Reclaiming meditation as a way to find some solid ground.
Photo by ABEL MARQUEZ on Unsplash
By Leslie Michele
As a child, I remember how my father would find a quiet place and I would be beside him as he prayed. That simple act still speaks volumes to me today as I seek out stillness in my own life to pray and listen. As an African American woman that grew up in a Christian home in the charismatic, Protestant movement, I deeply value so much of my upbringing. So many beautiful moments overflow my earliest memories and I was blessed by rich traditions that I recall with such gratitude. These beliefs and traditions cultivated my faith and helped me tether myself to God through many ups and downs.
However, there were many things I learned from my faith upbringing that I have had to unlearn. Relearn. Or recreate anew for myself. And some I didn’t get at all.
Meditation is one of them.
I’ve fairly recently discovered this new world of meditation and it has led to many wonders on my faith journey, and honestly, it’s been enriching my whole life.
How I face each day. How I see myself and each person I meet. How I feel about God.
The funny thing is, I’ve been in a lot of different kinds of Christian churches and faith communities since I left my family home, but I haven’t really found many that give much time or effort to engaging in meditation, centering prayer or contemplative activities. Which is a little surprising considering, as I’ve been learning, that various forms of contemplative, meditative modes have been an important part of Christian history. They’ve been an intrinsic part of my black heritage. But how much have you heard about the Desert Mothers and Fathers, for example, in your local church? (I sure haven’t heard much to speak of…)
Photo by Bailey Hall on Unsplash
I’ve only recently begun getting into the work of Dr. Barbara A. Holmes, a writer and scholar, who publishes books about the intersection of ethics, spirituality, mysticism, cosmology and African American religious culture. In her book, Joy Unspeakable, she shares her research - from oral histories, church records, and written accounts - and outlines “not only ways in which contemplative experience is built into African American collective worship but also the legacy of African monasticism, a history of spiritual exemplars, and unique meditative worship practices.” You can listen to a wonderful podcast with her, here.
And it’s made me think even more about the importance of reclaiming meditation in my own life and spiritual practice.
I can’t speak for you, but in my experience it feels like there’s a lot going on in our world right now that is difficult - very difficult - to deal with. Very difficult to walk through with any sense of peace and trust.
Between the global pandemic we’re all facing and the ongoing pandemic of racism in this country (which quite honestly, we’re still just scratching the surface of, in many ways) and the protests and backlash from the protests, the required social distancing and fear of getting sick, the hatred being spewed and the turmoil...everywhere...well, IT’S A LOT.
IT FEELS LIKE TOO MUCH.
It makes my head swirl. My heart ache.
It makes my soul rage.
It’s easy to feel unmoored. And ungrounded.
And, I’ve been feeling the need for meditation...immensely.
Photo by Elijah Macleod on Unsplash
Now, there’s all kinds of good articles out there from social scientists and researchers and meditation experts about why meditation helps - and can help - anyone - with mental health, sleep, chronic pain, brain function, parenting, creativity, with healing ourselves and even healing our world. And you can find plenty of information on how to meditate and download all sorts of meditation apps.
Which is all great. But as we were talking about this the other day in The Many, the inclusive, justice-building, liturgically-steeped worship band I’m a member of, some of us admitted we’ve done all that...and we’re still not really meditating regularly. Or even as often as we’d like to. And partly that’s because none of us had found anything that truly spoke to us where we are... something short and simple and also with beautiful visuals and beautiful music (versus stock-y or canned-sounding stuff).
So we decided to create some. And we’re calling them Groundings.
We’re releasing a new one as a video every other week and each video will include a 5 minute guided meditation around a theme with quiet reflective original music and a simple visual and will be narrated by one of the members of The Many.
You won’t need any special equipment or clothes to do these. Or even a special place - just somewhere that’s relatively quiet where no one will bother you for 5 minutes or so. You can sit on a chair, on the floor, outside on the grass, even in your car – just not while driving! You may want to watch the screen and take in the visuals or you may want to just listen. Whatever helps you most. And there’s no grading going on here. You can just turn on the video, watch, breathe and do your best (which some days will probably be better than others). Just being willing to try, if only for a few moments… or a few seconds… to simply take some deep breaths and sit a little more still is great. And it’s enough.
Our hope is that these times for conscious centering will help you find the strength and clarity and peace you need and inspire you on your journey. And help us do that too.
By the way, we feel like these are so needed, we’re making them available for free, so they’re easily accessible to all. And we’re happy for you to share with friends, small groups or your faith community. Of course, if you like them and want to support us, we’re always incredibly grateful for any donations to our work. It definitely helps keep our rent paid, the food on the table and the creative work coming.
Peace.
Leslie Michele, one of the lead singers in The Many, is a classically trained musician steeped in music from the Black American experience. She’s performed solo across the globe and is dedicated to creating collaborative performances that help bring about the healing & restoration of communities around the world. She is also currently the musical director of and acting in 1619: The Journey of a People, a musical theater production that commemorates the pain and celebrates the progress that is the African-American story. She is available to consult with your congregation or small group about adding meditation and contemplation into your practices and in leading guided meditations as well. You can contact her at lesliemichelemusic@gmail.com