Chants, Psalms

Heart Meditation: Im l’vavi

Im l’vavi asicha, va’yichapais ruchi
Heart Meditation Hebrew text
With my heart, I meditate (converse) and my spirit searches. (Psalm 77:7)

There are three phases of this Heart meditation, all meant to awaken the heart as a vehicle of exploration and perception.

1st Phase (with sound and concentration)

  1. Chant Im l’vavi asicha 3X with complete focused gentle attention to the “back door of the heart.”
  2. As you chant va’yichapais ruchi, release and send the inner power that has accumulated in the heart out into the Universe. Let that spirit fly out and explore.
  3. The 2nd time you chant va’yichapais ruchi, allow that spirit to return and find its home within your heart.

2nd phase (with sound and movement)

  1. Turn head to the left, and as you chant Im l’vavi, circle down and around to the right. As you chant asicha circle down and around back to the left. Repeat 3X.
  2. As you chant, va’yichapais ruchi, bow to the center, finding your depths.
  3. The second time you chant, va’yichapais ruchi, lift yourself up into the fullness of your heart.

3rd Phase (silent chanting with breath concentration)

  1. Im l’vavi, on the exhale, asicha in the inhale, spiraling in to the heart. Repeat 3X
  2. On the exhale, va’yichapais ruchi, sending the breath out to search, taste and explore.
  3. On the inhale, va’yichapais ruchi, letting the breath return with information, subtleties and richness.

To hear the various parts of the chant, use the audio players. To download a part, right-click a note and save (or download) the linked MP3 file.

To download the PDF file for this chant, click Heart Meditation PDF. For the musical notation, click Heart Meditation Music.