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Fundamental to any discipline for effective living is the
concept of integration. This is the alignment of will, purpose
and goal. Most of us operate inefficiently and ineffectively
by being out of integrity, and not orchestrating harmoniously
our physical, mental, and spiritual energies. We are at odds
with ourselves.
Meditation is derived from the Latin word medi--center.
To meditate is to discover and align our center of being with
the actions that express who we are in life. It is to get in
touch with the true self that animates our life and not the false
self that manifests as the ego and which derives its identity
from the externals, i.e.; things, titles, and so on. Through
meditation, life can be lived more authentically by discovering
our potential and by relating to the external from the internal.
Ostensibly, if one's ground of being is outer directed, then
it is logical to infer that the only interaction with the outer
world is the external carapace that one has put in place, minimizing
the role of the Self.
The most elementary use of meditation is to relax the mind
and the body. In a stress-filled life and world, it is a welcome
tool for relief. There are derivative salubrious effects from
meditation including the treatment of migraines, lowering blood
pressure, decreasing stress on the heart, while strengthening
the immune system.
Through meditation, our human potentiality is augmented. Being
in touch with ourselves, we become closer to other people and
to life itself. Our capacity to love and our enthusiasm for life
is enhanced. We coalesce with the world surrounding us and thus
feel less alienated and detached. We begin to view ourselves
as an integral part of something infinitely greater than what
we had perceived ourselves to be.
In addition, meditation promotes concentration and the ability
to focus by dispelling the distorting veil of man's internal
and external prejudices. Spiritually, meditation is used as a
device to attain spiritual liberation, and to loosen our intrinsic
bond with that which is physical. It is both a medium to encounter
the Divine and experience transcendence, while serving as a springboard,
propelling future spiritual growth. In its most elevated form,
it is used as a vehicle through which one ascends into higher
realms and dimensions.
The Hebrew word most commonly used to connote meditation is
Hitbodedut, translated as 'isolation,' being alone, drawing
inwards. Given the way we operate, we are filled with the noise
of the world to the point that we derive our sense of being alive
from it. To be alone and to have stillness is frightening for
most people. Meditation weans one from the dependency on the
external and redirects the focus inward. Jewish meditation is
designed to focus on the center of all reality, the Creator,
and to forge a connection between the self and G-d.
There are also various methods of Jewish meditation which
are purely contemplative. Jewish meditations vary, and there
are perhaps dozens, if not more, methods of meditating. They
range from simple meditations such as replacing mundane thoughts
with loftier reflection, to the more sophisticated meditations
whence one reaches a higher state of awareness and consciousness.
The scope of Jewish meditation encompasses intellectual meditation
to heart meditation, body movement meditation to transcendental
meditation, and many more.
Choosing the suitable technique and meditation is key for
the success of the meditation. Not every soul is energized by
the same tunes. An assiduous and devout Chassid once implored
his master to teach him the way to G-d. It was not, as he explained
to his master, that he did not know that which he was required
to do, rather his request was that his master should direct him
in the one most inspiring and effective path to G-d. What is
the way? The Rebbe replied: there is not one way. For each unique
individual there is his singular road. One may find G-d through
prayer, another through study, one may feel closest to G-d through
self-denial, while yet another finds his connection through the
pleasures in life. While one meets G-d with love another conjoins
with fear. Each person will search within their hearts to find
what draws them closest to their source, and then follow that
unique path with all the strength of their being.
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