Nurture the Nature Within

Contemplate the natural forces of nature; air, earth, fire, and water, which when they are held in check, are aids to our lives. When they are out of control, such as hurricane force winds, or rain/snow storms or floods, or a firestorm, they cause havoc in our world. Instead of harnessing their energies for the good, their massive force is unleashed and we see just how powerless we are in their wake. The only thing we can do in these times is to figure out how we'll survive. And the magic of it is that life goes on. We get another day (most of the time).

In Genesis, it is written "The Almighty said 'Let us make adam/man in our image and likeness." (B'reishit 1:26). Many interpret this by saying that we contain all of the universe within us. If this is so, then we have all of the elemental forces of nature within us too. What happens when we keep those forces in check? We lead our lives in balance and calm, using these forces for the good. But, what happens when we are out of balance, and we let our fire burn through the normal defenses that keep it in check? We are apt to overreact, get so angry that we say things we don't mean, and leave destructive emotions in our wake. Where is the balance of the elements out of balance in your life? How can you reign them in? What help do you need from The Almighty?

Staying Balanced in a Chaotic World

There is always going to be chaos and unrest in the world around us; it is just the way it is. We can make a choice to get caught up in the tension and the unruliness, and make ourselves "crazy". Or, we can accept the world as it is, making changes where possible, taking action where possible, but maintaining our balance in the process.
Easier said than done! That balance and calm in the eye of the storm is an elusive goal. I teach meditation and stress reduction techniques, and even I find it difficult to stay centered sometimes. When my clients are going through a rough time, how I wish I had a magic wand to wave over them to make it "all better". But, we don't live in Gan Eden anymore, and somehow, we need to make it though the travails of human living.
If you are having a rough time, see if you can get out of your own way for a moment by taking a deep breath, giving yourself a hug, and let the wave pass over you. Do that again. And one more time. The world is still there when you open your eyes, but maybe you feel a little more uplifted.... and don't forget that HaShem is with you every moment.
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Too Much of a Good Thing

What is "Mother Nature" up to? In the last few weeks, humans' encounters with water's most extreme forces has resulted in death and destruction all over the world.
Water is a basic element, and is part of us; we couldn't live without it. In many cultures, water is prayed to/for, and is one of the "directions" (earth, air, fire, water) in a prayer circle.
What happens when there is too much of a good thing? What happens when one element is completely out of balance with the rest? When in your life has one element been knocked out of whack and is over-controlling you? All you can focus on is the shortage or over-abundance of this one aspect and its resulting energy pull on you, and others around you. How does one stay centered when everything is falling apart? How do you balance when the rug is getting pulled out from underneath? What do you hold onto?
How you establish order out of chaos?

Enough is Enough... but it's not over yet.

This has been a rather stressful week for me, and it seems to be centering on the fact that things that seem so close remain out of reach. The timing is just not right, the planets are not quite aligned.... Whatever it is, I am feeling like I did when I was over 9 months pregnant with my son, when the ending seemed so within reach, yet it wasn't the right time. Expectancy is high, energy is high, but it's a tense kind of energy that is jagged and not joyful. It is not even a matter of wanting to control the situation, but of realizing that no matter how hard I pray, it's just not happening in my time frame, for whatever the reasons.

Here in the northeast, we continue to be bombarded with winter, cold, wind, snow, mess... I have had ENOUGH! It has caused enough havoc in my life, and I want it to be over with! Not so, as we are about to be hit with another storm. Do I collapse in a crazy fit of hysterical laughter, totally unable to muster up the energy to keep at it? Do I give up? How much "surrendering to the flow" is enough? What happens when one is at the breaking point? When all the energy one has isn't enough?? A-ha! That is when the good stuff really happens, you know. That's the broken vessel finally letting in the light. And just when I thought I was keeping things in balance, keeping myself in balance, expending lots of energy to do that, that's when MAJOR CHAOS steps into the dance. What is the choice that you make when whatever you have been doing falls short and you are met with BIG CHANGE staring you square in the eyes, and you feel that you have no strength left?

Chaos and Response

The past few months, I have been attending a class called "Reading the Writings" where we dissect and understand the Ketuvim, the selections at the end of the Torah. This past week, we focused on Ecclesiastes and Lamentations. Both focused on the cycle and flow of life. The ups and downs, ins and outs. It seems that no matter how much knowledge, wisdom, health, or money we may have, shift happens. Chaos is the order of the world, I always say. We can be the most healthy, wealthy, and wise, it doesn't matter, there will occur some event that reminds us we are mortal and no better than the next person.
Now, not to get depressed about all this, the message seems to be to just take each moment as it comes, and enjoy what we can in this one life we have been given. Hineni, Here am I, means to be fully present in each moment, no matter the shift going on in our life at that moment. One kind cyber-friend from this list wrote me about the line in our prayers "the lost among the living" and we know many of those people, have even been there ourselves, when we are the lost souls.... some major shift happens in our life, and we are unclear how to respond, or don't know how to respond, and walk around in a fog, or worse, treat the pain we are experiencing with an addictive behavior. When the world throws us a curve ball, how we respond makes all the difference. I am hoping each one of us can be in that Hineni moment and meet the challenge with God-given strength and find the anchor that we need.
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