Christhood
Christ Yoga / Messiah Yoga · Ophanim Yoga
Return to lesson
Full manual adapted from Ophanim: Yoga of the Hebrew Aleph-Bet — A Practical Guide, Book One, with permission and attribution retained throughout.
Browse the full manual
Elemental Letters · Shevat
צ

Tzadi — Monthly Letter, Shevat (Sitting Letter)

Attributes

Tzadi is traditionally called “Tzadik” or “the righteous”. It is a letter connected with the attribute of Yesod-Foundation, which is the generative principle.

Its month is the second month of winter the Hebrew month of Shevat. Its sign is Aquarius. It is the third level of Air.

How to do the letter

To do the Tzadi, sit cross-legged on the floor as in the “Mem” position. Keeping the back straight, bend forward at the waist to make a 45 degree angle while keeping the head level, looking forward. Straighten your arms behind your back, pressing your palms together, being careful not to interweave the fingers of the hands. Use the thumbs (crossing right over left) for the purpose of keeping the hands together. Raise your arms up with the aim of having them form a 90 degree angle with the back. While both hands are joined in that position, separate the two index fingers from the rest of the fingers as illustrated. In that position, do the inner exercise 3-5 times.

Additional Points to Note

As this is one of the most difficult letters please note the following points:

  1. Do a few breaths in the letter Vav before going into the Tzadi to gain flexibility.
  2. As always, you should approach this letter staying on the side of comfort and not going for a too difficult stretch. Many people can not hold the ideal arm position in the Tzadi unassisted. Do what you can and emphasize the inner exercise aspects.
  3. You can try having a partner gently hold and raise your arms to a closer approximation of the ideal form of the letter as you do the inner exercise.
  4. Since the letter is practiced daily for an entire month, there will be significant gains in flexibility for those who persevere.
Photograph of a practitioner performing the Tzadi posture, seated cross-legged and bent forward with arms raised behind the back.
Tzadi
Close-up photograph of the Tzadi hand position, palms pressed together with index fingers separated.
Tzadi — detail of hand position

Benefits

Doing the letter Tzadi provides these benefits: helps the stomach, strengthens the heart and the pericardium. Those with a weak heart should slowly get into the practice of Tzadi until they can do it effortlessly. They will undoubtedly derive great benefit from this practice.

← Back to all Letter Postures

Text and photographs adapted from Ophanim: Yoga of the Hebrew Aleph-Bet — A Practical Guide, Book One, compiled and edited by Zvi Zavidowsky, Nefesh Haya School of Ophanim and Jewish Prophetic Meditation, Jerusalem, Israel. © 2019, all rights reserved. Published here with permission.