This was very interesting. For me, there are strong associations between mood and my ability to pray. I explore that a bit on my blog, which focuses on the intersection between the traditional morning shacharit prayers and my experienced with depression. Although I think that a lot is lost when we give up on the traditional liturgy, I have not said these prayers daily in quite some time (with the exception of Birkot HaShachar, which I tend to say on the way to work every morning--when I remember), at least partly because they're so hard to connect to. (I will add, though, that I don't have an easier time connecting to more personal Eastern meditative traditions.) It's very hard (for me) to stop, slow down, and connect regularly. So, while I value prayer in the abstract, I mostly fail to utilize it in reality.
This was very interesting. For me, there are strong associations between mood and my ability to pray. I explore that a bit on my blog, which focuses on the intersection between the traditional morning shacharit prayers and my experienced with depression. Although I think that a lot is lost when we give up on the traditional liturgy, I have not said these prayers daily in quite some time (with the exception of Birkot HaShachar, which I tend to say on the way to work every morning--when I remember), at least partly because they're so hard to connect to. (I will add, though, that I don't have an easier time connecting to more personal Eastern meditative traditions.) It's very hard (for me) to stop, slow down, and connect regularly. So, while I value prayer in the abstract, I mostly fail to utilize it in reality.