The Sabbath

For many years, I considered my twice-daily meditation sessions as sufficient observance of the Sabbath, without setting a full day aside. However, in more recent years, I have begun to see the value of some kind of regular Sabbath observance, even if not along all of the strictures in traditional Orthodox observance. For me, the spirit of Sabbath observance is to set aside a day to remove oneself from the normal humdrum activities of daily life for a period of regeneration, contemplation, meditation, rest, relaxation, spiritual inspiration, etc.
The common notion of the term “recreation” is to engage in sports, outdoor activities, etc. as a form of this kind of respite. However, the real etymological spirit of recreation is to re-create, to go back to our roots and create anew. In this sense, that is what the Sabbath is about, and while common recreation activities might be helpful, the more quiet forms encompassed in traditional Sabbath observances provide opportunities for deeper spiritual introspection instead of the mere diversions encompassed in the more common forms of recreation activities.
General conceptions of Sabbath practice involve both remembering not to do things that are done at other times, and observing special activities to do. Focusing on spirituality and related topics is the key, and can include studying, reading, writing, meditating, resting, etc. The focus should be on pleasant interactions with others, avoiding controversy or engaging in subjects such as politics, news, work, current events, etc.
I would encourage everyone to consider engaging in a little bit of Sabbath practice in this vein on a regular basis, whether it be on Saturday or Sunday or some other day of the week. I see great value to such a regular respite.