When I was doing my meditation teacher training, one of my fellow students was a recovering addict. They shared their story on how meditating on the Serenity Prayer had helped them develop the skills of being non-judgemental and releasing attachment. It was an incredible tale of transformation and how the simple act of intently focusing on a collection of words had brought them to a completely new headspace and understanding. 

Meditating on a spiritual text or saying is one of the oldest methods of contemplative meditation. People have meditated on the Buddha’s teachings, the Bible, Lao Tzu’s writings, etc. to develop a new perspective on spirituality and spiritual practices. This makes this type of meditation perfect for anyone regardless of faith – you can work with a text which is integral to your religion or, if you are an atheist or agnostic, you can choose a saying which you feel drawn to or which represents an attitude or mindset you aspire to. 

One simple way of working with a text is to simply repeat the phrase as a mantra. This can build your connection with that phrase and help embed it in your subconscious as a way of being. 

If you would like to take this practice further, choose a passage, phrase or saying which resonates with you. Go somewhere you won’t be disturbed for five minutes or so and sit comfortably. Allow yourself to relax your mind – I find focusing on my breath for a few cycles is good for inducing a meditative state.

When you are calm, focused and relaxed, read your chosen text out loud. As you do, focus on the sound of the words. How do they make you feel? Do you get any kind of reaction in your body? Do you have an emotional reaction? Note this reaction without judgement. 

Read the text aloud again, paying close attention. It is entirely up to you how you wish to approach the words. You might look at the imagery involved – do you get any kind of mental picture or feeling from them? Is there an inherent meaning to the phrase? Sit with the words and let any reaction or realisation present itself. 

Read the text aloud again. This time you might like to focus on how the words sound or the way they feel in your mouth.  

As you read the text in this deliberate, mindful manner, you may start to develop different responses to the text. Simply allow these to occur without judgement, the text slowly revealing its inner secrets to you in its own time. 

When you are finished, record your experiences in your meditation journal. (And if you don’t have one, now’s the time to get one!) This is a meditation which is best practised on a regular basis – every time you work with the text you will gain more insight and understanding as to its true nature. 

If you do not know where to start, you might like to meditate on a single word, such as “God” or “Divine”. Alternatively, a good phrase to use is “I Am That I Am.”

If you are new to this form of meditation, you may be surprised at what comes up for you. I’d love to know about your experiences – feel free to email me if it’s too personal to share in the comments. I read every mail myself!