Hebrew Letter Postures

Three Mothers AMSh
in the Soul, male and female,
are the head, belly, and chest.
The head is created from fire.
The belly is created from water
and the chest, from breath, decides between them.
— Sefer Yetzira 3:6 (tr. Aryeh Kaplan)

The Hebrew alphabet’s 22 letters, plus their 5 final forms, are practiced as 27 distinct postures, organized by the Sefer Yetzirah into four families. Each letter page will include its attributes, step-by-step instructions for every variation, benefits, and photographs of the posture.

Mother Letters — practiced every day

The mother letters are Aleph, Mem, and Shin. They are the first three letters in the Creation. In the Sefer Yetzirah they are called “mothers” because each is the source for an entire group of letters based on their form, energetic type, and connection with the human body. The Aleph is the mother of the standing letters, air element, and chest in the human body. The Mem is the mother of the sitting letters, water element, and lower abdomen in the human body. The Shin is the mother of the one-legged letters, fire element, and head area in the human body.

Double Letters — practiced on specific weekdays

Bet, Gimel, Dalet, Khaf, Peh, Resh, and Tav — one is practiced according to the day of the week.

Elemental (Simple) Letters — practiced on specific months

Heh, Vav, Zayin, Het, Tet, Yud, Lamed, Nun, Samech, Ayin, Tzadi, and Kuf — one is practiced according to the Hebrew month.

Final Letters — the Five Strengths

Mem Sofit, Nun Sofit, Tzadi Sofit, Peh Sofit, and Khaf Sofit — practiced alongside their respective regular letters.