The Embodied Jewish Woman with Rena Reiser

Embrace and Release

In Rena's guided somatic mindfulness practice, she invites us to start with deep breaths, allowing it to signal to our bodies that it's okay to slow down. We connect with our surroundings, sensing how they support us, and then turn inward, noticing the mood of our bodies and naming the emotions we feel. Rena encourages us to welcome these emotions without judgment, exploring how they manifest physically. We then imagine the opposite emotion or way of being, observing its sensations within us. Through gentle breathing, we navigate between these states, acknowledging both without merging them. Finally, we take a deep breath before carrying this awareness forward into our day.

Finding Inner Resilience

Rena gently guides us through a somatic mindfulness practice, starting with deep breaths that signal to every part of our being that it's okay to slow down. With eyes open or closed, we notice our body's connection to the surface beneath, the air on our skin, and the sounds around us. Rena encourages us to find comfort in our posture, perhaps resting our hands or giving ourselves a gentle massage. As we scan our body, we search for sensations or images that offer a sense of safety, inviting us to delve deeper into these resources. From this place of inner strength, we explore what other aspects of ourselves need attention and support, listening with compassion and offering care. We stay with this nurturing presence, acknowledging that we can return to it whenever needed, fostering resilience from within.

The "Megillah" Story of My Week - A Special Purim Katan Meditation

Rena gently guides us into a somatic mindfulness practice, inviting us to connect with our breath and the safety of the present moment. As we settle into our bodies, she prompts reflection on the small miracles of the past week, inviting us to notice how seemingly insignificant events led to unexpected outcomes, just like in Megillas Esther. Sensing into the joy of these blessings, we then shift focus to the rest of the week ahead until Shabbos begins, acknowledging any feelings of confusion or uncertainty. Through this process, Rena encourages us to recognize the intricate tapestry of our lives, finding strength and joy in the awareness of Divine providence. As we bask in this space of gratitude and joy, we allow it to permeate our beings, empowering us to embrace the journey ahead with renewed faith and determination.

Embracing Hashem's Infinite Support

Rena's gentle guidance led us through a somatic mindfulness journey, inviting us to settle into the present moment with deep breaths. She encouraged us to notice the support beneath us and the sensations within our bodies, gently releasing any tension we found. Rena then guided us to acknowledge our feelings, placing a hand on the area where they resided, offering comfort and compassion. Through her words, we recognized Hashem's support surrounding us, multiplying the comfort of our hand infinitely to sense the boundless support from Hashem. As we breathed into this profound connection, Rena encouraged us to notice the shifts within ourselves. With each breath, we returned to our emotions, then to the support of our hand, and finally to the infinite support of Hashem. In this soulful space, we held ourselves with kindness, embracing Hashem's support and love that enveloped us.

Meditation Practice Rena guided a meditation practice, starting with inviting participants to find a comfortable position, take deep breaths, and focus on the quality of their breathing. She then moved on to have them slowly turn their head to look at an object, taking note of its details. She encouraged them to take in their surroundings with their peripheral vision and to soften their gaze. She further guided them to shift their attention to their body, curiously scanning it and focusing on each part. The practice ended with sensing the space throughout the body and a final deep breath.

Today I'm sharing an episode where Esther Shemtov of the "On Your Own" Podcast interviewed me!

We discussed the definition of intuition, how to stop living in your head, the importance of identifying your triggers, the benefits of mindful movement, and much more.

Here's what Esther had to say about the interview:

"What I loved most about this interview with Rena was just the down to earth nature of the conversation. I am a very logical person, usually, and I generally have an aversion to anything that I call 'woo woo'. But I can safely say that Rena helps us explore deep topics like our intuition, the mind body connection and inner peace, in a really tangible, relatable way. For the majority of my time living away from home, I lived in my head. I thought about everything, all the time. And I was super disconnected from my body, and any sort of inner voice, intuition, all of that. And because of this, I ended up pushing myself to places that weren't healthy for me, lost touch with cues that could have been really helpful in guiding me through tough decisions, and missed out on the present moment… a lot.

I know that you can have a better experience. There is a whole other world inside of us that wants to be heard, and hopefully this conversation will help you to rebuild trust in your body's messages, and maintain that trust over the long run imyh.

I hope that you enjoy the episode!"

Embrace and Empathize: Inner Journey

In this mindful practice, you start by grounding yourself and breathing deeply, allowing your breath to flow naturally. You're invited to listen to the emotions in your body with the same empathy you'd give to a loved one. As you tune in, you're encouraged to notice both physical sensations and emotions without judgment. Then, you explore the opposite of your current feelings, imagining positivity and boundless potential. This process of shifting back and forth allows you to observe any changes with kindness. The practice emphasizes staying connected to all parts of yourself from a place of strength and acceptance.

Embodied Values Awareness Session Rena guided the participants on a meditative journey to relax and connect with their bodies. She encouraged them to identify tension points and breathe deeply, inviting their bodies to relax. She then asked them to bring their attention to their 'felt sense', a sensation in their body, noticing its size, texture, color, and shape. She instructed them to ask it how it was feeling, what it wanted them to know, and how it wanted them to live out a particular value. Finally, she suggested they act out living at this value, observing the impact it had on their bodies.

Relaxation and Reflection for Shabbos Rena led a guided meditation focused on coming into Shabbos feeling like all of one's work is complete. She encouraged participants to find a comfortable position, breathe deeply, and reflect on their week, recognizing their accomplishments, challenges, and feelings of gratitude to themselves and, of course, Hashem. She then shifted the focus to the upcoming Shabbos and encouraged participants to feel the emotions associated with the tasks still to be completed. Throughout the meditation, Rena reminded participants of all they've accomplished and their ability to trust in Hashem to continue helping them through.

Connecting to Hashem's Support Rena led a guided meditation focused on breathing and the sense of Hashem's support. She invited participants to breathe in Hashem's love, compassion, and whatever else they needed, physically, emotionally, or spiritually. She guided them to notice the impact of their breath on their bodies and to sense the support Hashem was providing. She also encouraged them to stay with the experience for as long as it felt right for them.