Shabbat Meditation 

Shabbat is a time each week

to put all else aside, slow down,

and recognize the wonders of creation,

the miracles of nature and life,

to join in a soul celebration.

Take a deep breath, relax your inner essence,

and enjoy the heavenly embrace that greets us

as we turn from the labors and trials of the week

to welcome the beauty and holiness of Shabbat.

We now treasure the opportunity

to cleanse ourselves of the ordinary

and attain a degree of holiness,

a state of being which enables us to approach the heavenly heights.

Take a cleansing breath and embrace the gift of purity,

as you return to the womb of this holy space.

By giving us a day each week

to replenish and recharge our spiritual and physical energies,

the Holy One of Being demonstrates

a personal concern for our health and welfare.

Slowly take several deep breaths and feel your inner energies

being recharged by the ultimate Power Source of life.

Shabbat helps us to recognize

our interconnectedness with all of creation,

to nourish our spirits in the pool of universal consciousness.

Take a deep breath

and allow your divine spark of life to connect in harmony

with the souls of the generations who have, and are now, celebrating Shabbat.

By increasing our awareness of ourselves

as part of the family of existence,

it helps us to develop compassion for all the rest of life,

that which completes us and unifies us as one.

Take a deep breath and inhale the lifebreath of love

that comes from the Source of everlasting compassion.

Then exhale your love,

tenderly nurturing the souls of countless generations.

Share in this universal bond,

and experience the wholeness,

which saturates the higher levels of existence in their entirety.

What insight, that the Chey ha’olamim, Life of all worlds,

would provide us a special heirloom from the dawn of creation.

Shabbat is more than a place, a time, a dimension,

it is a home for hearts to join in celebrating life.

“In the Beginning…” when God saw the world was good,

the Source of Wonders established Shabbat,

that throughout all time people should also have the opportunity

to appreciate and enjoy the world’s  beauty.

It is said that on Shabbat, people are given an additional soul.

Yet, how can a person have more than one soul?

Perhaps this occasion arises

when your soul connects with the One Soul of all life.

Let yourself feel the loving core of those souls that surround you,

joined in unity to express their gratitude and thankfulness

for having received the precious gift of Shabbos.

Know the true holiness that comes

from being filled with the ultimate love,

and let your kavannah, your spiritual focus, be guided

by the overflow of joy from your heart.

Recognize that each one of us is a special loving soul,

a part of an eternal connection

with the Infinite and each other.

Shabbat is said to be a preview of the world to come.

How wonderful it will be!

All life coming together in love and peace.

We don’t have to wait for this future time of peace,

we can enjoy and embrace the beauty of this special time today

by properly connecting with, and celebrating, Shabbat.

When you are ready, “slowly” open your eyes,

and feel the true light of Shabbat, as a reflection of love.

Let it soothingly saturate your being.

Shabbat Shalom!