The purpose of the "ThinkTov" organization is twofold: 1) to offer people an alternative to meditations involving idol worship and foreign philosophy; 2) to give them a chance to discover spiritual Judaism. This is one of the directives of the Lubavitcher Rebbe.
Those in the first category will benefit greatly from the disc and if they wish to continue on the path of discovering spiritual Judaism, I would recommend the Chasidic Heritage series. They are Chassidic discourses translated into English with the accompanying Hebrew text. I recommend finding a nice selection of them and then choosing one with a title that really speaks to you. Read through it lightly once then more in depth a second, a third and a forth time, one of those times should be in the original Hebrew. This helps the soul connect.
After this you will see a difference in your life in general. When you pray (daven) I recommend choosing a verse or two preferably from the beginning of the shema, the amida or the birkat hamazon and learn the meaning of the Hebrew words. Concentrate on them fully; take a number of deep calming breaths then say them while looking and absorbing within yourself each letter. You may also do this with your eyes closed if you wish. Say the words on the natural exhale. That is, instead of exhaling for the sake of speaking, speak with the rhythm of the natural exhale. At this point the context of the Chassidic discourse will rise up in your mind unifying the letters with the concept and bring great light into the world. This light is partially revealed within yourself by the spiritual experience that you will be having at the moment.
Showing posts with label spirituality. Show all posts
Showing posts with label spirituality. Show all posts
Tuesday, October 19, 2010
Wednesday, August 25, 2010
Awareness
There are things happening all around us all the time. Things that keep our attention from being internalized. Things that keep us from becoming aware of what is going on around us. There is so much stimuli we tend to block it out and by doing so we block out the stimuli that can benefit us, the stimuli that keeps us informed of what the Creator wants from us, what nature wants from us. Every moment in which we find ourselves has been designed specifically for us in that moment, so lets take advantage of it and start to investigate what that moment is coming to teach us.
How do we become aware? By becoming observers. We must learn to Observe what is going on around us in a passive way that will not affect us unless we choose for it to do so that means, maintaining control over your emotions and actions. You can become an observer by simply closing your eyes wherever you are and training yourself to experience the sensation of the five senses without reacting.
How do we become aware? By becoming observers. We must learn to Observe what is going on around us in a passive way that will not affect us unless we choose for it to do so that means, maintaining control over your emotions and actions. You can become an observer by simply closing your eyes wherever you are and training yourself to experience the sensation of the five senses without reacting.
Wednesday, October 21, 2009
Meditation overveiw
B"H
Meditation has been around from the beginning of time. The forefathers, who chose the occupation of shepherding, knew that only through surrounding themselves with peace and quiet will they be able to achieve their goal. In our modern generation, we are surrounded with every possible type of external stimuli, everything that can keep a person from realizing who they are as an individual, keeping a person from doing introspection and self evaluation. This stimuli can keep a person so busy and so stressed out that it could even begin to affect his/her health. Throughout the day, when we experience stress, our bodies automatically react in ways that prepare us to fight or flight. In some cases of extreme danger, this physical response is helpful. However, a extended state of such turmoil can cause physical damage to every part of the body contributing to many different types of illness mental and physical such as; anxieties, fears and depression, head and body pain, heart disease, diabetes, etc. It is not necessary to get a herd of sheep and move to the wilderness. We can surround ourselves with the piece and quiet necessary for focus and good health through meditation.
Meditation affects the body in the opposite ways that stress does, restoring the body to a calm state, helping the body to repair itself, and preventing new damage due to the physical affects of stress. Regular practice of meditation can help reverse these ailments.
When practicing meditation, your heart rate and breathing slow down, your blood pressure normalizes, you use oxygen more efficiently, and you sweat less. Also, your adrenal glands produce less "stress hormone" cortisol, you age slower and your immune function improves. Your mind also clears and your creativity increases. People who meditate regularly find it easier to give up bad habits like smoking, drinking and drugs. Through meditation, one learns to deal with stressful situations in a manner that will cause little or no stress at all.
Practical:
The most basic meditation involves sitting in a relaxed position and clearing your mind. There are many techniques to achieve this but a simple meditation of inhaling and exhaling through the nose while observing the breath enter and exit can offer many health benefits. It’s necessary to have between five and twenty free minutes to spend each day. It’s helpful to have silence and privacy, but more practiced meditators can do it anywhere. Many practitioners of meditation attach a spiritual component to it, but it can also be a secular exercise.
The Pros and Cons Of Meditation:
Meditation is wonderful in that it’s always available, and amazingly effective in short-term stress reduction and long-term general health once the technique has been learned. it can also be used for self improvement.
It does take practice, however, and some people find it difficult to learn in the beginning. It also requires patience, and may be difficult for people with little free time. However, the time and effort it takes to learn and practice is well worth it in terms of the benefits it provides. Alone, a person may lose interest after a short time of not seeing any results, and on your own, it may take several weeks or even months before any benefit is felt.
An experienced practitioner on the other hand, can speed this process up. He can bring the novice meditator to a meditative state of complete relaxation at the first session and help advance a person quickly to a point that he/she will be able to meditate on their own in a very short time.
Meditation has been around from the beginning of time. The forefathers, who chose the occupation of shepherding, knew that only through surrounding themselves with peace and quiet will they be able to achieve their goal. In our modern generation, we are surrounded with every possible type of external stimuli, everything that can keep a person from realizing who they are as an individual, keeping a person from doing introspection and self evaluation. This stimuli can keep a person so busy and so stressed out that it could even begin to affect his/her health. Throughout the day, when we experience stress, our bodies automatically react in ways that prepare us to fight or flight. In some cases of extreme danger, this physical response is helpful. However, a extended state of such turmoil can cause physical damage to every part of the body contributing to many different types of illness mental and physical such as; anxieties, fears and depression, head and body pain, heart disease, diabetes, etc. It is not necessary to get a herd of sheep and move to the wilderness. We can surround ourselves with the piece and quiet necessary for focus and good health through meditation.
Meditation affects the body in the opposite ways that stress does, restoring the body to a calm state, helping the body to repair itself, and preventing new damage due to the physical affects of stress. Regular practice of meditation can help reverse these ailments.
When practicing meditation, your heart rate and breathing slow down, your blood pressure normalizes, you use oxygen more efficiently, and you sweat less. Also, your adrenal glands produce less "stress hormone" cortisol, you age slower and your immune function improves. Your mind also clears and your creativity increases. People who meditate regularly find it easier to give up bad habits like smoking, drinking and drugs. Through meditation, one learns to deal with stressful situations in a manner that will cause little or no stress at all.
Practical:
The most basic meditation involves sitting in a relaxed position and clearing your mind. There are many techniques to achieve this but a simple meditation of inhaling and exhaling through the nose while observing the breath enter and exit can offer many health benefits. It’s necessary to have between five and twenty free minutes to spend each day. It’s helpful to have silence and privacy, but more practiced meditators can do it anywhere. Many practitioners of meditation attach a spiritual component to it, but it can also be a secular exercise.
The Pros and Cons Of Meditation:
Meditation is wonderful in that it’s always available, and amazingly effective in short-term stress reduction and long-term general health once the technique has been learned. it can also be used for self improvement.
It does take practice, however, and some people find it difficult to learn in the beginning. It also requires patience, and may be difficult for people with little free time. However, the time and effort it takes to learn and practice is well worth it in terms of the benefits it provides. Alone, a person may lose interest after a short time of not seeing any results, and on your own, it may take several weeks or even months before any benefit is felt.
An experienced practitioner on the other hand, can speed this process up. He can bring the novice meditator to a meditative state of complete relaxation at the first session and help advance a person quickly to a point that he/she will be able to meditate on their own in a very short time.
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