Breath, Body, and the Word: A Sacred Invitation to Abide
The word meditate appears so many times in Scripture, and each time it reflects a deep connection with God. What’s fascinating is that it’s always through the Word and we’re reminded that the Word is Christ.
"In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning... The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us." John 1:1-2
In Psalm 1:2, the Hebrew word for meditate is hagah, and it shows up 25 times in the Old Testament. But it wasn’t a silent or passive thing. Hagah means to murmur, growl, utter, or chant it had a vibrational, embodied quality. It was something spoken out loud, breathed through the body, felt in the chest and throat. It was active.
We see this kind of engagement in many cultures today monks chanting, Muslims reciting aloud, Indigenous people expressing prayer in movement. Their spiritual practices aren’t just intellectual; they’re fully embodied. And yet, in Western Christianity, we’ve often misunderstood meditation as a quiet mental process, separating the body from faith.
But this ancient practice hagah shows us a way back. A way to draw near.
It was a mouth, breath, and body experience.
Here are three ways Jewish tradition embodied faith through meditation:
Hagah – murmuring, vibrating words in the chest and throat
Siach/Siah – communing while walking, speaking with God in motion
Raga – resting, settling into God’s presence with the whole self
So when you sit with Scripture…
do you feel it in your body? Do you let it breathe through you?
For me, somatic work has been a reawakening. It’s shown me that our faith was never meant to be just head-based. We are temples of the living God, crafted in incredible detail, like the Tabernacle.
Every part of us is designed for communion.
In today’s world, people are turning to affirmations, mindfulness, and intention setting to stay grounded. And as Christians, we don’t need to shy away from these tools, we can reclaim them. Root them in Christ. Use them as they were first intended: to connect with the One who made us.
That’s why I created the Anchored in the Word group session. It’s a sacred space where we embody Scripture breathe it, move with it, feel it settle into our bones.
That’s when it becomes personal. Alive.
Another Jewish custom that beautifully reflects this is shuckling, swaying while praying. When I embraced more embodied expressions of faith, especially in Pentecostal spaces, I started to feel something stir deeply within. That movement brought me closer.
It helped me ground in the Word, not just study it.
So what about meditation in the New Testament?
We see a shift. Instead of repetition and ritual, we see words like abide, remember, consider, and pray. Meditation becomes relational. It’s about presence.
It’s not just reciting it’s dwelling in Christ. Feeling His nearness. Listening, being known, and being reshaped from the inside out.
In the Old Covenant, meditating on the law was essential, God’s people would speak and repeat His words to remain anchored. But when Christ came, the Word became flesh. Now, He dwells in us. We carry His Word in our hearts and bodies.
We’re invited to abide, to slow down, to remember and breathe Him in.
This is what it means to meditate today,not performance, but presence.
So if you’re yearning for deeper connection, if you want to move from head knowledge to heart encounter, somatic practices can help bridge that gap.
Meditation like Anchored in the word invites you into the fullness of what God always intended whole-body worship, embodied truth, and living communion.
Our "Embody His Love" package is a gentle guide into this way of being.
Or join our next "Anchored in the Word" session where we move, reflect, and rest in Scripture together.
You can also read more on the blog,Christ in the Body: Somatic Healing and the Death of the Old Self where we explore how faith and embodiment are beautifully woven.
Let’s reclaim what was always ours a faith that breathes, moves, and feels.
