Welcome to Kabbalistic Meditation on the Sefirot of the Tree of Life.
The Sefirot are gateways of divine energy that manifest at particular points in the human body.
So this practice will also be a body scan.
So let's find a comfortable position that we can meditate in,
Balanced between relaxation and alertness,
Where the breath and the energy can move freely around the body.
And we'll start the practice with Keter,
Our crown,
The highest point in the human body,
And the Sefirah that connects us to the mystery of what is above and beyond us.
As we bring our awareness to our Keter,
Our crown,
We acknowledge and let ourselves feel whatever physical sensations or emotions arise,
And we contemplate a question related to Keter.
Keter is also our will,
And so we search,
Asking where is the place of our will?
Where is that point in us where choices are made?
And we prepare now to transition to the next Sefirah of Hohma.
Hohma meaning wisdom is inspiration and creativity.
It relates to the right side of the brain and the head.
Hohma is often compared to a lightning flash,
That idea that suddenly comes,
Just a seed not yet fleshed out.
And it's related in our tradition to humility,
To being open to receiving inspiration from wherever and whoever it comes from.
So as we bring our awareness to the right side of our brain and the right side of our head,
Allowing ourselves to feel whatever's going on there,
We also contemplate a question related to Hohma.
How open am I right now in this moment to receiving inspiration from wherever,
From whoever it comes from?
And we prepare to transition to the next Sefirah,
Which is called Bina,
Or understanding.
And Bina manifests in the left side of our brain and our head.
It's our logical or analytical faculty,
Related also to language.
Bina is that which helps us put things in context,
See how everything fits together.
And so we bring our awareness to that area,
Letting ourselves feel fully whatever physical sensations or emotions arise.
And the question of Bina is how do all the different pieces of ourselves,
Of our lives fit together?
And in the time you have now for this practice,
I suggest you pick one area of your life,
One issue,
To contemplate,
To apply Bina to,
And ask how do all the different pieces fit together?
What is the bigger picture that the details are part of?
And we prepare to transition to the next Sefirah,
Which is Dat.
Dat,
Meaning knowledge,
Is our embodied awareness of each moment.
Dat is the place in us where thoughts,
Feelings,
And physical sensations all meet in our awareness of what is happening right now.
Dat relates to the third eye and to the mouth.
As we bring our awareness to these places,
We ask the question of Dat,
Which is simply what is happening right now in my experience?
And we prepare to transition to the next Sefirah,
Which is called Khesed,
Or loving kindness.
The Khesed manifests in the right shoulder and the right arm.
And the deeper meaning of Khesed is not only kindness and generosity,
But also the underlying reality that everything is one.
It is from this realization of the underlying unity of everything that true kindness and generosity can flow.
And so we bring our awareness to that area,
Letting ourselves feel fully whatever is happening there.
We ask the question of Khesed,
How connected am I in this current moment to the underlying unity of all things?
Am I living in connection with that oneness?
And we prepare to transition to the next Sefirah,
Which is called Gavurah,
Meaning strength or severity.
Gavurah manifests in our left arm and left shoulder.
And the deeper meaning of Gavurah is boundaries with strengths and appropriateness.
And so we bring our awareness to that area,
Letting ourselves feel fully whatever physical sensations or emotions arise.
And we ask the question of Gavurah,
Which is where do we stand in relation to boundaries in this current moment right now?
What do boundaries mean to us?
And we prepare to transition now to the next Sefirah,
Which is Tiferet,
Meaning harmony or beauty.
And Tiferet manifests in the heart.
And its deeper meaning is a harmonious synthesis of the oneness of Khesed with the boundaries of Gavurah,
Meaning a healthy synthesis of the details with the big picture and of our microcosm with the macrocosm of all existence.
Tiferet is the ladder that our forefather Jacob dreamt about,
A ladder that connects the finite earth to the infinite heavens.
And when we bring our attention to our heart,
Let ourselves feel fully whatever is happening there,
We contemplate the question of Tiferet,
Which is how connected are the details of my life and the details of my experience right now to the big picture of our greatest aspirations?
And then we prepare to transition to the next Sefirah,
Which is Netzach,
Meaning eternity or triumph.
Netzach manifests in our right leg,
Our right hip.
When we bring our awareness to that place,
Letting ourselves feel fully whatever is happening there,
We ask where is my quality of determination and perseverance in this moment?
And how connected am I right now to the relentless drive of life,
Not only to survive,
But to thrive and to evolve and to constantly better itself?
And we prepare to transition to the next Sefirah,
Which is called Hod,
Meaning splendor and humility.
And Hod manifests in our left leg,
In our left hip.
The deeper meaning of Hod is gratitude.
As we feel that place in our body,
Let ourselves feel whatever is happening there fully,
We contemplate our relationship with gratitude in this current moment.
What do I feel grateful for right now and how does that gratitude manifest in my experience of this moment?
And we prepare to transition to the next Sefirah,
Which is Yusod,
Meaning foundation or integrity.
And for those with male genitalia,
Yusod manifests there.
And for those without,
Yusod manifests at the root of the spine.
And as we bring our awareness to that place,
Letting ourselves feel fully whatever is happening there,
Whatever arises in us when we do,
We contemplate the question of Yusod,
Which is how open are we right now to sharing,
To sharing our own existence,
To sharing the miracle of life?
Our life is not our own.
Our life is a gift that flows through us.
What do we experience in this current moment when we consider that?
And we are prepared to transition to the final Sefirah of Ma'uqah,
Meaning sovereignty or integration.
Ma'uqah manifests in the womb for those who have one and for others in the souls of the feet.
And as we bring our awareness to that place in us,
Letting ourselves feel fully whatever is happening there,
Contemplate the question of Ma'uqah,
Which is what new thing am I bringing into the world right now?
Ma'uqah is the integration of all of the previous qualities we've been through.
And Ma'uqah is the gift that we give to the world and to life.
What is it that we are letting life manifest through us in this current moment?
Take as long as you need.
And when you're ready,
Bring the practice to a close by gently allowing yourself to wiggle your fingers and toes.
And very slowly open your eyes,
A tiny crack at a time,
Letting in a little bit of light and then a little bit more.
And gradually return to your regular state.
Thank you for listening to this Kabbalistic meditation on the Sefirot of the Tree of Life.
I hope that you found it valuable and I look forward to hearing any questions or suggestions that you have.
I hope that you have a wonderful rest of your day.
