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hello everyone and welcome to this
Google hangout from Temple emanu-el at West Essex in Livingston New Jersey
I'll be hosting the hang out today my name is Robert Allen and I'm
hearted the communications team at Temple emanu-el
and we're so glad that you could join us today for very exciting preview
a program will be coming up at Temple emanu-el
I'd like to introduce our director congregational ernie
choosing cause they will tell us more about this
I workshop and introduce our guest today susan
are you I don't hear good good and we should let that
we're doing this hang out in in sharing with everyone
this very exciting program is coming up so when it's you go ahead and now I'm
and take it away so it's my pleasure to introduce to you wonderful people
the first is rabbi next romantic I'm back rabbi
Jackson I hacked and fans for over
twenty years now much probably almost thirty years now
she loves you thirties last night um
and he is now the
down your a such yet I'm Instituut forward
the jewish well it's very well designed to I'm sorry
George wellness center outdoor then left at northern Jersey
and with it us today also
is at Stanleys and rice who
I'll it is partners with racks
and well the two of them together will be teaching
course press call mindful jewish County march up call to Ganesh les Moonves
her harness in our families so my first question today
for the Irish rabbi my question for you is can you tell us what is mindfulness
and mindfulness practice mindfulness
in essence is a contemplative practice I
meditative practice that is to say in which
focused attention is brought you
watch is present
at any given moment typically
but not exclusively focusing primarily
up on the brat as a foundational principle
I and notice saying that
what feelings sensations and
thoughts arise taking note of them
and again bringing attention back
to the intended focus so it is
a way being present
in the moment with a very focused attention on the practice
is data cultivating that kinda attentiveness
and noticing quality and curious quality
about what is and I got the ability to be with it
thank you and can you tell us how you got involved in mindfulness practice
and specifically Jewish land acts went
well I would save myself that
I I think I've been there a spiritual seeker from my youth
and certainly made that searches imparted 12
part wouldn't help me toward the rap in it but
specifically seeking understanding van de pinga personal spirituality
has been one of the major focus I have my rabbit
over the course of the 23 years i spelt spendin pope
life and since that time I
as well while I worked for the Union for reform Judaism and since establishing
the sensor
I simply have a deep
interest in connecting more deeply and helping others connect more deeply
with the source have be coming
we're I it that which we call God and by
other names just short supply and
in my own experience jewish mindfulness practice which
ads the layer page jewish teachings and parallels
within our tradition to a practice which essentially comes out of the east
I'll is a very powerful way of getting to that feeling
up connection awareness I love the presence of God
in every breath and every moment I
bringing very much from a chant that we often
use in which which which I begin be beginning a class tonight actually
a note no bother there is nothing but God there's nothing but
this becoming that's fantastic
can you tell us how you got the idea for you jewish Wellness Center at Northern
Jersey each and why should we know about it
on will be entered the idea was long in brewing is
the the ultimate iron
the the ultimate impetus came really from two sources
01net I just that I
design I had this growing desire to commit myself completely
to the quest or
helping others deepen their spiritual connection
as a specialty within my rib in a quirk
and I I needed a place
where I could cultivate that specialty and having retired from the pope in a
few years ago
I am at the second depicted impetus honestly was at the death
I love are 17-year-old son Mitch just shy of three years ago
I which certainly deep into the search which deepened the value of the practice
in my life
the practice was this and other spiritual practices
were what I would say soul saving
in the wake up that loss and really
helped me toward my only hearing it and
avail myself are the hearing power that was coming from family and friends
and return it to them I love you
wholesome million skillfully I hope most of the time
so it's really the Wellness Center
presents a variety practice as well a mines from this is
only one it's gonna be core practices
but I I am just deeply committed
to helping particularly helping Jewish institutions synagogues JCC's et cetera
provide opportunities for congregants
in this case to pursue well listen body heart mind and soul
I could I think we have to be working on it in all those levels
to get there and that our institutions
want to be able to support that search in the Wellness Center is here to help
that happen
I ultimately will also do some freestanding stopper cosponsored the
program's
a more expansive nature but for right now we're having a lot of fun just
bringing
these practices and the teachings surrounding them
to a variety of area congregations in communities
well I wanna thank you for sharing so honestly and openly with all of us
on I remember when your wife Rachel was
first pregnant with her first child here and yeah
you may mitch is memory always be a blessing for all of us
thank you it it is and we feel him with us every single day and I feel him
with me every time I teach these wonderful gift that have been given me
NQ show can you share with us how did you and that
come together to partner and yes adventure
well better night have both been
personal practitioners a meditative practices
that can tell her own story love how and when she got there
for me I came to mind was practiced through
the jewish path I path that was laid for me
by the Institute for Jewish spirituality I where I did a special training program
for clergy
shatter 8 26 years ago from eight years ago to six years ago
I am where I was introduced to jewish mindfulness practice
and it became a part of my committed practice ever growing ever more
committed
and then subsequently an opportunity to enroll in a program cosponsored by I JS
called jewish my Angeles teacher training was presented
I enrolled in it and to my delight
match the mother I love 1 I've met as friends
had no I'm in which were classmates at MHS
my car I and back and I were in that cohort
together I and that's where we
became colleagues and trends and as I was opening
the center she was the first person to whom I reached out to ask
will you be one of my partners to
directing offer mindfulness practices so
I bet will be teaching be mindful parenting class these three weeks coming
up
at Temple emanu-el in I'm looking forward to having other opportunities
myself to do some teaching in aid in
other programs going forward
we look forward to having you here thanks so bad can I ask you the same
question
how did you start your meditative practice one
thinks is an and and thank you rex I'm
for telling the story of our your your path then in our meeting
answers in this is an interesting question because it really is kinda
a.m. no telling the story of a spiritual autobiography
and a was thinking about that a.m. this morning and I i want to point
to remember to recall a moment in my life
I was 16 years old having
I had been I was raised in at a suburban
Detroit and Southfield Michigan which is
a pay predominantly Jewish suburb
a update rate my parents my grandparents a
all live five minutes away from my house anywhere you dish speaking
and labor zionist on one side and orthodox
a jus on the other side and
my parents my mother was a day school
teacher my father was a high school principal and
and Hebrew school teacher and both of them owned a Jewish summer camp
I'm which I attended since I was eight months old
so I was really kinda raised with and is buried deep
rich seamless Jewish tradition
I love the ritual I love the holidays I love the songs
and for me when I was 11
and my father died very suddenly at the camp that he was directing
and the next year's were really involved with going to the spiritual search to
both make sense that his dead and just make sense at my place
in in the world and I turned to the Jewish tradition
I'm and celeb it was very very comforting to me
um and having and at that time
so now we spend I'm 16 years old and I have
a high school teacher from the University of Michigan
who comes in and teachers about husky dude in about himself
and in the possibilities a
opening our souls enjoy because I'm not an intention
I'm connecting to God connecting to sort through connecting so deeply and
spiritually
to our tradition at the same time
a brother about a close friend of mine introduced
major transcendental meditation and I
enrolled for my 16 great day at convince my parents to
to come how to do this my a my mother had remarried at the time
and I was given if anybody your practices tea and I was given a mantra
which is a word in Sanskrit which I'm not allowed to tell anybody for ever and
ever
I'm but the practice in the instruction was to pay attention to this much it's
repeated silently in mind
and then when my mind wasn't ok with other thoughts
to come back to the mantra again and again so was
having that mantra and returning again and get
and heil a I noticed want I'm enjoying my mantra
that this was seem kinda presents this
intention and present in being in the moment
but I was really learning about through this study had company not have been
tension in the house Ibiza
huh citizen it was a weenie a on
really holding a holding intention
to the present moment without all kinds a dialogue and
and commentary getting in the way so that was kinda but true
with could have an interesting a an interesting connection
and my Jewish life and Buddhist practice
i'm for the next period a I'm
I've couple of decades was really really an attempt to integrate these two
patched
that that meditation gave me a method
for training my attention and the Jewish tradition and gave me
a way of connecting to ritual to
joy to cover not our I'm
in a way that was deeply integrated
and that and very spiritual
thank you thank you um I know
as a someone who started off in college
as an Asian Studies major and then went to graduate school
obviously if he were you in college it's wonderful to see when those two strands
can come together and it's our hearts ancient times
*** stubs my question for you now is can you tell us something exciting work
you are doing now
in jewish lime on this but as a student and as a practitioner
yes I am they you know since both times since that both
first seedlings and you know it at age 16
I've really I haven't come in contact with
the Institute for Jewish spirituality about nine years ago
and have banner and training and meditation
and and enchant practices
really for the last decade have I'm
so its but very very exciting
is that my teacher I'm a teacher
I read by Sheila helps weinberg and read by Jeff brought
I mean teachers at at it dated a Jewish spirituality
I really coca being they're really pioneering
this pack I've integrating
and Jewish spirituality and using
a will ate my input on this
meditation which is any good as methodology
I'm to to inquire here
into our experience into really train our minds
using Jewish context and
jewish language so I am now I'm
I image are a social worker and family therapist
and through the term Jewish Family Services
I work at least temples and in the northern Jersey
and I'm teaching a parenting class
and teaching in jewish chanting and meditation class
and teaching Arab in different denominations they teach
at a I Jewish renewal synagogue in New York I'm teaching is
an eight-week meditation class in a Jewish context and teaching two classes
to eight week classes with direction in reform
temples I teach a class in mostar
in mindfulness thats do it at that in mindfulness at my home country
obligation if they catch it in Montclair
I'm from doing a ladder are a lot of teaching which is
credible logic a larger effort to bring
contemplative practice to the Jewish community
I'm and a tradition kinda slowing down
paying attention and bringing a sense that
spirituality and clarity to our practice
well we are so blessed to have someone was so many talents and so much
experience to come to our congregation how
are congregants shrine expressionist
therefore how could this be beneficial for all of us who are catholics
K I want to say a bit about in answering your question to save it about practice
there's in that should tradition have mostar
which has to do with I'm character
traits and kinda cultivating traits a
kindness and compassion and humility
and and loving-kindness there's a foundational added to
called he come he'd love to do it which is basically being
in Lerner and a learner in a sense
have and risk have to connect with practicing
that we are not expects I'm that we are learning from
are direct experience I'm with
inattention to really using every experience that we have in our lives
as an opportunity to learn so
I'm so we're not practicing to make perfect the girl is not to practice to
have a perfect meditation practice
or to be perfect parents but the practice is
actually cultivating I'm
this particular qualities in our clients and in the lives of their families
so for example it turns out that it's very very important
I'm what we pay attention to
and the attitude with which we bring to our intention
what I mean by bad is that we can pay attention to our
experienced and Austin with a sense
a kinda criticism not wanting to be better
a commentary that is judgmental and evaluative
or we can bring to our own experience in ourselves
a sense of compassion and and openness curiosity and loving-kindness
I'm the way that that can connect to being a parent
is on that many of the parents that
I work within groups feel very stressed
they fear 0 really overwhelmed by the pace of life
by the demand-supply by the con- stand
list a to do and the constant commentary that I'm never and not
I can never do enough I don't know which expects to listen to so there's a
constant chatter in Ryan's
and a constant rushing this a constant feeling of being behind all the time
and mindfulness gives and stability that flowed our
to understand that we have build in PAS
but can like we have should buy every week
we have a built-in yaar really calming ourselves
and and kinda
learning how to manage our our responses
responses to our children in ways that are again responses rather than
reactive so when we getting percent adding that get this
mind I'll never get this done or my child will never go to sleep
or and my team and I we don't see eye to eye
and she's gonna grow up to be level but you know this constant commentary and
I'm running
we can notice when we get triggered and flowed down and lick on ourselves and
miss
really helps us in our family it helps says and model this kind of behavior
with our children and really teach them
on how to develop an emotional a Inc
EQ and and you know emotional intelligence which is so important
thank you I I know is why he
works on my own practice that to be able to quiet the committee and to help my
children be able to quite the committees in their heads
is such an amazing get in one that we hope to get tapping lunch
and something that no matter how much you work on time
is something I always be working a and that's the practice
yeah there were always there always practicing we don't perfect test
and it's not the girl you know it's Jen it's just as he said
you know we're practicing and we really require a router
practice a lot of people come to paramedic parents come to parenting
group because they want to be better parents they wanted most
tell me they want to stop yelling they want to be more patient
and they want to be able to be more present with with their children
so we really big kid with a very unusual kinda
first step which is noticing and managing our own behavior and their
reactivity
and that's where the mindfulness can really be reburied
help us so that's a foundation 0 practice
in our parenting mine for mindfully
the next is again cultivating these additives cultivating
I'm compassion for ourselves non-judgmental nest
patience and being able to put the oxygen mask
on ourselves first because we need to be able to help ourselves in order to be
able to help
and respond to our children and we'll be talking about setting limits clearly
but with and they so always being able to
increased and our ability to connect with our children's
yet stayed firmly in charge I'm
so an example that would be if the child is
it if your child is doing something bad we don't like to understand
and commit to have empathy I'm instead
immediately becoming the bus so to try a
to understand that it are children desire
for are love in our approval which will really be what guides them to
me from to listen to us and
can eventually moving out of the role over being
I'm in control to being an advisor or
or a coach like children so kinda building
I'm will be exploring the difference between being
helicopter parent and developing kinda scaffolding
so that their is a movement away from
when are intense kinda control
%uh our children and letting go as
as they get older
I'm think it's going to be a wonderful course that can help
all of us i know i cant always benefit more from a class like just
what's your comments know who are registered
or wanted to end the series how people should come with an open mind
and it doesn't matter if you have a medication practices or not
but we will be using I'll be teaching Sam
very short meditation practices and
which will in about you know maybe up to five minutes
I'm and simple practices that we can use in our
everyday lives these will be focusing on the bread
mindful eating I'm having my blood meals for your children
and simple activities that we can use and the parents can use in
you know for managing themselves and also to teach to their children
I'm you can come add the parents can come with examples are things that they
might want help with a week and will be able to do some role playing
I'm and an understanding that we're all in this we're all learning together
or wonderful well I know that some people
at times we'll talk about the fact that
I lived on the west coast for so long your neck take me into
you did a hippie are not like tight percent sure enough to meet this is
something that's scary
familiar should not someone else who
I'll has grown up in New Jersey
who main concern themselves more conservatives
ru is how can we
what can you share with us they can help breakdown any fears that they might have
for instance
do they have to sit on the slow or do they have to be
on wearying a certain kinda close game
thank you thank you for asking that question so important when we think it
went a lot of people think medication they've been good people sitting
rate with certain kinda closing in closing their I is enchanting
on and so people left 35
years mindfulness meditation was really bribes to the western world by John
Kevin
Sen was a scientist I R and
really introduced kinda the West to
mindfulness meditation practice which was a secularized
for a bit contemplative practices that he was studied for many many years and
he developed mindfulness meditation
at Massachusetts General Hospital to work with chronically ill
patients and patients undergoing treatment for cancer
in the basement at Massachusetts General hospital
wanna bet things that he did was he was able to manual eyes are
or creating eight-week program and mindfulness-based stress reduction
which for the last 35 years has been studied
very very Hurley I'm and so there is a lot of that about 35 years in scientific
base energy and neuroscientific research
about that affects a *** mindfulness meditation practice
on our emotions that are psychology and actually
on the neural plasticity of the brain meaning
that who that these mindfulness practices I'm
can really fat and where they can changed
the structure our brains that were once thought to be
I'm fixed from the time that we were
were small so it is them it's coming into the mainstream i
tourist meditation practices are tied in hospitals
in schools and can police departments to the state department to the army it
really has
become mainstream practice
with a lotta research behind it really good for
for people in New Jersey to it
and i'm taking to a lot of people who would really ask if they balk at
you know the image that are a you know that kinda granola crunchy
meditation practitioners this really isn't that
it's the wave training our attention a
their belt in cultivating added to a carrying
connection to ourselves our children our world
I'm was very very usable you don't have to be connected to any
religious tradition or believe anything that you don't want to
thank you so much better
is there anything else keeps we should know or that you would like to
and on at this point for having
probe into welcome folks to explore this
Andrew and
into it to again
been a curiosity and an openness to something that's a little bit different
a little bit knew that
but that can be a tremendous tremendous value
I for your children or for your family as I work with children and teens
I'd teach mindfulness it's so hopeful
in in kind of calming the body calming the mind
there's so much so much anxiety
around we live in a really fast pace chaotic world
and read desperately desperately in need of some kind of method that helps a
slowdown in commerce else
this can really help to do that well
I thank you I know our congregation educational mission is to
um help people find meaning and purpose in judy is not much
and two me connections and make relationships and to make our
relationship stronger and I believe his class will help us to all those things
so I
thank you for offering it for us thank you sir
thank you for your time today K okay so we're really looking forward to you I
to this program coming up at Temple it really
on is something is as you can tell that's going to be very different very
new and we hope that you all
take advantage of it happening on three Sundays January 26
Chris second and furry nights from 845 in the morning to 1040
in the morning all during religious cool see you have no excuse
not to be there Zarate season that stretch
we're not seeking we're not seeing any excuses
at all in a in any way not
coming to you I to this session so we hope that
you'll join us on those days I Susan
do people need to pre-register for this
it would be appreciated you can
email me and that email already
s Tustin dot Emmanuel my heart
I'm or you can just attend
because we are having a we look forward to greeting year we look forward to
welcoming you into this workshop
an end to this its K costs we're looking forward to thank you are
a bath and to wrap iraq's prime here
who had chewer to jump off a little bit earlier
I if you have any questions just contact at the temple which check out
eat up a website Emmanuel at work thanks for joining us
I we'll see you next time