Pre-Morning Blessings

Pre-Morning Blessings The following may be given as a handout Please begin these exercises as soon as you receive this. Do not socialize, but rather try to establish a mood of Kavvanah (intentionality} for davvenen this morning. This section of the morning service is purposely asocial. The timekeeper will announce the times to transition by a drumbeat. Part I 1) Begin to walk and let your mind's eye direct you to a particular spot in the field before you. Approach this spot with attention. 2) Move the focus of your attention to the following parts of your body in turn. Imagine that you can sense your surroundings from the point of view of each body place. Exaggerate the motion of that part of your body. Let its influence permeate your whole body. Let this be reflected in the way you move. Apportion the time as it "feels" appropriate. (These correspond to the 10 sefirot.) 6. Left arm. 1. Feet 7. Right arm. 2. Genitalia, pelvis. 8. Left side of brain. 3. Left thigh/hip. 4. Right thigh/hip. 9, Right side of brain. above your head. 10. A point a few inches 5. Heart. Part II 1) Find a space on the ground and stretch. Focus on your internal direction as to how to best do this. 2) Send blessings to your body; to your breath; to your soul. Part III Sit quietly and consider: 1) Why am I here? 2) What are we warming up and preparing for? Part IV Look around at the people here with the following intention: "I love you as I love myself." PartV 1) Place your tallit around you now, if you have one. 2) Place it over your head and witness the opaque light as it filters through the Tallit cloth and weave. 3) Close one eye and move about with your Tallit over your head. Part VI Begin to warm up your voice by some of the following exercises (it may be helpful to try placing your fingers in your ears as you do some of these): a) humming; b) finding some way to put sound volume "out there" - outside your body; 3) making the oddest sounds that you can think of; 4) trying to make sounds that vibrate your heart; 5) sighing; 6) wailing out your pain to God; 7) going up and down the octaves, etc. with attention to vibrate the heart. Return to the group. Perhaps your Davvenen has already happened and is now over; perhaps it has just begun.