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Jewish Meditation Podcast Series
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Why would busy people want to sit still for half an hour in silence when they could be "doing something"? Learning to observe our moment to moment experiences offers us clarity so that we have more energy to do the things we want to do, and we are more present in our relationships with others, including our individual connections with the Divine. Mindfulness practice teaches us to be with whatever arises in our lives, the joyful times, the challenging times and the many moments in between that are not so exciting, but worthy of our attention too. I think of these as sacred ordinary moments. Through mindfulness practice we begin to notice blessings at the most unexpected times and in the most unexpected places. In silence, we cultivate chesed, lovingkindness and rachamim, compassion, honoring the thoughts, emotions and physical sensations we experience while learning to release judgment; to simply be with what is. Minucha B’Lev, Beth Abraham’s meditation podcast series is an opportunity to do just this, return again and again to the present moment and rest in our hearts.
Our Beth Abraham family is spread far and wide across the Greater Nashua area, we have full schedules and for some of us, illness or disability make it difficult to physically gather together at the shul, however that does not limit our ability to create a very real meditation circle through technology! While we may not see each other with our eyes, we can still feel connected to others, knowing many of us will be sharing this journey via podcasts. The energy of soul is held by, but not confined to the vessels of our bodies. If you doubt this, consider the experience of listening to the voice of a beloved over the phone, via Skype, their words written in a letter or email, don't you feel their nearness in these moments?
Minucha B’Lev was originally intended to be a live tele-circle, unfortunately the time that I am available to teach is not a good time for others. So for now, our practice will be via podcast only, available to download on alternate Thursdays.
There are recommendations for comfortable alignment listed further down this page.
Not from the Nashua community? We would love your energetic companionship on the live calls!
If you enjoy Minucha B'Lev, I'd love to hear from you! laura@shinethedivine.com AND, please consider making a small donation to support Temple Beth Abraham in Nashua, NH for the wonderful educational programs and tikkun olam projects offered through our kehillah kadosha. Click HERE to go directly to the TBA donation page. Thank you Rabbi Jon, for encouraging me to continue my work as a teacher in our community through these meditation offerings.
B’Shalom,
Laura
Podcasts
Podcast and Music Copyrights unless otherwise indicated © 2012 Laura Hegfield
All rights reserved.
Click the link to meditate along with haverim during this 30 minute podcast:
NEW PODCASTS!
This 30 minute meditation serves as an entry into the Yomim Noraim (High Holy-days). At the end of the practice I share a new melody for verse 5 of Psalm 27. Shanah tova!
27minute meditation for Purim, sloughing off the masks that cover our hearts.
In this 30 minute meditation we will contemplate a different way to understand forgiving. G'mar chatima tova, may you be inscribed in the book of life!
minuchablevlechlecha.mp3
minuchablevlechlecha.mp3
A poem inspired by the text, Lech Lecha, Go Forth... Go to yourSelf, followed by a brief teaching and guidance into silence for the remainder of this 30 minute session.
minuchablevtubshvat.mp3
minuchablevtubshvat.mp3
This 18 minute meditation is intended to cultivate an intimate connection with trees. You may want to visit my blog post Celebrating Tu B'Shvat: Hear Our Voices Rise. The photos and essay give a taste of my relationship with trees.
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minuchablevpurim.mp3
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Podcasts from season one below:
minuchablevsession7.mp3
This session is a concentration practice. Words from Psalm 16: "Shiviti Adonai l'negdi tamid - I place the Holy One before me always" are our point of focus.
Hakarat haTov: Gratitude and Mindfulness Entwined.
Hod she b'Gevurah...Glory within Strength
(Thank you to Rabbi Yael Levi whose work inspired this meditation practice. Her book Journey through the Wilderness, a Mindfulness Approach to the Ancient Practice of Counting the Omer can be purchased here. You can also follow Rabbi Yael's teachings online here.)
In this 30 minute practice we learn about freedom through our breath; an experience of hodaYa (gratitude for the expansive glory of God) and dayenu (another way of saying thank you for all that we have received, for this moment, this breath, is enough.)
This podcast was inspired by Parasha Bechukotai; paying attention to our inner experiences of "blessings" and "curses," bringing our awareness to God dwelling among and within us.
Shavuot may have passed for this year, but Torah is continuously being revealed. This is a very special 30 minute practice, appropriate for any time you want to sit still and listen with your whole being, held in the container of "Aleph."
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Props, Alignment and Technology
With 20 years experience practicing yoga, I feel strongly about the value of props for support and comfortable alignment. Alignment is important as it allows our breath to flow with greater ease, helps us to stay alert in our practice and protects our bodies from injury. I offer what is written below as suggestions from personal experience and information I’ve learned from my teachers through the years. YOU know what works best for your body, if something hurts, feel free to readjust yourself at any time during our practice.
On the floor:
If using a zafu (meditation cushion) or folded blanket on the floor, sit so that the sits bones and fleshy part of your bottom is on the thickest part of the cushion or back just beyond the edge of the folded blanket. Reach your hands beneath your buttocks and gently pull the flesh outward so that you feel the bones connecting with the cushion. I suggest that you do not cross your ankles as you sit, instead rest the sole of one foot against the opposite inner thigh and the sole of the other foot against the shin of the opposite leg. Your pelvis should be tilted slightly forward so that your hips are a little higher than your knees, allowing for space between the vertebrae of your spine. This alleviates the “crunched” up feeling in your lower back that can be painful and cause fatigue.
Straight-backed chair: If you are on a chair, there are a few options to try. You may prefer one to another. Sit toward the edge of the chair with only your sits bones and the fleshy part of your bottom on a folded towel (set atop the seat of the chair) thighs extending forward, your feet flat on the floor. Placing a folded towel beneath your buttocks will raise and tilt your pelvis slightly forward. If your legs are short like mine, you will need to place a few books, folded blankets, or yoga blocks beneath your feet so that they are supported and your base is completely stable. If you fatigue easily and do not have a lot of core strength, you may find that sitting back in the chair with a hand towel rolled and placed between the small curve of your lower spine and the back of the chair, along with a folded towel placed beneath just your sits bones and books, blocks or folded blankets under your feet is more comfortable. Like those who are sitting on the floor, you will want to reach beneath the fleshy part of your buttocks and gently pull the flesh outward so that you feel the connection between your sits bones and the seat of your folded towel.
Reclining: If reclining you may wish to place a thick rolled bath towel, bolster or rolled blanket beneath your knees. This relieves tension in the lower spine. You may also find it comfortable to place a rolled hand towel in the space between the surface you are resting on and the curve of your neck for extra support.
Play with the towel rolling, book piling, and blanket folding before we sit together, to find the heights and thicknesses that work best for YOUR body.
I find having an extra blanket, shawl or sweater to throw over my shoulders as I sit is cozy. I get cold easily, it is no fun to sit and shiver, it tenses up the body and while noticing pleasant and unpleasant is part of mindfulness practice, why not at least start out somewhat comfortably?
How does one hold a phone while meditating? Two people asked me about this, and it is an excellent question! I use a hands-free headset so that I can listen without holding the phone when I sit in spiritual direction with my director or when I guide others. I do the same when coaching so my hands are free for note taking, and of course will be using that for our meditation circle as well. An alternative is to simply use the speaker setting on your telephone.
How can I listen to the podcast? I will record each session and create an mp3 recording to post later on this page. You will be able to listen to the meditation podcast through your computer by clicking the mp3 link. You can also download the recording if you want to.
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I am a graduate of the Institute for Jewish Spirituality Teen Educator program, this is where I first met my primary meditation teacher Rabbi Sheila Peltz Weinberg. I am a certified Yoga and Jewish Spirituality Teacher, an Interfaith Spiritual Director (blessed by four of my teachers to do this holy work), certified Kaizen-Muse® Creativity Coach and SoulCollage® Facilitator. I am currently enrolled in the second cohort of the Jewish Mindfulness Teacher Training Program offered by the Institute for Jewish Spirituality and the Awakened Heart Project. I have had the honor of guiding mindfulness practices through art, yoga and meditation for nearly ten years.
To learn more about individual services I offer please visit my website: www.shinethedivine.com
You can also read an interview I was honored to participate in along with two of my teachers, Rabbi Myriam Klotz and Diane Bloomfield as well as several other Jewish Yoga teachers in an article titled "Posing for the Soul" in the 2008 Summer Issue of Jewish Women International, here.
You can also read an interview I was honored to participate in along with two of my teachers, Rabbi Myriam Klotz and Diane Bloomfield as well as several other Jewish Yoga teachers in an article titled "Posing for the Soul" in the 2008 Summer Issue of Jewish Women International, here.
