I hadn’t really understood the appeal of a deprivation tank until I crawled into a small hiding hole on the playground the other day.
I let the peace take me as I stayed tucked inside the enclosure longer than what’s probably socially acceptable.
Maybe it’s taken me the chaos of the last year to appreciate the longing to hide myself away in total serenity.
And I only just realized people are floating inside those coffin-like tanks. Apparently, it’s a big thing.
High-end “float spas” are sprouting up as folks clamor to pay mucho dinero for the opportunity to unwind in total sensory deprivation.
The goal is to float your cares away. Proponents say it’s a meditation tool.
Maybe I’m a sucker for fads, but where do I sign up?
In an isolation tank no phone incessantly beeps. There are no pressing emails to return. I could easily float an hour by in one. What about you?
I’ve tried locking myself away in the pantry but my kids always find me and usually accuse me of sneaking chocolate. (Guilty).
The playground and the seriously cool fad have me thinking about biblical meditation.
I’m not talking about the Eastern or mystical kinds of meditation. In today’s harried world I understand the temptation to empty our minds. And most of us need to unplug more.
But when I say biblical meditation I’m thinking more about the quiet filling our minds with God’s truth until joy spills into our lives.
Something along the lines of this, “Meditate in your own hearts upon your bed, and be still. Selah” (Psalms 4:4).
“Of the glorious majesty of your honor, of your wondrous works, I will meditate,” (Psalms 145:5).
“I remember my music in the night, with my heart I meditate, and my spirit doth search diligently” (Psalms 77:6).
The Bible’s filled with the idea of meditation. But few people I know do this. The biblical sense of the word has grown a little stale.
Mention “meditate” at a Bible study and you could get some sideways looks. Newer Bible translations don’t even bother using the word, choosing to use “think” instead.
So, I want to know what you all think. What does meditation mean to you?
From what I can gather Christian meditation doesn’t get much attention as far as spiritual disciplines go. I can barely find a recent book involving the practice that doesn’t have the word “Yoga” in the title.
I think there’s something to this ancient practice. Do you?