Holding Yourself with Mature Love: A Guided Somatic Practice

In this guided practice, I invite you to settle into a space of gentle support. With one hand over your heart and the other on your stomach, we begin by connecting to the breath—just as it is—without needing to change or force anything. Together, we explore what it feels like to release just a little more, to feel the support beneath you, around you, and within you.

From this grounded place, I guide you in listening to your body, inviting it to show you what it needs. With care and presence, we practice holding space for what arises—not trying to fix or analyze, but simply being with it, exactly as it is. You’ll notice how much support this part of you wants, offering it the right amount of space, closeness, or reassurance.

This practice is about deep listening, attunement, and self-compassion—allowing yourself to be held in mature love, not because you need to change, but because you are worthy of being supported exactly as you are.

Held by Generations: A Guided Practice in Support and Connection

In this guided practice, I invite you to settle into a space where you feel most at ease. Through breath, awareness, and connection, I guide you to soften into the present moment, allowing your body to release even just a little. As you breathe, you are reminded that Hashem is breathing life into you with each inhale, sustaining you in every moment.

Together, we tap into the deep well of support from the women who came before us—all the generations of Jewish women standing behind you, holding you, strengthening you. From this place of grounding, I lead you to gently explore what your heart is needing right now. Through a process of deep listening, we attune to the emotions, sensations, and inner wisdom that arise, offering them space, understanding, and compassion.

This practice is an invitation to slow down, to listen deeply, and to receive. Whatever unfolds, you are supported—by your own body, by the strength of those before you, and by the presence of Hashem in every breath.

Finding Balance Between Tension and Ease

In this episode, I guide you through a gentle somatic practice to explore both tension and ease in your body. By bringing compassionate awareness to these sensations, moving between them, and holding space for both to coexist, you’ll expand your capacity to connect with your body and its wisdom. This practice invites you to meet yourself as you are and notice what emerges when you allow your inner experience to unfold.

In this week’s episode of Parsha, Parts, and Polyvagal - Connecting Torah Insights to Your Inner World and Nervous System, we delve into a powerful insight from Parshas Va’eira. We explore the pasuk: “But they did not listen to Moshe, because of their shortness of breath and hard labor” (Shemos 6:9). Together, we unpack the layers of meaning behind this pasuk through the lens of Rashi and the Maharal, uncovering timeless lessons about how stress and overwhelm affect our ability to truly listen, connect, and find clarity.

We discuss how life’s challenges—and the anticipation of them—can create a “shortness of breath,” both physically and emotionally. These moments can leave us feeling stuck, unable to breathe deeply or access our inner calm. But there’s hope: by calming our minds and bodies, we can reclaim the deep breath that helps us navigate life’s challenges with greater ease.

In this episode, you’ll hear:

• The connection between our perceptions of stress and how our bodies respond.
• How our nervous system reacts when overwhelmed, whether through fight-or-flight or shutdown.
• A guided practice to help you gently reconnect with your breath and body. This exercise is especially for those moments when life feels too heavy or you can’t seem to find a way to slow down.

Take a moment for yourself today. Let this episode remind you that even in the midst of life’s challenges, there is always a path back to calm and clarity.

In this episode, I guide you through a somatic mindfulness practice centered on exploring your relationship with space—both expansive and contracted. Through gentle breathing, movement, and visualization, we’ll notice how your body responds to taking up more space and to drawing inward. Together, we’ll create a safe space to explore the emotions and sensations that arise, allowing them to simply be. This practice invites you to connect with your inner world, find balance, and give your body a moment to reset and rest.

In an effort to bring the power of Transforming Touch® to the frum world, I invited my teacher, Dr. Stephen Terrell, to be interviewed on this podcast, which is made specifically for Jewish women. My main question for Dr. Terrell is: Why is Transforming Touch® so disproportionately popular in the frum world?

Here are some of the things we discuss:

• Dr. Terrell’s journey as a trauma therapist and the development of Transforming Touch®, a profound healing modality rooted in nervous system regulation.
• His extensive experience working with foster and adoptive families, and how that shaped his approach to healing.
• His deep connection with the Jewish community and his observations on why Transforming Touch® resonates so strongly in the frum world.
• The challenges of explaining a therapy that operates beyond words and how it facilitates healing on a deep, nonverbal level.
• The impact of historical trauma on the Jewish people, from the Holocaust to generational stress, and how that affects the nervous system.
• The importance of self-regulation, resilience, and creating a sense of safety within the body.
• The delicate balance between acceptance and healing—how true healing often begins with embracing what is, rather than fighting against it.
• The innate human drive for transformation and the misconceptions surrounding quick fixes in healing.
• Navigating neurodivergence with self-compassion and the role of co-regulation in resilience and emotional well-being.

This conversation offers a deep and thought-provoking look at healing, trauma, and why Transforming Touch® has struck such a chord in the frum world.

In this episode, I guide you through a grounding somatic mindfulness practice that invites you to connect with the intricate systems of your body—your heartbeat, digestion, breath, muscles, and bones. Through gentle awareness and intentional focus, we’ll explore how each part contributes to your aliveness and support. Together, we’ll offer gratitude and care to the body, noticing how it feels when given attention and love. This practice is a gentle reminder of the remarkable ways your body sustains and supports you every moment.

In this episode, I guide you through a gentle somatic mindfulness practice to help you reconnect with your body, breath, and inner sensations. Together, we’ll explore how to slow down, tune into the support beneath you, and ask your body the compassionate question: “How am I doing right now?” This practice invites curiosity and acceptance as we listen for subtle answers from within, offering your body exactly what it needs or handing it over to Hashem. Join me in creating space for grounding, clarity, and deeper self-awareness.

In this episode of Parsha, Parts, and Polyvagal: Connecting Torah Insights to Your Inner World and Nervous System we explore Yaakov Avinu’s poignant moment as he gathers his sons to reveal the time of the Geulah—and why Hashem prevents him from doing so. What was Yaakov’s intention? How does it connect to our lives today?

The Sifsei Chaim offers a powerful analogy: just as a doctor explains every detail of a difficult surgery to a patient to prepare and reassure them, Yaakov sought to give his sons the context they needed to endure life’s challenges with deeper emunah and love for Hashem.

This concept resonates deeply with our nervous systems. When we’re given context—whether in a conversation, a request, or a challenging situation—it creates a sense of safety. Without it, we often feel unsettled or dysregulated.

In this episode, we discuss:

• The connection between context, safety, and regulation.
• How the absence of context impacts our relationships and daily interactions.
• A guided somatic practice to viscerally explore the effects of context on your body and nervous system.

Take a few moments to ground yourself, tune into your body, and discover how creating and seeking context can enhance your sense of safety and connection—with yourself, with others, and with Hashem.

Wishing you a meaningful week and a peaceful Shabbos!

This week on Parsha, Parts, and Polyvagal: Connecting Torah Insights to Your Inner World and Nervous System we dive into the story behind the Greeks’ decree for the Jews to inscribe on the horn of an ox that we have no portion with Hashem. As we unpack its meaning, it becomes deeply personal and relevant to our inner world.

The Greeks misunderstood something crucial: that no sin, no mistake, no failure could sever our eternal bond with Hashem. And yet, just like the Greeks, we often wrestle with an “inner Yavan”—that critical voice within us, pointing out our mess-ups and mistakes and telling us we’re unworthy.

In this episode, we explore:

• How Chanukah invites us to confront and quiet our inner critic.
• The enduring love of Hashem, even in moments when we feel disconnected.
• A somatic practice to embody Hashem’s infinite love and compassion for us.

Chanukah reminds us that even when the world (or our inner world) feels dark, the light of Hashem’s love is always present.

Join me in a grounding practice to bring this truth into your body, to soften the inner critic, and to hold space for a deeper connection to Hashem and to yourself.

Wishing you a Chanukah filled with Hashem's love and inner peace.