In this meditation, we explore the passage that is bracketed by upside down “nuns” in the Torah, a passage whose text is familiar to us from the Torah service in shul. First, we explore the feeling of rising up in divine power and having our internal “enemies” scatter in the face of that strength, and […]
MEDITATION: Vayehi Beneso’a Ha’aron: To Journey and To Rest (Parashat Beha’alotecha) Read More »
In this meditation, we work towards a sense of inner peace, the end of the priestly blessing, by first fully experiencing the middle line or heart of the Priestly Blessing, the sense of God’s face shining upon us. We take this shining face inside as a way to welcome all parts of us and to
MEDITATION: The Priestly Blessing and Inner Peace (Parashat Naso) Read More »
What did we “see” at Sinai? What was revealed? The Sefat Emet says that, as part of this intense revelation of God and Torah, what the people saw was their very own essence; they saw the divine part from above that was placed inside them. They realized who they really were. The Torah is like
MEDITATION: Seeing Your Divine Essence at Sinai (Shavu’ot) Read More »
In this meditation, we explore five phrases from the blessings God promises us if we walk in God’s ways, moving thorugh various aspects of feeling God’s indwelling inside us, from presence and non-rejecting acceptance to slowing down into steadiness, letting go of burdens and learning to stand tall and confident. The five phrases are: 1)
MEDITATION: What Divine Presence Feels like Inside (Parashat Bechukotai) Read More »
In this meditation, we look at the prohibition against ona’at devarim, speaking in a way that is shaming or hurtful to another person, and we apply it to ourselves and to our own internal criticism and shaming and negative self-talk. We take some time to notice it and shine a light on this inner talk,
MEDITATION: Negative Self Talk and Our Divine Essence (Parashat Behar) Read More »
In this meditation, we explore the mitzvah of peah, of leaving the corners of your fields unharvested for the needy. We consider the needy parts of ourselves, the parts that want love and attention and the parts that feel impoverished and inadequate in some way, and we invite those needy parts to rest in the
MEDITATION: Peah: Rest Your Inadequacy Here (Parashat Emor) Read More »
The commandment to “love your neighbor as you love yourself” assumes and depends upon a strong love of self. In this meditation, we work on this “yourself” side of the command, using the Torah’s words here to move through an exploration of how we reject and hate parts of ourselves to befriending and loving those
MEDITATION: Kamokha: As You Love Yourself Read More »
In this second week of counting the Omer, we are working on the quality of gevurah. In this meditation, we explore two sides of gevurah — a) power, strength, might and courage, and b) restraint and holding back. We feel into our own core strength in our bodies and also sense the way that God’s
MEDITATION: Gevurah: Strength and Empowerment (Sefirat HaOmer) Read More »
The seder is a place to process our suffering, our narrow straits, our Mitzrayim, in a holding container of luxury and spaciousness and protection. (Click image to read more)
MEDITATION SCRIPT: For Seder Night (Passover) Read More »
In this meditation, we explore the obligation to see yourself as if you personally left Egypt by understanding the leaving of Mitzrayim as the leaving of a narrow constricted emotional space and entering into merkhav Yah (based on Psalm 118 in Hallel), a place of divine expansiveness which is open and inclusive and welcoming of
MEDITATION: Moving into “Merkhav Yah” — a Place of Expansiveness (Passover) Read More »