Va’azamra Shaym-Havaya Elyon

I will sing praise so that I may know the highest Essence of Divine Existence. (Psalm 7:18)
[Click (or tap) to see the entire Psalm 7 in Hebrew and English (JPS 1985).]

When I chant, I can lift myself up into a soul perspective and enter into the highest level of perception of and communion with the One. Instead of just focusing on the content of my Life’s drama, I can glory in the miracle of existence itself.
The four letter name of God is unpronounceable, just as the Divine is unfathomable. When I chant, the music, rhythm and intention lift me up beyond Reason, and connect me with a Mystery. There I can experience the Essence of soul which was there before “I” was born and will be there beyond death.

To hear the chant, use the audio players. To download a chant, right-click a note and save (or download) the linked MP3 file.

• Accessing the Highest (melody)
• Accessing the Highest (harmony)
• Accessing the Highest (mix)

To download the PDF file for this chant, click Accessing the Highest PDF.
To download the chant’s notation, click Accessing the Highest notation PDF.

Harpu u’d’u ki anochi Elohim

Relax and know that I am God. (Psalm 46:11)
[Click (or tap) to see the entire Psalm 46 in Hebrew and English (JPS 1985).]

There is a war raging within, and this world is a reflection of that struggle. We are holding tension in our bodies, minds and hearts and we’re not even aware of it. It’s this unconscious tension that stands between us and the experience of intimacy with God.

When I began chanting this sacred phrase, I was filled with joy at the possibility of Divine connection (Devekut) so available, so close. That joy bubbled up into a very celebratory melody. Later when I chanted it slowly, it felt like a completely different practice. I include both tempos for our practice..

I am learning that letting go of the struggle doesn’t mean disengaging with life. The process of surrendering and releasing the tension around “getting it right” actually creates a new vibrant spaciousness at my center that allows for a deeper awareness of miracle and Presence.

To hear the chant, use the audio players. To download a chant, right-click a note and save (or download) the linked MP3 file.

• Relax and Know Melody
• Relax and Know Harmony 1
• Relax and Know Harmony 2
• Relax and Know Mix

To download the PDF file for this chant, click Relax and Know PDF. To download the musical notation for this chant, click Relax and Know Notation PDF.

Imru vilvavchem al mish’kavchem v’domu selah

Reflect in your hearts upon your beds and be still. (Psalm 4:5)
[Click (or tap) to see the entire Psalm 4 in Hebrew and English (JPS 1985).]

A life of spiritual practice is built around pivotal moments of transition. We want to wake up into gratefulness and continue to wake up into awareness of miracle and blessing throughout the day, sanctifying moments of nurturance, pleasure, surprise or connection. Each moment has the potential to bring us into awareness, reverence, and remembrance of God’s Presence. Even difficult moments of missed connection can awaken our yearning for Oneness. Each moment is a doorway where the mezuzah waits for recognition.

I have been somewhat obsessed with lifting up my morning moments of awakening with practices of gratefulness and inspiration. And now I find myself turning towards the mysteries of bedtime, sleep, and dreaming. I’ve learned that how we fall asleep matters and that the quality of our sleep can set the stage for tremendous healing and rejuvenation.

In this practice, we commit to awareness even as we fall into the reverie of sleep. And that commitment leads us to a profound stillness where God can find us, as we relax and surrender into the Divine embrace.

To hear the chant, use the audio players. To download a chant, right-click a note and save (or download) the linked MP3 file.

• Heart Reflections 1
• Heart Reflections 2
• Heart Reflections Mix

To download the PDF file for this chant, click Heart Reflections PDF. To download the musical notation for this chant, click Heart Reflections Notation PDF.

Odeh Yah b’chol libi

I thank God with my whole heart. (Psalm 9:2)
[Click (or tap) to see the entire Psalm 9 in Hebrew and English (JPS 1985).]

To be whole-hearted is to step all the way in to the life I am given. It means I must let go of my resistance, and surrender to “what is.” The practice of gratefulness can take me to this place of whole-heartedness.

On the inhale I am breathing in the gift of my life exactly as it is.
On the exhale I am saying “thank you!”… for this breath, this very moment.

Each breath takes me deeper. Each breath allows me to include more of my voice and presence as I respond to the gift. I give the fullness of my heart. I stop withholding. And I open wider to receive the heart of God.

To hear the chant, use the audio players. To download a chant, right-click a note and save (or download) the linked MP3 file.

• Whole-Hearted 1
• Whole-hearted 2
• Whole-hearted Mix

To download the PDF file for this chant, click Whole-Hearted PDF.

Ta’amu u’r’u ki tov Havayah

Taste and see that God is Good! (Psalm 34:9)
[Click (or tap) to see the entire Psalm 34 in Hebrew and English (JPS 1985).]

When I enter into the sensibility of reverence and assume an ultimate meaning to the flow of my life, I am rewarded with this Divine Goodness. When I follow my intuitions that a great beauty is hidden just beneath the surface, and I dive into that Mystery, I am gifted with a direct experience of the Oneness. But I must enter; I must dive; I must take the risk. This Psalm invites me to take that leap of Faith. It says, “Don’t believe me; see for yourself!” I am invited to go for it, to fully taste this moment of Life, and then to trust my own experience.

In this chant I pronounce the YHVH unpronounceable name of God with the Hasidic term HaVaYaH, a term that incorporates the 4 letters of God’s name and also suggests BEING itself.

To hear the chant, use the audio players. To download the chant or the chant as a round, right-click a note and save (or download) the linked MP3 file.

• Taste and See!
• Taste and See! as a round

To download the PDF file for this chant, click Taste and See! PDF.