This One Ancient Practice Can Lower Your Stress (And It’s Not What You Think)

This One Ancient Practice Can Lower Your Stress (And It’s Not What You Think)

Scripture + Science + Stillness

Modern science is finally catching up with something believers have known for centuries: art heals. Sacred art, in particular, has the power to calm the mind, slow down the heart, and reconnect the soul to God.

In the book Your Brain on Art, researchers Susan Magsamen and Ivy Ross reveal that just 45 minutes of creative activity can lower cortisol (the stress hormone), boost memory, and even extend your lifespan. That’s no small claim.

But here’s the twist: the Church has known this all along.

Icons Aren’t Decoration — They’re Medicine

Early Christian believers didn’t paint icons just to make churches beautiful. They believed these sacred images were “windows into heaven.” Gazing at them wasn’t passive—it was prayer. The calm eyes of Christ, the gentle posture of the Theotokos, the stillness of the saints—all invited the soul to rest in God.

St. John of Damascus once wrote, “I do not worship matter, but I worship the Creator of matter who became matter for my sake.” Looking at an icon with prayerful attention isn’t idolatry—it’s an invitation to behold God’s presence in all things.

And it’s good for your body.

The Science of Stillness

According to Your Brain on Art, studies show:

• Making or viewing art can lower cortisol levels

• Artistic experiences light up the same reward centers in the brain as love and music

• People who engage with art regularly are less likely to feel lonely

• Even museum visits are now being prescribed by doctors to treat stress, dementia, and depression

Now imagine applying that same healing power to prayer. That’s what iconography does.

How to Start

You don’t need to be a painter or buy expensive prints. Here are 3 simple ways to bring sacred art into your daily life:

1. Pray with an icon – Place one near your desk or in your prayer corner. Gaze at it while breathing deeply. Just five minutes can calm your nervous system.

2. Draw or trace a cross – Even childlike doodling in the shape of sacred symbols can quiet a racing mind.

3. Reflect on beauty – Take a moment to appreciate natural or spiritual beauty each day. It resets your brain.

Why This Matters for Professionals

Long workdays, screen fatigue, and noise wear us down. When the soul is starved of beauty, the body pays the price. But God didn’t design you to live in burnout. Scripture says, “Be still and know that I am God” (Psalm 46:10). Sometimes, the stillness begins with your eyes.

In a world of chaos, sacred beauty brings order. And healing.