How to Meditate as a Christian

You do not need a complicated system to begin Christian meditation.

You need a few quiet minutes, a willingness to be present and something gentle to return to when your attention wanders.

The following practice is a beginning, not a test.

Choose a Quiet Place

Find a place where you can sit comfortably and remain relatively undisturbed. Silence is helpful, but perfect silence is unnecessary.

Let your posture be awake without becoming rigid. Rest your hands. Allow your shoulders to soften.

Begin with Your Breath

Notice that you are breathing before you try to change anything. Feel the breath entering and leaving the body.

You may quietly pray, “Here I am,” as you inhale and, “You are here,” as you exhale.

Read a Short Passage Slowly

Choose one or two verses rather than an entire chapter. Read them several times. Allow pauses between each reading.

Notice which word, image or phrase seems to remain. You do not need to decide why.

Remain with What You Notice

Let that word or phrase become a place where your attention can rest. If prayer arises, pray. If emotion arises, allow it to be present without immediately explaining it.

You are not trying to create a spiritual experience. You are consenting to this moment as it is.

When Your Mind Wanders

Your mind will wander because you are human. The moment you notice is not the moment meditation failed. It is the moment you can return.

Return without criticism to the breath, the passage or the awareness of God’s presence.

Close the Practice

Before getting up, notice what is present now. Offer a simple prayer of gratitude or ask what you are being invited to carry into the day.

Begin with five minutes. A small practice that becomes part of your life is more valuable than an ambitious practice you feel unable to sustain.