Book Review: Sacred Balance: How Ancient Practices Can Restore Modern Minds

Post Author: Michelle Bodle

As many books as I have read about spiritual formation, I found Miriam Diephouse-McMillan offers something unique and deeply needed in Sacred Balance: How Ancient Practices Can Restore Modern Minds. Though I fell in love with spiritual formation in seminary, I was familiar with spiritual disciplines throughout my faith journey. Only, I was taught that spiritual disciplines exist for us to push through regardless of if we found the particular practice helpful or engaging. In Sacred Balance, Diephouse-McMillan acknowledges the baggage that we carry from religious teachings or institutions or even culturally around the practices and instead invites us to consider practicing with an emphasis on grace rather than control.

Diephouse-McMillan approaches spiritual formation from the lens of an interfaith psychiatric hospital chaplain, bridging the divide between spiritual care and mental health. She notes that this relationship between psychology and spirituality has not always been the most cordial, yet she seeks to bridge that divide for our hearts, souls, and minds in Sacred Balance. 

Broken down into nine spiritual practices, this text aims to introduce spiritual practice and explain why it matters to our overall well-being. It also makes a compelling argument as to why we should try the practice. Diephouse-McMillan notes that not all spiritual practices will be best suited for every person, and anchored in this honesty is also the sense of self-awareness and agency to try a spiritual practice to see if it may be a good fit for you. If it is not, that is completely fine – for what speaks to one person’s soul may not have as much impact on the next. To that end, the nine practices in the book exist as a spiritual journey, where each reader is invited to mine their inner world for what supports them on their journey the best – asking us to trust our self-knowledge. 

Each chapter then has my favorite section, “How to Practice [the Spiritual Practice],” including roughly three touch points to consider and tips for engaging with the practice in a life-giving way. At the end of each chapter, the author invites readers to consider a series of questions about their experience with the spiritual practice, including what bubbled up as a result of the practice and any aspects that were particularly helpful or challenging. The most notable questions regarding each practice are what the reader would change if they continue, once again rooting the spiritual practice in the individual’s particular needs. 

“Compassion: Loving Kindness Prayer” was an exploration of a spiritual practice that I found particularly meaningful. In a culture that is inundated with advice on improving relationships, the author introduces readers to a practice they may not have considered before. Described as “a structured way to offer blessings to ourselves and others” (26), this prayer doesn’t focus on what we want to see changed in a person. Instead, it focuses primarily on praying for God’s blessing upon that person, thus cultivating compassion within us, even for those we struggle with the most. Anchoring the practice in the traditional Buddhist understanding of the metta meditation, Jesus’s teachings, and the example of Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., Diephouse-McMillan offers this practice as a way to combat frustration that comes from dealing with difficult people or situations in a manner that decreases anxiety. Of particular help was the tip to not judge myself if negative emotions come to light (34) but to try again, thus offering compassion to myself as the one engaging the practice and towards the person I am struggling with and praying blessing over. 

The appendixes in this book are an incredibly valuable resource for young clergywomen. The author offers grace in noting that the book does not need to be read from cover to cover but is intended to be engaged in a spirituality of flexibility. To that end, there is a table that lists a potential goal you may have – such as increasing joy or managing anxiety – and corresponding spiritual practices to try. Diephouse-McMillan also offers a variety of formats to engage the practices, ranging from self-guided practices, coming alongside a soul friend, being part of a retreat setting, or being in long-term or short-term small groups. There is even a section about using this book as a resource for youth and young children. 

Whether you love spiritual formation or are new to the concept, this book is truly a must-have resource for everyone, for both their own spiritual journeys and walking alongside others. What spiritual practices are meaningful for your journey, and how does engaging them center your heart, mind, and soul for the work of ministry for this season and beyond?