Creative Thursdays: Meditation
First in the series of posts that celebrate creativity and spirituality.
During the summer, I will be combining my paid subscription content on trauma-sensitive spiritual practices with the Creative Thursdays Posts. I am making them available to all subscribers because, aside from the religious element, these practices are a path to regulating the nervous system, exploring creative urges, and embracing life. Three things that often are challenging to those impacted by trauma.
The series of posts that begins today grows from my belief that it is between the “shoulds” that we are taught and the “can’ts” that result from the impact of trauma. This applies to much more than spiritual practices! I focus on spiritual practices because that is where many of my readers feel most constrained to “do the practice correctly.” I am giving you permission to explore the creative middle!
Healing gifted me with an explosion of creativity. Much of my natural creativity had been occupied with survival, and once I began healing, I realized how creative I had always been—some who knew me well knew this. Bessel van der Kolk describes this phenomenon in The Body Keeps the Score: “None of these diagnoses takes into account the unusual talents that many of our patients develop or the creative energies they have mustered to survive.”
What I realized is that my extensive trauma—both childhood and religious— made many traditional forms of spiritual practices inaccessible. Therefore, I depended on creative ways to connect with God but never realized what I was doing was a spiritual practice.
My Spiritual Practice of Meditation
See below for a definition!
Until recently, I believed meditation to be an inaccessible spiritual practice. Then to my surprise, I realized that I was meditating but didn’t recognize it as such because it didn’t fit traditional forms. This evening ritual began early in therapy and continues to this day.
Before falling asleep, I sit comfortably in my bed and remind myself that I am in a safe place. My view from my bed is filled with objects that delight and comfort me. I do a lot of sighing (regulating my autonomic nervous system!
Across from me is a curio shelf with a collection of some of my favorite things that I have collected over the years. This new shelf was inherited along with the cottage!
Then, I put on headphones and listen to instrumental music. Sometimes I simply listen. Other times, I open the Notes app on my phone and begin typing. This is where God meets me. I seldom have a plan for what I will write. Over the years, these times of meditation have taken me in unexpected directions and revealed truths about myself that gave me direction for continued healing!
Writing poetry is often the choice. I found the one below on my phone. God truly understands the joy writing brings to me and I am grateful for every day that God smiles down on me as I write with complete abandon. When I am quiet, the still small voice says, “Keep writing!” Often my poems, like the one below, were God’s affirmation of my gifts.
I am with Book For months I wonder In and out of possibilities. I think I have it And then know I don’t. I know the answer is not inside, But in the voices of my readers. Their stories of pain and hope; Their questions and queries And suddenly, I am with book. I know it. My husband knows it. My body is like a bear waking from a winter’s nap. I am book-hungry and ready to feast. It is a feast of words and phrases, Epiphanies and stories, Titles and subtitles, Paragraphs and sentences. It is the joy of being with book, That helps me breathe again. It is the air that I breathe; The words are the feast I need.
What is a spiritual practice—specifically meditation? The following is an excerpt from the paid subscription content:
What is the purpose of the Spiritual Practice of Meditation?
The purpose of Christian meditation is to commune with God. It is a time to look inward, change perspectives, and find direction through listening. Meditation is intended to allow our minds to relax from the busyness of our thoughts and lives and hear God’s voice more clearly.