Meditation

Yesterday's post made me think about the ways a lawyer, and specifically a GAL, can avoid secondary trauma, or at least cope with it.  One of the very best things I have discovered is meditation, or mindfulness.  I think this is something that can benefit anyone, although I realize there are lots of very common arguments people might make (to themselves or to others) against meditation.

One of those is that Christians, especially, cannot meditate because it is a sneaky way of falling into Eastern religion practices.  Ignoring the obvious historical and biblical facts that Christianity was actually started in the Middle East, there are some other confusions about meditation as opposing Christian beliefs.

            "Instead of meditating, just pray."  OK, prayer is important for many people, and often it is done in silence, when one is alone.  But prayer really does not replace meditation; prayer is a discussion or at least an entreaty to another.  Meditation is silencing all thought, allowing your mind to experience true calm. So if this is an argument you hear or you make to yourself, do both!

             "As a Christian, you should not follow any Eastern religion rituals or you are risking dishonoring God."  But that argument already has a fallacy, right, since Christianity began in the Middle East? In addition, how is God dishonored by the fact that human beings help each other learn better ways to manage stress?  I consider this one to be much like the "you shouldn't do yoga because it means you are worshipping other gods" comments that were popular before yoga got so prevalent in our fitness arenas.

The other most common idea that keeps people from meditating is the idea that a restless or ADHD or anxiety prone mind cannot possibly meditate because of those very issues.  But the funny thing is, meditating is probably best for those who have chemical or behavioral (or both) difficulty concentrating.  Meditation is famously known among those who have given it a fair shake for helping focus and concentration.

More on this tomorrow, but I would truly advise a peruse through The Anxious Lawyer's podcasts, or Chel Hamilton's Meditation Minis.  Both are short, to the point, and so helpful for beginning to take your anxiety, worries, focus and mindfulness into your own hands.