Meditation practice for Atzilut

As we conclude the important yet difficult conversations we have undertaken during this Seder, it may be helpful to take a few minutes for yourself to process and reflect. In place of physical nourishment for this fourth cup, we therefore offer you the following meditation practice.  

Find yourself in a comfortable, upright, seated position. Begin to sit how you’d like to feel. Feel both feet flat on the ground and feel grounded. Do you want to feel uplifted? Straighten your spine and sit up. Relax and move your shoulders down your back and sit open-hearted. Allow your breath to anchor you. Take a few deep breaths, settling into this particular moment. Remind yourself, 
“this is what it feels like to breathe.” Get curious about the breath. See if you can follow an entire inhale and an entire exhale. Notice when your mind inevitably wanders, and gently bring your attention back to your next inhale. This returning, this teshuvah, is the practice of meditation. Notice when you get distracted and return to your focus, your breath. Now, feel or pretend or imagine being breathed. You can physically lean back a little bit and instead of grabbing after the next breath, let it come to you. Being breathed, resting in our breath, trusting that we are breathed, this is the world of Atzilut. With great faith, we let our breath come and go. We are held in our breath, by the breath of life.

(Pause for a moment of silence.)

May our practice be a source of strength. May any benefit of this practice not just stay here in this room, but let it radiate out into the world, through our thoughts and words and actions. May we be a blessing to the world.

- Courtesy of the Jewish Meditation Center of Brooklyn, jmcbrooklyn.org


Service Section: Readings & Activities
Source: Hazon 2021 Tu B'Shvat Haggadah