How to Achieve Remarkable Spiritual Relaxation in 3 Simple Steps

In the previous column, it was explained how the first and more important step in mental relaxation is upon waking up, by contemplating all the good that Hashem has bestowed, is bestowing, and will bestow upon us at all times and moments, and recognizing that everything we have in the world comes from the Creator's goodness, not from our own abilities, strength, or talents.

In the current chapter, we will delve deeper into this relaxation in a profound and fundamental manner.

According to the Kabbalah, the body’s organs are divided into ten systems of soul forces, which are grouped into three general categories:

First group – The system of pleasure, intellect, and thought – all encompassed within the head and its entire network.

Second group – The system of emotions, which includes the heart – the source of emotions – and the hands, which concentrate the general emotions of love, fear, and admiration.

Third group – The system of action, comprising the two legs and all the parts of the body in the lower section (the liver, intestines, spleen, kidneys, etc.), wherein lies the system of emotions leading to action.

When we recognize that our entire existence is merely a gift from the Creator and His kindness, and all our powers inherently belong to the Creator, we can release the body through relaxation that corresponds to each part of the soul systems. The relaxation consists of two parts: releasing negative energy and bringing in positive energy in its place.

Just as the awakening order is that the head wakes up first, starting from the moment the eyes open and it begins to function fully, followed by the hands acting according to the person’s desires and thoughts, and the legs only functioning after getting out of bed to walk, so too the order of relaxation begins with the head, followed by the hands, and only afterward with the legs.

First Part: Relaxing the Brain System

We start from the top, by relaxing the brain system, knowing that all our thoughts and plans, with all our so-called "clever" advice, depend on the Creator's will and great mercy, and we have no true self-control.

We distance ourselves from the mistaken assumption that our thoughts and plans are our strength and power, an assumption that necessarily leads to various pressures created by the heavy load of multiple tasks imposed on a person, and we instill within ourselves the correct fact that all our thoughts arise solely from the divine force residing in our souls by the Creator's good will.

At this time, we deepen in the fact that in essence, all our plans do not depend on us, not practically but even mentally: the fact of whether we succeed in planning or thinking of something depends solely on the Creator’s grace, and even when we think of something – it is because the Creator gives us at that moment the particular thought and plan that arises in our minds.

At this moment, we transform from managers to those being managed, from weary workers carrying heavy bags of worries on our hunched backs to royal children walking upright beside their kingly father.

From the brain, unnecessary toxins of "my own strength and power" are released, which cause unnecessary stresses and burden the brain unnecessarily.

Second Part: Relaxing the Emotional System

We now move on to the second part of the body, the emotional system, which includes the central body system where the heart is included, from which the various parts of the emotional system branch out – splitting into love and fear in the two hands, expressed in various actions aimed at bringing mental gratification (love) or distancing worries and distress (fear), and now, through this contemplation, we remove the negative force of ego, which prevents them from receiving divine influence.

At this time, we contemplate the fact that no creature benefits us, not us nor the people around us, but it is the Creator's goodness in His good will that spreads to us through many channels in the form of certain individuals chosen to be the conduit for divine goodness. Also, no one causes us harm or injury – the abundance is withheld from us due to our faults from inappropriate actions we have done.

From now on, we do not love anyone for what they give us in one way or another – but we focus our love on our true lover – the Creator, and with Him we love all His beloved sons, the people of Israel, and we do not hate anyone for what they caused us – rather we turn the hatred towards the evil forces that confuse us and hinder us from serving the Creator.

At this stage, we rid ourselves of all the negative energy concentrated in the middle part of the body, connected to various activities that we think depend on us, our actions, and other people divided into groups of lovers and haters, and we rid our thoughts which cause us stress and heavy pressures.

Since every intellectual and emotional contemplation that is expressed in practical action has a powerful and enduring impact, at this stage it is also advisable to perform a practical action expressing the release of negative energy from the body. This action is called "morning hand washing," which according to the Kabbalah purifies a person from negative emotions.

After washing the hands, we refocus on our positive feelings towards our true lover, the loving and caring Father – the Creator of the world.

Instead of entangling again with a complicated emotional system of friends and enemies who are beneficial or harming us and our plans related to distancing enemies and drawing closer to lovers - which is not true at all according to the true faith that there is no other power and ability besides the blessed Creator - we release all our emotions from their prison and connect them to the Creator, knowing that He directs them according to His will, so that in the end we tire of the lies of life and reach the goal for which emotions were created – that we should love Him intensely and make a firm decision in our heart to distance from the true evil, which is distancing from the Creator’s closeness and fulfilling His will.

Third Part: Relaxing the Action System

Thereafter, we conclude the relaxation stages in the lower part of the body, the action part, dealing with the legs and the final action system.

It should be emphasized that it is very important not to get out of bed before we have completed the relaxation process in the two upper systems, especially not before washing hands, which concludes the relaxation of the two upper systems.

As Rabbi Tzvi Elimelech of Dinov, author of the "Bnei Yissachar," mentioned, one who begins their day before carrying out the contemplation sequence where we enthrone the Holy One, blessed be He, on every detail of the body systems, it is said about them "He stands on a non-good way, does not reject evil," because the impure forces, which dominate more on some of the action systems, overpower all body systems and prevail over the soul forces that are concentrated in the thinking system and from there enliven all body systems.

In his words: "Therefore, in this contemplation, we are obligated daily to subject all our beginnings to Hashem – meaning the beginning of our thoughts as we arise from our bed immediately to contemplate His rule over us, that He restores our souls, likewise the beginning of our speech and the beginning of our actions, and the beginning is the foundation for everything – since to Him belongs the birthright, and after it all branches in all matters of thought, speech, and action follow throughout the day, keeping His providence constantly before our eyes as He is the one flowing the vitality of thought, speech, and action with His good will."

Rabbi Yehuda Wingarten is the Chairman of the Foundation of Chassidut Institute and the "Basic Education" organization. Subscribe to articles in various fields Y3268992@gmail.com