Ten Minutes Towards Jewish Spirituality

It's seven AM on any ordinary weekday. There's breakfast to be prepared, children to get off to school, a review of necessary chores, and a frenzied host of activities before the day actually begins. Who has time to include the far-reaching spiritual dimension in our lives or the inclination to show up at a local synagogue for the daily morning service. Yet so many people seek some spiritual practice to start the day off right. Prayer is the Jewish path that directs your thoughts inward, from the hectic outer world to the love, personal guidance and healing of the stillness deep within. How can we find a way to engage in a daily, meaningful Jewish practice without leaving the confines of our homes. Try this ten minute daily practice every morning, except Shabbat; it works for me, perhaps it can work for you too. The routine is based on traversing the Four Worlds of Kabbalistic--body, mind, emotions and spirit-- which can be readily found, in that same order, on the first few pages of a standard siddur, the Jewish prayer book.

Upon arising, open any standard Jewish prayer book that contains Shachrit, the morning service. It begins with a short prayer of gratitude, "Modeh ani l'fanecha, I give thanks to You, living and eternal King, for You have returned my soul within me with compassion--abundant is your faithfulness".  Recite this in English or Hebrew, whichever you prefer; most prayerbooks are printed in both languages. This and the prayers that follow, no more than a few lines each, are found on the next few pages of your siddur. It is important to say these words quietly but with a clear and open mind, without judging yourself for any thoughts or sensations that may arise.
Then take a moment or two to focus on your body. Ask your self such questions as--does my body move smoothly or am I experiencing tension or soreness?, how healthy do I feel?, are any of my physical systems malfunctioning? Softly affirm your answers with "Blessed are you, Eternal our God, King of the Universe, Who fashioned man with wisdom and created within him many openings and many cavities" to" Blessed are You, Eternal our God, who heals all flesh and acts wonderously"

Next look at the quality of your thoughts. Are you obsessed with negative thinking or do you emphasize the positive? Are you open to new ideas and change? Are you interested in pursuing new areas of inquiry? And once more recite these words of the prayerbook, "Blessed are you, Eternal our God, King of the Universe, Who has sanctified us with his commandments and commanded us to engross ourselves in the words of Torah" to "Blessed are you, Eternal our God , Who teaches Torah to His people Israel".

What do you feel in your heart right now? What do you do to assist others in need? How open and compassionate can you be to others? How can you make this world a better place to live?  Then declare "These are the precepts whose fruit a person enjoys in This World, but whose principal remains intact for him in the World To Come" to "bringing peace between man and his fellow".
How close can you come to God? In what ways do you realize your own uniqueness? How do you understand your purpose in life? In what ways do you connect with your authentic self? And prayerfully add, "My God, the soul You placed within me is pure" to "as long as the soul is within me, I gratefully thank you, Eternal my God".

At this point, it would be appropriate to add the first short paragraph of the Sh'ma, "Hear O Israel, the Lord our God, the Lord is One" to "And you shall write them on the door posts of your house and on your gates", and the  brief healing prayer located further on in the daily Amidah. "Heal us O Lord and we shall be healed" to "Blessed are you, Eternal our God, Who heals the sick of His people Israel. Amen.

This daily practice should take no more than ten minutes, if performed slowly and with intent. Try it for a couple of weeks and see if it makes a difference to your day, then to your week and from there, who knows. Prayer, even as brief as this, forges a strong spiritual link between us and God. This connection teaches that "created in the image of God" we are able to impart God's love on ourselves. So many of us suffer from a lack of self-esteem, the source of both personal and social problems. The remedy to all of this is a good dose of self-love, doing something special for yourself. That's prayer!