Laura Silver writes on TabletMag.com about a group of Jews doing meditation practices. One of their practices is loving kindness meditation Jewish style called chesed meditation. Loving kindness is the translation of chesed from the Hebrew.
In Buddhist meditation practices, loving kindness meditation is known as metta practice. There will be other posts for you about metta coming soon to a website near you!
Photoillustration Tablet Magazine; original photo Shutterstock.
When I was younger than today, I would have loved to participate in a group like she describes. Now I can only read about it.
Laura actually called us “Bu-Jews,” but I’ve been a Jubu for so long that the appellation is stuck in my mind ( = attachment).
My brother is an orthodox rabbi. My other brother has lived in Jerusalem for more than 30 years.
We are all doctors, but none of us can write a prescription (courtesy of Harry Freedman, our beloved father)!
Loving Kindness Meditation Jewish Style
Laura explains,
Now I sit and meditate on my fire escape each morning. The daily practice of meditation has helped me take a break from the computer screen and separate, at least a tiny bit, from the need to respond to everything at the speed of text. But even more unexpectedly, it’s introduced me to a Jewish community that I want to return to on a regular basis.
Towards the end of the posting, she enumerates the loving kindness blessings she invokes:
…take turns blessing friends, family, strangers, and myself with the chesed meditation.
May you be blessed with peace.
May you be blessed with joy.
May you be blessed with lovingkindness.
May you be blessed with compassion.
In the balance of the posting, she talks about the Jewish community that she has become a part of.
Once again, the important thing is to meditate daily. Once you learn to do this, your life will also change in a wonderful way.
Even though Laura experiences some difficulties with her meditation practices, she keeps at it.
Special Message to Laura Silver
Laura, if you get this far and manage to find my blog, you become the proud winner of a 15 minute meditation consult in which you may learn to distinguish between your in breath and your out breath.
I love the way you presented your mind chatter and the loving kindness blessings. Keep up your practice and your good work!
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