Sorry I haven’t posted to Seeking Simcha in a few months…I fell.
Things were going well for me during my journey towards simcha (Jewish happiness). I was losing weight, meditating and working towards Shalom Bayit (greater peace at home).
But then I started getting stressed and very busy at my high-tech job, triggering a pattern of dysfunctional eating (something I have struggled with in the past). I began binging at restaurants and eating until I literally felt sick.
One of my big challenges for this year is to be more patient with my children.
One of my kids is a wonderful boy with a sweet streak, but he is also extremely energetic and impulsive. I start every day striving to be patient, but too often I get frustrated with his behavior and start nagging/punishing.
Continue reading #MeditationMonday – Hebrew Meditation for Patience
In late May, I decided to get serious about improving my health. Since then, I’ve lost 20 pounds (9 kilos) and feel MUCH better. Six relatively easy steps have helped me transition to a healthier lifestyle.
One of the major benefits of meditation is the inner peace it cultivates. In Hebrew, the words “Shalom” (peace) and “Shalem” (whole) share the same root. It is impossible to achieve a state of wholeness/completeness in your life without inner peace.
Here is a meditation practice I have been experimenting with recently to increase my feelings of tranquility and peace.
The positive psychology movement has identified meditation as a key technique for increasing happiness and feelings of tranquility. But observant Jews don’t meditate, do they?
There are some excellent books and articles written by Rabbis and Jews about the traditional approach to simcha (Jewish joy). Most of them, unfortunately, ignore meditation as a tool for centering oneself and becoming happier. This seems to be part of a larger trend of marginalizing meditation, a practice that was once widespread among Jews.
