We hope this guided meditation from Rabbi David brings you some nourishment today.
Transcript:
This is Rabbi David Jaffe of the Inside Out Wisdom and Action Project, and this guided meditation is about patience, or savlanut. We're hearing a lot about patience now in this moment in the election.
So get yourself in a comfortable place. And take three relaxed in breaths and out breaths.
[Pause for three breaths.]
Savlanut is from the Hebrew word lisbol, which means to bear or suffer something. One way to think about it is, the ability to stay with emotional discomfort, and be able to hold/bear emotional discomfort. So I invite you for a few moments right now, to just feel, whatever your feeling regarding what's happening in our election, in the world right now, and create a container in yourself for just holding with it; not jumping into action, not moving onto something else, but just holding and bearing with it. Let's sit with that for a few moments together.
[A long pause]
It's good to notice and feel, and not have to actually do anything in this moment. [Pause]
This ability to bear, and not have to move or react quickly is one way we practice savlanut; of holding with, or bearing with.
And this is not to say that action is not important. Of course it is. We want to act, though, from a place of inner stillness, and not reactivity. And savlanut is the trait that helps us develop that. [Pause]
Now, into this holding container, where you're able to hold and stay with whatever feelings you're having in the moment, in our current situation. Let the light, the divine light, light of spirit pour into yourself, pour into that holding, that container. Allow this light to come in from wherever; above, to the sides, wherever it's coming in from, from below. And allow it to fill you up. [Pause]
This light doesn't stop with you. It comes in to you, and then through you, and then back to the earth, to others. [Pause]
Just as we receive this light from G-d, or from the universe, we can also pass it on. And the practice of savlanut is to actually do that. To keep this flow of light and goodness going to others, through us, in all circumstances. And particularly right now, I think it's important to be able to receive this light, and receive this influx of goodness and love, into ourselves.
Building our resilience, for all the fights and struggles ahead. [Pause]
Keep noticing this light coming into you. This love coming into you, and flowing through you. [Pause]
The more we can allow this light and love into us, the better we're going to be able to practice savlanut, and hold the discomfort, hold the times we want to just burst out in reaction, and instead channel our reactions, channel our actions in a way that's life-giving, and productive, and moves things forward. [Pause]
So one last time, looking and noticing this light and love coming into the holding container you've created. For all the feelings that might be there in our current moment. [Pause]
Three relaxed in breaths and out breaths.
Express gratitude for that light and that love.
And may we all have the savlanut, the ability to hold with emotional discomfort during this period. To be able to act with wisdom, and with courage, and with solidarity, to build a better world.
Thank you.
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