Silence and stillness don’t come easy for me. I love to talk and engage with others (my second grade teacher nicknamed me Talkie-Thing). I thrive in fast-paced environments. In rest and stillness I can feel lazy and unproductive. The absence of noise is a terrifying prospect. Part of this is intrinsic to my personality, but I can’t help seeing the mark of modern Western society on my being:
Keep producing; keep consuming. My value and peace is my net worth and legacy.
Keeping busy is a great distraction from the thoughts and feelings running through your head. However, without making time to courageously confront yourself in the quiet, effective growth is impossible and our perception of the world will not align with Christ’s.
When human value is ascribed to the amount an individual produces and consumes, in the rush of daily living, it can be easy to ignore personal needs and the needs of the world. The practice Choose Presence has helped me find worth in times of tranquility and see myself and others as Jesus does:
Loved by God; his craftsmanship; full of value as individuals, in Christ, and in community.
This practice means that we are present in each moment, observing the world as it is, and seeing the needs in and around us so as to meet them. One way of embodying Choose Presence that resonates with me is an exercise adapted from Catholic songwriter, John Michael Talbot. It’s a breathing and visualization technique done preferably in quiet but can also be done during restful or creative activity. The exercise helps me realign my thoughts and attitudes with those of Jesus. I often practice this in the silence of early morning to prepare myself for the day or when I’m walking in Overton Park. Once learned, it is also a way to channel Christ into creative activities like painting, cooking, or playing an instrument.
I would like to invite you to try out this mindfulness technique. If at any time during this exercise you get distracted, don’t judge yourself. You haven’t failed. Acknowledge any distracting thoughts or emotions without suppressing them and make note. Then, recenter on your breath and return to where you left off in your picture of Christ.
Begin by walking, sitting or lying comfortably. Focus on your breaths. You can use a count of 4 on the inhale and 6 on the exhale to slow your breathing. Do this for about 4 cycles and then return to a slow, comfortable breathing pattern as you begin to visualize. You may want to read through the practice and then use the simple phrase ‘breathe in Christ, breathe out what is not’ so you can maintain focus.
“Allow Jesus to enter into your being with each inhale. Visualize him as he is.” You may find it helpful to picture Jesus in a familiar story from the gospels or in a pivotal moment in your life.
Now bring your focus to what you might feel or think in his presence. He does not judge you for those thoughts and emotions so do not dwell on them if uncomfortable. As the story or memory plays out, explore Christ and how he is revealed to you.
“With each exhale, allow all within you that is not like Jesus to be released… As with oil and water, the water of Jesus simply displaces the oil of all that is not like Christ in our lives. It happens almost naturally, and in a way that brings great peace.”
“Allow the real Jesus to fill you with his being, humanity, and divinity.” Do this as you breathe in and out by picturing the Spirit as the breath of God, slowly filling you up and moving in you starting from your feet to the top of your head. Once filled by his Spirit, visualize yourself allowing “Jesus to flow out from you to all the world, beginning with those you know who are most in need of his love and mercy.”
Finally, return your breathing to a normal state and if one comes to your mind, “add a specific thanksgiving to God for any grace received from this meditation.” ¹
Afterward, consider the ways in which you reflect Jesus and those ways you may not. What might you need to personally change to better reflect him? Contemplate on any distractions, thoughts, or feelings you took note of during this exercise and decide which ones (if any) need to be explored and faced. How could the root of certain thoughts and feelings be impeding your ability to see yourself and others as Jesus might? What concrete steps can you take to begin or continue showing his love and mercy to those most in need?
I still get restless when attempting mindfulness exercises but they become easier as I look into myself and reevaluate my worldview. The goal of being present is not simply for personal enlightenment but equally to expand our capacity to rightly perceive our world. The ability to effectively live out the next seven practices relates directly to how (or if) we choose presence.
Peace and Grace,
—Ben Higdon
References:
1 John Michael Talbot, Come to the Quiet: The Principles of Christian Meditation (Jeremy P. Tarcher/Putnam 2002), 36.
Learn more about Choose Presence.