Intro to Embodied Jewish Spirituality

What is this course?

Jewish tradition teaches that the body is not a barrier to holiness, but its primary vessel. Our limbs, our breath, our movements and our senses are all pathways through which we can access presence, pleasure, deepened awareness, and connection to life spirit. Embodied spiritual practice invites us into a lived relationship with the Divine that flows through the experience of the body. This six-part course with Rabbi Ami Silver is a journey through core aspects of Embodied Jewish Spirituality, drawing from Torah, Rabbinic teachings, Kabbalistic and Chassidic wisdom, and various embodied practices. Together, we will explore how Jewish tradition guides us to experience the sacred in and through the body and how these practices can help us cultivate greater awareness, integration, and connection to the life energy within us and beyond us. In the container of sacred community we will create a shared space of inquiry, reflection, and practice. Our exploration will be anchored in learning, and enriched by direct experience. We’ll explore questions such as: What is the place of the body in Jewish spiritual practice? How do we cultivate embodied awareness? What does Jewish tradition teach about the interplay between body and soul? How might movement and stillness be forms of prayer? And more. Most importantly, this course will provide a basis for an integrated path of spiritual practice. This course is open to novices and advanced learners of all backgrounds and levels. All texts will be provided with clear line-by-line translations, and no prior knowledge or experience with the subject matter is necessary. HOW DOES IT WORK? The course consists of six live online zoom sessions, of 90 minutes each. Each class is recorded and sent out to all registrants so that you can watch the recordings at your own convenience. There will also be an optional WhatsApp group to allow for connection and sharing between sessions. Each session includes a printable translated handout of teachings from a wide range of sources. In the live, interactive online class, Rabbi Ami will guide us through the texts and offer guided practices based on the topic of focus. DATES AND TIMES Sundays June 8, June 15, June 22, June 29, July 6 and July 13 at 10am Pacific / 1pm Eastern / 6pm UK / 8pm Israel and the relevant hours in other time zones, for 90 minutes each time. The cost of the course is $180. Please contact Rabbi Daniel if you would like to request subsidized registration.