Meditate Before Shmoneh Esrei

Hi, I am Michael Brooke. Thank you for being here. This is the motivation congregation a daily WhatsApp status and podcast that both knocks you down, picks you up gives you a hug and makes you want to run through a brick wall to crush a rookie is gold. So sit back, relax, enjoy the Vort and I hope we all steig together
you should consider taking
up meditation. I'm not kidding. It's great. I've done it at times. I find that there's increased productivity, additional tranquility, and an overall sense of calm and serenity. So why am I telling you this? Because I'd like to share one idea that I've learned about it. To begin, I'd like to start with the Gemara that tells us that if someone returns from a faraway land, let's say Uzbekistan and says that they have an unbelievable pshat and Tosfos or they have a new way of understanding R' Chaim Brisker's Chakirahs we don't believe them. Torah Bagoyim, Torah in the non-jews in the non Jews, we don't believe but chochma Bagoyim, if somebody returns from a faraway land, let's say Little Rock, Arkansas, and says there's something fascinating that I learned over there from a teacher. We believe him. a meditation teacher that I've learned from the name is Shinzen Young. I kid you not that is his name. He teaches that meditation is able to be done with just one. Deep breath. One inhale and one exhale. I believe that meditation has more benefits than I described at the beginning of this talk. R Yoseph Cairo tells us in his code of Jewish law, the shulchan aruch and siman in tzadi gimmel he tells us that a man or a woman before they daven in Shome esrei before they arise to pray, should take a pause before he begins to daven. The Misha Bura tells us how long is that it's about time that it takes a person of regular height to walk eight paces. Two or three seconds give or take. What better time than to take a deep inhale and then an exhale right before shmone esrei. Two to three seconds right there. Following Shulchan aruch  to focus your thoughts. Gather yourself and bang out a focus and concentrated shmoneh esrei