God in Your Body: Kabbalah, Mindfulness and Embodied Spiritual Practice (Paperback)

by Jay Michaelson (Author) "In almost every contemplative tradition, eating is regarded as a sacred act..." (more)
Key Phrases: embodied spiritual practice, hakarat hatov, ata adonai, Yom Kippur, Rabbi Nachman, Sefer Yetzirah (more...)

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly
With the gentle authority of a good yoga master, Michaelson, chief editor of Zeek: A Jewish Journal of Thought and Culture, offers not so much a mind/body lesson in Kabbalah as a map to a mindful, spiritually rich lifestyle. Having "chosen to emphasize those aspects of the Jewish and world wisdom that treat the body as a sacred site for contemplative practice," he uses a combination of simple meditations, prayers, Talmudic excerpts and wisdom from historic rabbis to guide those seeking to embrace the "God in your body." While most journeys begin with a single step, this one begins with a single breath. Throughout, he reminds us that "a practice is done 'no matter what' not for strictness's sake, but so it can be a prism which casts light upon the mind"—whether that practice be one of breathing, eating, walking or even using the bathroom. Yet, the calls to practice are balanced with a fascinating cache of tidbits. For example, the Amidah, or Standing Prayer, is sometimes called "The Eighteen," referring to the 18 blessings within it that are believed to correspond to the body's 18 vertebrae. This book belongs as much on a shelf with other meditative, mind/body titles as it does among Judaica. (Dec.)
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Review
"Thoughtful, contemplative, and insightful. You will be intellectually stimulated and emotionally awakened." -- Rabbi Dovber Pinson, author, Meditation and Judaism: Exploring the Jewish Meditative Paths

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Product Details

• Paperback: 247 pages
• Publisher: Jewish Lights Publishing; illustrated edition edition (November 30, 2006)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 158023304X
• ISBN-13: 978-1580233040
• Product Dimensions: 8.9 x 6 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12.8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #340,807 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

17 of 18 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Body and Mind in Judaism, December 27, 2006

By	Shalom Spencer "Shalom S." (Berkeley, CA USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

For years I have been involved in physical things, tai chi, jogging, basketball, baseball, and then as I got into more "spiritual things" the dichotomy emerged; mind and body are two oppossing forces. Try as we may many taught, we must overcome the body to reach the spiritual. My interest in Judaism as I matured caused me to explore that in fact there are many physical pathways to Jewish spiritual practices. Yet I never could find an explanantion that satisfied me. Well this book does so. First off the author is a very wise and thoughtful writer. There is brilliance here and throughout the author writes from experience both in learning (which many Jewish books in my opinion lack nowdays) and also his own life learning from meditation and body work (he appears to have done yoga nd much more). What I learned from this book is that the physical mitzvot and commandments are deep spiritual teachings and they compliment the theory which many readers may have read or learned about. There is a humility here as well as he asks the reader to experience for themselves doing, learning and then knowing when one eats, prays, breaths, loves and walks (and after all Jewish law, Halacha is a way of walking to and with G-d). I do not agree w/ everything the author writes but so what. I learned an incredible amount and he opened my eys to new ways of being and experiencing the Jewish pathway. If a book does that then it surely is a valuable friend. I am thankful for this book and Jay Michaelson hopefully will share some more of his wisdom in the future.

13 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Wherever We Let Him In, June 6, 2007

By	Jill Baker Shames (Rehovot, Israel) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

A beautifully-written perspective on the holiness of whole-ness. As a martial artist and teacher of the arts, as well as a Torah-committed Jew, I am inspired by the author's call to see beyond the body-mind schism and embrace a view that transcends East vs. West. Since there is One Creator, it stands to reason and faith that each of us, body-mind-soul, should be testament to His Oneness. I read this book joyfully and often pick it up and open to random sections to read and reexperience that joy. A treasure.

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars I've never reviewed anything before, January 24, 2008

By	wrentzu (Minnesota) - See all my reviews

I have never reviewed anything before, but for this book I will. I found this book to be extremely helpful. My therapist and I are using it to deal with some difficult issues, and each chapter makes the discussion so much easier. I'm looking at my life, my body and my health with new eyes.