Meditation Part 4
November 28, 2025
Meditation as a Spiritual Practice Part 4
The human organism, like all of nature, seeks homeostatic balance. When one aspect is out of order, the other aspects prop it up until it can function normally again. This phenomenon occurs in all of nature. In his book, The Hidden Life of Trees, biological scientist Stephen Wohlleben points out that a stand of trees whose roots are inter-connected becomes an organism unto themselves. And when one of those trees is ill, the others send extra nutrients to the ailing tree until it recovers. The trees are individual parts of a common life, shared by each of them. All the parts work in concert to compensate for any lack or deficit in the community.
The organism of the human body is the same. The brain is the command center of our being. We have the capacity to know when we are out of balance. But if we ignore the signals from our body, mind, or heart, our natural inclination is to run away, fight, or shut down. When we feel that way, the three centers cooperate to call for balance. Such a restoration of balance often involves a shift that triggers chemical changes that return us to homeostasis.
William Daube and Charles Jakobsche reviewed meditation and its chemical effects on the brain. The results show that meditation can significantly regulate hormones and neurotransmitters such as cortisol, dehydroepiandrosterone, serotonin, melatonin, and epinephrine ("Biochemical Effects of Meditation: A Literature Review," Scholarly Undergraduate Research Journal at Clark University: Vol. 1, Article 10. Oct 2015).
So, meditation may very well be a natural healer of our imbalances by regulating chemicals and by infusing healthy levels into our neurotransmission system. In my personal experience, meditation restores my balance simply by slowing me down and reconnecting me to divine flow. If preoccupied by a deadline or anything that demands my immediate focus, it is best for me to wait until I am ready to join the meditative flow. This cannot be forced.
Spiritual practice: Meditate in the awareness of the balance and cooperation between your heart, mind, and body.
Self-inquiry: What are the reasons why your three centers would be out of balance?
Prayer:
Dear God, I pray for the stillness, for the environment, for the time, and for the intention to keep me in the evenness of your spirit. Amen.
