Carving Out Time for Prayer and Mediation

By Emy Louie. Edited by MM.

Without going back in time or being 90 years old, we can experience life before the 1940’s which was a simpler time. People back then had an easier time to lead more fulfilling lives: people lived, loved, and died. They prayed, laughed, talked, ate, sang, and danced with each other. People worked and made love. In some sense, nothing has changed regarding our basic needs and desires.

Fast forward to this day and age–if you really look at it–there are so many things that pull us away from being able to access our divine inner guidance–the chance to reflect and be quiet and have a very personal, direct, and intimate relationship with God within our mind-body.

Let me point out things that can potentially draw us away from our divine inner guidance.

One of the easiest ways to discover this is to ask, “Was this gadget or lifestyle around before the 1940’s? and “Does this activity or object or mindset really helping me?”

Be aware of representations of things.

It’s better to experience the actual thing than to see a representation of the actual thing. For example: a face to face conversation with an human being is better than watching two human beings converse, is better than watching two human beings converse in a movie. (Not to say movies are bad. You can understand my point.) Another example: face to face conversation is better than texting or e-mailing. As you move into the digital realm, things become more artificial. Move towards first hand experience.

Go outside and get into nature. That’s better than playing video games, watching television, and being on the internet. Playing and exercising and being outside is far better than playing video games indoors.

Nature is real. Video games are a simulation. Realizing how addictive television, video games and the internet can be for people of all ages, including myself, you don’t need to worry about not being over exposed to television, video games and the internet.

Also, air conditioning during the summer, and heating in the winter, and creature comforts inside a home really in general can lull you to remain in your home–keeping you voluntarily locked inside your home. You have to focus on getting outside and into nature.

Strangely enough–about 20 years ago–I saw a program on television. There are great programs on television but you really have to select carefully. There is junk television just like there is junk food. The lady that was being interviewed said that she is successful because she doesn’t watch television! How ironic–I’m watching television to hear someone say to not watch television. I guess that’s how things work sometimes!

Be aware of thinking too much — over everything else.

The worse scenario is a “monkey mind” or a “fuzzy mind” or “unclear thinking.” To get away from thinking too much, do activities that counteract the “monkey mind.” This can include activities such as meditation, yoga, tai chi, walking, jogging, being out in nature, physical exercise in general. There really is no substitute for exercise: alcohol, smoking, and caffeine–the most common of recreational drugs cannot substitute for exercise.

One of the very dangerous parts of recreational drugs is that there is usually a chemical dependency and this can get in the way of accessing your inner divine guidance.

Let’s talk about sex which some or many may think can be exercise. To a certain extent, sex with other person can be great exercise. Likewise, romance with another person is another fallacy. Similarly, it’s relying on another person or other people or a situation to make us happy–when the only thing will give us peace is a direct relationship with God. It’s not to say that sex can’t be fun. In a loving context, sex is great!

I have to lament–it’s too bad that robots and machines do our a lot of our work nowadays. Besides machines increasing the unemployment rate for certain industries, manual labor–which exception to building tradesmen, etc.–a source of joy to use one’s hand and to get exercise–is almost extinct. Relying on machines and avoiding manual labor moves us to use our thinking processes and into “the monkey mind” too much. Living with machines also alienates those that don’t wish to be so electronic and robotic and machine-like. Our world is moving into the haves and have nots–those that can work in a extremely electronic and wired society and those that reject or can’t keep up with that lifestyle. Machines, offices and the wired society move us further away from reality. Prayer and mediation counteracts that and that’s why mindfulness is getting so popular.

Be aware of being too busy.

When we are too busy, we do not allow time to exercise and pray and access our inner divine wisdom. If something or someone makes you so busy that you don’t have time to reflect, be cautious! Life is not meant for you to be solely a worker bee or a work slave or an overworked student or an over-scheduled child or an over-scheduled mother. Carve out prayer and meditation time–time to be alone and quiet–every single day! And protect this time like it is gold! Prayer and mediation time is golden!

Be aware of not being busy.

Don’t give into feeling guilty and feeling that you are not worthy because you are not busy or you don’t have a job or you feel you don’t have a purpose in life. Don’t feel bad that just because your life is not over-scheduled or you have nothing to do on a Saturday night, that you are a loser. Don’t ever forget that being alive is a gift enough!

Likewise, don’t ever condemn someone for not doing enough, or not having a job because one of these days, you might find yourself without a job. The tables will turn: once, you felt superiority over those you condemn and then the next day when you don’t have a job or cash at the moment, you will feel guilty that you are in need of help.