Hello,
Welcome to Guided Jewish Meditations.
My name is Eliezer.
We are living in challenging times.
An unprecedented halt to the world has occurred.
A global time out.
A season to reflect,
To pray,
And to ponder the value of life.
The fragility of life has shown itself in all its stark reality.
A reality so clearly demonstrated by the source of all.
That we all live by the grace of the King of the Universe.
And that we are powerless to stop his will.
The one who controls even the smallest details in existence.
The world has been shaken up.
The infinite source is trying to tell us something.
And it is truly in our interest to try and listen.
We have become used to the convenience of life.
Food is readily available to us.
The gifts of electricity,
Healthcare,
And transportation are accessible with ease.
We have also become accustomed to the presence of others.
The communities we live in taking such an important part in our lives.
It is during times of crisis,
Anxiety,
And solitude,
Such as these,
That we have the opportunity to once again regain some of the appreciation of the ease of our life we inevitably lose during times of peace and convenience.
Today's meditation is a personal one.
It is one that I wrote out of gratefulness to my Creator,
The infinite source of all.
For all the things I have often taken for granted,
But now begin to appreciate much more.
I hope you will join me and find some of these also reflected in your life.
Perhaps something you have also experienced gratitude for.
Please find a quiet place you can get settled in,
Sit or lay down,
And gently close your eyes.
Begin breathing deeply and evenly.
Take a deep breath through your nose,
Fill your lungs with air,
And then exhale,
Relaxing your entire body as you do so.
Again,
Take a deep breath in through your nose and out through your mouth.
Allow the air to fill you with a warm sense of safety and security.
You are safe where you are.
Allow your mind to relax along with your body as you continue breathing this way,
Deeply and slowly,
Taking you into a deeper state of meditation until your mind is completely still,
Your heart beating evenly inside your body,
Completely relaxed,
Ready to begin this meditation.
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.
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I am grateful to you,
My Creator,
For the air that I breathe.
Each day I breathe almost 30,
000 times.
Each time my lungs do their job.
Thank you for healthy lungs.
They supply my body with oxygen and life.
Thank you for the large breaths.
Thank you for the small ones.
Thank you for the air that allows me to laugh,
To cry,
To pray and to sing.
And thank you for the air I breathe at this moment,
Relaxing my body,
Calming my mind,
And removing from my mind and body any negative energy,
Any anxieties,
Fears or worries,
Leaving me clean and pure,
Full of divine light.
I am grateful to you,
My Creator,
For the five senses you have given me.
Thank you for two healthy eyes and for the ability to see your beautiful world and your beautiful creations.
Thank you for the sense of smell and for the myriad wonderful smells and aromas you have filled your world with.
I am grateful for the sense of taste,
For my ability to eat and drink all of the delicious food you have created for me,
The food that nourishes me and keeps me alive every day.
Thank you for my ability to hear,
To communicate and to listen to all the magical music and sounds that exist in this world.
And finally,
Thank you for my sense of touch,
For my body to signal to me when I am in danger,
When I feel hot or cold,
And to experience the touch of another person when being close is never close enough.
I am grateful to you,
My Creator,
For the place I call home,
For a roof over my head,
For the warmth and shelter it offers me,
And for the place I can take refuge in and remain secluded in during times of crisis.
Thank you,
The source of my life,
For the electricity and water my home gives me access to,
And for the ability to prepare the sustenance I rely on to eat,
Drink and survive.
Thank you for moments of quiet within my home,
But also for moments of chaos,
For the opportunities to grow,
And for the peace and tranquility it offers me every day.
I am grateful to you,
My Creator,
For my family,
The people nearest to me in my life.
Thank you for the special bond of family,
The unconditional love and brotherhood that only exists within the confines of the family,
United by blood.
It is within my family that I find my strength,
My courage and will to go on,
To make every day unique,
Lived to its fullest,
Not a moment gone to waste.
Thank you for the health you have bestowed upon us,
But also for the challenges you have chosen for us,
Custom made for each person exactly what they need.
But most of all,
My creator,
I am grateful for this life you have given me.
This soul that resonates deep within me when I speak to you.
It radiates with divine light when I experience the splendor and warmth of your divine presence.
When you are near to me,
Surround me and connect me with you,
The infinite source.
Thank you for the ability to experience you,
To connect my mind with yours by studying the ancient divine wisdom of the Torah,
My soul connecting with the divine mind.
You are the unity that combines all,
The divine source that all depends on.
Thank you for this life,
For this day in my life,
For this opportunity to meditate on you and with you.
And finally,
I pray to you creator of all,
That you reveal yourself to the world one more time,
As only you can,
From within,
So that the thirst for you overcome everything else,
The desire to get to know you bring eternal peace to this stricken planet,
And for everyone and everything to once again recognize you as the source of all,
And we,
Our beloved creations,
Forever one with you.
We are nearing the conclusion of this meditation.
Please take a moment to allow your mind to return to the present.
Breathe deeply and evenly for a few moments until you have fully returned.
Thank you for joining me today.
The ability to be grateful for the things we have when life is challenging is the key to remain happy,
Connected,
And ready to face another day onward on this journey of life.
My name is Eliezer.
May peace be with you.
