Meditation is one way to look inward; it’s a great way to focus on yourself and your emotions. After all, understanding yourself and why you feel emotions is very important. You can learn how to meditate spiritually and harness the positive energy that it can give you. Meditation is also a great way to clear the mind, concentrate, and focus for many people. In addition, it has many benefits for everyday life, including physical benefits.
With that said, for many people, meditation can also be very spiritual. However, spiritual meditation is not just for religious people. Everybody can engage in spiritual reflection regardless of religious affiliation. Therefore, even if you don’t have any religious beliefs, you can be spiritual and meditate spiritually.
However, you need to know what spiritual meditation is to engage in it. This is something we will discuss.
Most importantly, there are various steps to follow to meditate spiritually. So let’s talk about meditating spiritually for a healthier mind and body.
What is Spiritual Meditation?
Before we can talk about how to meditate spiritually, we need to determine what it is. One aspect of spiritual meditation is to partake in a practice that connects you with a higher power.
According to studies, spiritual meditation develops a deep understanding of religious and spiritual meanings. It’s also about connecting with those higher powers.
This will depend on your religious beliefs if you have any. For some people, it could mean becoming closer to God. For others, it could mean understanding themselves. If you don’t have a religion, your higher power is your own mind.
However, spiritual meditation aims to connect with something bigger than yourself. It is also important to note is that spiritual meditation is different from one person to another; religious experiences can be different, and so can spiritual meditation.
When meditating spiritually, many practitioners report feeling a sense of awe and transcendence. Many people also say they feel a spiritual presence and may see visions or hear voices.
Many people also report that they no longer feel set apart from the rest of the world but feel a deeper connection. These are just some things people report feeling during spiritual meditation. However, as we said, these experiences can be different for everybody.
What are the Benefits of Spiritual Meditation?
We also want to talk about some of the benefits of spiritual meditation. Of course, many of the benefits of spiritual meditation can be found with regular meditation. However, people often find the benefits of spiritual meditation to be more pronounced.
For instance, spiritual meditation can provide a sense of inner peace that doesn’t depend on the outside world. It also helps many find a good understanding of who they are on a spiritual level. In addition, many people feel a more balanced sense of being, inner peace, and stillness.
Moreover, many feel a greater sense of clarity regarding their purpose in life. They also feel more self-trust, self-acceptance, and self-esteem. Those who meditate report feeling less stress and anxiety and increased levels of creativity. Spiritual meditation can also lead to a better sense of belonging to something greater.
Spiritual meditation has been used as a sleep aid. If you aren’t stressed out and are much more aware of your own life and place in it, falling asleep is easier.
In addition, spiritual meditation can be an excellent treatment for various conditions such as anxiety, stress, depression, pain, and even substance abuse. As you can see, spiritual meditation has a significant number of benefits. That said, you have to know how to do it.
How to Meditate Spiritually: A Five-Step Process
Spiritual meditation is overly complicated, but there is a process to follow. Most practitioners divide this into a five-step process, so this is what we have done.
Here are the five steps that you should follow to have the best chances at a great spiritual meditation experience.
1. Finding the Right Position
The proper position is essential to meditate spiritually. Not only do you need to find the right position, but also the best place to meditate in. For example, most people recommend that nature is the best place to meditate.
Whether in a wooded area or a quiet backyard, you want peace and quiet. Many people recommend surrounding yourself with gentle sounds, such as a bubbling brook, running stream, or chirping birds.
However, spiritual meditation can put people to sleep; therefore, find a position that won’t cause you to immediately fall asleep. You should be relaxed and comfortable, but not so much that you will fall asleep after a couple of minutes.
We recommend a seated meditation position. For example, some people stand with their back against a wall or sit up straight in a chair.
2. Just Experience It
Most people operate in life by planning and then executing their plans; it’s about being in control. However, spiritual meditation is not about planning, following procedures, or being in control.
Whether spiritual or not, meditation is about being loose and letting yourself go. When you close your eyes and meditate, you allow the process to take its own course. Many say that you are just a spectator. Let your mind go and see where it takes you. When you begin your meditation, your mind should be clear.
However, many people have trouble doing this and become stressed because they think they aren’t meditating correctly. However, in spiritual meditation, you should be focusing on simply doing it—not on the outcome. Don’t stress about where your mind goes; simply let it go there.
3. Acknowledge Your Feelings and Thoughts Without Reacting
One problem many of us experience is that we immediately react to our thoughts and emotions. However, the point of spiritual meditation is the exact opposite.
You will have various thoughts and feelings while meditating, especially if you have had a long and stressful day. The trick with spiritual meditation is acknowledging those thoughts and feelings without reacting to them.
If you think about something stressful, don’t focus on it, and just let it melt into the back of your mind. Again, it’s about not focusing on your daily stress so you can focus on your meditation.
4. Choose a Prayer to Recite
The spiritual part of the process involves focusing on some sort of prayer—the prayer depends on you. For example, if you are religious, you could recite a religion-based prayer.
However, if you aren’t religious, you might recite a positive mantra, a word or phrase that makes you feel better and brings you peace. It could even just be a thought or expression that makes you feel happy. It doesn’t have to actually be a religious prayer per se.
The objective is to keep your body loose and relaxed and breathe slowly. Think about every breath as you inhale and you exhale. Of course, your thoughts and feelings will interrupt this process, but you know to just let them melt away.
Each time you exhale, think of your prayer. You can say the prayer in your head or aloud if you choose. The prayer should have meaning or a beneficial effect on your mental state.
5. Take Time to Reflect
The final step is to allow time to reflect. You want to slowly wake up from your meditative state and become more aware of your surroundings. Observe how you feel, what you think, and how your body feels.
Just focus on what you are thinking, breathe, and relax. Open your eyes and maintain the position you’ve been in. Allow those feelings of joy and relaxation to lift you up. Don’t immediately go back to business as usual.
Reflect on how the spiritual meditation process went and maybe what you can do to make it better next time. The worst thing you can do is have a timer next to you telling you when to get back to work.
Read also: Best Time to Meditate
Final Thoughts
Spiritual meditation can have many benefits for both the mind and the body. If you follow our steps, this process should be easier and more successful for you.