- What does it mean to be still, to be quiet, or to meditate?
David O. McKay said:
We pay too little attention to the value of
meditation, a principle of devotion. In our worship there are two
elements: One is spiritual communion arising from our own meditation;
the other, instruction from others, particularly from those who have
authority to guide and instruct us. Of the two, the more profitable
introspectively is the meditation. Meditation is the language of the
soul. It is defined as “a form of private devotion, or spiritual
exercise, consisting in deep, continued reflection on some religious
theme.” Meditation is a form of prayer. …
Meditation is one of the most secret, most
sacred doors through which we pass into the presence of the Lord.
Jesus set the example for us. As soon as he was baptized and received
the Father’s approval, “This is my Beloved Son, in whom I am well
pleased,” [Matthew 3:17] Jesus [went] to what is now known as the
mount of temptation. I like to think of it as the mount of meditation
where, during the forty days of fasting, he communed with himself and
his Father, and contemplated upon the responsibility of his great
mission. One result of this spiritual communion was such strength as
enabled him to say to the tempter:
“… Get thee hence, Satan: for it is
written, Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and him only shalt thou
serve.” (Matt. 4:10.)
Before he gave … the beautiful sermon on the
mount, he was in solitude, in communion. He did the same thing after
that busy Sabbath day, when he arose early in the morning, after
having been the guest of Peter. Peter undoubtedly found the guest
chamber empty, and when they sought [Jesus] they found him alone. It
was on that morning that Peter said:
“… All men seek for thee.” (Mark 1:37.)
Again, after Jesus had fed the five thousand he
told the Twelve to dismiss the multitude, but Jesus went to the
mountain for solitude. The historian says, “when the evening was
come, he was there alone.” (Matt. 14:23.) Meditation! Prayer!
(https://www.lds.org/manual/teachings-david-o-mckay/chapter-4?lang=eng)
Pam Blackwell is an LDS meditation teacher who
has written for and been interviewed by Mormon Channel where she
explains how to meditate. Click on the links below to access these
interviews.
How do we meditate in order to pass into the
presence of the Lord? Here are some basic steps that can be adapted
in any creative way that works for you:
- Set aside ten minutes or more to be alone in a quiet place
- Sit up on a chair so that your spine is straight, both feet on the ground, legs and feet are not crossed, arms and hands resting at your side
- Close your eyes
- Begin taking deep breaths (you can think of this as mimicking the time when “the Lord God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul.” – Genesis 2:7); one way to do this is to breathe in for a count of six, hold for a count of six, and then breathe out for a count of six; repeat a few times until you get into a sustained rhythm
- Try to keep your mind quiet and still
- Imagine seeing Jesus and interacting with him, perhaps imagine receiving a blessing from him
Meditation produces measurable effects on our
brains and hearts. When we meditate, our brain waves slow down,
opening us up to intuition and revelation. Here is a chart showing
four levels of brain waves and a description of each:
By looking at descriptions of the different
brain wave frequencies, meditating to reach brain waves in the alpha
or theta levels is ideal for receiving revelation.
The effect of meditation on the heart can be
measured by heart rate variability, or HRV (which is not quite the
same as heart rate, but it is related – you can learn more about
HRV here - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Heart_rate_variability).
An HRV graph looks very different for someone who is feeling
frustrated compared to someone who is feeling appreciative:
Your HRV can be controlled consciously through
your breathing, as the graph below illustrates:
Through meditation, we can reach a positive,
calm, and appreciative emotional state, which indicates that we are
much more open to receiving revelation.
Being in this state of heart and mind is one
way that we can “enter the rest of the Lord”. See the following
scriptures that describe entering the rest of the Lord – Isaiah
30:15, Jacob 1:7, Alma 12:34, Alma 13:16, Moroni 7:3, and D&C
84:24.
Scriptures that describe receiving revelation
after reaching a state of meditation include the following: Psalm
46:10, 1 Nephi 11:1, D&C 76:11-24, and D&C 138:11.
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