A few points of orientation and explanation before the meditations

1. THE 'SHEMOT' CROSSROADS---------We are beginning a new time period. In terms of the year, we are deep in the coldest season with long nights, forcing ourselves to be indoors and inside of ourselves and our thoughts. In terms of the annual Chumash cycle [the '5 Books of Moses' ], we've just completed the first Book of Bereshit---which described how our forefathers laid down an eternal foundation for spiritually surviving and thriving on a cosmic and personal level. We now open up the second of the 5 Books---'Shemot'---[literally translated as 'names'---- this BOOK relates the account of how the original members of Yaakov's family {the 'Names'} evolved into a full fledged nation]. This is also refered to as the Book of the 'Geula'--the redemption and birth or transformation of our transcendent people from their lowly enslaved exile state of being.

2. SYNCHRONIZING WITH 'SHEMOT' ENERGY-----How can we jive or synchronize with the enery of this season---a season ripe for deep introspection, self actualization and growth?  And how can we blend self actualization which is a full time task, with Jewish-self-actualization-- -which also is a full time occupation--365\24\7? In my humble opinion, what is needed is the right vehicle---a vehicle for collecting, and internalizing all of the insights and teachings that we can plug in to in this very fertile season....therefore, I present to you J.T.M.;

3. J.T.M.---JEWISH TRANSCENDENCE MEDITATIONS-----

regarding the name JTM-----after going through a brainstormed process of elimination to find a name that would properly represent what I'm trying to accomplish, I came up with JTM....here's the inside explanation;

JEWISH----ultimately I seek to discover a profile or consciousness for practical-fully-self-expressed-Judaism [otherwise known as Paradised Judaism or All-of-me Judaism]

TRANSCENDENCE-----the term 'transcendence' captures both the concept of full self expression, as well as the realm of kabbalistic/mystical expression [ie...a combination of self and beyond self realization]

MEDITATIONS--------up until the present time, in our weekly e-mail essays, we have featured tools and recipes for internalizing the principles and concepts learned in the Parshas. In the spirit of exploring new and better ways of capturing the  internalization of mystical wisdom, I'd like to explore a new form of meditation;    a type of meditation that seeks to capture the breadth and depth of infinite wisdom that is available to us at all times---if only we would make ourselves available to receive it!    Therefore these meditations will be sort of like 'hybrids'---containing the essential teachings of a certain theme or topic, as well as practical and experiential ways of internalizing the teaching, and be transformed in the process. Depending on the quality and quantity of the meditations that we will engage in during this period of time, we will eventually decide how to package these meditations into perhaps a booklet or guidebook for paradising our Judaism---or else maybe we can amass a giant data base that can be the source of a sort of diagnostic chart for transcendence in any given situation...who knows what lays in store for us....

4. THE STYLE OF PRESENTATION - as I mentioned last week, it was called to my attention by a few people [though there were some who disagreed], that although they enjoyed the content, i should be more stylistically sophisticated---to enable easily digestible reading consumption [sounds like a new type of diet ]. I'm still working on all of that friends. In fact I'm presently playing around with a good idea that was suggested to me, to be sort of a teaser - ie...present a small 'taste' of the meditation---and if anyone wants to receive more, let them email me-----hmmmmm----maybe---i don't know----it feels abit too busines-like for my wild and raw sensitivities---but i'm still playing around with this and other ideas.

5. B'H, I want to present to you a brand new meditation which is very connected to this time period we have just entered in to---called  SHOVEVIM  [SHOVEVIM is the acronym for the names of the the upcoming 6-8 Parshas]. These meditations will be sort of revolutionary in that they will feature the main theme of rectified sexuality in a very new and different way----ie...in a positive and personalized way, in contra-distinction to the traditional way that this 'Tikun' is normally presented  in Kabbalistic circles. ....stay tuned and hang in there....here are the few completed
 meditations;

  JTM Booklet
             MS doc format

1. Illuminations

2. The Kabbalistically Correct Sexuality Meditations

3. Divine Unification  Meditations

4. Lower Soul Meditations

5. Shabbat Meditations

6. Chanukah Meditations

7. Meditations For Letting Hashem In

8. A Kotel Meditation

9. Life-ing Meditation

10. Surviving and Thriving in Marriage meditations

11. People-ing Meditations
    

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