Want to join a 24hr hitbodedut group?

Shabboslover

Sun, Sep 20 2015, 4:41 pm

Hi,

I am not sure that imamother will allow me to post this, as it contains recommendations for two websites, but they are free websites and you can find some free information on hitbodedut at: breslovwoman dot org (search the topic hisbodedus), and free video classes on the topic at breslovcampus dot org.

There are different approaches to hitbodedut, and for many women doing it while they are folding laundry, cooking dinner, etc. may be all they have the ability to do at first. Start slow. A few minutes a day. If you only have a few minutes a day then maybe keep it to thanking HS for everything good in your life. Many busy moms find it challenging, and that's okay. Do what you are able at first, without guilt. Learning about it is the first step to desiring the benefits of hitbodedut in your life.

If you are able to do more, then read up on it and try different formulas that work for you. (For example walking works for some people, praying from Tehillim or other tefillos that lead into personal conversation with HS such as Likutey Tefillot, repeating Ribono Shel Olam over and over until your heart is stirred and you are able to talk).

All the great tzaddikim did and do hitbodedut although Rebbe Nachman of Breslov is famous for recommending it as an essential practice for a variety of reasons. One of the more timely ones is that if you do it all year long (the cheshbon hanefesh part, making an accurate judgment/assessment of where you're holding and where you've slipped up and could improve) Yom Kippur goes a lot easier since you've been doing teshuvah every day for a year.

For most average people, it is suggested that you focus on being happy for the entire day, and spending only an hour a day or less in serious contemplation. Even five minutes is good.

Hitbodedut helps you build a rich, tangible, relationship with HS.

Gmar Chasima Tova.

amother

Copper

Sun, Oct 04 2015, 9:11 am

Long post

I need some help with my Hitbodedut.
I'm feel like I'm losing what I gained during my 5 months. (See earlier reply)
This is getting me sad, which I know comes from the yetzer hara.

Erev Rosh Hashana, I was so busy that I felt that the day passed mondanely, even though I was able to get my hour of talking to H-Shem early.

R"H- Usually on Shabbat I walk to Shul all alone and able to get 1 hr. of hitbodedut done, 1/2 in the morning, 1/2 in the afternoon, totaling 1 hr. But since D"D came home, this was not possible, since I walked with her.

I rationalized that this is where H-Shem wants me cooking, serving, being with youngest DD, etc.

Days 3-9, Tishrei, Did my daily hour, but had trouble getting started. DD went back home. It was just ok once I got started.

Yom Kippur- Did 1/2 hr. on my way to Shul, but I felt it was cold, I didn't really connect. The rest of the day was spent in shul davening, but I felt I couldn't connect and my tefillah was just, blah, blah, blah, lip service.

Day 11-12 Tishrei, Did my daily hour, but had trouble getting started, it was also blah.

DD came home on the Friday 12, No Hitbodedut on Shabbat.

Eating all sukkot meals at the Shul sukka, so I don't have the excuse of having to cook, clean, serve, etc.

Sunday, Erev Sukkot, did 1 hr, but very cold.
Monday - Tuesday- 0
Wednesday- Thursday- 1 hr. Not much better than Sunday
Friday-Shabbat All kids, and GC came to spend second holidays. 0, zero
Hitbodedut, Friday I was able to get 45 minutes in, but it was very hard, constantly watching the timer, and many interuptions

Now it's Sunday, Hoshana Rabba, the most important day. I got up early, before everyone else, and I'm on the computer,
I'm finding it hard to get started.
Here I am for almost 1hr fooling around on Ima mother, and now all the little ones are starting to get up.

I can take the car and go somewhere quiet and nice, I live in MB, and it's really sunny and nice today. I just have no desire.

On the one hand I have a desire to have the relationship I had with H-Shem, and on the other hand I can't get started, and when I do start it's blah, blah, blah.

Help me please. I know H-Shem is itch me, but I don't know why I'm pushing HIM away.

I have TONS to be thankful, and when I do my hitbodedut I see miracles

I thought this Tishrei was going to be sooooo spiritual and uplifting. It's not, and I'm sad about this.

Help me get this yetzer hara away.

Sorry for the long post.

amother

Rose

Sun, Oct 04 2015, 10:40 am

I really hope you see this before the holiday starts bec I pray it will give you some chizuk.

ירידה לצורך עליה
This is the decrease In Order to increase. The down before the up.

Hashem is making you think your down in order to bring you even higher.

The whole purpose of this is to bring you closer to Him. How?
When you are "down" (literally or mentally) you need to reveal Hashem in that place and by doing so you will go up to the next level.

How do you reveal Hashem in the place that your in?
By smiling and being happy with what you are doing and what you are able to do.

Hashem created the world that in order to go up to the next level you must go down first and not to worry or pay attention to the down. The trick is to go through it as if you're going up because once you do that it becomes the going up. Hashem wants you to feel the same happiness now, when you feel down, like the happiness when you're going up. Before the עליה (up) there will be trials and tribulations each and every time.
(Rebbe Nachman teaches us this)

So now what you need to do is be happy and thank Hashem for what you are able to do. Once you show Hashem that you are happy with the little you can do then you will feel the upward motion and the advancing.

So go find a quiet place and plaster on a big smile and tThank Hashem for the ירידה (downfall that isn't actually a downfall unless you allow it to be). Thank Hashem that he is "putting you down" because He wants to bring you closer! Wow look how much Hashe loves you! Tank Hashem for loving and caring about you and wanting you to come closer to Him! Thank Hashem for your daughter and grandkids for coming. Thank Hashem for being able to talk to him. Thank Hashem for not having to cook and being able to enjoy the kiddies. Thank Hashem for the beautiful weather (where I am it's so cold already!) .....

There is so much to thank Hashem about!! Your smile should be real because you should know in your heart that your on your way up! Wow that's amazing! You are so lucky to be going up and getting closer to Hashem! Know that and Thank Hashem for it!! I'm smiling and happy for you!

BezH after thanking Hashem and feeling truly happy make sure you pray that Hashem should allow and help you continue to come closer. Pray that you should be able to continue with your hitbodedut and that Hashem should help fight the yetzer hara and bring the fire back!

The only way to beat the yetzer hara is with Hashem's help. Ask Hashem and He will help. You've already seen miracles with doing hitbodedut so Hashem has showed you that this is the way. Hashem answers our tefillot to help us recognize Him and His truth and to help us come even closer once our teffilah has been answer.

BezH He will answer you many more and you should be zoche to always go up!! Amen!

Also as soon as chag is over you must get in forest fields. I think you said you don't usually read but it will help you tremendously! It will change you hitbodedut and bring it to another level.

Chag sameach!

amother

Copper

Sun, Oct 04 2015, 5:08 pm

amother wrote:

WOW!!! Thank you H-Shem for connecting me to Rose. Thank you Rose for those beautiful inspiring words. It brought me great joy. May H-Shem bless you and your family with many good years filled with Torah, Mitzvot, Maasim Tovim, Chesed, Rahamim, Emunah, Ahava, Simcha, Teshuva, and Shalom, with the coming of Mashiach. Chag Sameach 😀

amother

Rose

Sun, Oct 11 2015, 12:32 pm

Hi copper, first I want to apologize for not answering you sooner. When I saw your post I wasn't able to answer and this morning I said I must make sure I do and then I log in and see you posted again. So please I'm sorry for the wait, with Hashem's help I hope to be able to help.

So when doing hitbodedut you should be doing a cheshbon hanefesh (an accounting of your day). In this way you will see where you may have erred and be able to correct it through proper steps of teshuva.

Now, with you saying im sorry for being ungrateful and the like, I think rather than just saying I'm sorry for it all, you should turn it into proper teshuva. Admitting, feeling bad/remorse, and saying you won't do it again. And with Hashem help you will be able to move forward and when presented with a similar situation, you will pass the test and go up, in turn getting closer to Hashem.

Proper hitbodedut includes a Cheshbon hanefesh and working on ourselves. Askig Hashem to help us see our sins and do teshuva for them.

amother

Copper

Sun, Oct 11 2015, 6:15 pm

amother wrote:

Thank you so much for your reply.
I don't think I expressed myself correctly in my question.

When I do my Hitbodedut I start off ( or at least try) to recap what I did the day before, and reflect on how I did on specific things I'm working on, for example, saying Asher yatzar properly, how I treated family members, etc.

Then I start what I call my "daily therapy session", I talk to H-Shem about my feelings and wanting to get closer to HIM, and a specific family situation we are going through. It is during this time that I may complain about a situation and ask H-Shem to help me deal with it, and see how it's for my best. Or I may have the "Chutzpah" to tell H-Shem, what I want to happen, or that I want to see faster results. Or "demand" Moshiach, etc.

It is during this time I may sound demanding or ungrateful, and I try to correct myself, but I'm not sure if this whole "therapy session" is ok to do.

Then I start my Thank You sessions. I start with my feet and thank H-Shem for every part of me, all the way to my brain. Then I thank H-Shem for my DH, DK, DGC, individually with specific attributes, during this time I daven for each one to be healthy, physically, emotionally, spiritually, and for all their needs to be met, each one accordingly.

Then I daven specifically for 2 ladies in my community to have children.
Then general prayer for all who need refuah, shidduchim, shalom bayit, Parnasa, etc.
Then for H-Shem to send us Mashiach.

I tried doing my Thank Yous first and then my "therapy session", but sometimes after my "therapy session", I feel down, and doing my Thank Yous lifts my spirits up as I see all the wonderful gifts H-Shem gave me. So it's better for me to end in a positive note.

I guess I'm just looking for validation that how I do my Hitbodedut is correct.
I should just have the confidence to know its good. I guess one more thing to add to my "grocery list".

chag334

Sun, Oct 11 2015, 7:34 pm

@copper Hi! The truth is I was mekarev through chabad but came to the realization that it wasn't shayach for me so now I consider myself chassidish. I dabble in a lot of breslev and am really into meditation, it's absolutely changed my life and make certain klippas that we're attached to my heart melt away like wax. There is a rabbi named doniel Katz who hosts something called the elevation seminar. If you ever have the zechus to attend you absolutely must. It's revolutionary. My hitbodedut is often quiet meditations where I try to tap into my neshama (if that makes sense without lengthy explanation!) and transcend my guf and the levels of nefesh and ruach. I'll also repeat a posuk over and over again. I'm a poshut yid:) I try to keep it simple! How about you?

chag334

Sun, Oct 11 2015, 7:35 pm

amother

Copper

Sun, Oct 11 2015, 11:56 pm

chag334 wrote:

DH and I are both from Sephardic roots. I am BT, through Lubavitch, DH FFB from BT parents that are close to ALL types of chassidim. DH studied in Williamsburg for a short time, thenMorristown and went to shlichut ( long story) DH brother and sisters all consider themselves Lubavitch. I guess we concider ourselves Sephardic with very close ties to Lubavitch and other chassidim. We are all Jews, B"H. DH is the Rav of a big Sephardic Congregation in the community.We are quite close to Rabbi Brody and to Rabbi Nechama, general director of Breslev.co.il.
DH is a big fan of Rabbi Arush's books, and gives classes on Gan HaShalom.

Interesting enough, My FIL use to travel a lot for business. He use to encounter many Breslev chassidim. He would collect the little booklets in English and save them for me. We are talking about 25 years ago.

I'm not the type that's into meditation. I just sit and talk to H-Shem, very Pashut.

amother

Yellow

Wed, Mar 04 2020, 3:04 am

Hi! is there anyone still active from this post who can give me advice in hitbodedut? I am new in this, trying to do it as best as I can since Elul, but I don't know how to be able to do an one hour session on Shabbat. how do you do? during the week I have to raise really early, bc I always have my little ones at home and I need quiet time for this. on shabbat I can't set my clock. so I sleep longer (and I feel like I need this sleep one time a week!)... further more, I don't know what is "allowed" to pray on Shabbat. I am confused about the things I heard and read. what means no personal request should be made on shabbat? for what can I pray or for what not? please can someone clarify to me how you should and can do hitbodedut on shabbat. woulde be of great help. thank you!