Meditation to Enter Into Shabbat

During the week, we are busy doing and creating, but often while we are doing, we lose touch with our essence. We often succumb to labeling ourselves as what we do in the work-week-reality (e.g.,I’m a doctor, I’m a student..), or we label ourselves based on our relationships, (e.g., I’m her mother, his wife..”). We often lose ourselves in these descriptions, and value our worth based on things that are outside of us. When we attach to these labels and identities, we reject the wholeness of our inner selves. While gripping on to these external identities, we forget that we are the essential soul we were born with that never changes despite external shifts. 

On Shabbat, we return to our essential selves. The fact that we cannot create anything new on Shabbat means that we, and the whole universe, have the permission to simply exist, exactly as we are, one day a week. Thus, the Hebrew word Shabbat shares the same ancient root with the word “Savasana”, the restorative resting yoga posture. 

When we take 6 strands of challah dough that we created with our own hands and braid them together, we are bringing together the 6 days of the week:days of working,striving and creating, and uniting them into one perfect whole, the oasis of Shabbat. (Inspired by Rochie Pinson’s 6 stand challah dough in her book, The Rising!) 

The way we connect to Shabbat is by BEING and not DOING. Instead of trying to “change” or do something productive, we just sit back and BE and feel the wonders of the universe, connecting back to our essential selves. 

One way of ensuring we are connected to the moment is through our breath. Our breath “neshima” is the same word for “neshama”-soul.  When we tap into our breath, we tap into the soul that G-d gave us. Every INHALE is G-d giving us our soul, a renewed sense of life and spirit. Every exhale- we let go, releasing the weekday mentality of labels that we put on ourselves. Every exhale we are EMPTYING OURSELVES to allow the experience of Shabbat to fill us. 

Practice:

Sit in a comfortable position, sinking the shoulders down the length of the back. As your eyes close, your chin slightly lowers and the face softens. 

Take a moment to let go of all the internal noise, chaos and movement from the week. Allow all of the experiences and events from the week to depart. SIMPLY BE. 

Start to simply arrive, by meeting the self exactly as you are: in all of your frustrations, celebrations, fears and triumphs, you meet all of the parts of yourself like you are greeting yourself at the front door. You are beginning to take an interest in your own inner life.

You may notice various sounds, sensations, thoughts or feeling arise. Observe it all as a gentle witness, without judging or analyzing, just simple arriving. 

 Guide your awareness to your breath. Let the breath flow in and out smoothly.  You may want to imagine your breath as light. What color is it? Let it fill you up, breathing in pure light. 

If your mind wanders, gently return your awareness to the sensations of the breath. If you find yourself following your thoughts, allow the thoughts to effortlessly drift away like clouds while you hold this stead space, your center. Keep focusing on the breath. 

 On the next exhale, let go, detaching from work, from the week mentality, from anything you have engaged with during the week. 

 On the inhale, breathe in the spirit of life, rooted in the source of all life. Open to the awesomeness of becoming anew, inviting the feminine Shabbat reality of being, of rest, of restoring, of replenishing.

 Sit with this awareness for a few moments. Invite Shabbat into all of your being: your body, your breath, your soul.