So I enrolled in the “Shedding the Weight, Mind, Body and Spirit” 21 day meditation journey which started today.  At the start of Lent I had prayed for some help from my angels.  In my prayer time and journaling the word meditation came up over and over again.  I decided that even though I do some meditating perhaps my technique needed some re-examination and improvement.  As part of my 40 day Lenten activities I included an overhaul of my meditation practice along with my prayer journal reading and writing.

The 20 minutes began with Oprah and Deepak talking about finding the lightness in your life.  “Today we discover that we don’t have to struggle to shed our burdens – all we need to do is expand our awareness. In that awareness we find the inner fulfillment that is our true self. This state of expanded awareness is the lightness in your life, and allows you to effortlessly let go of heaviness that doesn’t serve you,” according to Oprah.  Deepak then offered a centering thought and a mantra to use.  If this sounds good to you please check out their offer.  It is free!

Because I prefer to pray and get closer to the God of the Bible, I chose to change the the centering thought and mantra to more of a promise from God and a prayer as I moved through the meditation.  After the 20 minutes I then picked up my notebook and started to write.  It was wonderful and I am looking forward to taking this on again tomorrow morning.

Here are some of the thought questions they asked after the meditation.

Consider the ways you feel weighed down in your life.  Write a list of the burdens on your mind, body and spirit that you wish to lighten.

What are three things you can do to find lightness in your life?

Reflect on what nourishes your inner self and then describe two things you can do today that nourish your spirit.

During meditation I was reminded of Matthew 11:30: “For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.”

“Our Saviour has invited all that labour and are heavy-laden, to come unto him. In some senses all men are so. Worldly men burden themselves with fruitless cares for wealth and honours; the gay and the sensual labour in pursuit of pleasures; the slave of Satan and his own lusts, is the merest drudge on earth. Those who labour to establish their own righteousness also labour in vain. The convinced sinner is heavy-laden with guilt and terror; and the tempted and afflicted believer has labours and burdens. Christ invites all to come to him for rest to their souls. He alone gives this invitation; men come to him, when, feeling their guilt and misery, and believing his love and power to help, they seek him in fervent prayer. Thus it is the duty and interest of weary and heavy-laden sinners, to come to Jesus Christ. This is the gospel call; Whoever will, let him come. All who thus come will receive rest as Christ’s gift, and obtain peace and comfort in their hearts. But in coming to him they must take his yoke, and submit to his authority. They must learn of him all things, as to their comfort and obedience. He accepts the willing servant, however imperfect the services. Here we may find rest for our souls, and here only. Nor need we fear his yoke. His commandments are holy, just, and good. It requires self-denial, and exposes to difficulties, but this is abundantly repaid, even in this world, by inward peace and joy. It is a yoke that is lined with love. So powerful are the assistances he gives us, so suitable the encouragements, and so strong the consolations to be found in the way of duty, that we may truly say, it is a yoke of pleasantness. The way of duty is the way of rest. The truths Christ teaches are such as we may venture our souls upon. Such is the Redeemer’s mercy; and why should the labouring and burdened sinner seek for rest from any other quarter? Let us come to him daily, for deliverance from wrath and guilt, from sin and Satan, from all our cares, fears, and sorrows. But forced obedience, far from being easy and light, is a heavy burden. In vain do we draw near to Jesus with our lips, while the heart is far from him. Then come to Jesus to find rest for your souls.” Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary

This is the lightness that we seek over the heaviness and weightiness of the burdens we carry.  These burdens weigh down our mind, our body and our spirit and made make our moods darker, heavier and more depressed.  I hope you will find some ways to nourish your spirit today and bring some light into your day.  Maybe your light will spill over onto someone else and you can help them lighten their heavy load!