The invitation arrived in the form of a text from my BFF Barb as she told me about a women’s retreat at her synagogue. “It’s right up your alley,” and as I visited the website, the description read, “This Sacred Refuge mini retreat is for women who thrive in relationship and are looking to connect with a growing community of friends.
You can expect to connect with community, while moving your body, heart and mind to your own beat. You can expect the treasured moments that come from mindfully preparing and eating food, moving, thinking, and laughing together in a place we love.” That place was the serene meditation garden and a celebration room at Kol Emet which is a Reconstructionist synagogue on Yardley, PA.
The word ’emet’ in Hebrew translates to ‘truth’.
At 6 pm Friday night, as Shabbat (Sabbath) was ending, we gathered. The facilitators, yoga and meditation teachers Theresa Macy and Sherry Sadoff Hanck created a safe ritual space that invited us to move mindfully from the peace of the weekly Jewish time of rest. Rabbi Anna Boswell-Levy led us through a Havdalah service. The word means ‘separation,’ and pertains to the separation from Shabbat and the rest of the week.
It is a multi-sensory experience. A braided candle is lit and hands are held up to visualize the play of shadow and light. The symbols of a sip of sweet wine, the inhalation of the smell of spices and finally, the sizzle of the extinguished candle as it is dipped into the wine, were presented to us. A ritual in which we draped a tallis (prayer shawl) over three of us.
I had a lovely memory of times when I would be sitting next to my father in synagogue during the High Holy Days as he would wrap one side of the tallis around my shoulder, since women were not permitted to wear one. Blessedly, attitudes have changed in most temples and women are on an equal footing with men. In this gathering of strong, accomplished, spiritually oriented women, we were in the company of Sisterhood. When I entered, I knew one person, my friend Barb. By the time I left this afternoon, I felt held in the embrace of all of those who revealed some of their inner musings with the group. Meditation, yoga, witnessing, immersing in nature were blissful.
While sitting around a firepit, we were asked to write what we wanted to release and what we wanted to call into our lives. With the first round, we were to feed the fire with our words and then scatter black rice. With the second round, we were to offer red rose petals.
I let go of long held fears and limitations that were holding on to me and I welcomed dreams and desires. I have done this exercise in various forms throughout the years, but something felt different this time. Perhaps it is a factor of aging and surrendering what has been weighing me down that I no longer want to carry and because I am realizing my worthiness to have what I want.
Day two brought us together in a circle under the trees which mellowed the intense sun beaming down. A cool breeze danced with the trees. Cicadas serenaded us. We were encouraged to explore the Sanskrit concept Tat Tvam Asi (That Thou Art), being one with all that is. We are the trees, the sun, the cicadas and each other. We were invited to dedicate our daily practices to a beneficent cause. We were reminded that we have a symbiotic relationship with trees, as we breathe in, they breathe out.
We learned about the five koshas.
Annamaya Kosha (Physical Sheath)
Pranamaya Kosha (Vital Energy Sheath)
Manomaya Kosha (Mental Body)
Vijnanamaya Kosha (Wisdom or Awareness Body)
Anandamaya Kosha (Bliss Body)
We were asked to write about the blending of the sacred and mundane. Mine was about a daily ritual of showering during which I not only wash my hair and body, but release what no longer serves and call in what I wish to manifest. It is a repeat of the fire ritual from last night.
We silently walked on the grounds of the synagogue, taking in the natural world with all of our senses. After our walking meditation, we went into the building and cooperatively made a huge salad which we shared as we sat at round tables and got to know each other better. I was blown away with the talent in the room. I was encouraged by the selfless service that each woman provides to the world.
One of the most fun activities was sitting in circle and sharing stories about food since it nourishes us body and soul. Mine was about my Bubbe (Yiddish for grandmother) who came to this country as a 16 year old, with her parents to escape the pogrom in Russia. She spoke five languages but couldn’t read or write in any of them. She ‘cooked by ear,’ as I called it, with a pinch of this and a dab of that since she couldn’t read recipes. What made her creations so good, was that they were infused with love.
By the time the retreat was over, I felt as if I was part of a circle of strength. Gratitude and hugs to all who were there as we carry the sweet energy we experienced out into a world deeply in need.
Shalom and Namaste’
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This Post is republished on Medium.
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Photo credit: iStock
