How to Practice Meditation with a Jewish Orientation
When most people think of meditation, they think of Eastern religions such as Buddhism and Hinduism. The truth is that meditation also has a long history in Jewish practice. According to Orthodox Rabbi Aryeh Kaplan in "Meditation and the Bible," the prophets of ancient Israel entered meditative states of consciousness in order to access higher truths. It is likely that Abraham was in a higher state of consciousness when he heard God telling him to go forth from the land of his father and that Moses entered higher mental states when he communicated with God.
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Instructions
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How to Practice Meditation with a Jewish Orientation
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Traditional Judaism as taught in most synagogues encourages engagement with the world and not isolation. Therefore, your first step must be to understand that meditation also has a place in Judaism, that it was practiced by Jews in Biblical times and that meditation is not an alien practice involving the worship of other gods. In other words, when you make the decision to meditate, the first step is to set aside anxiety and guilt. Reading a book like Aryeh Kaplan's "Meditation and the Bible" can help you take this first step.
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Make the commitment to set aside some quiet time for yourself every day. Twenty minutes is fine for beginning meditators. Decide that during this period, you are not going to answer the phone or the doorbell, engage in conversation with family members, carry out any business or do chores. For that twenty-minute period during your day, the only thing you will do is practice meditation.
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Take a seat on a comfortable cushion or chair. Be sure not to slouch, but sit with a straight spine, because meditation acts on the body as well as the mind, and good posture is necessary for it to yield its beneficial effects. Place your timer next to you and set it for twenty minutes. Now lower your gaze to a few inches in front of you on the floor, but do not close your eyes completely in order to avoid falling asleep. Place your hands on your thighs, palms up or down, whichever way is most comfortable for you.
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Allow yourself to focus on your breathing rather than your thoughts. Follow your breath with your mind, and notice your exhalations as they go out. When thoughts or emotions or fantasies arise, acknowledge them without any recriminations whatsoever. When your mind wanders, it doesn't mean you are doing anything wrong; your mind is simply doing what minds normally do. Upon acknowledging your thought or emotion, gently let it go and return to your breath. The point here is not to put your mind in prison and stop yourself from thinking or feeling; the point is to get to know how your mind works and also not to be kidnapped away by thoughts.
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This process of meditation will liberate your mind and open your heart. When you are still and are not kidnapped away from the present moment by your thoughts, emotions and fantasies, you are able to hear the "still, small voice" of God. Because you are not enslaved to thoughts, they stop being like gods or idols who dominate your life. Instead of being dragged here and there by them, you are free to hear and obey the word of the One True God.
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Tips & Warnings
If you would like to feel like you are joining your spiritual practice with that of the rest of your Jewish community, think about starting a meditation circle in your synagogue that meets and practices for a twenty minutes before or after services.
If you choose to sit crossed legged on a cushion, be aware of any pains in your knees. Respect your body's signals and move into a chair. Sitting with good posture in a chair is every bit as effective as sitting on a cushion on the floor. Your body is one of God's gifts to you, so being kind to your body is good spiritual practice.
