Illustration by Michael Glenwood Gibbs
June 2020 — I have long been a fan of Yehuda Berg’s book, The 72 Names of God: Technology for the Soul. In fact, I’ve been carrying the book with me since it was published in 2004, when I began studying ancient Jewish mysticism, called Kabbalah. Each morning, for years now, I flip open the book to a random page, knowing that I always find the perfect message for the day in the meditation. As I write the introduction to this, the My Corona issue of Inkandescent Women magazine, my fingers draw me to page 87: Diamond in the Rough. It begins: “I have the power to transform all of my hardships into beauty and strength.”
I can’t imagine a better passage to guide me, and those I love, through the 2020 coronavirus pandemic. We don’t know what lies ahead. But do we ever?
Now, though, we are seeing the impact of how we are all interconnected — how one person in China contracts a virus and within a matter of months the disease spreads around the world, infecting millions and kills hundreds of thousands — so far. That’s not to mention the financial devastation, trauma of sheltering-in-place, and profound uncertainty about the future.
If it wasn’t so horrifying, it might simply be … fascinating.
That is why I cling to my daily meditation practice. I am a Jewish woman who is guided by spirituality rather than religion. That is what drew me to this powerful tool, and for decades it has helped me stay calm during times of turbulence and change.—
Combined with my yoga practice, studying the Kabbalah has engaged my mind and opened my heart. That is also why I am also excited this month to share a special program called Kabalah Yoga, created by Audi Gozlan. Don’t miss the June 2020 issue of Inkandescent Health & Wellness magazine.
What is Kabbalah? Another favorite book of mine, Practical Kabbalah, by Rabbi Laibl Wolf, describes it is “an ancient Jewish wisdom that explains the laws of spiritual energy.
He explains: “By understanding 10 spiritual properties that flow from the cosmic source into our heart — we can connect to the universe and profoundly transform our experience of daily life.”
Try this meditation from 72 Names of God • By Yehuda Berg
Diamond in the Rough: Turning the coal in your life into diamonds • I have the power to transform all of my hardships into beauty and strength. I will get into a positive head space, knowing that from there, anything is possible. The challenges that lie before me are there for a reason, and the Light will allow me to learn from then am grow — I become my potential. All the blessings that are already mine will bring even more fulfillment and joy. My soul’s longings will be answered and my “negative” situations will turn beautiful.
Be safe, be well, stay centered. Breathe! — Love, Hope