In this exclusive MysticMag interview with Rabbi Brian Yosef Schachter-Brooks, the founder of Torah of Awakening, we delve into his inspiring journey and the unique blend of Jewish spirituality and meditation he brings to his teachings. Rabbi Brian shares his experiences, insights, and the transformative impact of his work on his community. Enjoy!
What can you tell me about your professional beginnings and journey?
I never envisioned myself as a rabbi when I was younger. I was always drawn to anything spiritual, regardless of the religion. From a very young age, maybe as soon as I could read around seven or eight years old, I was fascinated by meditation and mysticism from various traditions. I learned meditation with my family when I was 12, but it wasn’t specifically Jewish meditation. However, I did experience certain Jewish holidays with relatives, and I felt there was something profound and deep about these traditions, like a dim light covered with a cloth – something that hinted at a deeper spiritual light.
As I grew older, I got deeper into Jewish mysticism, particularly Kabbalah. Throughout this journey, I had many different teachers who guided me. It wasn’t until 1998 that I had a significant shift in awareness, an awakening experience, that profoundly changed my perspective on spirituality. This experience crystallized my understanding, bringing together the diverse teachings I had encountered into a unified vision. I saw all of this richness within Judaism, and that marked a turning point for me.
From that moment in 1998, I began to practice Judaism more committedly, even though I wasn’t raised with any particular religious practice at home. My practice was deeply influenced by my meditation experiences and the changes they brought within me. I felt a strong desire to share this with others, which eventually led me to be hired by a synagogue in Berkeley, California, as a leader of prayer with music, as well as a teacher of meditation.
After many years in Berkeley, I moved away from the Bay Area and started an online Jewish meditation community called Torah of Awakening in 2016. The community grew as people from various backgrounds joined, seeking the spiritual depth I aimed to share. Today, I still lead this community, with people gathering almost daily on Zoom for meditation and spiritual teachings. Additionally, I teach classes in Jewish spirituality with a meditation focus to both adults and children, continuing to spread the light I once glimpsed so many years ago.
Can you tell me what Jewish meditation is and how much it’s different from other forms of meditation?
Jewish meditation is a unique practice, yet shares similarities with other forms of meditation. To understand its distinctiveness, consider prayer as an analogy. Every religion has its own form of prayer, distinguished by the language used, the names for the divine, and the stories and contexts that are referred to. If you observe prayer in a church, mosque, synagogue, or Hindu temple, you’ll notice the act of prayer is universal, but the form it takes and the conceptual framework behind it differ significantly.
Meditation is fundamentally simple. It involves bringing the mind out of the stream of thinking. Throughout the day, our minds naturally drift from thought to thought unless we actively focus. Meditation teaches us to choose when to engage in thinking and when to allow the mind to rest in a state of still, calm, open awareness. This practice can transform one’s perspective on life.
In Jewish meditation, the techniques used to achieve this still, open state of mind are derived from Jewish tradition. This includes Tefilot, the sacred words used in Jewish prayers, as well as scriptural passages that are chanted and memorized. By using these traditional elements, Jewish meditation grounds the practice within its religious context.
One unique aspect of Jewish meditation is that it can be seamlessly integrated into traditional Jewish prayer services. For example, I sometimes lead a full traditional Jewish prayer service with dedicated time for meditation. This approach keeps the meditation experience deeply rooted in the Jewish context. Whether practiced alone or within the framework of a prayer service, Jewish meditation uses traditional Jewish forms to guide people into a meditative state.
What specific services do you offer?
The main and most basic service that I offer is leading an online Jewish meditation community. We gather on Zoom five days a week, where I guide the meditation sessions. On Sundays, I also lead a full Jewish prayer service infused with meditation and the elements of Kabbalah, Jewish mysticism. This involves invoking the ten divine qualities of the Tree of Life, and the 22 Hebrew letters, collectively referred to as the 32 Paths of Presence.
In addition to these regular sessions, I offer a comprehensive 16-month course on Jewish spirituality. This course teaches students to read and understand Hebrew and covers the foundational concepts of Jewish spirituality. Upon completion, participants can have an adult Bar or Bat Mitzvah and become certified to lead Jewish meditation themselves.
I also work with children, helping them prepare for their Bar or Bat Mitzvah. This preparation includes learning meditation as part of their journey into Jewish spirituality.
These are the main services I offer, blending traditional Jewish practices with meditation and mysticism to create a unique and enriching spiritual experience.
What can you tell me about the work that you do as an Integral Rabbi and the integral Jewish wedding ceremonies?
The word “integral” means, among other meanings, that we’re taking the best from the past that is helpful and letting go of things that are no longer useful. This approach involves discernment, deciding what to retain and what to discard. This is how I approach Jewish rituals and ceremonies. Whether I’m leading wedding ceremonies, teaching children, or conducting adult classes, I come from this integral perspective. There is something precious and valuable in our tradition, but we don’t have to be dogmatic about it. We can appreciate the wisdom without accepting everything uncritically, especially when certain elements may no longer serve us well.
For instance, violence and war often stem from feelings of separation and tribal identification. While we want to honor our distinct identities, we should also strive to transcend these divisions and reach a higher level of consciousness and relationship with each other. This is the essence of the integral approach.
In teaching meditation, I use a model called the Three Portals, which I refer to as integral Jewish meditation. The Three Portals are the Portal of the Heart, the Portal of the Body, and the Portal of Awareness.
Portal of the Heart: This involves adopting an attitude of generosity and offering our awareness. Instead of trying to control the mind, we open up in a generous and loving way, offering our attention to whatever arises.
Portal of the Body: This involves bringing awareness to each part of the body – feet, toes, legs, hips, belly, upper back, and so on. This grounding in the senses helps shift awareness away from the thinking mind and infuses the entire body with presence.
Portal of Awareness: This is about becoming aware that everything we perceive arises within a field of awareness that has no boundary or border. We shift our identification with our thoughts and feelings and our bod (what we normally think of as “me”) into feeling like we are an open field.
This is the 3-step process through which I guide people into meditation.
Regarding Jewish wedding ceremonies, they are inherently beautiful and simple and don’t require significant changes. I conduct these ceremonies in a heartfelt way, incorporating singing and deep connection to Jewish spirituality. The integral aspect is more about the context and the way I facilitate the ceremony rather than altering the ceremony itself. It’s about helping the couple see their journey to marriage as also a journey into deeper Jewish spirituality.
What is your favorite part of your profession?
My favorite part about my profession is seeing people come alive with and through my teaching. I have been blessed to be able to facilitate that reconnection with spirituality that many people crave but don’t know how to achieve on their own.
How can people interested in Jewish spirituality get in touch with you?
Whoever is interested in Jewish spirituality and Jewish meditation can visit my website at www.torahofawakening.com and write me a note. I’m happy to respond and answer any questions people might have.
