I started a daily Christian meditation practice almost a year ago, when I found myself uncomfortable during the first lockdown. I developed some confidence which I believe was a direct result of having a regular meditation practice, and went back to school to study health and wellness. My mind and heart opened to other forms of spirituality. I had a sort of homecoming with yogic and Buddhist teachings that started me on my path, twenty years ago. This began in January with mindfulness meditations, simply sitting upright and focusing on my breath. Since this past week I have been practicing some more intentional meditations, and am loving the chakra mantras I am using.
This is a tricky one for me. On the one hand, my new studies have taught me about cultural appropriation, and on the other, I still pay homage to only one god. There is a difference between religion (worship) and dharma (ethos), and using my discernment, I draw lines I won’t cross.
Jesus told us to be as wise as serpents, and as gentle as doves (Matthew 10.16). Though I've been studying and practicing these beautiful forms of ancient Indian healing such as mindfulness and chakra balancing meditations, I must still protect my spiritual marriage to Christ. I seek to use my discernment by looking up words in mantras, so that I can make a judgement called based on my relationship with him.
In the final analysis, it is between us and our own conceptions of God, which I believe we must decide on before embarking upon any substantial spiritual healing. This is because we will come to rely on this deity or concept for superhuman strength and guidance, so establishing a connection at the beginning is really of the utmost importance.
Therefore, I appeal to all Christians - however one identifies with Christ, or to those who are curious about Jesus and are beginning to ask questions, even if not out loud just yet - to be thoughtful when encountering practices that could compete for his attention.
That said, I still have my Christian foundation that I rely on to decide for me what I will view or participate in, as I now witness on social media different expressions of spirituality through my openness and growth. And in this brave new world I’ve been seeing some posts to participate in the honouring of or communion with Hindu deities.
This is a tricky one for me. On the one hand, my new studies have taught me about cultural appropriation, and on the other, I still pay homage to only one god. There is a difference between religion (worship) and dharma (ethos), and using my discernment, I draw lines I won’t cross.
Jesus told us to be as wise as serpents, and as gentle as doves (Matthew 10.16). Though I've been studying and practicing these beautiful forms of ancient Indian healing such as mindfulness and chakra balancing meditations, I must still protect my spiritual marriage to Christ. I seek to use my discernment by looking up words in mantras, so that I can make a judgement called based on my relationship with him.
In the final analysis, it is between us and our own conceptions of God, which I believe we must decide on before embarking upon any substantial spiritual healing. This is because we will come to rely on this deity or concept for superhuman strength and guidance, so establishing a connection at the beginning is really of the utmost importance.
Therefore, I appeal to all Christians - however one identifies with Christ, or to those who are curious about Jesus and are beginning to ask questions, even if not out loud just yet - to be thoughtful when encountering practices that could compete for his attention.
I have been studying and practicing my spirituality for many years. I have gone to heroic heights and disastrous depths in my searching, and today I feel I'm in a place where I can be crafty and not backslide. If this is not the case for you, if you are still on soft foundation in your relationship with Jesus, I simply request that you do a bit of research before watching, reading, or chanting. Thank you.
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