Before you begin davening (particularly Shacharit, morning prayers), take a few seconds to do each of the following sequentially:
1. Consider that when you look at the world before you, you are looking at G-d, and that G-d is looking at you.
2. Feel the Presence of G-d all around you.
3. Imagine feeling a strong emotion, such as love, desire, or awe, in the presence of G-d.
4. In the presence of G-d, visualize something as though it is right there. For instance, visualize that you are standing at the Kotel. You might concentrate on one detail, such as the wall before your eyes, the sun shining down, one note stuck in the wall, a chair next to the Kotel, and so forth.
5. See yourself davening with effort in concentration and physical effort (shuckling, clapping).
6. See yourself singing part of the davening.
(You can note these six items on an index card or on the inside cover of your siddur, and take a moment to focus on each one before davening.)
Before beginning the davening, recite an additional prayer. This can be something spontaneous in your own words or a prayer that you don’t usually say. The following idea (from R. Nachman of Breslov) is particularly powerful: take a volume of teachings that inspire you. Read the words of a passage and recite the idea as your own personal prayer to G-d.
In addition, or as an alternative, sing a tune such as “Adon Olam” or a wordless niggun.
Then begin praying.
1. During the prayers, you might sing a portion of each section of prayer – morning blessings and sacrifice recital, Psalms, Shema, Shmoneh Esrei, Tachanun, Ashrei, daily song, Aleinu – using a tune that inspires you (such as a Shabbat zemirah).
2. Alternatively, at various places (e.g., right before Shema, in between blessings in Shmoneh Esrei) hum or sing a wordless niggun.
3. Recite other parts in your own tune or sing-song.
4. As you daven, if your mind starts to drift or daydream about something, refocus on the six items mentioned above. Stop and sing.
5. If you realize that your mind has drifted off elsewhere (you might be daydreaming about how to daven with concentration!), do not berate yourself. Bring your mind back to the davening now.
6. In the course of the davening, visualize something as though it is right before you. For instance, when reciting the section on incense offerings, see the incense smoke wafting from its container.
7. Alternatively, visualize that you are in some other location and even some other time. You can concentrate on one thing or change from one to another, as suits your purpose. You can bring yourself to a holy spot, such as seeing a ner tamid before your eyes, or bring yourself to a spot in your personal history and uplift it with your present worship. You can go to an imagined inner location that you visualize, a safe and holy site within you. You can stand with the Jews at the foot of Mt. Sinai (since your soul was already there, why not bring your imagination there?).
