieving many diseases and health issues, such as lowering blood pressure, anxiety/stress, chronic pain from various causes, and more. And while meditation can be religious it does not have to be. So here are some ways that I have incorporated meditation into my life and how it has made me a better person and Christian.

Yoga Nidra

Yoga nidra is a type of guided meditation that has been known to help people with improved sleep and is highly used for substance abuse problems. Yoga nidra takes you through a full body scan, taking in how your body feels at this moment, from the top of your head to the tip of your toes. This helps you slowly relax and be present in this moment. One major symptom I had due to my anxiety was poor sleep.

I couldn't fall asleep at night and I couldn't stay asleep either. Yoga nidra is my go-to when I can't seem to quite my mind at night. I highly recommend Richard Miller's guided meditations. I know most Christians pray in bed before they go to sleep but usually, my prayer makes me just think more and more about everything. I found pairing prayer followed by yoga nidra is the best for those stressful nights when peace seems like an alien concept.

Loving-Kindness Meditation

Loving-kindness meditations are one of my favorites, probably because it has been one of the hardest for me to do. In this type of meditation, you think about feelings of love and kindness, starting with love for yourself. Then you think of it as a good friend, a "neutral" person, a difficult person, and eventually the entire universe. I like to think of the phrase, "may you have peace, may you be safe, may you be healthy, may you be happy" for each person on the list. And it's not enough to just say it in your head you have to truly believe it.

This practice is really helpful for me when I'm feeling self-conscious or doubtful or when I am angry or upset with someone else. While it is supposed to be practiced like typical meditation, eyes closed in a quiet space, you can honestly do it anywhere, like on the highway during rush hour perhaps? This meditation helps me be a better Christian in two ways: I am kinder to myself and kinder to others (remember the whole love thy neighbor stuff?).

Guided Imagery/Visualization

Most people are familiar with these types of meditation. You close your eyes and imagine yourself in a place that calms you or imagines yourself doing something that is coming up in the future. Athletes use this type a lot before a big game or race.

Personally, I have used it as a pre-race meditation not only to help me focus on the moment and task at hand but to also help calm my nerves. It helps me feel better prepared and has become a tradition for me. I also use guided imagery when I am feeling particularly stressed or down.

I like to imagine myself at my favorite beach, sometimes with a person that makes me feel particularly calm or loved. I find this type of meditation to help me to be more relaxed. Worry is mentioned a lot in the Bible, mostly God telling us to worry less so anything that helps me worry less seems like a good thing to me

Mindfulness Meditation

This is another type of meditation that can be difficult. There are many forms of mindfulness meditation and I personally tend to use breathing meditations or body scans. This type of meditation is focused on being wholly present in the here and now, observing yourself, your thoughts, and the space around you in a nonjudgmental way. I tend to use my breathing as my "anchor" to the present moment, focusing on it to help me stay present.

This type of meditation is really good for calming anxiety and lowering blood pressure. John Kabat-Zinn is a well-known western influence on mindfulness and I highly recommend his books and guided meditations. You can also do mindfulness when sitting in a quiet place with your eyes closed or while walking, running, driving, etc.

I really like to do this meditation while running, so that I have mindful runs and practices. I also find it a good way to lead into prayer, as it helps me to cut out distractions. And of course, I find it to improve my life and enjoyment of life in general. Practicing mindful meditation has led me to be more mindful in every aspect of life, which has been increasingly difficult with technology.

"And the chaos within me found balance" Thanks, in part, to meditation.