RAW with Anouk

As Israel approaches another election, it's easy to find ourselves living a little too far into the future. Following the news, imagining different outcomes, worrying about what might come next.

After years of so much uncertainty, it's understandable that many of us feel exhausted by the anticipation alone.

I recorded this guided meditation as an invitation to pause. Not to disengage from what's happening, or pretend the stakes aren't real, but to find a little space between caring deeply and carrying more than we can.

Drawing on a beautiful teaching from Rabbi Tarfon about responsibility and the limits of what we can control, we'll gently return to the body, make room for whatever we're feeling, and reconnect with the present moment.

Whether you're here in Israel or following events from afar, I hope this offers you a little steadiness in the days ahead.

I'm Anouk Lorie, a journalist and meditation teacher, and the host of RAW with Anouk, a podcast exploring Israel, Jewish life, identity, and the human experience of living through conflict through honest conversations and guided meditations.

You can explore more conversations, meditations, and reflections at RAW With Anouk.

If this practice resonates with you, consider subscribing to RAW with Anouk.

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How do we face fear, grief and uncertainty without becoming consumed by them? And how do we practice compassion when the world around us seems to demand anger?

In this episode of RAW with Anouk, journalist and meditation teacher Anouk Lorie speaks with Sandhya Bar Kama, an Israeli Buddhist and meditation teacher whose spiritual journey began nearly four decades ago.

Born and raised on Kibbutz Kabri in northern Israel, Sandhya began her spiritual search following the death of her father when she was just 20. She later spent seven years living and practicing in a yoga and meditation ashram in the United States. Today, she teaches Buddhist philosophy, mindfulness and insight meditation, drawing on decades of contemplative practice and study. She leads retreats, courses and meditation groups, including through Tovana, one of Israel’s leading insight meditation organizations.

Against the backdrop of October 7 and the years of war that followed, Anouk and Sandhya explore what Buddhist wisdom can offer us when suffering is not an abstract concept, but something we encounter in our own lives and communities.

Together, they discuss:

•⁠ ⁠The difference between unavoidable pain and the suffering we create through our thoughts, judgments and reactions

•⁠ ⁠How fear can turn into anger, hatred and the desire for revenge

•⁠ ⁠What it means to meet grief and uncertainty with awareness and kindness

•⁠ ⁠How to practice compassion without becoming passive, indifferent or morally disengaged

•⁠ ⁠The relationship between our own suffering and our capacity to recognize the suffering of others

•⁠ ⁠Whether we can confront injustice and act with conviction without being driven by hatred

The conversation concludes with a guided loving-kindness meditation, an invitation to extend compassion to ourselves and others, even when doing so feels difficult.

Ultimately, this is not a conversation about simply becoming more resilient or feeling better. It is about understanding suffering more deeply, changing our relationship with it and discovering another way of meeting life.

ABOUT RAW WITH ANOUK

RAW with Anouk is a podcast hosted by journalist and meditation teacher Anouk Lorie, exploring Israel, Jewish life, identity, psychology and spirituality through honest conversations and grounded practices for living through conflict with greater clarity, courage and care.

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If this conversation resonates with you, subscribe to RAW with Anouk on YouTube, Spotify or Apple Podcasts, and share the episode with someone who might appreciate it.

For more conversations, guided meditations and occasional reflections from Anouk, visit https://withanouk.com.

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What does it mean to belong to a people without needing that identity to be approved by everyone else?

In this episode, I speak with Alana Newhouse, founder and editor-in-chief of Tablet Magazine⁠, about Jewishness, Zionism, peoplehood and the complicated relationship between belonging and difference.

We explore why Alana believes Jewish history has always involved standing apart from the majority, while also discussing the importance of remaining open to questioning, dissent and self-examination.

Our conversation moves through Jewish particularity, inherited trauma, empathy, Israel, moral complexity, technology and AI, and the challenge of holding contradictory thoughts without needing to resolve them immediately.

Alana also reflects on resilience, social media, our obsession with the news, and the importance of returning to the things we can actually influence: our relationships, our communities and our own lives.

A conversation about Jewish identity, belonging and the courage to be different.

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As Rosh Hashanah approaches, meditation teacher Sandhya Bar Kama guides us through a short practice of metta, the Buddhist practice of loving-kindness.

The meditation begins with ourselves, offering simple wishes for safety, freedom from suffering, ease, and happiness. From there, we gradually extend those wishes to the people we love, our communities, our neighbors, and eventually to all sentient beings.

This practice can be especially meaningful at the beginning of a new year. Rather than asking us to push away difficult feelings or find a positive outlook, it offers a way to meet ourselves with a little more kindness and to consider what we want to cultivate in the year ahead.

Take a few quiet minutes to slow down, soften around some of what we may be carrying, and reconnect with a sense of care for ourselves and others.

You can also take one of the wishes from the practice with you into everyday life:

May we be safe and protected.

May we be free from suffering.

May we live with ease and joy.

May we be happy.

Explore more guided meditations, podcasts, and articles at https://withanouk.com/

Nearly three years after October 7, daily life in Israel has begun to feel more ordinary again. But beneath the surface, many of us are still carrying exhaustion, grief, uncertainty, and the effects of prolonged stress.

In this episode of RAW, I speak with Professor Ruth Pat Horenczyk, a clinical psychologist and researcher who has spent decades studying trauma, resilience, emotional regulation, and post-traumatic growth.

We talk about what prolonged trauma leaves behind, why some people develop PTSD while others remain resilient, and what happens when an entire society is exposed to ongoing threat.

A significant part of our conversation focuses on children and families. Ruth explains how trauma can look different at different ages, why children may show distress through behaviour or physical symptoms rather than words, and what parents and teachers need to notice. We also explore how a parent's own emotional regulation can shape a child's ability to cope, and why parents can be one of the most powerful protective factors for children.

We also talk about resilience as something that can be learned, and about the resourcefulness of Israeli society: the role of community, volunteering, humour, creativity and connection in helping people adapt.

In this episode

•⁠ ⁠How prolonged trauma affects children, parents, and families

•⁠ ⁠How to recognize signs of trauma in children at different ages

•⁠ ⁠Why children often express distress without saying they are afraid

•⁠ ⁠How parents can help children feel safe and regulate their emotions

•⁠ ⁠Why resilience can be learned

•⁠ ⁠The difference between PTSD, resilience, and post-traumatic growth

•⁠ ⁠How connection, humour and community help us cope

•⁠ ⁠What Israeli society's resourcefulness can teach us about resilience

This conversation isn't about finding a silver lining in suffering.

It's about understanding what trauma leaves behind, learning to recognize it in ourselves and in our children, and exploring what helps individuals, families and communities move forward while carrying what they have been through.

About Ruth Pat Horenczyk

Professor Ruth Pat Horenczyk is a clinical psychologist, researcher, and professor at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem. Her work focuses on trauma, resilience, emotional regulation, and post-traumatic growth, including the psychological effects of war, terrorism, and prolonged threat.

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A short guided meditation for moments when part of you is still on alert.|

When life feels uncertain, it can be difficult to truly let your guard down. Even when the body is still, a part of you may still be watching, anticipating, holding on.

This meditation invites you to notice that vigilance without trying to push it away. To soften around tension, create a little more space for what you’re carrying, and reconnect with the feeling of being here, now.

There is nothing to achieve and nothing to prove. Just a few minutes to breathe, soften, and return to what matters from a little more space.

Created by RAW with Anouk Lorie, an Israeli podcast exploring trauma, resilience, healing, and the human experience after October 7.

Explore more guided meditations, podcasts, and articles at https://withanouk.com/

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Since October 7, hundreds of thousands of Israeli reservists have been called up again and again. While much of the attention has focused on the battlefield, far less has been said about what happens when the war comes home.

In this episode of RAW, I welcome back couples therapist Smadar Miller to discuss her new book, You Came Back So Suddenly, and the emotional reality facing couples and families living through prolonged reserve duty.

Drawing on years of clinical experience, Smadar shares what she's witnessing behind closed doors: relationships strained by repeated separations, children constantly readjusting, intimacy disrupted, and partners trying to reconnect after experiences that are difficult to put into words.

Together, we explore not only the challenges, but also what helps couples stay connected through ongoing uncertainty.

In this episode

•⁠ ⁠Why coming home can be as difficult as leaving

•⁠ ⁠The hidden emotional toll of repeated reserve duty

•⁠ ⁠How war reshapes marriages, parenting, and family life

•⁠ ⁠Why intimacy and sexuality often become difficult after trauma

•⁠ ⁠The impact of moral injury and prolonged stress

•⁠ ⁠What children need when a parent repeatedly leaves and returns

•⁠ ⁠Why self-compassion is essential for couples under pressure

•⁠ ⁠What healing and resilience can look like in an ongoing war

This conversation isn't about finding easy answers.

It's about making space for the realities many families carry in silence, understanding that these struggles are human, and exploring what allows love and connection to survive even when life is repeatedly turned upside down.

If this conversation resonates with you, I'd love to hear your thoughts in the comments. Please subscribe to RAW and share this episode with someone who may need it.

About Smadar Miller

Smadar Miller is a couples and family therapist specializing in relationships, intimacy, and resilience. She is the co-author of You Came Back So Suddenly, a book exploring the impact of prolonged reserve duty on Israeli couples and families during the ongoing war.

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#RAWPodcast #Israel #Relationships #ReserveDuty #Trauma #MentalHealth #CouplesTherapy #Resilience #Healing #October7

When the world feels unsteady, this meditation offers a place to return.

Created in the shadow of war, uncertainty, and collective trauma, Coming Home to Yourself is a gentle practice for anyone feeling overwhelmed by the weight of the news, grief, fear, or division.

Rather than asking you to escape reality, this meditation invites you to reconnect with the part of yourself that can meet reality without being consumed by it. Through grounding, breath awareness, and compassionate reflection, you'll be guided back to your body, your values, and the steadiness that still exists beneath the chaos.

This meditation is especially meaningful for those living through conflict, supporting loved ones, or carrying the emotional impact of these times.

In this meditation you'll explore:

• Grounding when life feels uncertain

• Releasing tension held in the body

• Working with fear without being overwhelmed

• Returning to your breath and inner stability

• Remembering our shared humanity

Created by RAW with Anouk Lorie, an Israeli podcast exploring trauma, resilience, healing, and the human experience after October 7.

Explore more guided meditations, podcasts, and articles at https://withanouk.com

Follow Anouk for more:

YouTube: @RAWwithAnouk

Spotify & Apple Podcasts: RAW with Anouk

This is a special RAW Collection episode, bringing together five of my most impactful conversations on trauma, resilience, anxiety, and healing.

Over the past two years, I've interviewed psychiatrists, psychologists, meditation teachers, and trauma experts, all approaching the same question from different perspectives:

How do we heal after trauma?

In this episode, I've curated the insights that stayed with me most. Together, they explore what trauma does to our minds and bodies, how resilience is built, why community matters, and what post-traumatic growth can actually look like.

Featuring

•⁠ ⁠Prof. Shlomo Mendlovic – Psychiatrist and Director of Shalvata Mental Health Center

•⁠ ⁠Dr. Lia Naor – Clinical psychologist, researcher, and nature-based therapist

•⁠ ⁠Dr. Oded Arbel – Psychiatrist and trauma specialist

•⁠ ⁠Stephen Fulder – Founder of Tovana and meditation teacher

•⁠ ⁠Rick Hanson – Psychologist, meditation teacher, and bestselling author

In this episode

•⁠ ⁠What post-traumatic growth really means

•⁠ ⁠Why healing doesn't happen alone

•⁠ ⁠The difference between fear and anxiety

•⁠ ⁠What trauma does to the nervous system

•⁠ ⁠Why nature can be a powerful healing environment

•⁠ ⁠How our stories shape recovery

•⁠ ⁠Practical tools for living with uncertainty and rebuilding resilience

This episode isn't about pretending everything is okay.

It's about understanding how we remain human after rupture, how we carry trauma without letting it define us, and what allows healing to begin.

If this conversation resonates with you, I'd love to hear your thoughts in the comments. Please subscribe to RAW and share this episode with someone who may need it.

In this episode of RAW, Anouk speaks with Lama Tilmann Lhundrup, a Buddhist teacher, former monk, medical doctor, and meditation teacher whose work brings together Buddhist practice, psychotherapy, and trauma healing.

Tilmann spent years in retreat with his Tibetan teacher, Gendun Rinpoche, and later taught long retreats for many years. He now lives in Germany, where he runs a retreat center in the Black Forest and co-founded the Institute for Essential Psychotherapy.

In this conversation, Tilmann reflects on what meditation can and cannot do, why Buddhist mind training is not always enough for deep trauma, and how psychotherapy and meditation can support one another.

The conversation also turns toward Israel and Palestine. Tilmann has been coming to Israel to support meditation teachers and practitioners, and has also begun working with Palestinian practitioners. He speaks about identity, victimhood, aggression, listening, and the way pressure can make us contract more tightly around our stories.

At the heart of the conversation is a simple but radical invitation: meditation begins with doing nothing. Not correcting ourselves. Not forcing calm. Not trying to become someone else. But creating enough warmth and space for whatever is here.

A conversation for anyone trying to remain human in times of fear, exhaustion, uncertainty, and division.

Listen to more RAW conversations and guided meditations at withanouk.com, and subscribe to RAW on YouTube, Spotify, or Apple Podcasts.