Life is not always easy. In fact, it rarely is! Truth can feel like the hardest thing to accept, but to realize that things are the way they are does not mean that they will always be so.
If you ever feel like things aren’t quite going the way you want, you are not alone!
Everyone at some point experiences anxiety, upset, overwhelm, and feelings of being alone and disconnected from what is most important to them or even knowing what this is for them. This is expected. It is part of being alive. If you’ve experienced this, you are not alone! Welcome to humanity!
As a Psychologist and Marriage and Family Therapist, I know of no better practice to experience exactly who we are, as we are, and ought to be, than the practice of meditation. In meditation, we realize that there is nothing to do, nowhere to go, and no one special to be!
What is Jewish Mindfulness Meditation?
The practice of meditation is the practice of noticing and experiencing the Divine in all places and experience, no matter how strange, unexpected, or unwelcome. Experiencing Just What Is can be both terribly challenging and wonderfully mysterious and inspiring.
If you are interested in exploring and discovering an authentic and profound relationship with the Divine and your greatest potential, you are not alone!
Know that you are never alone!
The practice of meditation is thousands of years old and is found across the globe in all major religious traditions, including Hinduism, Buddhism, Christianity, Islam, and in Judaism, too! Though, we do not always understand what it is, what to do, and how to actually practice it.
After practicing meditation for over twenty years now, I’ve come to appreciate how easily I still want and expect some things to be different, or for that matter, many or most things. This too is normal. And very human!
I trust that if you are reading this, you are curious and interested in learning about meditation and how it can help you and others in your life. If you are reading this, I also trust that you are interested in learning and experimenting with how Jewish meditation can support you in your life and relationship with something greater.
When you meditate, you may notice a feeling of greater calm and relaxation. This may be a new feeling! It is a good thing, but as good and refreshing as it feels, feeling calm and relaxed are more like positive side effects than the goal of meditation.
Jewish meditation is about tuning in, not tuning out. Life is all too often complex and complicated. There can be what feels like millions of things to do, places to go, and people to be.
One of the natural gifts of meditation is that things do begin to slow down. What felt like shame or overwhelm in time often softens. This may take many months, years, or what feels like many lifetimes. It is possible, and it does happen!
It is important to remember that the true gift of meditation is not an escape from life, but realizing that true respite comes from acknowledging and accepting life as it is and yourself as you are.
Acknowledgment and acceptance does not mean staying static, unmoved, or acquiescing to painful or unhealthy situations. True acceptance is found in at least acknowledging how things are, that it is so, and knowing how to respond appropriately with compassion for yourself and others.
Jewish mindfulness meditation can help you develop and enhance your love and compassion for yourself and others, and perhaps even God. With patience and practice, it can also create and facilitate a deep, personal spirituality and create a contemplative, meaningful Judaism and a nourishing spiritual life!
Okay, I can hear you now, “This is interesting, but how do I start? And what do I do now?” Download the FREE e-booklet below to learn when to start a meditation practice, what actually to do during meditation, and how to create a meaningful and thriving Jewish mindfulness meditation practice.
What’s Next?
Click on the following link to download your FREE e-booklet: “Jewish Mindfulness Meditation: What Is It? How to Do It? Any Why?”
Do you practice Jewish Mindfulness Meditation? What do you see the role of Jewish Mindfulness Meditation in your life? Why are you interested in this practice? How to you see it helping you meet your spiritual goals? Please comment below!
As always, if you are interested in learning more about Jewish Mindfulness Meditation or how to create a more meaningful spiritual path for you and your loved ones, please make sure to sign up and click the “Stay Connected Now!” button below!
Adam Fogel
www.mindfuljudaism.com