Abiding

John 15:1-8

Jesus said to his disciples, “I am the true vine, and my Father is the vine grower. He removes every branch in me that bears no fruit. Every branch that bears fruit he prunes to make it bear more fruit. You have already been cleansed by the word that I have spoken to you. Abide in me as I abide in you. Just as the branch cannot bear fruit by itself unless it abides in the vine, neither can you unless you abide in me. I am the vine, you are the branches. Those who abide in me and I in them bear much fruit, because apart from me you can do nothing. Whoever does not abide in me is thrown away like a branch and withers; such branches are gathered, thrown into the fire, and burned. If you abide in me, and my words abide in you, ask for whatever you wish, and it will be done for you. My Father is glorified by this, that you bear much fruit and become my disciples.”

 

We all go through seasons of pruning. Sometimes life gets overwhelming and sometimes it is temporary, like at the end of a college semester.  But sometimes the end of the overwhelm is nowhere in site, like with illness or lifestyle issues.  When things get heavy we must make choices.  We can prune away the things that need to go; the things that have outlived their usefulness in our lives. Or we can choose to keep all of it and the stress that comes with being over-committed.

Often when I have seasons like this, where decisions must be made, I turn to the mat.  In Yoga Sutra 2.46 we are taught sthira-sukham asanam. Which means to “resolutely abide in a good space.” This was originally intended to be applied to the practice of meditation: Sthira meaning to stand firmly, Sukam meaning Good Space, and Asanam which broadly means ‘poses’ in modern yoga, but in this content means “the act of sitting down, abiding, dwelling, inhabiting, being present.” +  This sutra leads us to abide in meditation, to use this time to prune.

In a Christian sense meditation and prayer are one in the same.  One can choose to abide in Jesus Christ during prayer and/or meditation. This can be done through the process of asking, and also through listening.  But it can also be active.  Sometimes I need to move to wear my body out to bring my mind into focus and calm before I can sit still.  Then I can breathe.  Sometimes I imagine breathing in the things I need and breathing out the things I no longer needs…pruning has begun! Sitting (abiding) in a guided or silent meditation, or prayer to Jesus, often brings clarity and direction. Once the pruning is complete I can begin the process of bearing fruit that bring joy to the world.

Namaste

 

+ https://yogainternational.com/article/view/sthira-and-sukha-steadiness-and-ease

Picture from: https://www.archyde.com/meditate-in-a-vineyard-a-wellness-experience/