On the seventh day of Passover,
According to the Midrash,
Jews celebrate the crossing of the Red Sea after being liberated from slavery in Egypt.
The children of Israel were standing at the Red Sea when they saw the Egyptian forces approaching on chariots.
They cried out in panic and asked if they were taken out of slavery because there were no graves in Egypt.
Is it better for us to serve the Egyptians than to die in the wilderness?
They were enslaved in Egypt for 430 years,
And although they received their freedom,
They brought their baggage or past experiences with them of being passive,
Timid,
And dependent on their masters for their daily bread.
After gaining freedom,
They carried with them the weight of their past,
Their passivity and dependency on their masters.
They didn't need these qualities anymore now that they were free,
And yet they continued to cling to the mindset of a slave.
Everything familiar to them was taken away,
And they sought safety in what was familiar.
In our own lives,
We often cling to things that don't serve us well,
Such as bad habits and negative experiences.
When it comes to experiences from the past,
All we can do is accept whatever it is we're holding onto and then work on letting it go.
That's how to bring about growth and change.
Some people have trouble letting go of the pain or other pleasant experiences about their past because they think those feelings are part of who they are.
Painful feelings can be familiar and comfortable,
Especially if it's all you know.
Psychoanalyst Carl Jung said,
I'm not what happened to me,
I'm what I choose to become.
But it's not so simple.
The past and the present get mixed up in our minds.
One way to notice and distinguish between our current experiences and past thoughts or emotions is by practicing mindful meditation,
Which helps us to connect more deeply with the present moment.
Mindfulness is like a spotlight for your present moment awareness.
When we meditate,
We notice how thoughts,
Sensations,
And events are dynamic and fleeting.
And this gives us freedom to choose how to react in the present moment and encourages us to react less automatically.
Mindfulness involves releasing attachment to our thoughts,
Emotions,
Rather than becoming entangled in them and seeing them as personal threats.
When we stop trying to hold on to these thoughts or feelings from the past or whatever doesn't serve us well,
We actually become more free to live in peace.
To release whatever we're holding on to,
We can practice letting go by tuning into our bodies and consciously inviting a gentle release of the things that we want to let go of.
One way to explore the idea of letting go is the mindfulness practice of the body scan.
As you scan different areas of your body and observe different physical sensations or thoughts or feelings,
Take a few breaths and imagine softening and letting go.
Letting go is a practice of acknowledging of what we're feeling,
But also surrendering what no longer serves us.
It invites us to connect to the present moment by giving attention and observing the body and the mind,
And this can bring some ease and release of what's weighing on us.
So let's try a short body scan with the intention of releasing or letting go of what lies heavy on our minds and hearts.
So start by getting settled into a comfortable position,
Either seated or lying down,
And closing your eyes if you like,
And noticing the contact that your body makes with the surface that supports you,
Such as the chair or cushion or mattress.
I'll say pause or take a moment or ask you to observe or notice or pay attention to something throughout the practice to allow you some space to stop and to notice.
Take a few conscious breaths,
Allowing your body to sink into the surface that supports you,
And then notice the air as it enters your nose and as it leaves your nose or mouth,
And noticing the movement of your chest as you breathe,
And also noticing the rise and fall of your stomach as you breathe,
As you breathe in and as you breathe out.
So take a moment to notice this,
And gently scan your body for any sensations such as tension,
Tightness,
Heaviness,
Warmth,
Tingling,
Or something else.
Take some time now to check in with your body,
And as you're scanning your body,
And as you're scanning your body,
Checking in with different areas,
Noticing different sensations,
Imagine directing your breath to an area or areas in your body with a sensation or sensations that you noticed.
It's as if there's a shaft from your nose or your mouth to this area.
It's in your body and it's taking the breath to this place in your body where you notice the sensation.
And noticing your mind right now.
Is it alert?
Distracted?
Bored?
Relaxed?
Something else?
If you find yourself getting distracted,
Well,
Welcome to the club.
Our minds are busy,
Our minds are curious,
And we get distracted.
All we can do is gently but firmly bring our attention back to noticing,
To observing our breath,
Our body sensations,
And pay attention to your thoughts,
Especially the thoughts that might be automatic and self-critical.
And for now,
Just noticing those thoughts,
But also seeing maybe if you can soften them just a little.
Is there a thought you could let go of right now?
Maybe a thought that doesn't serve you so well,
Or is holding you back?
Try asking yourself,
Is this thought true?
Does this thought help me?
And imagining that with every out-breath,
You're slowly releasing this thought.
So let's take a moment to try this.
And notice any reactions of resistance to letting this thought go.
And also noticing if there might be feelings of lightness or freedom.
And now shifting your attention to your heart and the area around your heart.
Imagining breathing towards this area,
And noticing any feelings or sensations that might be coming up right now.
And imagining releasing whatever's making your heart heavy right now,
Such as worries or regrets,
Or even just a little bit of stress.
And imagining releasing whatever's making your heart heavy right now,
Such as worries or regrets from the past about the future.
And breathing in,
And breathing out.
And noticing if there's any sensations of release,
Of lightness.
And maybe giving yourself a smile,
And appreciating the effort you're making to live more with ease,
And to let go of things that are weighing heavy on you.
Feel free to continue in this practice,
Noticing sensations,
Or feelings,
Or thoughts.
And imagining softening or letting them go,
Even if it's just a little bit.
And if you're ready to conclude this practice,
Bringing your attention back.
And slowly,
Gently opening your eyes if they've been closed.
And wondering how your life would be if you did this practice on a regular basis,
Of letting go,
Of softening.
The major holidays of the Jewish year are also connected to the agricultural cycle.
In spring,
We plant crops,
And we're filled with hope.
We see the possibility of a new beginning.
It says in the Torah,
Remember,
Remember,
Remember,
It says in the Torah,
Remember this day,
This Passover,
That you're leaving Egypt.
Today you're leaving in the month of the spring.
When you come to Israel,
Keep this custom in this month.
Spring is a time for renewal and potential growth.
A seed can't stay a seed forever.
When cared for with nourishing soil,
Rays of sunlight,
Drops of water,
The seed changes.
It starts to become whatever it's meant to be.
What are you clinging to that doesn't serve you well?
Just like planting a seed,
It takes time and patience to make something grow.
The Jewish people's journey to nationhood began with the seed of freedom planted in the Red Sea.
Now is the time for all of us to plant our own seeds of freedom.
Thanks for practicing with me.
