Finding Your Marbles
A Mental Health Survival Guide

I love meditation.

I started meditating about a year ago, and it has made a huge difference in my peace of mind and my health. I am calmer, more relaxed, and I feel a lot better about myself.

Meditation can also be a great way to manage mental illness. Not only is it relaxing, but meditating also helps you center your thoughts and feelings, which enables to you focus on your healing instead of on your symptoms.

I have tried a bunch of different types of meditation, but the one that works the best for me, and the one that I think has had the biggest positive effect on my mental health, is the ancient “Lectio Divina,” meditation style used by Benedictine monks. It takes a little bit of practice, but it’s easy to learn so you’ll be able to get going very quickly.

Lectio Divina (which means “divine reading,”) is a style of contemplative prayer that has been used by monks for over 1500 years. In this article I won’t be focussing on the religious aspects of Lectio Divina, however, if you are interested in this style of prayer, you can read more about it in The Ancient Art of Lectio Divina” by Fr. Luke Dysinger.

What You Will Need

• A pen and paper
• A quiet place

How it Works

Lectio Divina traditionally takes 1 hour.

The meditation consists of four parts: Reading, Meditation, Conversation,and Contemplation.

Reading

The traditional Lectio Divina meditations begin with a reading from Scripture. However, for our “mental health” version we will take a slightly different approach.

Choose a phrase or quotation that inspires you, or, if you prefer, create an inspiring phrase of your own. Try to keep the phrase as simple as possible. For example, I like this one, by Franklin Roosevelt:

“The only thing we have to fear, is fear itself.”

Once you have decided on a phrase, write it down on a plain sheet of paper.

Then, find a quiet place where you will not be disturbed, and spend around 15 minutes reading and re-reading the phrase. Don’t try to think too much about what the phrase means, just concentrate on the words. Try to form an image of the phrase in your mind, or imagine someone saying (or singing) it to you. After 15 minutes, or when you have a clear mental image of the phrase, you can move on to the meditation stage.

Meditation

Once you have a clear image of the phrase in your mind, you can then begin to meditate on its meaning. Close your eyes and keep the phrase in your mind. Try to think of different meanings for the words, or different ways the phrase could be spoken or interpreted.

The important part of this stage of the exercise is to keep your mind focused only on the phrase. If you feel your thoughts drifting, gently try to guide them back to the image of the phrase in your mind. Also, if at any time during this stage you get frustrated, it can help to return to the written phrase and re-read it to refresh your mind.

After 15 minutes, or when you are ready, you can move onto the conversation stage.

Conversation

This part is fun. When you feel that you are comfortable with the phrase, and your mind is focused, begin asking yourself questions about the phrase.

For example, refer back to Roosevelt’s quote. How do you think Roosevelt was feeling while he spoke those words? How do you think the people in war-torn Europe felt when they heard them? How do his words make you feel about your own fears?

You can allow your mind wander a bit during this stage. Think of it as a conversation that you are having with yourself. Let your thoughts and words flow naturally, just as if you were talking to your best friend. However, be careful that you don’t drift too far away from the original phrase; if you find this happening then quickly re-read the phrase to refresh your memory.

After 15 minutes or so of the conversation stage, you will notice that certain thoughts or concepts stand out. At this point it is time to move onto the contemplation stage.

Contemplation

I call this the “expectant silence” stage.

This stage takes a bit of practice, but it is the most important stage in the meditation. It is easy to explain but difficult to put into practice.

For the contemplative stage, you clear your mind of other thoughts, then wait and listen in silence.

This stage can be very frustrating, because it will feel like you are doing nothing. It is also the most challenging stage because it can be difficult to “think without thinking.” You will find that a lot of unwanted thoughts will pop into your head. Don’t ignore them, but recognize them as “unwanted thoughts” and gently push them aside. Keep your mind clear and open.

After 15 minutes, slowly return from the meditation. Do some stretches, or have a cup of tea, and spend a few minutes letting your mind adjust before you go back to your regular activities.

Few Words

Once you have completed this meditation, you should feel an increased sense of peace and contentment. However, if you don’t experience these things, don’t worry. Contemplative meditation is not a “quick fix” and it can take several sessions before you begin to notice positive changes in your life.

If you meditate regularly, you will notice a gradual change in your mental state and your overall well-being. Regular meditation helps keep you centered, so you will find that you are not as easily stressed out and that you are more able to manage your day-to-day life. It will also lower your anxiety levels (always good) and help you get better control over your mental health.

Health Life Mental Health Personal Growth Relaxation Stress

This entry was posted on Thursday, March 15th, 2007 at 2:08 pm and is filed under Health, Life, Mental Health, Personal Growth, Relaxation, Stress. You can follow responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a comment or trackback from your site.

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