Welcome to this soul fitness meditation for quiet contemplation towards self-discovery.
The Jewish tradition understands that we are all journeying through our lives in this world.
We're all traveling through this existence of corporeality,
Trying to do the best we can to live as spiritual beings in physical bodies.
Traversing this world,
Our soul pines for its true north.
Our spiritual core aches for reconnection with its purpose.
Yet the noise and frenetic energy of modern life muffles that cry for authenticity and distracts our attention towards the demands of everyday life.
And yet we know,
Deep inside,
That under those raucous radio waves of static,
There is the sweet song of purpose and direction,
The deepest pleasure of self-knowledge and spiritual manifestation.
Our sages teach us that the access point for self-discovery is the technique of Hashkata,
The quietening meditation.
Hashkata is based on the Hebrew word Sheket,
Which means silence.
This ancient technique looks to quieten down the constant thoughts and needs rushing in our heads.
It gives us an opening to return to our core and allows us the space to reflect on who we are and where we're going.
So for this meditation,
Find yourself in a comfortable position with no distractions and set yourself at ease,
Preparing to get quiet and to get still.
Firstly,
Let's focus on our breath,
Noticing as we breathe in the cooler air as it comes into our nostrils.
Hold,
And then breathing out again,
Noticing the warmer air as it exits.
Become aware of the sensation of a body being held by the chair or the floor that you are sitting or lying on.
And notice the shape of your body as you breathe in,
Your body lifting,
Your ribcage expanding.
And as you breathe out,
Your body coming forward,
Letting go,
Feeling settled and feeling comfortable.
Let go of any tension in your neck or shoulders and start to notice your body as it begins to quieten without walking,
Touching,
Without speaking,
Just quiet.
So the first level of this Hashkatha meditation is to bring our awareness to our physical sensations and ask ourselves the question,
What am I feeling in my body?
Become aware of what you're feeling physically,
In your legs,
In your arms,
In your torso.
Just bring your attention to your body.
Is it feeling tired?
Are you feeling full of energy?
What am I feeling in my physical body right now?
We'll now move to the next level and we'll ask ourselves the question,
What emotions am I experiencing right now?
Where am I emotionally?
And with this,
We will look inwards non-judgmentally.
It's not about good,
Bad,
Right or wrong.
Just experiencing and noticing how I'm feeling emotionally right now.
Am I feeling happy,
Sad,
Anxious,
Excited?
Just noticing,
No judgment,
Being aware of how I'm feeling emotionally right now.
The third level,
Which is possibly the hardest one,
We'll ask ourselves the question,
What thoughts am I experiencing right now?
Where am I in my thinking?
This is of course very difficult to do and don't worry if you're finding it hard.
As you revisit this meditation,
It will get easier.
For many of us,
Our thoughts and our self seem to be one and the same.
So here,
Try and notice your self,
Your true essence,
Your true you,
As it sits and watches the thoughts coming in and out of your mind.
If it helps,
You can imagine sitting on a couch,
Noticing a screen in front of you where the thoughts come in and then go out again.
Observe the thoughts non-judgmentally.
It's not about good or bad,
Right or wrong.
Just observe the thoughts and then let them fly back off again.
Breathe in.
Breathe in now in this state of Haskatha where everything has been heard and everyone has been seen and suddenly we find ourselves quiet,
Still.
Breathe in and imagine yourself lifted up,
Elevated,
High up,
Looking down,
Observing your thoughts,
Your emotions and physical sensations and notice this sense of inner peace,
Quiet.
And here,
From this vista,
Take a few moments for yourself in quiet contemplation,
Here in this state of Haskatha,
Quiet mind.
We can ask ourselves the following questions.
Who am I?
In my essence,
Who am I?
Am I living in tune with myself?
Am I being true to myself?
Is there something that I feel that needs to change in order to lead a life filled with more meaning and purpose?
How can I make this happen?
Stay for as long as you wish in this moment of blissful quiet,
Still mind and precious self-contemplation.
And when you're ready and it feels right for you,
Thank the creator for this Haskatha quiet mind experience and finish the meditation by asking for help in all your endeavors to lead a life that reflects your true spiritual essence.
