These 5 Benefits of Daily Meditation also Strengthen Your Walk with God

These five benefits of daily meditation are incredible on their own but when evaluated from a holistic faith perspective, it is undeniable the strengthening potential these benefits bring to your walk with God. 

Meditation impacts all aspects of holistic health which include the physical, emotional, mental, social, and spiritual components of life. But how do we measure the impact on our walk with God? Quite simply, when we use this time of stillness to connect with God, we equip ourselves to carry this deep and meaningful connection into the remainder of our day.  Daily Christian meditation is a way to invite God into every aspect of our life which is the very essence of a holistic faith lifestyle and the reason for seeking sacred in the everyday!

Ready to learn how to do Christian meditation? Check out this FREE 5-day Meditation Series. There’s an entire video that intros the basics of posture and breath. Once you’re comfortable there, we’ll transition our focus on how to use time-honored meditation methods to connect more closely with God. I’m honored to be your guide in using Christian meditation to strengthen your faith!

 

 

Benefits of Daily Meditation

1. Meditation Changes the Brain

Many meditations and mindfulness exercises work to help you release focus and rest your mind in the place between thoughts.

It may sound like an opposing idea, to build focus by learning to release focus, but it works! Here’s how. When we learn to acknowledge distractions and let them go during meditation, we can use the same technique when we need to focus on one task or assignment. When distractions pop up, whether it be a ding on our phone or the endless running to-do and what-if lists, we are better prepared to acknowledge their existence and determine their relative importance.

Every thought wants our immediate attention. A benefit of daily meditation is that we take back control. We can tuck stray thoughts away or jot them down and leave them there knowing the task will be waiting when the time is right. 

Learning to remove this mental clutter also boosts creative thinking and problem-solving skills. Due to the changes meditation makes to the brain, it may also reduce memory loss typically attributed to the aging process. 

How this Benefit of Daily Meditation Strengthens Your Walk with God:

Getting acquainted with how your mind works is an eye-opening and awe-inspiring pursuit! We are gifted with so much ability, but often lack the stamina and confidence to take thoughts captive and renew the mind on a continual basis. An ability to surrender and welcome the strength of God into every aspect of our day. is one of the life-changing benefits of daily meditation for us as Christians. All gaps are met in the abundant presence of God. 

You have made them a little lower than the angels and crowned them with glory and honor.  ~ Psalm 8:5

But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me. ~ 2 Corinthians 12:9

 

2. Meditation Improves Physical Health

Meditation is widely known for reducing stress and anxiety, which of course leads to a host of wellness benefits. Improved sleep, increased immune system, and lowered cortisol levels are just the beginning!

Possibly one of the more surprising physical benefits of daily meditation is that individuals who practice the art have better control over the deactivation of certain brain regions that relate to pain signals (1). This translates to say that one of the unexpected benefits of daily meditation is a reduction in pain. Our stress level and heightened awareness of pain actually increases pain levels. 

Initially, meditating helps us take a mental break from difficult circumstances. Over time, the benefits of daily meditation roll out into the rest of our life as we develop an ability to decrease the perception of pain.  

Meditation is also shown to help with addictions by building willpower and confidence in mind over matter abilities. 

How this Benefit of Daily Meditation Strengthens Your Walk with God:

Everything is easier when we feel better. When we take care of our physical health it is easier to commit to spending quiet time with God. Fixing our eyes on God when we are doing well instills the spiritual discipline to remain anchored when we aren’t feeling our best. Setting up healthy habits improves digestion, reduces systemic inflammation, and alleviates brain fog, all of which let us move more uninhibited throughout our day. Though physical trials often press us toward God, living without them definitely boosts exuberance in our walk!

 

3. Meditation Supports Emotional Health

We reviewed previously that one of the benefits of daily meditation is decreased stress and anxiety, which is helpful to both our physical and emotional health. Meditation may also help you increase compassion toward yourself and others. Much of this begins with heightened emotional intelligence that is gained through the observation portion of meditation. Being mindful of our thoughts and feelings goes a long way in helping us be less reactive and taking a step back from emotional situations until we feel more grounded and able to discuss or handle a situation calmly. 

This is all incredibly helpful in any position of leadership because emotional intelligence lets you learn more about yourself and those under your management. Emotional intelligence also goes a long way in caring for kids, whether they are your students, your own children, or both!

How this Benefit of Daily Meditation Strengthens Your Walk with God:

Our emotions are layered and it is only when we begin to peel them back do we discover just how many layers there are! Discovering our emotions and reading or recognizing their backstories provides ample opportunity to meet with the Great Counselor. There we find advisement, wisdom, and healing, as well as the empowerment to forgive others and love more fully.

 

4. Meditation improves Relationships 

When we improve our emotional health, it is inevitable that we will improve our relationships. We will be better able to balance our needs and the needs of others and be less reactive to triggers that previously put us on defense. 

The benefits of daily meditation include equipping you to pick up on cues from others. This comes as a result of sitting quietly and noticing your own thoughts and emotions. Over time, you will be able to not only use what you’ve learned in meditation to choose how to respond to your own emotional ups and downs, but you’ll also have a heightened awareness of how others are feeling.

In this way, meditation helps set healthy boundaries in relationships. Growing in awareness of your own and others’ triggers, as well as deepening your well of compassion, makes you better at life and relationships!

How this Benefit of Daily Meditation Strengthens Your Walk with God:

One of the most faith-building benefits of daily meditation for Christians is an increased intimacy with God. Learning about yourself in the presence of the Most High highlights your needs in a sweet and transformative way. Acknowledging the deficits within your relationships tightens the focus on where you could do better but often fail. From there, you may quickly switch the vantage point to see where others could improve in how they relate to you.

Meditation assists in noticing these things without judgment during our practice. Then later we are able to process, sort, and problem solve. When we trust God with everything that we notice both during and outside of our Christian meditation practice, we are taking refuge in  God. 

My deep need calls out to the deep kindness of your love.” ~ Psalm 42:7 (TPT)

God’s love, justice, mercy, and grace beckon us to learn more and walk closer with the One Source of every good gift.

 

5. Meditation Fortifies Spiritual Health

Spiritual health is more than faith and religion. Though those attributes are included, spiritual health is a measure of your comprehensive, overarching sense of wellbeing. The benefits of daily meditation and mindfulness are seen when you are able to see your strengths and opportunities with greater clarity. And on the flip side, these practices allow mental space for taking your thoughts captive and confronting limiting beliefs. 

The practice also helps you be and stay in the “flow” where your mind is in harmony with itself rather than engaging in self-judgment and beratement.

How this Benefit of Daily Meditation Strengthens Your Walk with God:

This benefit of daily meditation is huge for Christians, especially those whose first exposure to the faith was within a legalistic environment. God is the great Judge, having all facts and knowledge, and provides the way for absolving sin and removes all guilt. It is important to acknowledge sin and remain sensitive to the Holy Spirit’s guidance but self-hatred stacks the power of your daily, human choices higher than the sacrifice of God. It sounds absurd when we consider anything we do to be more powerful than anything God does. But in reality, this battle can be hard to overcome.

Sitting quietly and learning to moderate or take captive all thoughts is an immeasurably powerful tool for recognizing your place in this privileged relationship and living more abundantly.

 

I’m in. How Do I Start Meditating?

Start small! Work towards consistency. Let go of expectations.

A few minutes a day is far more advantageous than one long session a week. Our minds are busy, active, creative places. Sitting still without reacting to every thought or idea takes regular practice. And the benefits of daily meditation are more than worth your effort!

Holistic Faith Lifestyle is working to support you in this journey! Check out this FREE course to get started.

 

I’m honored to share a part of your daily Christian meditation journey. Please reach out with any questions via the Contact page.

And be blessed!