i would be interested to hear anyone's personal tried and proven eitzos for strengthening their connection with Hashem. The times that ive felt close to Hashem i felt that i didnt want anything else. i think it can help in this struggle.
thanks in advance.

what a great thread, i personaly have been trying to work on Emuna and Bitachon as a means of being clean , i cant elaborate now but hatzlacha raba in this promising thread.on one foot ,ive found having a daily reading in the three (as of now)series book called Living Emuna has given me a chizuk ,i hope to elaborate another time on other things.looking foward to what the chevra here have to share!

i personally feel very drawn to learning seforim on emunah and bitachon. when im really learning them b'iyun and with hispaalus-life is different. 
at least my experience of it is different.
but i have a hard time keeping up a long stretch...
also when it comes to something like talking to Hashem. i do that pretty often (i think) but its hard for that to make an impact if i dont feel any response.
just sharing and wondering...

I would suggest going back to the rishonim and seeing what they have to say. 

I would also suggest that feelings can be notoriously fickle. Feeling close to hashem might be as fake as a joint... 

bego wrote on 25 Oct 2019 10:36:

cant agree , i never smoked one

just curious,
1. is there anyone here who doubts that a person can attain a true sensory feeling that Hashem is watching him and is actualy present?

2.is there any here who is not aware of a Yids requirement to reach that level, and its not just for big Tzadikim?
im not saying i have reached that level , im just asking.

whats the source for the requirement?

Good thread.  Interesting, I found that as I work through the GYE program, My relationship/awareness of Hashem has grown.  In the past few months, when I encountered the typical life challenges.  I found myself to be calmer and accept that these are from Hashem.   

just curious,
 
sleepy wrote:
1. is there anyone here who doubts that a person can attain a true sensory feeling that Hashem is watching him and is actualy present?



2.is there any here who is not aware of a Yids requirement to reach that level, and its not just for big Tzadikim?

im not saying i have reached that level , im just asking.
higher wrote back:
i think in the rav avigdor miller biography it says he reached this sensory feeling once when being misbonen on flowers in slabodka (its in the section that talks about his slabodka days) could be im being medayek wrong, thats what i thought. there are many madreigos though. sensory is a big world.

 i believe that the sefer bilvavi mishkan evneh has step by step exercises to gain a sensory awareness of Hashem (chelek aleph). (although Rav soraya deblitzki zt"l a talmid chochom atzum in nigleh and nistar, in the earlier printings of the sefer, cautions that these are very high madreigos of shivisi and not for everybody.)

just passing on the info. i didnt get anywhere near there yet. and many basic madriegos as well.

 i was just thinking that when you see how something worked out through clear hashgacha pratis then dont you feel a ''pat'' on the back from Hashem? even if aint sensory-doesnt the awareness hit you that it as clear as daylight? what about that? maybe we should seize those moments and emphasize on them.

higher wrote on 25 Oct 2019 17:28:

i think thats a great way to feel Hashems presence,thats what im trying to gain from the Sefer Living Emuna.

as far as the sorce that one is recquired to get Awarness ,ill have to continue sometime after Shabbos, good Shabbos

There's a great chapter on Bitachon in Sefer Hamaspik Le'ovdei Hashem by Rabbi Avrohom the son of the Rambam. It's so clear and profound. It is available in Hebrew and English. (English translation is by Feldheim. It is available in most seforim stores or on Amazon: Regular size- https://www.amazon.com/Serving-Classics-Library-English-Hebrew/dp/1583309810/ref=sr_1_2?keywords=avraham+ben+harambam&qid=1572225508&sr=8-2. Smaller size: https://www.amazon.com/Guide-Serving-God-compact/dp/1598269658/ref=sr_1_1?keywords=avraham+ben+harambam&qid=1572225522&sr=8-1)

#1 THE VILNA GOAN: GALUS IS COMPARED TO A  SLEEP
Just like a eagle when it  wants to take its young to a faraway place and  it finds its young sleeping in the nest ,it does things that will wake them up slowly, so too when Hashem came to Mitzrayim to take Klal Yisroel to Har Sinai,and from there to Eretz Yisroel,and found them sleeping ,Hashem did things to wake the Yidden up.(KINESHER YAIR KAYNO etc. DEVARIM 32:11)
The words of the GRA is (just like an eagle wakes up its young)"so too, when Hashem came to take the Yidden out of Mitzrayim,first He woke them up from galus which is compared to a sleep,(like it says in Tehillim 126,BSHUV HASHEM ES SHIVAS TZION, HAYEENU KICHOLMIM
WHEN HASHEM BRINGS US OUT OF GALUS TO TZION, WE WILL BE LIKE SOMEONE WHO WOKE FROM A DREAM .Hashem woke us up by sending the makos on Mitzrayim and freeing the Yidden from being slaves.
Next post: In what way is galus compared to a sleep, meaning why are we considered asleep in galus?(Have patience and youll see where Bitachon comes into the picture)

bego wrote on 25 Oct 2019 10:36:

i would like to comment on this, even though it was posted a while back.
it is def. a good idea, and perhaps even a must, to be solidly based in terms of sources on the rishonim and lmaalah bakodesh, chazal.
that being said the actual mussar and hisorerus should come from a place that the person finds both relevant and that speaks his language to be nispael from.    
there is much more to say on this topic and i will bl''n elaborate upon request.

sleepy wrote on 29 Oct 2019 03:29:

It was mentioned above that in Galus Mitrayim we Yidden  are considered asleep.There are two other Galus’es that we are considered asleep
1.Galus Bavel” ANI YESHEYNA,VILIBI ER”  -I  AM ASLEEP BUT MY HEART IS AWAKE”Says the Villa Goan ,this is Galus Bavel.
2.Our present day Galus like the Villa Goan writes in his Sefer Bi’urei Agados on Bechoros Daf .8 “The sleep that we are sleeping in Galus etc.”

What needs to be explained is why are considered asleep in Galus.

The RAMBAM writes” Even though Tekias Shofer on Rosh Hashana is a Gezeiras Hakasuv (we have to blow shofer for no other reason except for the reason because Hashem said so),nevertheless the  Mitzva of Shofar is is hinting to something,it’s as if telling us”Wake up you sleepers from your sleep!And you slumberers wake up from your slumber!etc.(Who is this that is considered asleep?)those who forgot the  Emes because the vanities of the times and they waste all their time with vanities and emptiness that won’t help them and won’t save them.”

So it comes out that the RAMBAM says that”those who forgot the  Emes because the vanities of the times” they are called asleep.
Why?
Because if a person is in a specific place to do a specific duty,and instead of doing his duty,he gets busy with other stuff,he could be compared to a person who goes to the Rabbis lecture and falls asleep  during the whole lecture ,can he honestly say he was by the lecture ,he was asleep !
So too us Yidden  ,we were sent to this world for a certain purpose and  we are getting distracted by the vanities and empty things of  this world and not fulfilling our True purpose ,we are considered asleep.

Now what leaves to be explained is what is our True purpose in this world?