Mindfulness

Mindfulness

Our mission is about building creative capacity across the Jewish community, but also beyond. Members range from people in their 20s to people in their late 80s, from orthodox Jews to people who are learning Hebrew words for the first time. Some are active in their local synagogues, while others are members of Unitarian Universalist churches or have active meditation practices, and JSP is part of the matrix of spiritual practices for them.

When we handwrite, especially something as emotionally loaded as a thank-you note, our brains engage in what neuroscientists call "embodied cognition"-the physical act of writing actually shapes how we think and feel about what we're expressing. The people I wrote to started responding differently. Not just polite acknowledgments, but genuine, heartfelt replies that often led to deeper conversations.

I spend a lot of time in my head... I journal a lot. I break down all of my thought processes. I apply a very analytical lens to my own thinking, and I modify it. You can control what you think. You can control how you think. And therefore, you can control who you are.

When the guru told you to do something, no matter what you thought about it, you did it, because that command was "sacred." Arguing with the guru, it was said, was a fool's response, like kicking gold. Because she was believed to be so evolved, no one dared challenge her authority. And she often expressed anger if they did. This caused many of her followers to cower in her presence.

Think about it. We live in an age where we can access any piece of information within seconds. Every opinion, every drama, every piece of breaking news is right there at our fingertips. And yet, the people who seem most at peace, most focused, and most successful aren't the ones consuming it all. They're the ones deliberately choosing what to ignore.

Happy Birthday: A heartfelt approach to life, love and happiness will help surpass expectations. Go full tilt in every instance that can make a difference to how you feel, affect others and live. The choices you make and the actions you take will influence your financial, physical and emotional well-being. Make decisions that protect your possessions and reputation, and you will save yourself time and money. Put your energy, time and interests first.

"Piano piano" is an old Italian saying that sounds nonsensical, but is actually full of wisdom, especially if you, like me, are finding yourself wishing away these frigid winter days and hoping spring and summer gets here fast. These days, I've found myself rushing from one thing to the next, frustrated at the smallest things, from post office lines to just missing my train. And I'm ready to make a change.

A simple mindful practice that can slow down emotional reaction, invite a breath, and encourage you to pause before you post. Social media has made it easy to broadcast our thoughts and feelings far and wide in an instant. At the same time, we often don't even consider the huge numbers of people who will read what we share. How many friends do you have across your socials? 300 to 400? 500 plus? How often do you really pause before you post?

The idea that you aren't worthy unless you are producing results has seeped like insidious black mold into every facet of our modern lives. We are pressured to always be making goals, going somewhere, or achieving something. "Doing nothing" is scorned as lazy. Pursuing a hobby with no monetary value or social esteem is deemed a waste of time. You only have a certain number of days on this planet. If you don't spend them hustling, you're of no use to anyone.

Amsterdam Dynamics' ST-01 is a modular spinning top and tactile focus object built for desks, hands, and minds that rarely get a break. It's intentionally simple but not single-purpose, offering multiple mechanical interactions with no correct sequence. You use one when you need it or work through all of them. No app, no setup, no instructions, just the object and whatever your hands feel like doing with it.

You know that person at the coffee shop who somehow commands the entire room without saying much? Last week, I watched someone transform a chaotic situation at my local café into a moment of calm efficiency. The espresso machine had broken, the line was growing, and tensions were rising. This woman, dressed in simple jeans and a plain white shirt, quietly helped reorganize the queue, offered her spot to someone in a rush, and had everyone feeling better within minutes.

Usually, my handbag is a medley of digital devices and life essentials my phone, iPad, chargers, keys, tampons. But lately, you're likely to also find a half-done newspaper crossword, a ton of stationery, the book I've restarted three times, and whatever scraps and trinkets I've picked up throughout the day to put in my scrapbook. Analog is back, and it feels like we need it more than ever.

I used to save my favorite clothes for a version of my life that never showed up. The blazer stayed in my closet because it felt "too professional" for a normal day. The heels were waiting for a dinner I'd yet to be invited to. The earrings were longing for an occasion that felt important enough to justify wearing them. Meanwhile, I wore the same outfits on repeat - to work, to run errands, to all the places where my actual life was happening.

The coffee tastes the same at 7 AM on a Tuesday as it does on a Saturday. I learned this my second week of retirement. I was trying to convince myself that there was magic in unstructured mornings-no rush, no agenda, just me and the coffee and some vague sense of possibility. But magic requires you to be present, and I was doing everything I could not to be.

On Sunday, the first snowfall of December covers the Convent of St. Birgitta in a blanket of pure white. "The world is cloaked in beauty today," Father David Blanchfield says as he begins delivering morning mass to a dozen or so churchgoers bundled up in puffy parkas and thick scarves. Sitting inside feels spiritually counterproductive. Snow, to me, has always felt holy. The purity of it, delivered straight from the heavens. The way it elongates shadows and sparkles in the sun.

The particular Camino that I chose to follow-colloquially known as the Camino Frances, or French Way, since it starts at the base of the Pyrenees, the border between France and Spain-is the most famous of all the Caminos. Walking, on average, six to seven hours and 30 kilometers a day, I passed from the south of France into the north of Spain, walking westward through cities that included Pamplona, Logroño, Burgos, and Ponferrada, along with numerous small towns and villages.

We're experiencing chronic stress, which blocks our ability to hope. Here's why: the amygdala, the brain's alarm center, reacts with fight, flight, or freeze (Akil & Nestler, 2023; LeDoux, 1996). This reaction can save our lives in an emergency. When we're in a crosswalk and see a car speeding toward us, we can react by stopping or jumping out of the way.

Some years ago, I was talking to my husband on the phone. He sounded annoyed about something to do with his work, but I noticed an intense emotional reaction in myself. Immediately, my heart contracted and my stomach lurched. I could feel a runaway train of emotions activate within me. My whole body was awash with nausea, and I felt so very uncomfortable.

For years, I'd used these journals as a kind of inner courtroom, constantly building a case against myself or others. Every page held evidence of failures, proof of my profoundly advanced ability to gaslight myself. I could shrink or morph into whatever was requested for another person's comfort. Small flowered booklets documenting all the ways I couldn't get "it" right.

My goal was to only pay bills. I didn't want to buy anything extra, but I knew things always come up, like my son needing something for school. I told myself ahead of time that I could "break the freeze" for absolute necessities only. Over the 30 days, copays for doctor's appointments and prescription costs were the only unexpected purchases I made.

"When I let go of what I am, I become what I might be." ~Lao Tzu For many years, I was deeply involved in spiritual communities-satsangs, meditation centers, ashrams, and groups focused on positivity, service, and personal growth. These places gave me comfort, community, and a sense of purpose. But they also shaped something inside me that I didn't fully recognize until much later: I had built my self-worth around being a "good person."