The Power of Meditation

Thich Naht Hanh once said, “Walk as if you are kissing the earth with your feet.” The recently deceased Buddhist monk, Nhat Hanh, invited his fellow spiritual seekers to practice a walking meditation. He invited his followers to notice each step. Mindful walking can bring you back to the here and now. It is a practice of noticing your thoughts, body, feelings, spirit, the earth beneath you, and creation encircling you. A walking meditation is an opportunity to slow down. If you are like me, you might avoid the pain of life through running away from your feelings, but when you practice mindful walking you don’t have to run anymore. This is the time to not rush and ground your feet the earth so that you can allow a power greater than you to hold you.

I recently attended a retreat at Good Shepherd Episcopal Church entitled, “Wake Up and Slow Down, A Yoga and Labyrinth Workshop.” The workshop was led by Howard Brown, Anthony Crutcher, and Margy Oehmig. One of the purposes of the workshop was the invitation to slow down and be present in the midst of this fast-paced world.

During the first yoga class with the former owner of Clearsprings Yoga, Anthony Crutcher, I was invited twice by Anthony to slow down my movements in the yoga postures. I will admit it activated my ego to be told to slow down, and yet, it was exactly what I needed to hear. My own inner manager is constantly whispering to me to prove my worth through responsibility, efficiency, helping, perfecting, and doing. Going at a turtle’s pace is hard for me, but when I find the silence and stillness, this is where I also experience the Divine, creativity, peace, my true self, an invitation to forgive myself and others, and a still small voice that points me towards my meaning and purpose in life. Do you run from silence and stillness? But when you move towards a slower pace, do you notice your nervous system relax, your fear diminish, your hope reawaken, and a move towards a higher version of yourself?

During the all-day retreat we practiced yoga, but also contemplative labyrnth walking, listened to poetry, and were bathed in the sounds of Tibetan singing bowls. Labyrinth walking is very similar to the Buddhist practice of a walking meditation. Because the slow yoga and singing bowls had moved me into my parasympathetic nervous system, I was truly able to walk slowly and kiss the earth with my feet on the new outdoor labyrinth at Good Shepherd Episcopal Church. At the retreat, Good Shepherd’s priest, Robert Childers, was gracious to point out that their new labyrinth is open to the community and so if you have never walked a labyrinth I encourage you to try this meditative practice. Even though I have walked labyrinths before, the experience always seems to be unique and during this labyrinth walk my mind and heart were very focused on the elementary school shooting in Nashville that had happened the same week as this retreat. It was a breezy day and the violent wind that almost knocked me over on my labyrinth walk, seemed to represent the turbulent times we live in. As I journeyed on the labyrinth, I was aware of my outrage about the shooting. As a parent, I feel deep fear of the possibility I may be unable to shield my daughter from this kind of violence. Like you, I also want to be a part of finding answers to the mass shootings instead of just feeling a sense of powerlessness. As I put one foot in front of the other on the labyrinth, I held the Covenant School and Nashville in my heart and as I walked, I also prayed, recited Scripture, hummed hymns, released feelings, had a deeper sense of who I am and who I want to be, and had a profound sense of being held by the ground of our being, God, in the midst of these scary times.

My day of retreat was a reminder of the power of meditation and stillness. Meditation is a skill that quiets the mind by inviting us to pay attention to our breath, the present moment, our thoughts, our feelings, our body, and our inner guide. There are so many types of meditations, including but not limited to: walking meditation, mandala meditation, moving meditation, guided meditation, breathing meditation, mantra meditation, loving kindness meditation, gratitude meditation, yogic meditation, prayer, and mindfulness meditation. When we practice meditation regularly, we will regulate our nervous system, increase self-awareness, create happiness and feel-good chemicals in the body, reduce stress, sharpen focus, enhance creativity and increase discipline.

It was a sad day for this area when the Center for Mindful Living closed during the pandemic, but if you are looking for opportunities to meditate, there are more opportunities to practice meditation in the Chattanooga area than you might imagine. The Chattanooga Insight Meditation Community offers retreats and weekly sitting and walking meditations. You can find more information about them at chattanoogainsight.com. The Chattery is a local non-profit organization devoted to accessible adult education and they regularly offer meditation classes which you can sign-up for at thechattery.org. There are at least 10 centering prayer classes at local churches in the Chattanooga area, and you can find more information about these classes at breathingbody.net. Yoga Landing recently started two free meditation classes on Tuesday with Della Wheeler and on Thursday with Lauren Richardson at 8am. Go to yogalanding.net to schedule a free virtual or in-person meditation class. I am offering a meditation class on Wednesday, May 17 at 11:30a through the Chattanooga Women’s Leadership Institute. You can learn more about the Chattanooga Women’s Leadership Institute’s offerings at cwli.org. If you want to download a great meditation app, I encourage you to check out Insight Timer. One of my favorite local teachers, Lo Clifford, offers meditation through this app.

If you have never practiced meditation, you might feel skeptical about whether this is something you want to try. But research suggests a regular meditation practice will regulate your nervous system, increase self-awareness, create happiness and feel-good chemicals in the body, reduce stress, sharpen focus, enhance creativity and increase discipline. I encourage you to do your mind, body, and spirit a favor and check out some of the opportunities to practice meditation in this area.