Christ Yoga / Messiah Yoga · Ophanim Yoga
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Mem — Mother of the Sitting Letters
Attributes
The letter Mem is associated in the Kabalah with the womb. It is, therefore, among all the letters, the one most indicative of the meditative state. Mem is pronounced like the English letter “M”, and is said to be the letter of silence. Pronouncing mentally the Mem sound will cause mental “noise” to vanish and give way to silence. Mem is also the letter representing purity, symbolically, the return to the womb.
In relation to the Ten Sefirot, Mem corresponds to Chochmah-Wisdom. In the human body it corresponds to the right hemisphere of the brain.
Mem is the root of the Water element. So picturing water in the form of a river, a lake, or gentle waves of the ocean can be beneficial while doing the Mem.
There are two forms of the letter Mem: basic and the “flying Mem”.
How to do the letter
Basic Mem
To do the Mem, one simply sits on the floor in a cross-legged position. Remember to orient yourself so that your torso faces east. For those who are able to do it, the ideal pose is the position known as the “lotus position”, that is, with legs crossed (or semi-crossed for those who cannot overlap one leg over the other), right leg over left leg. Let the hands, held together, gently rest on the navel, with the right fingers overlapping the left hand, the thumb of the right hand in the palm of the left hand and the thumb of the left in the palm of the right. Hold your hands this way without tightening them. Keep the head level. The back should be kept as straight as possible without causing excessive strain. You will probably find a sitting cushion helpful. In this position, one should do the inner exercise. The Mem position can be done for as long as one chooses (at least for a minimum of 3-5 breaths).
The Mem is practiced every day.
Benefits
Doing the letter Mem provides these benefits: greater mental clarity and focus, improvement of memory, calming of tension, regulating digestive problems. As a water letter, the Mem position is most beneficial for healing the female reproductive organs.
Additional Points to Note
The Mem is probably the easiest position in which to practice the inner exercise. The whole mind/body can start to feel unified, with a distinctive heaviness and stillness with the 10/5 breathing flowing through it effortlessly.
Flying Mem
This posture is done starting, ideally if possible, in the “lotus position.” Put your hands on the floor, on each side of your legs, incline yourself on your hands, and gently tilt the body frontward until the weight of the body totally rests on the arms. Then lift yourself up on your arms while keeping the legs crossed, which are now floating in midair. Once achieved, do the inner exercise for 3-5 breaths. This position may not be possible for many to do and for others it will necessary to train progressively to achieve it.
Modified Version of Flying Mem
A modified version of the Flying Mem is done by crossing the legs in any way that one can, leaning forward on the knees, with the back inclined forward to a 60-degree angle and the head level, looking straight ahead. Use the arms and hands to prop oneself in the forward position. Once there, hold the pose and do the inner exercise for 3-5 breaths.
The Flying Mem is practiced every day.
Benefits
Doing the Flying Mem provides these benefits: endurance, will power, vitality, and sexual potency. In women, it could allow the return of regular menstrual cycles, help ovarian functions, and delay the time of menopause.