Mindfulness Practice & Tisha B’av
Although this piece takes off about a particular commemoration in the Jewish calendar, I am certain that the lessons are universal.
Three Mindfulness Lessons From The Wilderness — Ancient Wisdom for Uncertain Times
The wilderness is more than a place – it’s a state of being. When there is no map and no clear path forward, the only way out is through. Three lessons from the Hebrew Bible on what it means to find freedom in uncertain territory.
Rabbi Jill’s Meditation & Mindfulness Booklist
Highly recommended Jewish meditation & mindfulness books from Rabbi Jill Zimmerman.
Practicing Self-Compassion Daily
Practicing bringing love and blessing and compassion to our own selves is a daily inside workout. These four phrases help remind us what’s involved:
4 Ways to Enter Your Day
One of the most joyful times of my life was the year I spent becoming certified as a Master Gardener. As part of my training, I attended a lecture by a talented landscape gardener whose speciality was “Entrances.” He taught that the garden plantings leading up to your doorway set the tone for your guest’s …
When Finding the Right Word is Difficult & (another) Miracle on Facebook
I was preparing for my workshop this week called “Five Jewish Mindfulness Practices that Cultivate Wholeness.” The first category of discussion was going to be about what Rabbi Abraham Joshua Heschel called “radical amazement.” He writes, “Wonder, or radical amazement, is a way of going beyond what is given in thing and thought, refusing to …
“We Are All Just Walking Each Other Home”
A favorite poem, by Lawrence Tirnauer* for anyone who (sometimes or all the time) is challenged to get a full night’s sleep – accompanied by an amazing quote by Ram Dass. Whether we are meeting in our mind’s eye in the middle of the night, or in real life, we need each other on this journey “home.” …
Lovingkindness (Chesed) Practices and Resources
Judaism holds that the world was built with chesed (lovingkindness) We read in Psalms: Olam Chesed Yibaneh עוֹלָם, חֶסֶד יִבָּנֶה (The world is build with chesed*) Psalm 89:3. Our entire world is not only built with chesed but continually sustained our acts in the world. A few weeks ago, in our Hineni community, I taught …
Mindfulness, Poetry, Prayer and Song to Open Hearts
At our beautiful all-day retreat last Shabbat, “A Mindful Journey Through Shabbat” we did a morning of chant/kavannah/music/silence. As leaders, we chose several key prayers (only a few) from the morning Shabbat service and went deeper into each one. For example, we started with Modah/Modeh Ani, which means “Grateful/Thankful am I” and offered a brief …
