Strangers and Angels
A HaMakom Day Retreat
Sunday 14 August, 10am-5pm UK time
In-person at the Arkley Village Hall, Barnet, UK
The Talmud tells us: “No days were as joyous for the holy ones as Tu b’Av and Yom Kippur.” This day retreat comes in the week of Tu b’Av, the fifteenth day of the month of Av. This was a holy day centuries ago, which then went largely unmarked for many years. In recent times it has become a holiday with a particular focus on love.
We will practice bringing alive the traditions and resonances of this sacred day, in meditation and beyond. We will explore what we can learn about love from Avraham and Sarah, who welcome strangers into their tent; strangers who later reveal themselves as angels.
The retreat will be taught by HaMakom faculty member Zac Newman. The day will include sitting meditation, walking meditation, chanting, a teaching and time for sharing. Everyone, no matter your level of experience in meditation or Jewish spirituality, is welcome.
Our venue is: Arkley Village Hall, Brickfield Lane, Barnet EN5 3LD. Click here for more information about Arkley Village Hall.
Please bring your own lunch. Teas and coffee will be provided.
If you have any questions, or you would like to discuss something, please contact Zac, at: zac@hamakom.community. He is here to help, and will welcome hearing from you.
We ask everyone coming in person to take a lateral flow test in the 24 hours prior to the retreat, and if the test is positive to refrain from attending. A full refund will be issued in this case.
Standard Rate: £35
Scholarship Rate: £15 – available to all who cannot afford the Standard rate
Supporter Rate: £65
The Supporter rate is an invitation to help keep HaMakom accessible to all by paying a higher rate, and thereby enabling those who would not otherwise be able to, to come on the retreat at a subsidised rate. We are deeply grateful to all those who allow us to offer scholarship rates to those who need them, and make available practices for grounding and healing rooted in the Jewish tradition.
Retreat fees go solely towards HaMakom’s operating expenses. At the end of the retreat, there will be an invitation to make a donation to HaMakom in support of our ongoing work.
If you cannot afford the Scholarship rate please contact Zac at: zac@hamakom.community. No one will be turned away because of their financial circumstances.
The Benefits of Jewish Mindfulness Meditation
(from: The Institute for Jewish Spirituality)
We are dedicated to introducing this practice into the Jewish world for several reasons:
- to enliven and enhance Jewish prayer, celebration, ritual and community;
- to be part of working for the betterment of our fragile and vulnerable planet; and
- to recognize the true and deep sources of happiness in a world filled with seductive, competing and ultimately unsatisfying short-term fixes.
How can Mindfulness Meditation Help?
Mindfulness meditation is training the mind. Just as we go to the gym to make our bodies stronger and more flexible, so mind training helps make our minds more spacious, perceptive and most of all free.
We train our capacity to pay attention by turning our attention, like a flashlight, on our own minds. This helps us see more clearly the nature of our own minds. We become aware of the patterns and habits that run our lives but have not been previously visible.
We begin to realize that these patterns and habits may serve our goals, desires, and purposes – but often they do not. We start to realize that there actually is a “pause button” built into our system. This pause button can be activated when we become triggered by an event outside ourselves and are tempted to act in reactive, patterned and unskilful ways.
The “pause button” wakes us up, creates a space in our mind where we can ask the question: ”What is the skilful, wholesome, wise, goal oriented action I need to take in this moment?” “What are my choices here?” The development of this capacity for inner freedom is why we train in mindfulness. This can be profoundly useful in our lives, especially in our relationships, and in any task we undertake to realize our dreams or express our creativity.
By cultivating attention, we are also able to feel more satisfied with each moment of our experience.
We learn to rest in this moment as it unfolds.
We learn to bring our awareness to the flow of energy in the body which is the very miracle of our aliveness. We learn to be more receptive to the fullness of each moment, rather than resisting what has already occurred or projecting what is not yet here. We learn to notice the arising and passing of all experience, recognizing how short and precious this life is.
We learn to treasure each day for the miracle it is. This is itself a source of happiness. According to modern neuroscience, the mind is a dynamic flow of experiences rather than a fixed state. When we experience this for ourselves, we feel less isolated, less caught in judgment and adversity, and more open to the mystery and majesty of this very life.
IMPORTANT NOTE:
Meditation retreats can be beautiful and powerful journeys of healing and transformation. However, due to the intensity of the experience, they are not necessarily safe and appropriate for everyone at all times. We therefore ask potential participants to be aware of the following: If you have suffered an episode of mania in the last six months this retreat is not safe and appropriate for you. Please do join us on retreat when there has been more than six months since your last episode of mania. If you have ever received a diagnosis of psychosis, intensive meditation retreat is not safe and appropriate for you.
If you have a history of trauma or serious mental health challenges, retreat may be appropriate and beneficial for you. It is important that you are in touch with us in advance so that we can ensure this retreat will be supportive for you. We want to make retreat as welcoming as possible, and we look forward to hearing from you.
