A Physical Practice
of Devekut
This practice provides a way to feel connected to God by embodying the letters of the tetragrammaton in a yoga-like flow. If standing is not possible, the letter shapes can also be made sitting or lying on the back. Please modify according to your physical limitations.
The physical body is the home of the divine presence, the Shechina. Recognizing and nurturing this God-spark in ourselves and others strengthens the “vessel” of our Tree and the more en“light”ened we become. Devekut, cleaving to God, was practiced by the Ari and his group for this purpose.
Their practice of devekut was entirely mental, consisting of specific meditations and prayers. Chaim Vital, in Sha’arei Kedusha, The Gates of Holiness, details this practice, based on teachings of the Ari and others. In one form of devekut, intense focus over long, long periods of time on the name YHVH/
was intended to bring the kabbalist closer to the “light”, to the higher vibration of Source. Sometimes, other divine names would be visualized as woven between the letters of YHVH/. Meditation on these Name combinations was a practice called unifications, or yichudim.
The following is a physical practice for creating devekut.
Although the Name cannot be pronounced, It can be embodied through assuming the shapes of the letters of the Name , something like yoga poses. The mind and physical body work together with the breath. In the process we weave the self to both heaven and earth, the spiritual and the physical.
As you assume each pose, visualize the letter you are creating. Try to inhale through the bottoms of the feet and top of the head at the same time (Breath of Love, chapter 15). Exhale love through the heart. This practice also takes into account the masculine/feminine balance of the Name as seen in the Tree, specifically in the Partzufim.
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Y |
H |
V |
H |
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father |
mother |
son |
daughter |
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Image 68—Mother Exhale hhhhh, Son Inhale, Daughter Exhale hhhhh
The Y/
and V/
represent the masculine letters: these postures require effort. Inhale as you bend the knees deeply into the yud/ shape, raising the arms. Inhale as you reach the arms up in the vav/ shape, connecting to heaven.The H/
and H/ represent the feminine letters. Let your head be heavy, relax into the poses, and hear the sound of the hei/ … … HHHHH … in the exhaled breath.
As you move through the letters of the Name, the transitions between the letters can be of your choosing.
It is said that the Torah was written with black fire on white fire. The black fire represents the letters of the Torah. The white fire is the parchment that provides the background space so the letters can be seen. The letters of this practice are the black fire. The transitions as you move between the letters are the white fire. You create the white fire in the moment. It is Presence. It represents the journey unique to each of us.
In the spaces, the white fire, you can insert a symbolic posture, a full breath, personalize the movement in the moment, or practice as a continuous flow.
Further Practice
One form of the practice of unifications called yichudim, consisted of weaving the YHVH Name with other Names of God and meditating on them. You can adapt this practice by weaving your own Name, in Hebrew or English, between the letters of YHVH. Create appropriate body shapes that are comfortable for you. Here is an example: weaving my name Devi
in between the letters of YHVH: Y-D-H-E-V-V-H-I.
You can also weave an intention into the Name such as love, hope, or gratitude in Hebrew or English. For example: YHVH+ love/ahava/
, or YHVH+ gratitude/todah/
.
A good source of information on letter shapes is Aleph-Bet Yoga: Embodying the Hebrew Letters for Physical and Spiritual Well-Being by Stephen A. Rapp and Tamar Frankiel.