Rabbi Nachman's Outpouring of the Soul translated by Rabbi Aryeh Kaplan is one of my favorite little books to grab when I need a lift and some reassurance. It's like a pocket book for the soul. I can tuck it into my tote bag when I go to work, open it up to any page, and find solace and serenity in R. Nachman's thoughts and ideas. Today, I opened to #45, A New Beginning:
"When meditating before God it is good to say, "Today I am beginning to attach myself to You." Whenever you meditate you should make a new beginning. Every continued practice depends strongly on its beginning. Even the philosophers say that no matter what one does, the beginning counts for half (italics mine). Therefore, no matter what, one should always make a new beginning. If one's previous devotion was good, now it will be better. If it was not good, what better reason is there to make a new beginning?"
Though the book is about meditation and communicating with God, if your worldview is that all is connected and one with God, then all of your life is like a meditation. New Beginnings are full of promise, hope and faith. Promise in the future that good will come of this; hope that all will go well; and faith that no matter what, God will provide the strength to get through any struggles and challenges. If each day can be a commitment to a new beginning, you are halfway there! Intention, Kavannah, is half the battle towards making a new beginning. Your actions follow your thoughts, and how you perceive something can change, hence you can change your actions towards your self and others in your life.
When I was a counselor, I helped my clients find their "One Degree of Change." Like a ship's compass, if you are one degree off course, over time you will end up in a different place. One small degree can have huge consequences! So it is with change: change one small part of your thought towards a situation and act differently than you have been. Over time, see what happens. The first step is your New Beginning.
Showing posts with label meditation. Show all posts
Showing posts with label meditation. Show all posts
Thursday, January 1, 2009
Breath of God
In the Pirke Avot (Wisdom of our Fathers), Rabbi Jacob has said:
"If you are walking lost in wonder,
empty of self, and mindful of Reality,
and suddenly you interrupt this peace to exclaim:
'How beautiful is this tree!
How magnificent this field!'
you forfeit life.
The intrusion of self
and the imposing of judgment
separates you from Reality
and snares you in the net of words.
Be still and know.
Embrace it all in silence." (III:9)
Who knew that exclaiming about an incredible sunset would have that effect? But when you look at the world as ONE unified soul, with all these pieces that are connected to each other that make up that ONE unified soul, it reminds us to be without judgment. To not get lost in our minds and thoughts and JUST BE AT ONE WITH THE ONE.
Breathe into and out the Breath of Life that infuses you with the awe-inspiring Silence of HaShem, the ultimate peace and no-thing-ness of the universe. One day as I was preparing to meditate, I inhaled and thought "breath of God" and let it commingle with my breath, and my essence, then as I exhaled, I thought "Breath of God" with the added breath of our combined energies. I later learned this is similar to the breathing practice of Rabbi Abulafia, a Kaballistic rabbi from the 1500s in Safed. Check it out, it can bring you to ecstasy if done properly.
"If you are walking lost in wonder,
empty of self, and mindful of Reality,
and suddenly you interrupt this peace to exclaim:
'How beautiful is this tree!
How magnificent this field!'
you forfeit life.
The intrusion of self
and the imposing of judgment
separates you from Reality
and snares you in the net of words.
Be still and know.
Embrace it all in silence." (III:9)
Who knew that exclaiming about an incredible sunset would have that effect? But when you look at the world as ONE unified soul, with all these pieces that are connected to each other that make up that ONE unified soul, it reminds us to be without judgment. To not get lost in our minds and thoughts and JUST BE AT ONE WITH THE ONE.
Breathe into and out the Breath of Life that infuses you with the awe-inspiring Silence of HaShem, the ultimate peace and no-thing-ness of the universe. One day as I was preparing to meditate, I inhaled and thought "breath of God" and let it commingle with my breath, and my essence, then as I exhaled, I thought "Breath of God" with the added breath of our combined energies. I later learned this is similar to the breathing practice of Rabbi Abulafia, a Kaballistic rabbi from the 1500s in Safed. Check it out, it can bring you to ecstasy if done properly.
Staying Balanced in a Chaotic World
There is always going to be chaos and unrest in the world around us; it is just the way it is. We can make a choice to get caught up in the tension and the unruliness, and make ourselves "crazy". Or, we can accept the world as it is, making changes where possible, taking action where possible, but maintaining our balance in the process.
Easier said than done! That balance and calm in the eye of the storm is an elusive goal. I teach meditation and stress reduction techniques, and even I find it difficult to stay centered sometimes. When my clients are going through a rough time, how I wish I had a magic wand to wave over them to make it "all better". But, we don't live in Gan Eden anymore, and somehow, we need to make it though the travails of human living.
If you are having a rough time, see if you can get out of your own way for a moment by taking a deep breath, giving yourself a hug, and let the wave pass over you. Do that again. And one more time. The world is still there when you open your eyes, but maybe you feel a little more uplifted.... and don't forget that HaShem is with you every moment.
************************************
Easier said than done! That balance and calm in the eye of the storm is an elusive goal. I teach meditation and stress reduction techniques, and even I find it difficult to stay centered sometimes. When my clients are going through a rough time, how I wish I had a magic wand to wave over them to make it "all better". But, we don't live in Gan Eden anymore, and somehow, we need to make it though the travails of human living.
If you are having a rough time, see if you can get out of your own way for a moment by taking a deep breath, giving yourself a hug, and let the wave pass over you. Do that again. And one more time. The world is still there when you open your eyes, but maybe you feel a little more uplifted.... and don't forget that HaShem is with you every moment.
************************************
Meditation, Jewish Style
I love meditating to Jewish prayers. Sometimes, I pick out a word or two from the prayer to breathe to and meditate upon.
One of my favorites is the from the morning prayer, Elohai neshama shenatata-bi, t'hora hi. God, the Soul you have given me is Pure. I breathe in and out to the word for soul, neshama. The sounds all flow together, the n, the sh, the ma. I like to elongate the breath on the end of the word, so that "ma" is like "maaaaaa".
Then, I might go into the word "Shema" from Shema Yisroel, Adonai Elohenu, Adonai Echad. Listen (hear) Oh Israel, The Lord is our God, The Lord is One. Soul and God and Breath and Creation all swirling around me. I also like the word "Sh'viti" which means God is always before me.
One of my favorites is the from the morning prayer, Elohai neshama shenatata-bi, t'hora hi. God, the Soul you have given me is Pure. I breathe in and out to the word for soul, neshama. The sounds all flow together, the n, the sh, the ma. I like to elongate the breath on the end of the word, so that "ma" is like "maaaaaa".
Then, I might go into the word "Shema" from Shema Yisroel, Adonai Elohenu, Adonai Echad. Listen (hear) Oh Israel, The Lord is our God, The Lord is One. Soul and God and Breath and Creation all swirling around me. I also like the word "Sh'viti" which means God is always before me.
Saying Yes to Ayin
I met alot of stressed out people this week, rushing around, multi-tasking, looking grim-faced and pressured. Is that what our lives are about? I understand people have much on their plates, maybe too much, and perhaps some re-ordering of priorities would help. It's powerful to say NO! It seems more difficult to say NO than to say YES. If I'm ambivalent about my commitment, I tell the person I have to get back to them by a certain time (usually 24 hours).
If you are feeling stressed out, here is a wonderful meditation/breathing exercise that can relieve the stress on your body, mind, and spirit. I call it the "Ayin" breath. Ayin is the 16th letter of the Hebrew alef-bet, a vowel that looks like the letter Y, and is pronounced "ah-yeen" and if it sounds like the word "eye" that is also what it means. When you practice the Ayin breath, because Ayin is a vowel that has no sound, you will notice it is only a breath. What I like about the Ayin meditation is I take the meaning of Ayin, or eye, and after I have meditated, it helps me look at my life with "real eyes" and realize what is true for me, and what is not. It helps me know when to say No or Yes to things.
Sit comfortably and breathe normally, inhaling and exhaling through your nose. Just pay attention to the inhalation and exhalation, feeling the air coming in through your nose and into your body, exhaling any stress you may feel. Do this for a few minutes.
As you are attending to your breath, ask yourself where the breath is coming from....
who is really doing the breathing.....
who is "I'.....
keep asking "who is this "I" who is breathing?
feeling ever more empty and free....
emptying yourself of stress....
opening your heart to HaShem....
the Ayin of the breath.........
energy of the universe coming into you through your breath......
breathing in the energy of ALL......
emptying yourself.........Ayin..........
If you are feeling stressed out, here is a wonderful meditation/breathing exercise that can relieve the stress on your body, mind, and spirit. I call it the "Ayin" breath. Ayin is the 16th letter of the Hebrew alef-bet, a vowel that looks like the letter Y, and is pronounced "ah-yeen" and if it sounds like the word "eye" that is also what it means. When you practice the Ayin breath, because Ayin is a vowel that has no sound, you will notice it is only a breath. What I like about the Ayin meditation is I take the meaning of Ayin, or eye, and after I have meditated, it helps me look at my life with "real eyes" and realize what is true for me, and what is not. It helps me know when to say No or Yes to things.
Sit comfortably and breathe normally, inhaling and exhaling through your nose. Just pay attention to the inhalation and exhalation, feeling the air coming in through your nose and into your body, exhaling any stress you may feel. Do this for a few minutes.
As you are attending to your breath, ask yourself where the breath is coming from....
who is really doing the breathing.....
who is "I'.....
keep asking "who is this "I" who is breathing?
feeling ever more empty and free....
emptying yourself of stress....
opening your heart to HaShem....
the Ayin of the breath.........
energy of the universe coming into you through your breath......
breathing in the energy of ALL......
emptying yourself.........Ayin..........
Stress Redux
The ancient Jewish rabbis who wrote the Talmud had a unique and uncanny understanding of human behavior. They were the earliest psychologists. Over 1500 years ago, they wrote that "three things drain a person's health: worry, travel, and sin" (Gittin, 70a). Travel takes one away from his/her customary surroundings and comforts and injects its own pressures. Sin (missing the mark) has its own, sometimes dire consequences. When we fret over things that are out of our control, we cause ourselves physical, mental and emotional stress that becomes a vicious cycle in our lives.
Physically, blood pressure rises, breathing is shallow, our bodies tighten up and pain can result. This makes it more difficult to eat and sleep well, let alone giving our bodies a restful chance to recoup energy. Emotionally, we are as tightly wound as a spring, rendering our minds incapable of thinking rationally and logically. We might lash out at people who want to help, and we get stuck in a negative mindset that traps us in quicksand.
The trick is to step back and away from the stress we are feeling, in order to find a clearer perspective, give ourselves a chance to regroup, and realize that if we can't change it, we have to accept it. In order to step away, the first, most basic thing we can do is BREATHE! Sit quietly, eyes closed, and let yourself open up, open your lungs, your diaphragm, your belly, as you feel the breath traversing through your cells, muscles, bones. Get out and take a walk. As you take each step, coordinate your breathing to the rhythm of your feet, maybe even saying a word or phrase that helps you to relax. I say "om shalom" and let the words take on a natural cadence in time with my steps.
Your heart rate will slow, your vision will brighten, your chest and shoulders and neck will release. I like to walk up a good incline at a rapid pace to get my heart rate up and my lungs to expand, but you should do what is comfortable and what you are physically able to do. The aim is to cast off the burden of worry you are carrying around, and feel lighter and less stressed about what you can do nothing about (except to take care of yourself!!)
*************
Physically, blood pressure rises, breathing is shallow, our bodies tighten up and pain can result. This makes it more difficult to eat and sleep well, let alone giving our bodies a restful chance to recoup energy. Emotionally, we are as tightly wound as a spring, rendering our minds incapable of thinking rationally and logically. We might lash out at people who want to help, and we get stuck in a negative mindset that traps us in quicksand.
The trick is to step back and away from the stress we are feeling, in order to find a clearer perspective, give ourselves a chance to regroup, and realize that if we can't change it, we have to accept it. In order to step away, the first, most basic thing we can do is BREATHE! Sit quietly, eyes closed, and let yourself open up, open your lungs, your diaphragm, your belly, as you feel the breath traversing through your cells, muscles, bones. Get out and take a walk. As you take each step, coordinate your breathing to the rhythm of your feet, maybe even saying a word or phrase that helps you to relax. I say "om shalom" and let the words take on a natural cadence in time with my steps.
Your heart rate will slow, your vision will brighten, your chest and shoulders and neck will release. I like to walk up a good incline at a rapid pace to get my heart rate up and my lungs to expand, but you should do what is comfortable and what you are physically able to do. The aim is to cast off the burden of worry you are carrying around, and feel lighter and less stressed about what you can do nothing about (except to take care of yourself!!)
*************
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