Welcome.
Allow yourself to settle.
We will be starting in one minute.
Okay.
Welcome.
Delighted to have everyone who's joining us,
Either on zoom or Facebook or YouTube or LinkedIn.
We are live streaming from the Institute for holiness kahilat Musa.
My name is Emily and rather has to real Steinbauer.
Today is Monday.
And more importantly,
We are on the 15th day of a little the Hebrew Jewish month before Russia Shana the New Year,
And the day of atonement,
Yum keep or we are in our 40 days and where we practice from the new moon rush for this a little to yum keep or the day of atonement.
And it is part of our ancestry part of our tradition that we take this time to do introspection.
To look at self examination of how we can take responsibility for where we have caused suffering in the past year,
And where others have caused us suffering,
To try to mend those relationships,
And to take care of ourselves,
And through self honor and self compassion.
So I'm delighted to have you here.
Welcome.
Today's session is sponsored by Denise Bradbury and honor of her husband,
Joseph,
Who helped her survive having the COVID virus,
Full health and healing to the whole family.
We're delighted for the sponsorship.
Thank you.
And we begin,
As always,
With some sharing from our tradition so I'm going to share the screen right now.
Give me one second.
Thank you for your patience.
Okay,
First we have before us.
Give me a thumbs up if you can see the text.
So first we have before us very much about Abraham,
Known as the market Moshe back in the 16th century and Galicia modern day Poland.
And he says every person must prepare him or I say herself for 30 days,
We have the practice of 40 with repentance to shoo far prayer charity known as also Sudaka for the day that will appear and judgment before God and Russia Shana,
Whatever that may mean to you today.
Therefore that every person scrutinize their actions with a view towards mending them,
But them exclude themselves for one hour every day and examine themselves.
So of course we're spending this half hour together and community to learn a bit,
And then engage in guided meditation,
And of course our silent meditation so that we can do this process.
Then I will show as always our covenant our intention for the practice that we do each day.
And you see the purple text in front of you.
Give me a thumbs up if you do.
So,
Thank you.
So we are in.
We're now going to include actually I mean all these cover note all three are applicable in our life,
Especially during the 40 days,
And I'll be sure to include this.
It's always on our website of WordPress for you.
You can visit.
But here we do the first one so we say before doing acts of caring for the self,
Which is what we're doing right now.
We say this is something I'm doing to strengthen my own soul.
In order to be a benefit to others in the future.
So we're going to hold that intention in mind.
And I believe there was one more I wanted to share with you.
Let me just check one more thing.
Thank you for your patience.
That might be it for today.
Yes.
Okay.
So,
We are going to move in to a censoring exercise to bring us here present.
Before we move into the guided so you may come,
You may have come with,
You know,
We all have what we call our baggage whatever we come with from earlier in the day or previously that are still holding our mind,
Holding us a little bit captive.
So make yourself comfortable.
If you're sitting,
Bring yourself to an upright position.
Alert awake yet comfortable,
Allowing yourself to be in your sit bones.
If you feel safe,
Please shut your eyes.
If you don't,
You can just lower your gaze down.
The idea behind shutting the eyes and meditation is that we have at least six senses.
Normally people think of five,
But in the Buddhist tradition,
There's six and the idea is that you want to at least shut off the at least one of the senses so that you can concentrate more.
So we shut our eyes before able.
And if you need to stand,
You're welcome to or if you need to lie down,
Please give yourself permission,
Just keep your eyes open so you remain alert and awake.
And you're going to want to take three deep cleansing breaths.
Allowing yourself to arrive to bring yourself to stillness and while doing this,
You may notice that either your mind is wandering or there are sensations in your body that are calling for your attention.
Simply recognize and accept them.
Bring your attention back to the present moment,
Back to my voice and the breath.
This of course will happen in our meditation.
This is what the mind does.
No need to be harsh with yourself.
Just smile and accept that this is part of the practice.
As one of our beloved teachers Joseph Goldstein says,
Simply begin again.
We are now entering week three of our practice.
And you may recall if you've been following us.
The first week we dedicated to self honor,
Self care and self forgiveness.
And then the second week,
We began to look at someone that was beloved and dear to us,
That we have an easy relationship with.
That we also needed to forgive,
And to ask for forgiveness.
Who knows what suffering we may have caused in the past year.
It happens even in our best relationships.
And hopefully by now you have taken that on that responsibility and approach them and allow yourself to forgive yourself.
Feel that cleansing and moving on to be in the present moment.
And now this week,
Week three.
And actually move to those that are in your life that are not necessarily close to you.
That you may see either on a daily basis or once a week.
It can be a grocery clerk.
It can be anyone that comes to mind.
Even it could be a coworker that you're just an acquaintance with that you don't have much interaction with.
That you know that you have caused something of a bit of suffering to them or they to you.
Or both.
And it can be as simple as being really impatient with them.
Maybe even raising our voice or treating them with a bit of disrespect and impatience.
It can be even more so than that.
Whatever it might be.
We do have these interactions with people who are more like either acquaintances or just not in our immediate circle,
Especially our circles of obligation.
So we're moving out a little bit.
Again,
Someone that you're not having that difficult of a relationship with that we will address next week.
So I want you to call up one person,
One person this past year,
Who fits in that category for you.
Allow yourself to think of that person and fully see them.
Envision them and all their vitality.
I'm pulling up my gardener.
Kind of and who helps me out in the yard.
To practice forgiveness meditation.
We allow our breath to be natural and easy,
And our body and mind to relax.
Breathing gently into the area of your heart.
Let yourself feel all barriers that you may have erected or emotions that have carried you that you have not forgiven.
Either if they were sharp with you and tone and patient,
Whatever it may be.
Maybe not forgiving yourself or others,
Let yourself feel any residue of that interaction,
Whether it be pain,
Discomfort or something unpleasant.
And the pain of keeping your heart closed.
We have these small daily interactions with people,
Especially before COVID.
Breathing softly begin asking and extending forgiveness,
Reciting the following phrases after me.
You may want to put your hand on your heart or let them gently rest in your lap.
There are many ways that I have hurt and harmed others.
I have betrayed.
Cause them suffering knowingly or actually unknowingly.
Often out of my pain,
My fear,
Anger and confusion.
Let yourself remember at least one incident and visualize the ways that you hurt someone that you may have caused suffering or an unpleasant moment.
See and feel that moment that you caused out of your own fear and confusion.
Feel your own sour and regret.
Sense with your deep breath now.
The gift of the breath that you can let go and release this burden and ask for forgiveness.
It is your practice this week,
If you do run into this person this week,
To ask for forgiveness.
Say I recall being short with you.
I recall not being as respectful as I'd like to be.
Do you recall that?
Will you forgive me?
Picture the memory.
And now picture this person again,
Right in front of you and say,
I asked for your forgiveness.
I asked for your forgiveness.
And then ask yourself for forgiveness.
Let the burden go with this deep breath.
Allow there to be a release.
There are many ways that we cause our own suffering,
Especially when we hold on to any hurt feelings towards another.
Or even how we feel that we've treated them,
We may have guilt and hold on.
Allow yourself to honor now with your own phrase.
That I may have betrayed or abandoned myself through thought,
Word,
Deed,
Knowingly or unknowingly.
Feel the gift of your life.
Let yourself see the ways that you hold on to hurt.
Sense that you can release this burden here now.
In your vad and your kahila,
The Sangha,
Take refuge in the practice,
The teachings and this community.
Honor yourself and honor your practice.
Extend forgiveness starting now on this 15th of a law.
This Monday,
As we enter our third week together,
One by one,
Repeating to yourself for the waves.
I have hurt myself through action or inaction.
Out of fear,
Pain and confusion.
I now extend a full and heartfelt forgiveness.
Say to yourself,
I forgive myself.
I forgive myself.
From time to time you will hear me go silent,
Allowing you to be with whatever arises to recognize and accept with nurturing and self compassion.
I now recall my intention,
My Kavanah for today.
That I am practicing so that I may be good to others.
May I be of service to others.
And by recalling the ways that I have hurt or been hurt and allowing this pain to release from my heart.
I allow myself to be more present.
More able to be of service and bringing God's good to this world.
To the extent that I am ready,
I offer forgiveness.
This is our practice.
To those who have caused me harm I offer my forgiveness.
Allow yourself to gently repeat any of these phrases until you feel a release in your heart.
Notice that we are starting gently with relationships that are not as harmful or difficult.
So that we can feel the practice of release.
Touch this softly.
Be kind to yourself,
If you're not ready to let go and move on.
Forgiveness cannot be forced.
Simply continue the practice and let the words and images gradually make their way into your subconscious into your heart.
We now move into silent meditation.
I will ring the bells when it is time for us to come back together and join in our virtual zoom world on live live stream.
Thank you.
Thank you.
When you're ready,
Gently open your eyes.
Join us back in this location.
Thank you,
Honor yourself and your practice.
On our community on our God.
Thank you.
For those of you just joining us all the resources will be located on the WordPress website.
And in the links that follow there.
You can also be in touch with us at Keelab mo sorry gmail.
Com for anything and we'll be happy to mail you whatever is needed.
I mentioned last week a concept of truth that this concept of a torn mind,
Which is similar to the concept and mindfulness where the mind is like the monkey mind where it's just going to the past to the future.
And I'll just read the link at the end.
Thank you.
And tonight,
And in general in my practice I've noticed I've been having what I will call très leve,
The torn heart.
It's working it's beginning to have its effect on me that it should during the 40 days of that low and what do I mean by that,
And starting to really feel the pain that I've caused,
Particularly to others.
And so that's okay.
We want to recognize and accept that and see that as part of the practice to investigate and make sure that we're nurturing and practicing self compassion.
It's a beautiful thing,
Not only does it show I'm alive but I'm actually coming more in alignment with my values of how I want to live,
And how,
How I want to be in relationship with others so if you're experiencing that too.
Don't be afraid.
This is our shared humanity.
This is part of the practice,
And if you haven't experienced it yet.
We still have time,
And it's okay if not,
It comes with time.
Something to run away with,
Or to avoid.
So,
As we always do.
We share now.
The one second,
So I pull it up.
What we traditionally say before bed can be said at any time,
If that is not a good time but times on a good time for you.
It's a forgiveness prayer in the Jewish tradition.
Before our central prayer the Shema that we say two times a day but this is before night,
Does everyone see Shema before sleep at night just give me a thumbs up.
Thank you.
So we recite this together.
I hereby forgive anyone who is angered or provoked me or send against me.
Physically,
Or financially,
Or by failing to give me due respect,
Or in any other matter related to me,
Involuntarily or willingly,
Inadvertently or deliberately,
Whether in word or deed,
Let no one incur punishment because of me.
As I always say this last line may not work for you and that's okay,
I always add,
May they forgive me may I forgive myself.
May there really be a release of the burden of the suffering that we cause to others and ourselves.
That is the practice during these 40 days available so that we are ready to stand in community and celebrate the new year and to know that we have done our end our work.
So,
With that,
To reduce this.
And I want to honor all of you.
And thank you for joining today and your practice and being here on the 15th day of Elul we will meet as our at our regular time at 830 my time Jerusalem time in Israel,
And 1.
30pm Eastern Standard Time wherever you are in the world,
Be sure to always let us know,
Feel free to enter it in the chat.
And I encourage you to always come with your intentions your cover enough for the practice so that we can try to meet it.
And with that,
If there.
If there's anything that's residue,
I always encourage journaling.
Take a minute or two after this practice and sit down and write.
What am I still holding on to what was difficult for me,
Can I be with us.
Thank you so much for joining the Institute for holiness Kehilat Mossar and read by Hasea wishing you all a day of courage,
Safety.
May you be free from harm,
May you have joy.
Thank you.
