Rosh Chodesh Sivan Yoga for Healing
We welcome the new moon, new month of Sivan, by practicing the skill of artfully receiving. We are just under a week from the Holiday of Shevuot, our agriculturally rooted holiday of Revelation, of Offering and of Recieivng the Torah. Our Sages teach that Matan Torah, the holiday of the giving of the Torah, is the time when we receive Divine wisdom and insight for the whole year. At Shavuot we cultivate a "Mochin D'Gadlus", an expansive, open mind - a cosmic download for the year. That is why the story goes that the Torah was given in the desert (on Mount Sinai), a place of silence and expanse. In order to receive the Torah within us, first we need to become like the desert.
Join us in the Yoga pracituce and Jewish teachings for this new Hebrew month of Sivan, lead by @breathandsoul_jenna from Jerusalem, who weaves Jewish teachings on the month, with the embodied South Asian spiritual philosophy and pracitce of Yoga. In doing so, we are grateful to emrabce the wisdom of two ancient paths - both the Jewish and Indian sacred traditions. We also extend gratitude to @susannabarkataki who is leading the way in decolonizing yoga and reminding us to be in integrity with the roots of our spiritual pracitces.
This postural flow is a dive into the silence, opening ourselves up to the wisdom of desert quietude. No previous yoga experience, or flexibility is required - every single person is welcome to this practice. Chodesh Tov! Happy New Month!We welcome the new moon of Iyar, the month of Healing, with an inward-focused slow flow on our yoga mats. Like every new month, Jenna weaves the south-Asian embodied practice of Yoga with Jewish teaching. She guides us to invite in the Ziv Ha Olam/ The Radiance of the World into our breath and bodies.
Iyyar is unique in that the counting of the Omer spans the entire month, each day an open slate for healing and spiritual progress. We’ll replenish and restore the body part of the month, the kidneys, otherwise known as the “engine of chi/life force” or the “great purifier”. As King David proclaims in Tehillim, “At night, my kidneys advise me”.
Following the flow you’ll have the opportunity to practice a temple-ancient custom of circling the Bima (in this case, our yoga mats) 7 times for healing.
The acronym for Iyyar is, “Ani Hashem Rofecha”/ I am G-d Your Healer. Let’s welcome the month together by tuning in the natural healing energy that is infused in this special, sacred month.
Suggested props include 2 blocks or pillows, and a meditation bell (Both optional).