The Embodied Jewish Woman with Rena Reiser

Square Breathing and Felt Sense Practice Rena led a practice of square breathing, emphasizing the importance of observing the body's position and mood and how it can provide insight into the state of the nervous system. She guided the attendees to bring awareness to their feelings, allowing the body to respond and provide feedback. She then introduced the concept of a 'felt sense', an internal experience that could be approached with curiosity and compassion. Rena suggested asking the 'felt sense' what it needs and how one can assist, committing to providing help, no matter how small. She concluded by encouraging the attendees to stay with this practice for as long as it feels beneficial.

Meditation for Joyous Chanukah Memories Rena guided the participants through a meditation to connect with their bodies and emotions. She invited them to focus on their breath, bring attention to their current mood, and then recall a joyous Chanukah memory. The participants were then instructed to alternate between their current feelings and the joyous memory, before envisioning how they would like to feel during Chanukah and noticing how their bodies responded to these visualizations.

Inner Resource Practice

Rena led a mindfulness and relaxation practice, starting with a technique of inhaling and exhaling in reverse order as a way to signal the brain to integrate a new idea. She then invited participants to check in with their bodies, notice any tension, and release it. Rena encouraged them to find an inner resource, focus on it, and notice their body's response to it. She stressed the importance of allowing this inner resource to integrate into their whole self and to revisit it whenever they need extra support.

Focusing on Space, Air, and Sound

Rena led a guided practice focused on grounding and mindfulness. She encouraged participants to focus on their physical sensations, such as the support of their body against the surface it was on, the sensation of the air on their skin, and the sounds around them. Rena then guided them to expand their awareness to include the room around them, the building they were in, and finally throughout the world - all created just for them, by Hashem. The aim was to help participants feel more relaxed and centered.

Emotional Awareness Mindfulness Exercise Rena guided the participants through a meditation exercise focused on mindfulness and emotional awareness. She instructed participants to focus on their breath, body, and surrounding environment, then turn their attention to their thoughts and emotions. Rena suggested identifying the most prominent thought or emotion, naming it, and noticing where in the body it was felt. She then encouraged the exploration of the opposite of that thought or emotion. The exercise concluded with a deep breath, noticing the capacity of the breath, and the invitation to stay with the newly introduced emotion or thought as long as it felt comfortable.

Self-Awareness and Vulnerability Meditation Rena led a guided meditation focused on self-awareness and vulnerability. She began by instructing participants to take deep breaths, noting the depth and sensation of each breath. Rena then invited participants to reflect on a vulnerable situation, asking them to consider its intensity and location in the body. Following this, she guided participants through a series of questions aimed at understanding the vulnerability from different perspectives. Finally, Rena suggested offering what the vulnerability might need to feel safer, emphasizing the importance of empathy and compassion.

Feeling Joy When Life Feels Heavy

Rena led a guided meditation focused on breathing and body awareness. She encouraged participants to notice their current emotions, where they feel them in their bodies, and how they can help their bodies feel safe enough to stay with these emotions. She then invited participants to shift their attention to the emotion of joy, allowing their bodies to experience both emotions simultaneously. The practice ended with an invitation to expand the sense of joy within themselves.

Being Held by Hashem

Rena led a guided meditation focused on mindfulness and relaxation. She started by asking everyone to take deep breaths and observe their bodies, from head to feet. She then guided the participants to imagine their parts being held by Hashem, with a sense of security and trust, and to notice how this felt in their bodies. She suggested that the participants could expand this sense of support to other parts as needed. The meditation concluded with the participants staying with the sense of being supported for as long as it was beneficial for their bodies.

Sensing Space Rena led a guided meditation focused on sensing space. She invited participants to focus on their breath, soften their eyes, and become aware of the space around them. She then guided them to shift their attention to a physical sensation in their body, encouraging them to observe the space around this sensation before focusing back on it. Finally, she invited participants to check in with their bodies and choose a word or phrase to remember the experience.

Meditation Session: If Anything Was Possible Rena guided a meditation session, focusing on breathing exercises and body awareness. She encouraged participants to notice their current state of being, including thoughts, emotions, and physical sensations. She then asked them to consider the opposite of their current feelings - if anything was possible - and observe how it felt in their body. Participants were instructed to switch between their current feelings and the opposite, holding both simultaneously. The session concluded with Rena asking participants to identify a new thought or feeling that emerged during the meditation, and to stay with it throughout the day for added support.