Lectio Divina: In theory and practice

Once in an interview, the Daili Lama was asked to name the single most important skill of a spiritual master. One might think that a spiritual master needs to have half of the Bible memorized or spend the majority of time in prayer. However, the Daili Lama said just two words…”daily habits.” A spiritual master first masters himself.

At first glance it might appear that being overweight is a problem but seen from a spiritual perspective it could be the mechanism by which you will develop a closer relationship with God.  That would mean that being overweight is a blessing! No, I’m not kidding.  Consider all of the times you interact with food or in some cases—need to eat but don’t. If each of those instances were turned into a spiritual activity in which you are honoring your Body by mindfully eating healthy life-giving foods, think of all of all those additional moments that your thoughts would be turned toward God. Moments that were causing your problem are now providing a blessing.

The Lectio Divina is theoretically a means to provide your mind with a task. In theory, if you continue to associate eating with the sacred scripture, eventually eating and devotion will become linked in your mind. As I said, this is the theory. The actual practice, is another thing.  This week your assignment was to choose a version of the first Beatitude from one of the seven Greek translations from the website or from one of the 6 Aramaic interpretations found on page 47 of the book “Prayers of the Cosmos.” You were to then bring that verse to the practice of Lectio Divina throughout the day.

In order to be really connected to your version of the  Beatitude, you have to remember to practice the Moments of the Lectio Divina when you eat anything during one of the four time periods (before 10:00, 10:00-2:00, 2:00-6:00 and after 6:00). In order to remember that practice you have to mindful and attentive. In order to be mindful and attentive you need a slower mind not a busy, frantic, racing to the next thing mind. 

How do you slow your mind down when half the time you are eating at your desk or in the car or standing up by the sink or forgetting to eat all together because you are so busy. That’s the problem and that’s the practice. The practice becomes allowing the times of the day- when you eat your four meals and two snacks -to become an oasis of calm and quiet—even if the calm only lasts for two minutes.

The practice of Lectio Divina is just that, practice. It is the practice of being present to only what is happening when you are eating and thinking of your verse. And like any other skill the more dedication and commitment you bring to the practice sessions the better your game will be.

Listening for the Unspoken

 One of the assignments during this second week is to view yourself naked and to notice what there is to notice. I don’t mean noticing any particular feature about your body. I mean noticing your own mind as you observe your body.

As you are noticing your thoughts and feelings about your body, notice also how the feelings translate into the way you breath. How your posture is affected. How the feelings can become mood. Notice if you want to avert your eyes. Notice if you feel more comfortable NOT looking at yourself.

The reason for this exercise is to listen for the unspoken. You are examining the products of your mind that are not given to language. One of the greatest benefits of cultivating a quiet mind is the ability to notice when your mind is not quiet.  As you begin to notice all of the different type of disquieting messages- words, moods, feelings, images- that your mind uses, you will begin to understand what you are actually up against, when you determine to make a permanent life change….which is in reality, a  permanent “thinking” change.

The thoughts you think of AND BELIEVE ABOUT yourself are not all thought in words. They are what showed up when you looked at your body. If the experience of looking at your body, was one bit negative, then there is a potential problem….lack of acceptance. “Accepting what is” is the single most powerful antidote to stress.  Accepting where you are; accepting your body for what it is at this very moment, allows a space for gratitude, appreciation and compassion.  While self-loathing can generate thinness, it cannot generate health- the presence of wholeness and balance.

The first Beatitude from the Sermon on the Mount begins a journey of “thinking” change.  Being a master teacher, Jesus the Christ, fully accepts where his students are. Yet, he looks out at the crowd, gathered on a hill side and calls them Blessed. He tells a group of people who are weary on so many levels that they are connected to God. He speaks to a deeper part of them, a part that will recognize his words as the truth, despite the outer circumstances....and from that knowing, the Word will cause a shift.

Sacred and Fit^© -Every life is sacred. Each body a temple.

Healing a Fast Mind

A mind that is fast is sick. A mind that is slow is sound.
A mind that is still is divine.

 Meher Baba, Indian Mystic

Psychological stress is a fact of life. Our lives are fast paced and busy. Some of us have jobs that literally deal with life and death. There are always competing demands on our time. There is never enough time. 

The problem is that our bodies were not designed for the kind of never-ending stress that is so common in American life. We were designed for short bursts of stress, like that caused by the presence of predator. When the threat to life is gone, our body returns to homeostasis. We become calm, again. We stay calm until the next encounter with the predator. But what happens when a "threat" is always present. The body responds to the stressful thoughts- shallow breathing, tenseness in muscles, slowed digestion and the release of  hormones that aid in escape and which also hold on to fat!

There is no escape from internal predators....  Until we create one.

Jesus the Christ had stress reducing habits, early morning prayer and meditation, time away from people, walks in Nature. Then he would return to his stress-filled ministry that never seemed to be stressful to him. This is a model for Balance.

This week is the introduction to Lectio Divina (Lex see oh Da vee na). This is a practice for slowing down the mind and giving it a single activity to dwell upon. Stress is multi-tasking gone amuck! We are never really present for the one thing we are doing because there is always the next thing or the thing we should be doing, or the thing we wish we were doing or even the thing we wish we hadn't done.

Lectio Divina is practice for doing one thing at a time.  Slowing down enough to be present to the Beatitude before eating your meal or snack. Learning how to bring full awareness to the Beatitude so that you will bring full awareness to the food. No more mindless, thoughtless, knee-jerk, put anything-in-my-mouth-because-I-want-to-chew kind of eating.

Slow and mindful thinking.

Slow and mindful eating.

Slow and mindful living

Sacred and Fit^© -Every life is sacred. Each body a temple.

Health as an act of Worship

This is week two of Sacred and Fit and the emphasis shifts from the outer to the inner. The curriculum for week two includes homework that focuses on our thoughts. This is the introduction of being mindful of the scriptures throughout the day, generating appreciation and love for ourselves as we drift off to sleep, capturing the first thoughts of the morning  and learning to be more sensitive to the "still small voice."  These type of activities are what will make this experience different from any mere weight loss plan. Inclusion of Spirit is what will enable us to permanently adopt healthy habits. 

Your health is about to become a part of your service to God.

If we were motivated to lose weight only to be thin, I could perhaps see why it would be hard to think of weight loss as a worshipful act. However, weight loss is a natural result of eating healthy food, exercise, good water and low stress. Bringing a sense of the sacred to maintaining a healthy life style is I believe, just as important as any other sacred duty, especially since we ARE the church.

It will be hard to convince ourselves of this. Expect much resistance.

It is easier to focus on our faults than it is to own our own holiness.

Why is that?

Week 1 Day 4 The 50 Million Pound Challenge

Sacred and Fit requires new healthy habits and healthy habits call for order and organization.  This week we are organizing ourselves for success.

The Homework this week involves an examination of the “50 Million Pound Challenge” website.

The 50 Million Pound Challenge provides some information and services that may be of value to our Sacred and Fit community. It is offered as a suggestion, only. You don’t have to use it to get the benefits of Sacred and Fit.   The website does allow you to keep track of your Body Mass Index, which is a more accurate health indicator than weight alone. However, there are other sites on the Web that do that also. And of course, you are keeping a paper copy of this data in your S&F notebook. 

The 50 Million pound challenge encourages community building and sharing via small groups. A community of support is important to any long-term behavioral change. That is why Sacred and Fit includes personal coaching and conference calls.

The Challenge website also has good nutrition information.  However, for those who are no longer interested in dieting, the menus may not work for you. The diet looks like a lot of food. It is. The diet was designed by a medical doctor, Dr. Ian Smith and there is a physiological reason to encourage overweight people to eat 4 times a day. It seems like that would be defeating the purpose but that is not the case.

   Let’s suppose that in the earliest days of human beings, there were times of feast and famine. During the feast time, the body stored fat. During famine the body lived off of the fat reserves. The primary signal for a famine to your physiological systems is lack of food. When you don’t eat enough nourishing food, the signals turn on. Your body thinks there is a famine and holds on to fat. (The same type of thing happens when you are stressed, since fear of starving or being killed were probably the original stressors for the caveman or woman.—More about the impact of stress later.)  In the past, before Sacred and Fit you may have been feeding your body but not nourishing your body, so the famine signals were still activated.

 Now, our goal is to retrain your physiology by introducing nourishing food and lots of it. Eating 4 nourishing meals, 2 nourishing snacks and at least 8 glasses of water per day is the new message to your physiology….”You can release the fat, now. All is well.” 

Week 1- The Power of Intention

 
Why write a commitment letter?  Because a statement, even a statement made to yourself is a declaration to the Universe that you are about to create.

 Creating is what humans do best. Our brains have evolved to solve problems. Sure, sometimes humans create problems but not you. Not this time. Your intention to live a healthy life is a positive, proactive creation generating action. It is positive because your new lifestyle is health promoting and life affirming. It is a proactive because you have determined that You must act and you are not waiting for someone else to do something for you. It is creative because you will have to design a life-style plan for the long-term that will fit your specific needs.

It is more than a letter. It is more than a statement. It is a declaration of Independence. You are free.

Just remember, declarations are not declared “after the fact.” Talking about something after it has happened is simply reporting. Your declaration is an act of faith. Faith is fueled by intention. Creation comes from intention. Intention is powerful.

As you intend a healthy life begin to look for little affirmations along the way. These affirmations may come in the form of people, information or resources. They will appear “ just in time.”   They come into your life as if to say…”That’s it,  You’re doing great. Keep up the good work.”  Some call them coincidental or serendipitous. I call them little miracles fueled by intention.

Know that the entire Universe has gathered behind your commitment to health. As you focus on your commitment begin to notice your little miracles. You will find them.  You will attract everything you need. You will succeed.

Week One- Habits of Mind

            “Little foxes spoil the vine.” “Despise not small beginnings.”

There we have it. The science of behavioral change condensed to two verses.

The Sacred and Fit program makes big promises. We promise that there will be changes on all levels, physical, mental, emotional and spiritual. Your ideal weight will be achieved. You will regain an appreciation for yourself and for your unique gifts and callings. Your relationship with God will grow deeper and more profound. You will learn more about the science of nutrition and physiology and be able to apply your learning to your own body and lifestyle. However, all of these are promised  only IF you do the program.

Sacred and Fit is not about providing you with more information. You already KNOW how live a healthy life style. Ultimately, Sacred and Fit is about changing the way you ACT. A change in behavior requires changes in the way you THINK. To be mindful of your health means that you are conscious and aware of what you are eating. You sense in your body the need for exertion and movement. You recognize the effects of stress in your body and mind. You value your peace and act to maintain it. Your lifestyle is a reflection of the honor and respect you have for yourself.  Simply, you are awake to your own life.

 It may not seem that the your ideal weight and health regimen will ever be achieved. You may not believe at this moment that you are capable of eating a diet consisting of 50%  or more of fresh fruit and vegetables. You may not see yourself enjoying movement and exertion. You may not know how to manage/eliminate stress.  However,  these things are accomplished one act at a time and one thought at a time. You do have power over the thoughts you choose to think…..and to choose not to think is also a thought.

Examples of little foxes:

 “forgetting” to eat or to pack a nutritious lunch

grocery shopping without a list

entering a grocery store without a plan

oversleeping because you watched TV until 2a.m.

watching more than 4 hours of TV per day.

Stressed out due to looking for a lost item

Not having a place to put things so items can get lost

You get the gist….

Small beginnings:  Doing the Homework!

Creating your notebook with five dividers and creating a place for it  (along with a pen) near your bed.

Writing a letter to yourself indicating whether you are ready to commit to the Sacred and Fit program at this time. 

Include in the letter a forgiveness statement to yourself -for anything in your past that needs forgiving.

Despise not small beginnings.

SEMESTER TWO

The Blog is back.
  Today marks the beginning of the Second Semester of Sacred and Fit.  For those of you continuing for another eight weeks, Congratulations! For those of you just starting, Congratulations!

For the second semester, we have made some major changes. Those of you who have committed to join the program should have received the entire curriculum for the Week One. The information posted on this Blog is similar to what you have but not exactly the same. We're always monitoring and making changes based on what is working best. We also incorporate new relevant information as it becomes available. All of this to say, you are welcome to read the previous blog posts for your information, but your should follow the guidelines set forth in the Week One curriculum that was emailed to you.

Additionally, because the curriculum will be sent in weekly installments, the Blog will serve as just a friendly reminder to stay on the path. That means that the postings will be shorter in length!  Still, if you choose to no longer receive emails, please respond and your name will be removed from the list.

In Peace

Cheryl

My Lectio Beatitudes for #8, #9, #10

Beatitude #8 Blessed are they which are persecuted for righteousness’ sake for there is the kingdom of heaven. KJV

Blessings to those who are dislocated for the cause of justice; their new home is the province of the universe.  Neil Douglas-Klotz

Beatitude #9 Blessed are ye when men shall revile you and persecute you, and shall say all manner of evil against you falsely for my sake.

Renewal when you are reproached and driven away by the clamor of evil on all sides, for my sake…

Beatitude #10 Rejoice and be exceedingly glad; for great is your reward in heaven; for so persecuted they the prophets which were before you.

Do everything extreme, including letting your ego disappear for this is the secret of claiming your expanded home in the universe.

We are all affected by a culture that contributes to obesity and ill health.  Consider the foods that take up space in an average grocery store. Although we know that our diet should consist MOSTLY of fruits and vegetables, you would not be able to tell that by looking a modern grocery store.  Television commercials entice us to eat and there is constant advertising of unhealthy food choices to adults and to children. We are urged to consume foods containing white flour, white sugar, salt, high fructose corn syrup, transfats, MSG and other preservatives. Think for a moment of the type of items on most restaurant menus and the portion sizes.  Start to notice how easy and convenient it is to purchase unhealthy food vs the time and effort that is required to prepare healthy daily menus. Add to this to the pace of modern life, the allure of sedentary forms of relaxation vs. activities that require exertion. Not to mention, daily hassle stress and the additional stress-causing “burden” of being a minority in the U.S. and you can begin to understand what we are up against when we determine to live a healthy life style.

The first seven Beatitudes have the potential to produce radical changes in the way we think of our health. Bringing our health regimen more in line with the Five Basic Health Habits (be positive, normal weight, no smoking, at least five servings of fruits and vegetables per day and 30 minutes of exercise 5 days per week) requires adjustment on all levels; spiritual emotional mental and physical. We now understand through much of the right brain activities introduced in this Sacred and Fit program that there are spiritual, emotional, mental and physical reasons that we haven’t already fostered the Five Basic Health Habits.  By examining the issues underlying unhealthy choices and making their resolution a part of our spiritual development we will slowly change our beliefs, attitudes and behaviors. An ideal weight and healthy life style habits will inevitably result.  Our bodies, just like any temple, will express on the outside, the sacredness and reverence we hold on the inside. Our own life will be infused with the Christ's presence.

However, in the last three Beatitudes, Jesus the Christ explains what will happen when a person takes on a spiritual commitment to “grow deeper.” It is not good news. In the Textual Notes of Beatitude #8, Neil Douglas-Klotz says “society does not easily tolerate the prophetic spirit” A deeper spiritual walk that exposes a need for change is not necessarily a message that is welcomed by our society or quite possibly by the Church.  However change is certainly needed according to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Minority Health.

·       African American women have the highest rates of being overweight or obese compared to other groups in the U.S.

·       About four out of five African American women are overweight or obese.

·       In 2007, African Americans were 1.4 times as likely to be obese as Non- Hispanic Whites.

·       From 2003-2006, African American women were 70% more likely to be obese than Non-Hispanic White women.

·       In 2003-2004, African American children between ages 6 -17 were 1.3 times as likely to be overweight than Non-Hispanic Whites.

Smoking is the leading cause of premature death in the U.S. Obesity is now the second. With the majority of African American women being overweight there is a tacit acceptance of it. A decision to pass up the fried chicken and mashed potatoes at the Pastors Appreciation dinner or to suggest that the Bereavement committee contribute to a fruit basket instead of sending baked goods may not put you in good stead with other parishioners. Eating is a huge part of our cultural expression but eating healthy is not….not yet.  The Bible shows us many examples where the prophet’s message is rejected at first but then slowly, eventually there is a shift. 

This final week is a culmination of the first seven Beatitudes in which we have created intentions and affirmations concering our health habits. My personal intentions and affirmations are below. Based on the past seven weeks of study of the Beatitudes, I believe that I have now

1.     Linked myself to Spirit for the purpose of affecting change in my health habits

2.     Tuned myself to the Source so that I may cease my confusion and bring my health habits into the spiritual domain .

3.     Softened those rigid areas of unforgiveness, bitterness or stress by shifting my attitude and asking for forgiveness when necessary.

4.     Committed myself to allowing the transformative grace of God to infuse my every act around my health. In so doing, I see myself as a child of God.

5.     Received mercy grace and compassion to grant to myself and I am therefore able to grant mercy grace and compassion to others. I love myself

6.     Received the ability to see the spirit of God everywhere, I love others.

7.     Received the peace of God.  I am at peace.

My affirmation for Beatitudes #8, #9 and #10 

8.     I now am willing to consider that identifying myself internally and primarily as a child of God may have me look at my place in the universe differently. 

9.     I am willing to be excluded or reproached by those who don’t yet see themselves as children of God. 

10.   I fully expect that the reward for “growing deeper” is experiencing a closer and more intimate relationship with the Christ presence within me.

If you so choose, create your own Affirmations for the final three Beatitudes and use them this week along with your translations.

My Contemplatio of Beatitudes #7

Years ago when I was a graduate student, my daily commute took about an hour. It was a beautiful drive from the Shenandoah Valley to the University of Virginia east of the Blue Ridge Mountains. About five years into the seven year process, I was not doing well. Actually I was failing.  It wasn’t the course work. At that point I was done with course work. It was “Me” work. I didn’t have the slightest idea how to organize and discipline myself for the work of the Ph.D.  I wasn’t confident that I had the intelligence to continue in the program.  I was discouraged.

I wish it had been the coursework. Classes I knew how to do. Papers I knew how to write. During all of my previous years as a student someone had been there to tell me what to study and what to write about. The Ph.D. is the degree that indicates you have created new knowledge. You have to tell yourself what there is to do and first you have to create a plan for the knowledge creation. This is called the proposal. You are to document your understanding of the new knowledge in a document called the dissertation. You get to answer questions about the new knowledge during the oral defense. So you have to create the knowledge and then write about it and then speak about it. But first you must create it.

 There are many people who begin the Ph.D. process and fail to complete it because they haven’t put the time in learning themselves or to learn how best they create. Because creating is thought to be a “right” brain activity and regular schooling is generally a “left” brain activity, many of the skills used in the creative process haven't been practiced. In addition, no one tells you that you will need to access deeper areas of understanding within yourself or that the process is designed to test your self-confidence. Graduate school is not unlike the rest of life. Challenges can make you stronger and better if they don't defeat you. You are much less likely to be defeated once you have a Ph.D in yourself.

To get a Ph.D in yourself is almost as daunting as being in an academic program.  For one thing the subject matter is complex. There are no advisors, no counselors and no teachers who know the material better than you know yourself. You are both the student and the teacher. And that brings me to the point of this writing- the discovery of the teacher of  Me within me…a deeper and wiser part of myself.

During my final two years in graduate school, I retook the oral exam for my thesis and passed it, started over in a new lab, recruited undergraduate assistants, completed the studies, analyzed the data, wrote the dissertation and defended it.  The difference between those two years and the previous three years, when I’d been attempting to do those very same things was the granting of a Ph.D in Me to myself.

During the final two years, I turned off the radio during my daily commute. I spent two hours driving in silence, asking myself questions, listening for answers. The first question, (which took several months to answer) was “did I really believe that I was intelligent enough to finish the program”. Actually, it was the flip side, why did I believe that I was too dumb to finish the program. In answering that question, I provided myself with ample evidence that I was not stupid and what’s more, I discovered a deeper, calmer place within me that was completely undaunted by this process, was more than capable of doing what was required and extremely confident. I decided to act like her. It was pure “fake it until you make it.” It was also, watch-the-world-relate-to-you-as-if-you-were-not-faking. Resources came to me. People started helping me instead of avoiding me. A Ph.D in Me came with benefits.

The Beatitudes helped me to make this discovery through slow and thoughtful meditations as I drove up and over Mt. Jackson twice a day. So now, more than a decade later, I am using the Beatitude again to help me to act like a healthy person….a healthy person that is not overweight…..a healthy person that is not overweight and that truly truly loves herself. It’s like getting another Ph.D in Me.

Contemplatio of Beatitude #7-  Sacred and Fit is based on the Beatitudes which, in my view, provide a framework for change in ANY area of life. The process outlines a three step process of 1. Self inquiry and identification of the issue; 2. Deep introspection with Fasting and Prayer aimed at the solution 3. Emergence of a stronger faith and deeper insights that allow for changed beliefs and actions. The process concluding with the planting of peace is not static. The Aramaic translation of “Those who plant peace each season” suggest that the sowing and reaping of peace are cyclical and on-going processes. There are deeper and deeper realms of non-peace to discover within ourselves and more and more peace to be planted at the appropriate time.

As we close this week of focus on Beatitudes #6 and #7, what areas can you identify in your own life,  other than your weight, that could warrant changed beliefs and actions. Make a list and place it in your notebook. Choose from the right brain activities we have discussed over the last seven weeks and apply one or more of them to this new issue. In the coming weeks write about the process in your notebook.