Ebb and Flow with Solomon Ezra

5 minute talk delivered at Hadar Hatorah after Sukkot 2026, 5787.

My Speech at the ‪@lemaanyilmdeu7704‬ Chag HaSmicha 5787 event. My journey from four years at a Catholic university to four years in yeshiva, concluding with receiving Smicha.A journey I never could have imagined from the basketball court in Dallas to learning Torah practically next door to 770.Baruch Hashem. A new chapter is beginning.Note the Photo from my University is real, just AI edited so I don't think it looks exactly like me lol.COME SAY HELLO 👋Master Link: https://msha.ke/king_solomon8Instagram - @king_solomon8Facebook - Solomon Ezra BerezinWebsite 💻 - https://solomonezra.wixsite.com/solom...Substack 🗞️ https://substack.com/@solomonezrab

1. The Backstory

• How Shlomo first heard about Rabbi Dov Ber Cohen
• Their first meeting and the memorable “Dov Bear foot” story

2. A Journey of Seeking

• Rabbi Dov Ber’s spiritual path before Judaism
• What he was searching for and what he’s doing today

3. Self-Mastery Over Circumstance

• Choosing your inner state instead of letting the external world dictate it
• Personal responsibility and emotional sovereignty

4. The Search for Truth

• Asking the fundamental question: How do we know Judaism is true?
• Why logical evidence ultimately outweighed mystical experiences
• Exploring different faith traditions and what made Judaism unique
• How this search led him to Aish Jerusalem

5. Meditation Meets Chassidus

• The role of meditation and mindfulness in spiritual growth
• Living with da’as and yishuv ha-da’as—clarity and a settled mind
• Viewing life from the perspective of the soul rather than the ego

6. Developing Spiritual Sensitivity

• The difference between holy sensitivity and ego sensitivity
• Learning to perceive reality with greater awareness and balance

7. Beyond Peak Experiences

• Why chasing spiritual highs isn’t enough
• Building lasting spiritual stability and consistency

8. Simcha and Serving Hashem

• Why joy is essential in serving God
• Cultivating an inner state that isn’t dependent on circumstances

9. Flexibility, Playfulness & Healing

• Releasing unhealthy pressure and tension
• Embracing flexibility in routines
• The difference between being childish and childlike
• Curiosity instead of compulsive fixing
• Seeing challenges as opportunities
• Why genuine playfulness flows from inner security

10. Chabad Wisdom in Practice

• Stories and lessons from the Rebbe
• The role of niggunim (wordless melodies) in opening the heart
• Closing with singing one of the Rebbe’s niggunim

https://www.rabbidovber.org/books

Speech shared at a local Brooklyn business. The discussion brought together the custom of shooting bow and arrows on Lag BaOmer and an analogy from the Rambam to help illustrate a teaching of changing one's state of being. First live aligned, joyful, present. Then build your life around that frequency.Link to all Links: https://msha.ke/king_solomon8

What if change didn’t take years, but minutes?

In this episode, Sagi Chekroun shares how Neuro-Linguistic Programming (NLP) can help you create rapid, lasting transformation by working directly with the unconscious mind—the true driver of your habits, emotions, and results.

Most people try to change through willpower, discipline, or information. But real change doesn’t happen at the surface—it happens beneath it. When you understand how your mind actually stores patterns, you can begin to shift them faster than you thought possible.

We break down why change often feels difficult, and challenge the belief that transformation has to be slow. You’ve already created habits, fears, and emotional patterns instantly. The same mechanism can be used to rewire them.

One of the most powerful ideas discussed is secondary gain—the hidden benefit behind every habit. Whether it’s stress relief, comfort, or a sense of control, your mind holds onto patterns because they serve you in some way. If you try to eliminate a habit without replacing what it gives you, it often comes back in another form. Real change comes from upgrading the benefit, not fighting the behavior.

We also explore the mindset shift of “10X is easier than 2X”—why aiming for bigger transformation can actually be simpler than incremental change, because it forces you to think differently and step into a new identity.

From there, we get practical.

You’ll learn simple NLP tools you can start using immediately:

• How to “scramble” negative memories by changing how they’re stored (visual, auditory, and physical components)
• How to use dissociation to safely process intense experiences without reliving them
• How to create a mental “control panel” to interact with your inner world
• How to build anchors—physical triggers that instantly shift your emotional state

He also guides me through a powerful 3-minute future pacing exercise. This practice helps you step into your future self—seeing through their eyes, feeling their emotions, and allowing your mind to begin wiring in the path to get there. Instead of chasing a goal, you begin to embody it.

A key theme throughout the episode is that less is more. You don’t need long, complicated routines. Short, consistent practices—just a few minutes a day—can create real, lasting change when done correctly.

This episode is for anyone who feels stuck, wants to break patterns, or is looking for a more aligned, effective way to grow—mentally, emotionally, and spiritually.

Resources mentioned include Richard Bandler, Paul McKenna, and Jose Silva, along with additional NLP tools and teachings.

Take 3 minutes today to try it yourself:Visualize your life one year from now. Step into that version of you. Feel it fully.

Then ask: Who do I need to become to live this?

Because real change doesn’t come from forcing yourself forward. It comes from becoming someone new.

Show Notes

• ​Intro and how I came across The Mindful Athlete
• ​A little about George’ journey growing up to training the top athletes
• ​Correlations between ideas in Unlocked with chassidic teachings
• ​George’s concept of G-d
• ​Prayer, meditation, and study
• ​George’s connection with Chassidic Jewish Teachings
• ​Anxiety and Freedom are two sides of the same coin
• ​Connecting with the Divine, with oneself
• ​All his teachers are jewish
• ​Individual and collective prayers
• ​Connecting pressure moments in sports with life moments and routines
• ​Use the rules but not to be ruled by the rules. He told Kobe: the best way to score is not to try to score
• ​Internal rhythm inside each of us.
• ​Accessing the quiet place inside of you
• ​Begin with yourself but not too preoccupied with yourself
• ​One size does not fit all
• ​Flow Triggers
• ​See things in new and fresh ways
• ​Growth mode and allowing things to happen
• ​Trusting the inner voice
• ​Pray and act as if your prayer is already answered
• ​Distinguishing between a nudge from the soul or the body resisting change?
• ​The body will guide you when too tight or too lose
• ​Coming out of silence and stillness
• ​Observe reactions uncritically
• ​Reset, reboot, renew
• ​Trying to get rid of tension is creating tension

Topics of Discussion

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