“Let yourself be drawn to how wonderful it would be if the quality you are trying to cultivate was present. Let the attention be pulled, rather than pushed. When you are awake and present, it’s amazing. So, just let yourself go there.”

…In other words it has nothing to do with the subject matter of the Torah, it’s actually a text that is trying to access the incomprehensibility of our lives.

And it’s a very intricate system that at any point in your life you have a problem that you don’t know what it is, but if you pick up the Torah and read it, (the Torah of that moment which is on the calendar and so forth), the Torah of that moment will elucidate the problem of your life at that moment that you are not sure even what it is, but you’ll figure it out and discover it by reading the Torah text.

This is how the thing is supposed to work. It’s actually supposed to work that way, that the Torah text is actually your biography, but your hidden biography not the biography that you know about but the biography that really counts that you don’t know about that’s in the text that if you read it you’ll find out.

Then there’s another thing, suppose your biography, the story that you know about your life including where you were born and what your name is and your profession and your emotional life and your wounds, your joys, your sorrows, your problems; suppose the biography of your life was also a Torah text, subject to the four levels of interpretation, the four trillion levels of interpretation.

Suppose you’ve been reading this text only on one level all this time. Suppose the problems that you have, the issues, …your issues were actually just the Pashat, that the problems that you think you have. Many of us are sitting here with all these problems, we’re fairly convinced that we have these problems and in fact, strongly reinforcing these problems in that belief.

Suppose that those problems were just the Pashat and we have to fill in with the Drash and the Remez and the Sod of those problems so we could really practice our lives instead of being stuck in a one dimensional story of our lives. And suppose further that the text of the Torah would help us to decipher the text of our lives. Wouldn’t that be interesting if that were so?

]]> http://www.awakenedheartproject.org/podcasts/how-we-read-torah/feed 1 65:42 In this talk from the 2005 winter ECAMP retreat, Norman provides an overview for a profound reading of the Torah and of our lives. ...In other ... In this talk from the 2005 winter ECAMP retreat, Norman provides an overview for a profound reading of the Torah and of our lives. ...In other words it has nothing to do with the subject matter of the Torah, it's actually a text that is trying to access the incomprehensibility of our lives. And it's a very intricate system that at any point in your life you have a problem that you don't know what it is, but if you pick up the Torah and read it, (the Torah of that moment which is on the calendar and so forth), the Torah of that moment will elucidate the problem of your life at that moment that you are not sure even what it is, but you'll figure it out and discover it by reading the Torah text. This is how the thing is supposed to work. It's actually supposed to work that way, that the Torah text is actually your biography, but your hidden biography not the biography that you know about but the biography that really counts that you don't know about that's in the text that if you read it you'll find out. Then there's another thing, suppose your biography, the story that you know about your life including where you were born and what your name is and your profession and your emotional life and your wounds, your joys, your sorrows, your problems; suppose the biography of your life was also a Torah text, subject to the four levels of interpretation, the four trillion levels of interpretation. Suppose you've been reading this text only on one level all this time. Suppose the problems that you have, the issues, ...your issues were actually just the Pashat, that the problems that you think you have. Many of us are sitting here with all these problems, we're fairly convinced that we have these problems and in fact, strongly reinforcing these problems in that belief. Suppose that those problems were just the Pashat and we have to fill in with the Drash and the Remez and the Sod of those problems so we could really practice our lives instead of being stuck in a one dimensional story of our lives. And suppose further that the text of the Torah would help us to decipher the text of our lives. Wouldn't that be interesting if that were so? Podcasts,,Talks AwakenedHeartProject.org no No http://www.awakenedheartproject.org/podcasts/how-to-breathe http://www.awakenedheartproject.org/podcasts/how-to-breathe#comments Thu, 09 Aug 2007 16:39:04 +0000 Alan Lew z"l http://www.awakenedheartproject.org/podcasts/how-to-breathe This 14 minute talk is rich with instructions about bringing mindfulness to each part of the breath, the sensations arising in the body and the sounds arising in your awareness. Recorded at the Elat Chayyim Advanced Meditation Program during the summer of 2007, these instructions are a wonderful way to re-energize your mindfulness or meditation practice.

From the talk…

Following the breath

God creates human beings by breathing into their nostrils.

According to Rebbe Nachman, the meaning of this is that the breath is not only our connection to God, but our connection to the realm of God: that part of our experience that is deeper than language, deeper than speech, deeper than form.

…it’s the belly that senses this primal reality that is deeper than speech, deeper than form, deeper than thought.

The breath wants the belly. Our effort is not to push it down there, not to control it, but to just let it have it’s way. To just get out of the way and let the breath go all the way down.

All the way down

We follow the breath as it comes in the nostrils, we watch it go down the throat and down the breathing tube and all the way to the pit of the belly. And we pay close attention to that wonderful subtle moment when the inhale becomes an exhale.

Back up, into the moment of faith

Then we follow it up the belly, up the breathing tube, through the throat, and out through the nostrils again. And then we really pay attention, in this moment of faith, this moment of emunah that occurs every time we breathe – every moment of our life.

…The breath leaves the body and there’s no guarantee (and nothing we can do) to make it come back. It comes back on its own accord, by the will of God. A kind of moment of yeriyah, a moment of fear, a moment of awe.

And back down

…and we follow it again. Down the throat, down the breathing tube, then down the belly…

Responding to pain

Softening the breath

If we feel pain of some kind, instead of trying to push it away, instead of trying to resist it… …instead of tensing the muscles of our body just soften the breath.

When we soften the breath, the body becomes softer. When the body becomes softer it offers less resistance to whatever we’re feeling and whatever we’re feeling has a chance to arise and express itself without being locked in by the hardness of the body.

So we breathe soft. And the harder our reality gets the softer we breathe. And we follow this soft breath, that primal realm deeper than language and form and thought.

Listening to Reality

A wonderful exercise that Rebbe Nachman suggests is when we hear a sound and we realize that we’ve heard a sound…

Hear the primal essential nature of sound

When we notice that a sound has come into our mind and into our awareness we breathe very softly into that sound and when we breathe out we let go of the word of that sound and we just hear it in its primal essential nature. Just as sound.

We don’t say bird. We forget it’s a bird, we just hear the sound. We don’t say heating system, we just listen to that low primal hum. We don’t say somebody fidgeting, we just attend to those sharp little sounds that they make.

We just hear the thing itself not the word for the thing. And in doing so we open ourselves to the primal speech of God, not the words or the meaning that we give to the world, but the primal reality of being.

]]> http://www.awakenedheartproject.org/podcasts/how-to-breathe/feed 4 14:13 This 14 minute talk is rich with instructions about bringing mindfulness to each part of the breath, the sensations arising in the body and the ... This 14 minute talk is rich with instructions about bringing mindfulness to each part of the breath, the sensations arising in the body and the sounds arising in your awareness. Recorded at the Elat Chayyim Advanced Meditation Program during the summer of 2007, these instructions are a wonderful way to re-energize your mindfulness or meditation practice. From the talk... Following the breath God creates human beings by breathing into their nostrils. According to Rebbe Nachman, the meaning of this is that the breath is not only our connection to God, but our connection to the realm of God: that part of our experience that is deeper than language, deeper than speech, deeper than form. ...it's the belly that senses this primal reality that is deeper than speech, deeper than form, deeper than thought. The breath wants the belly. Our effort is not to push it down there, not to control it, but to just let it have it's way. To just get out of the way and let the breath go all the way down. All the way down We follow the breath as it comes in the nostrils, we watch it go down the throat and down the breathing tube and all the way to the pit of the belly. And we pay close attention to that wonderful subtle moment when the inhale becomes an exhale. Back up, into the moment of faith Then we follow it up the belly, up the breathing tube, through the throat, and out through the nostrils again. And then we really pay attention, in this moment of faith, this moment of emunah that occurs every time we breathe - every moment of our life. ...The breath leaves the body and there's no guarantee (and nothing we can do) to make it come back. It comes back on its own accord, by the will of God. A kind of moment of yeriyah, a moment of fear, a moment of awe. And back down ...and we follow it again. Down the throat, down the breathing tube, then down the belly... Responding to pain Softening the breath If we feel pain of some kind, instead of trying to push it away, instead of trying to resist it... ...instead of tensing the muscles of our body just soften the breath. When we soften the breath, the body becomes softer. When the body becomes softer it offers less resistance to whatever we're feeling and whatever we're feeling has a chance to arise and express itself without being locked in by the hardness of the body. So we breathe soft. And the harder our reality gets the softer we breathe. And we follow this soft breath, that primal realm deeper than language and form and thought. Listening to Reality A wonderful exercise that Rebbe Nachman suggests is when we hear a sound and we realize that we've heard a sound... Hear the primal essential nature of sound When we notice that a sound has come into our mind and into our awareness we breathe very softly into that sound and when we breathe out we let go of the word of that sound and we just hear it in its primal essential nature. Just as sound. We don't say bird. We forget it's a bird, we just hear the sound. We don't say heating system, we just listen to that low primal hum. We don't say somebody fidgeting, we just attend to those sharp little sounds that they make. We just hear the thing itself not the word for the thing. And in doing so we open ourselves to the primal speech of God, not the words or the meaning that we give to the world, but the primal reality of being. Podcasts,,Practice,Instructions AwakenedHeartProject.org no No http://www.awakenedheartproject.org/podcasts/examining-the-unknowable http://www.awakenedheartproject.org/podcasts/examining-the-unknowable#comments Wed, 08 Aug 2007 18:05:00 +0000 Norman Fischer http://www.awakenedheartproject.org/podcasts/examining-the-unknowable In this talk from the 2005 winter ECAMP retreat, Norman uncovers the complementary relationship between faith and experience.

This 12 minute clip will nourish and ground your curiosity… What is this life?

Somehow between the lines, something else arises, you feel your life in a different way, you begin to understand and the closer you get -to the feeling of the body, the feeling of the breath, the thoughts, the emotions- the more clear it is that there is something else going on that you are not able to experience.

And paradoxically, you know this through a very very close examination of your experience, of your concrete experience. It’s a strange thing, but that’s what we actually experience.

]]> http://www.awakenedheartproject.org/podcasts/examining-the-unknowable/feed 0 11:38 In this talk from the 2005 winter ECAMP retreat, Norman uncovers the complementary relationship between faith and experience. This 12 minute clip will nourish and ... In this talk from the 2005 winter ECAMP retreat, Norman uncovers the complementary relationship between faith and experience. This 12 minute clip will nourish and ground your curiosity... What is this life? Somehow between the lines, something else arises, you feel your life in a different way, you begin to understand and the closer you get -to the feeling of the body, the feeling of the breath, the thoughts, the emotions- the more clear it is that there is something else going on that you are not able to experience. And paradoxically, you know this through a very very close examination of your experience, of your concrete experience. It's a strange thing, but that's what we actually experience. Podcasts,,Talks AwakenedHeartProject.org no No http://www.awakenedheartproject.org/podcasts/ignorance-ways-we-miss-the-divine http://www.awakenedheartproject.org/podcasts/ignorance-ways-we-miss-the-divine#comments Tue, 31 Jul 2007 22:15:17 +0000 Jeff Roth http://www.awakenedheartproject.org/podcasts/seven-ways-of-not-seeing-clearly In this Jewish meditation talk given at the Elat Chayyim Advanced Meditation Program, Rabbi Jeff Roth talks about ignorance and the patterns of mind which prevent us from truly meeting the Divine in our lives.

From the talk…
There’s a kind of ignorance that just goes hand in hand with being lost in thought. You’re basically ignoring everything that’s happening now. Except perhaps for the thoughts themselves.

I took a sip of the soup and it was incredibly good and delicious and I immediately started thinking, ‘I could figure out what the ingredients are in this soup. I could figure out what the spices are and then I could make this soup and I could have it whenever I wanted. And I always wanted to have a restaurant, it’d really be nice to own a restaurant.’

Now the whole bowl of soup is gone. In the meantime the whole bowl of soup, you eat a whole bowl of soup and everything is lost. This is a kind of ignorance that comes out of the pleasant.

Ignorance is not about not having knowledge, it’s about having the wrong kind of knowledge. We don’t know how long we’re going to live, we don’t know what’s going to happen to us tomorrow, we don’t have the slightest clue what sense door is going to be struck next, we don’t know what the next second of the sit is going to be. Not knowing is an antidote to ignorance.

There was a rabbi who lived in this town for 30 years, it was a shtel. He lived on a village square on one side and on the other side was the synagogue. The town was run by Cossacks and the police chief was a Cossack. Most of the time they got along OK, but occasionally there was friction. Every single morning the rabbi gets up goes across the square and leads davenenning, leads the morning minyan.

One morning the rabbi, it’s 30 years later, the rabbi’s crossing the square one morning and the police chief says, “Good morning Rabbi. Where to?” as if he doesn’t know, maybe he’s just making conversation. And the rabbi says to him “I don’t know.” And the Cossack police chief gets really furious, he thinks the rabbi’s dissing him, he knows where he’s going and the rabbi knows where he’s going. He grabs the rabbi by his coat and takes him to the jail and throws him in and as he’s closing the door, the rabbi says, “See you never know.”

It doesn’t matter, you never know what the next moment’s going to bring.

]]> http://www.awakenedheartproject.org/podcasts/ignorance-ways-we-miss-the-divine/feed 0 61:05 In this Jewish meditation talk given at the Elat Chayyim Advanced Meditation Program, Rabbi Jeff Roth talks about ignorance and the patterns of mind which ... In this Jewish meditation talk given at the Elat Chayyim Advanced Meditation Program, Rabbi Jeff Roth talks about ignorance and the patterns of mind which prevent us from truly meeting the Divine in our lives. From the talk... There's a kind of ignorance that just goes hand in hand with being lost in thought. You're basically ignoring everything that's happening now. Except perhaps for the thoughts themselves. I took a sip of the soup and it was incredibly good and delicious and I immediately started thinking, 'I could figure out what the ingredients are in this soup. I could figure out what the spices are and then I could make this soup and I could have it whenever I wanted. And I always wanted to have a restaurant, it'd really be nice to own a restaurant.' Now the whole bowl of soup is gone. In the meantime the whole bowl of soup, you eat a whole bowl of soup and everything is lost. This is a kind of ignorance that comes out of the pleasant. Ignorance is not about not having knowledge, it's about having the wrong kind of knowledge. We don't know how long we're going to live, we don't know what's going to happen to us tomorrow, we don't have the slightest clue what sense door is going to be struck next, we don't know what the next second of the sit is going to be. Not knowing is an antidote to ignorance. There was a rabbi who lived in this town for 30 years, it was a shtel. He lived on a village square on one side and on the other side was the synagogue. The town was run by Cossacks and the police chief was a Cossack. Most of the time they got along OK, but occasionally there was friction. Every single morning the rabbi gets up goes across the square and leads davenenning, leads the morning minyan. One morning the rabbi, it's 30 years later, the rabbi's crossing the square one morning and the police chief says, "Good morning Rabbi. Where to?" as if he doesn't know, maybe he's just making conversation. And the rabbi says to him "I don't know." And the Cossack police chief gets really furious, he thinks the rabbi's dissing him, he knows where he's going and the rabbi knows where he's going. He grabs the rabbi by his coat and takes him to the jail and throws him in and as he's closing the door, the rabbi says, "See you never know." It doesn't matter, you never know what the next moment's going to bring. Podcasts,,Talks AwakenedHeartProject.org no No http://www.awakenedheartproject.org/podcasts/obstacles-to-peace http://www.awakenedheartproject.org/podcasts/obstacles-to-peace#comments Wed, 11 Jul 2007 02:48:50 +0000 Joanna Katz http://www.awakenedheartproject.org/podcasts/obstacles-to-peace Another opportunity to wake up. In this talk, Rabbi Joanna Katz names and gives real-life examples of the obstacles that prevent one from being truly present and consciously with G-d.

Desire (lust), aversion (things that we push away), sleepiness, restlessness and doubt. These forces really hinder us from being present in the moment.

When we’re caught in these mind-states, we are invariably completely separate. We’re right there separated by the anochi, we’re really there in the small sense of I and we’re no longer connected to the larger unfolding, the larger truth that I am part of the ever unfolding of G-d.

]]> http://www.awakenedheartproject.org/podcasts/obstacles-to-peace/feed 1 60:40 Another opportunity to wake up. In this talk, Rabbi Joanna Katz names and gives real-life examples of the obstacles that prevent one from being ... Another opportunity to wake up. In this talk, Rabbi Joanna Katz names and gives real-life examples of the obstacles that prevent one from being truly present and consciously with G-d. Desire (lust), aversion (things that we push away), sleepiness, restlessness and doubt. These forces really hinder us from being present in the moment. When we're caught in these mind-states, we are invariably completely separate. We're right there separated by the anochi, we're really there in the small sense of I and we're no longer connected to the larger unfolding, the larger truth that I am part of the ever unfolding of G-d. Podcasts,,Talks AwakenedHeartProject.org no No http://www.awakenedheartproject.org/podcasts/leave-taking-and-the-torahs-five-step-program http://www.awakenedheartproject.org/podcasts/leave-taking-and-the-torahs-five-step-program#comments Thu, 21 Jun 2007 16:39:15 +0000 Alan Lew z"l http://www.awakenedheartproject.org/podcasts/leave-taking-and-the-torahs-five-step-program In this Jewish meditation talk given at the Elat Chayyim Advanced Meditation Program, Rabbi Alan Lew speaks of patterns observed in the Torah that reveal the essential experienced ingredients for spiritual transformation.

This is the moment of leave-taking that life and meditation pushes us to. The moment when we realize that we just can’t go on the way we’ve been going, when we feel we have to do something and we have no idea what to do or even how to endure the next moment. And this according to the Torah is what we should do:

1. Stop running around in a panic, trying to run away from phantom stories that we’ve been telling ourselves.

2. Be with the moment, fearful or not.

3. See what is really there.

4. Feeling the calm from seeing the truth.

5. Take the next inevitable action which rises of its own accord, out of the stillness.

]]> http://www.awakenedheartproject.org/podcasts/leave-taking-and-the-torahs-five-step-program/feed 1 53:30 In this Jewish meditation talk given at the Elat Chayyim Advanced Meditation Program, Rabbi Alan Lew speaks of patterns observed in the Torah that reveal ... In this Jewish meditation talk given at the Elat Chayyim Advanced Meditation Program, Rabbi Alan Lew speaks of patterns observed in the Torah that reveal the essential experienced ingredients for spiritual transformation. This is the moment of leave-taking that life and meditation pushes us to. The moment when we realize that we just can't go on the way we've been going, when we feel we have to do something and we have no idea what to do or even how to endure the next moment. And this according to the Torah is what we should do: Stop running around in a panic, trying to run away from phantom stories that we've been telling ourselves. Be with the moment, fearful or not. See what is really there. Feeling the calm from seeing the truth. Take the next inevitable action which rises of its own accord, out of the stillness. Podcasts,,Talks AwakenedHeartProject.org no No http://www.awakenedheartproject.org/podcasts/jacobs-garment-of-days http://www.awakenedheartproject.org/podcasts/jacobs-garment-of-days#comments Wed, 13 Jun 2007 16:24:10 +0000 Norman Fischer http://www.awakenedheartproject.org/podcasts/jacobs-garment-of-days The beginning part of a talk given at the 2005 winter Elat Chayyim Advanced Meditation Program retreat, Norman aids the listener in delving deeper into seeing the true meaning and opportunity of life.

We have to not ignore our daily life and all the practical matters, relationships and obligations, not ignore them, searching for something bigger and more radiant, but rather see them as vehicles, see them as garments that need to be woven in the right way for a deeper and more beautiful purpose.

]]> http://www.awakenedheartproject.org/podcasts/jacobs-garment-of-days/feed 2 10:20 The beginning part of a talk given at the 2005 winter Elat Chayyim Advanced Meditation Program retreat, Norman aids the listener in delving deeper into ... The beginning part of a talk given at the 2005 winter Elat Chayyim Advanced Meditation Program retreat, Norman aids the listener in delving deeper into seeing the true meaning and opportunity of life. We have to not ignore our daily life and all the practical matters, relationships and obligations, not ignore them, searching for something bigger and more radiant, but rather see them as vehicles, see them as garments that need to be woven in the right way for a deeper and more beautiful purpose. Podcasts,,Talks AwakenedHeartProject.org no No http://www.awakenedheartproject.org/podcasts/morning-chants-day-two-part-one-2 http://www.awakenedheartproject.org/podcasts/morning-chants-day-two-part-one-2#comments Mon, 11 Jun 2007 17:50:21 +0000 Jeff Roth http://www.awakenedheartproject.org/podcasts/morning-chants-day-two-part-one-2 נפשי חולת אהבתך, אנא אל נא רפא נא לה
Nafshi holat ahavahtecha, ana elna refa na la
My soul yearns for your love, please God, heal her

Every human act is either an expression or a request for love. This line from Yedid Nefesh, which Jeff Roth translates as my soul yearns for your love, please God, heal her is introduced with the kavanah (intention) that we may really feel both the yearning to give and express love as well as the longing to receive love.

The healing that’s implied [in this prayer] is not that the yearning should stop. The healing that’s implied is heal this yearning by helping us to experience this love. The yearning should continue. It’s what pulls us to search for this love.

The healing is bringing our awareness and our consciousness to this yearning and seeing that it is OK to have this. When we see it from this more conscious place we feel more connected.

]]> http://www.awakenedheartproject.org/podcasts/morning-chants-day-two-part-one-2/feed 1 12:02 נפשי חולת אהבתך, אנא אל נא רפא נא לה Nafshi holat ahavahtecha, ana elna refa na la My soul yearns for your love, please God, heal her Every ... נפשי חולת אהבתך, אנא אל נא רפא נא לה Nafshi holat ahavahtecha, ana elna refa na la My soul yearns for your love, please God, heal her Every human act is either an expression or a request for love. This line from Yedid Nefesh, which Jeff Roth translates as my soul yearns for your love, please God, heal her is introduced with the kavanah (intention) that we may really feel both the yearning to give and express love as well as the longing to receive love. The healing that's implied [in this prayer] is not that the yearning should stop. The healing that's implied is heal this yearning by helping us to experience this love. The yearning should continue. It's what pulls us to search for this love. The healing is bringing our awareness and our consciousness to this yearning and seeing that it is OK to have this. When we see it from this more conscious place we feel more connected. Chants,,Podcasts AwakenedHeartProject.org no No http://www.awakenedheartproject.org/podcasts/morning-chants-day-two-part-one http://www.awakenedheartproject.org/podcasts/morning-chants-day-two-part-one#comments Thu, 07 Jun 2007 23:09:28 +0000 Sylvia Boorstein http://www.awakenedheartproject.org/podcasts/morning-chants-day-two-part-one The first part of a morning chant service from the March 2006, Discovering the Divine retreat, Sylvia Boorstein introduces Modeh Ani, speaking of the power unleashed by gratitude.

Saying thank you is the affirmation that one is able to hold the whole of experience in the awareness that everything, a desired thing or an undesired thing, is amazing just because it’s happening.

]]> http://www.awakenedheartproject.org/podcasts/morning-chants-day-two-part-one/feed 0 6:28 The first part of a morning chant service from the March 2006, Discovering the Divine retreat, Sylvia Boorstein introduces Modeh Ani, speaking of the power ... The first part of a morning chant service from the March 2006, Discovering the Divine retreat, Sylvia Boorstein introduces Modeh Ani, speaking of the power unleashed by gratitude. Saying thank you is the affirmation that one is able to hold the whole of experience in the awareness that everything, a desired thing or an undesired thing, is amazing just because it's happening. Morning,Chants,,Podcasts AwakenedHeartProject.org no No http://www.awakenedheartproject.org/podcasts/happiness-part-two http://www.awakenedheartproject.org/podcasts/happiness-part-two#comments Sun, 20 May 2007 20:31:22 +0000 Joanna Katz http://www.awakenedheartproject.org/podcasts/happiness-part-two In the second part (click here to listen to the first part) of a Jewish meditation talk given at a 2005 ECAMP retreat, Rabbi Joanna Katz opens with a quote from the Dalai Lama suggesting that the very purpose of our life is to seek and to move towards happiness. Using a verse from Deuteronomy and stories from her own meditation retreat experiences Joanna describes the merit of being with what is arising.

We do this by rejoicing in everything that God has given us. …this is a practice instruction inclining our hearts to rejoice in all that’s been given to us… …it also reminds us of ‘that place,’ of wholeness and of center, where we experience that joy…

Be with yourself. …allow yourself to be with what comes up for you in [this] moment. Sometimes it’s hard to do that because we are aversive, because we want something or because we’re in fear.

]]> http://www.awakenedheartproject.org/podcasts/happiness-part-two/feed 2 10:00 In the second part (click here to listen to the first part) of a Jewish meditation talk given at a 2005 ECAMP retreat, Rabbi Joanna ... In the second part (click here to listen to the first part) of a Jewish meditation talk given at a 2005 ECAMP retreat, Rabbi Joanna Katz opens with a quote from the Dalai Lama suggesting that the very purpose of our life is to seek and to move towards happiness. Using a verse from Deuteronomy and stories from her own meditation retreat experiences Joanna describes the merit of being with what is arising. We do this by rejoicing in everything that God has given us. ...this is a practice instruction inclining our hearts to rejoice in all that's been given to us... ...it also reminds us of 'that place,' of wholeness and of center, where we experience that joy... Be with yourself. ...allow yourself to be with what comes up for you in [this] moment. Sometimes it's hard to do that because we are aversive, because we want something or because we're in fear. Podcasts,,Talks AwakenedHeartProject.org no No http://www.awakenedheartproject.org/podcasts/happiness http://www.awakenedheartproject.org/podcasts/happiness#comments Fri, 18 May 2007 17:34:14 +0000 Joanna Katz http://www.awakenedheartproject.org/podcasts/happiness The beginning of a talk (click here to listen to the next part) given at a 2005 ECAMP retreat, Joanna reflects on the isolation, attachment and judgment that prohibits us from experiencing a truly free and peaceful happiness. Joanna uses the Shevah Brachot (seven blessings traditionally said at weddings) as a way of encountering the true happiness that God (and we) wish for ourselves.

…we are blessing them to be happy in the way that God and Adam and Eve were happy before the exile. …this is about the capacity to be in a state of union with God.

When we connect with the ground of being and also the truth of our experience there is a capacity for joy that is radically different than the happiness we hear about all the time.

]]> http://www.awakenedheartproject.org/podcasts/happiness/feed 0 11:00 The beginning of a talk (click here to listen to the next part) given at a 2005 ECAMP retreat, Joanna reflects on the isolation, attachment ... The beginning of a talk (click here to listen to the next part) given at a 2005 ECAMP retreat, Joanna reflects on the isolation, attachment and judgment that prohibits us from experiencing a truly free and peaceful happiness. Joanna uses the Shevah Brachot (seven blessings traditionally said at weddings) as a way of encountering the true happiness that God (and we) wish for ourselves. ...we are blessing them to be happy in the way that God and Adam and Eve were happy before the exile. ...this is about the capacity to be in a state of union with God. When we connect with the ground of being and also the truth of our experience there is a capacity for joy that is radically different than the happiness we hear about all the time. Podcasts,,Talks AwakenedHeartProject.org no No http://www.awakenedheartproject.org/podcasts/morning-chants http://www.awakenedheartproject.org/podcasts/morning-chants#comments Tue, 15 May 2007 19:45:15 +0000 Jeff Roth http://www.awakenedheartproject.org/podcasts/morning-chants Accompanied by acoustic guitar, introductory kavahnot (intentions) and pauses for meditation, this 47 minute recording provides a full experience of contemplative Jewish chanting. The service, led by Sylvia Boorstein and Rabbi Jeff Roth at the March 2006, Discovering the Divine retreat includes Modeh Ani, Ma Tovu, Elohai Neshama, Kol HaNeshama, Or Chadash and the Shema.

And in this moment, being enough is enough. Being alone, by itself, is enough. This world full of beings and breath is itself an acknowledgment and a praise of the Divine.

]]> http://www.awakenedheartproject.org/podcasts/morning-chants/feed 9 47:15 Accompanied by acoustic guitar, introductory kavahnot (intentions) and pauses for meditation, this 47 minute recording provides a full experience of contemplative Jewish chanting. The ... Accompanied by acoustic guitar, introductory kavahnot (intentions) and pauses for meditation, this 47 minute recording provides a full experience of contemplative Jewish chanting. The service, led by Sylvia Boorstein and Rabbi Jeff Roth at the March 2006, Discovering the Divine retreat includes Modeh Ani, Ma Tovu, Elohai Neshama, Kol HaNeshama, Or Chadash and the Shema. And in this moment, being enough is enough. Being alone, by itself, is enough. This world full of beings and breath is itself an acknowledgment and a praise of the Divine. Chants,,Podcasts AwakenedHeartProject.org no No http://www.awakenedheartproject.org/podcasts/intro-to-contemplative-jewish-prayer http://www.awakenedheartproject.org/podcasts/intro-to-contemplative-jewish-prayer#comments Tue, 15 May 2007 17:20:42 +0000 Jeff Roth http://www.awakenedheartproject.org/podcasts/intro-to-contemplative-jewish-prayer A thirteen minute introduction to contemplative Jewish prayer. This talk by Rabbi Jeff Roth includes practice instructions on how to work with the interface of mindfulness, concentration and prayer.

Rather than only being left at the mercy of, ‘now I’m angry, now I’m lustful,’ it’s actually possible to cultivate the heart-mind space that has qualities like what we’ll be working with in the prayers.

]]> http://www.awakenedheartproject.org/podcasts/intro-to-contemplative-jewish-prayer/feed 4 13:40 A thirteen minute introduction to contemplative Jewish prayer. This talk by Rabbi Jeff Roth includes practice instructions on how to work with the interface of ... A thirteen minute introduction to contemplative Jewish prayer. This talk by Rabbi Jeff Roth includes practice instructions on how to work with the interface of mindfulness, concentration and prayer. Rather than only being left at the mercy of, 'now I'm angry, now I'm lustful,' it's actually possible to cultivate the heart-mind space that has qualities like what we'll be working with in the prayers. Chants,,Podcasts,,Practice,Instructions AwakenedHeartProject.org no No http://www.awakenedheartproject.org/podcasts/understanding-the-practice http://www.awakenedheartproject.org/podcasts/understanding-the-practice#comments Thu, 12 Apr 2007 17:08:07 +0000 Sylvia Boorstein http://www.awakenedheartproject.org/topics/meditation-practices/understanding-the-practice In this talk given in March of 2006 at Discovering the Divine: a week-long Jewish meditation retreat, Sylvia Boorestein speaks of the merits of a meditation practice and the ways that this practice improves the quality of our relationships and our lives.

]]> http://www.awakenedheartproject.org/podcasts/understanding-the-practice/feed 0 30:05 In this talk given in March of 2006 at Discovering the Divine: a week-long Jewish meditation retreat, Sylvia Boorestein speaks of the merits of a ... In this talk given in March of 2006 at Discovering the Divine: a week-long Jewish meditation retreat, Sylvia Boorestein speaks of the merits of a meditation practice and the ways that this practice improves the quality of our relationships and our lives. Meditation,Practices,,Podcasts,,Practice,Instructions AwakenedHeartProject.org no No http://www.awakenedheartproject.org/podcasts/patience-self-acceptance http://www.awakenedheartproject.org/podcasts/patience-self-acceptance#comments Fri, 04 Nov 2005 01:45:33 +0000 Joanna Katz http://www.awakenedheartproject.org/?p=77 In this talk from the 2008 winter ECAMP retreat, Joanna offers teachings about patience and self acceptance.

Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6

Or listen to the complete talk below.

]]> http://www.awakenedheartproject.org/podcasts/patience-self-acceptance/feed 1 58:58 In this talk from the 2008 winter ECAMP retreat, Joanna offers teachings about patience and self acceptance. Part 1 #124; Part 2 #124; Part 3 #124; ... In this talk from the 2008 winter ECAMP retreat, Joanna offers teachings about patience and self acceptance. Part 1 #124; Part 2 #124; Part 3 #124; Part 4 #124; Part 5 #124; Part 6 Or listen to the complete talk below. Podcasts,,Talks AwakenedHeartProject.org no No