The Garden of Gethsemane: A Fresh Look

The Garden of Gethsemane is one of the most meaningful accounts in Christianity. It gives us an intimate look at Jesus’ thoughts and emotions as He was preparing to go to the cross.

Jesus experienced such intense emotional distress that His suffering also manifested in His body. This is important because when we are overwhelmed by stress, we don't always have to simply “think” our way through it. It's important that we don't dismiss the sensations and feelings in our bodies. As we understand that emotional distress can cause physical symptoms, we can begin to use tools to help calm our nerves before the problem is even solved.

One way that we can do this is through prayer or talking to someone we trust. We see Jesus do this in the Garden. Although His prayers and His attempts to connect with the disciples have deep spiritual significance, they are also therapeutically relevant. When we're in distress, we might do as Jesus did and use our environment and our spiritual and physical resources to help us manage the nervousness and stress in our bodies.

See below to learn how certain activities can support the release of feel-good chemicals—dopamine, serotonin, oxytocin, and endorphins—in the brain. When we intentionally engage in these activities during times of distress, we can support our brain and body in managing stress and feeling more regulated.