Today was no different.
Inspired by Rabbi Shefa Gold, I selected the following chant:
To You God I lift up my soul. (Psalm 25:1)
Following our chant, I took a deep breath and began.
Good
morning. Good Shabbes. I greet you with love, respect, warmth and blessings. I invite you get comfortable in your
chair. Feet solid on the floor. Feel your legs, your knees, your thighs. Pay attention. Notice the feeling of your
legs on the chair. Move up and feel your
tush and your back on the chair. Relax
your shoulders. Take a deep breath and
allow all your muscles to relax. Now
take a deep breath and clear your mind.
You
are a blessing. Some days, we forget
that. You are a blessing.
Our
lives are a blessing. Some days, we
forget that. Our lives are a blessing.
We
are not cursed. Some days, we feel that
all is against us. We are not cursed.
Our
lives are a journey and we are traveling one moment at a time. This is one moment. A moment to pause, breathe, and be still. As you breathe, feel the stillness and its strength. In this
stillness, your body is adjusting, recalibrating, and even healing.
Listen
to your breath – feel your breath deep into your gut. Slow and steady. Focus and share your breath with all the
parts of your body. Are there other
parts of your body that are saying, “notice me.”
Our
bodies are gifts, temples, blessings, and sometimes we don’t feel that way.
Today, love your body. It is a gift. Breathe in the beauty and the strength of
your body, your soul, your spirit and your essence.
When
we go into silent meditation, stay focused on your breath. When your mind starts to wander, come back to
the body scan. Breathe from the tips of
your toes to the top of your head. And
say, “I am a blessing. My body is a gift.
This moment is a blessing.
Meditation is a gift.”
And then we sat for 10 minutes in silent meditation.
It was the first time in a long time that as the leader, I was still able to feel I was participating in the silent meditation and still take a moment to check the clock. That part always makes me nervous. I'm never one to run over, but I still find myself not able to fully relax knowing that I am the keeper of time.
At the end of 10 minutes, instead of using the chant again, I read from Dr. Erica Brown's "Take Your Soul to Work." Day #162, page 143 is "Sacred Spaces." This portion of the text really touched me:
"We all need to identify and seek out places from which blessings emanate, especially when we are not feeling very blessed and need a sacred space to nourish us."
Meditation Plus is truly a sacred space - a conference room to many and a spiritual retreat for me and others.
My friend and teacher Rabbi Yechiel Hoffman, EdD followed the meditation with a beautiful teaching and powerful learning using the text of Jeremiah 17:5-18. Questions of faith and trust are thought provoking and evokes our own personal fragility, vulnerability and purpose. What was Jeremiah so afraid of and what happened that gave him such distrust in man? The poetry of these verses is compelling and dense. Jeremiah's own fear and anguish propels him to speak with certainty about living with faith in G-d. Rabbi Hoffman highlights the poignant expression in line 14, "Heal me, O Lord, and I shall be healed; Save me, and I shall be saved; For Thou art my praise." If Jeremiah was speaking before about how others should live, this prayer is his and his alone. I often struggle with this personal relationship with G-d and wonder why feelings of spirituality and prayer sometimes waiver. One moment at a time. This moment of study is a blessing.
Thank you Rabbi Hoffman for teaching and leading a rich and thoughtful conversation and to all who participated. I am so grateful for our sacred space.
Shabbat shalom.
No comments:
Post a Comment