(7) God יהוה formed the Human from the soil’s humus, blowing into his nostrils the breath of life: the Human became a living being.
Pause for a moment and take a few full breaths. As you release each breath, allow your thinking mind to relax and dissolve. Drop into a state of presence – of just being. Notice what you experience right now. Remain here for a few moments, just being present and noticing what arises.
- The Path of Primordial Light: Ancient Wisdom for the Here and Now, Zvi Ish-Shalom, p. 11.
(13) Moses said to God, “When I come to the Israelites and say to them, ‘The God of your ancestors has sent me to you,’ and they ask me, ‘What is [God’s] name?’ what shall I say to them?” (14) And God said to Moses, “Ehyeh-Asher-Ehyeh/I will be what I will be/I Am that I Am,” continuing, “Thus shall you say to the Israelites, ‘Ehyeh/I will be' sent me to you.’”
(ד) וְהוּא הָיָה. וְהוּא הוֶה. וְהוּא יִהְיֶה בְּתִפְאָרָה:
(4) It [Being] was, It is, and It will be in splendor.
(ב) אַ֣ךְ אֶל־אֱ֭לֹהִים דּֽוּמִיָּ֣ה נַפְשִׁ֑י מִ֝מֶּ֗נּוּ יְשׁוּעָתִֽי׃
(2) In God alone is my soul quiet; my help/transformation comes from that One.
(ב) לְךָ֤ דֻֽמִיָּ֬ה תְהִלָּ֓ה...
(2) To You silence is praise...
The meditative principle is simple. By giving our mind three different areas of focus in the present, it becomes too busy to entertain thoughts of past or future. We can better keep concentration on the object of our attention and we bring our bodies into the process…
- Place 25% of your awareness on your breath, 25% on your feet…, and 50% on the world around you.
- When your mind wanders and focus fades, try not to get angry at yourself. This happens to everyone, no matter how experienced. Gently return your attention to the breath and to your body, and continue on.
- The numbers 25-25-50 are to give you a general idea of where your attention should be focused. They are not meant to be followed literally. Another way to frame this practice is: place part of your attention on your breath, part of your attention on the feel of the earth against you, and most of your attention on the object(s) of your main focus.
- It might be too much to keep awareness on three loci. For some, it is better to simply keep some awareness on the bottoms of the feet, and not bother with breath. Some people prefer to keep awareness on the heart rather than the breath. The rule is, experiment and do what works for you. I find that when walking in nature, it helps to keep awareness on feet and heart. When praying, I keep some awareness on one or the other.