Jewish Meditation in 7 Steps – Quick & Easy
Rebbe Nachman’s path to Chassidic Meditation or Hitbodedut can be challenging for many people just starting out. Oftentimes people complain that an hour is just too difficult to find in their day. Reb Ozer Bergman suggests the following 7 step easy approach to Jewish Meditation:
Set a time during the day when you know you will be alone and fully available for just one minute.
1 • Stop what you’re doing.
2 • Take a deep breath.
3 • Thank God for any two things in your life—one current, the other current or past.
4 • Ask God for two material things—one related to today, one related to the future.
5 • Ask God for two spiritual things—one related to today, one related to the future.
6 • Ask God to help the Jewish people in two ways.
7 • Either: (a) Ask God to talk again tomorrow and say, “Thank You,” or (b) Keep talking. When you finish, go to 7a.
[box] If you are interested in reading more about Jewish Meditation, you may be interested in reading our step by step guide entitled, “Where Earth and Heaven Kiss.“[/box]
7 comments
Thanks for this, short and sweet.
As to number 3. PAST: Thank you God for putting me through the Holocaust. PRESENT: Thank you God for giving us Obama whose love toward Jews and Israel is overhwelming.
It’s heartening to me that this meditation encourages us to ask things of Hashem.
If we don’t ask Hashem for things, how can we recieve them by faith, thus strengthening our trust in him? Shalom!
Shalom & thank you for this beginner-level approach to Reb Nachman’s process of Hitbodedut.
I have read various sources in recent times, yet they tend to be oriented toward those who are far beyond a beginner’s mode.
At times, some writings on the topic seem to diverge on the nature of Hitbodedut itself—or complicate it rather than clearly helping those seeking understanding among conflicting variations, sources, etc.
Keep up the gr8 work.