MYSTICISM, MEDITATION, AND KABBALAH:
Towards developing a personal spirituality
ONE DAY WORKSHOP : 11 am to 4pm
This workshop is available to organisations, or groups of individuals. Maximum number of participants is 10. Suggested lower age limit: 16
ABOUT THE WORKSHOP:
Drawing on the Jewish mystical tradition
of Kabbalah,
as well as Buddhist
meditation, and using
creative
writing exercises to
develop ideas and explore emotions, this one day workshop
aims to inspire students of any religion and no religion at
all to develop a personal
spirituality.
In the course of the workshop, students will grow familiar
with the concept of the Tree of Life
and, in particular, the
paradigm of the Four
Worlds. They will be
encouraged to learn how to apply these Kabbalistic
teachings to understanding
their own processes, and to attempting to solve problems
which are present in their lives at that time.
They will also learn a number of simple meditations
drawn mainly from the
Jewish
mystical tradition and
also from Buddhist
teachings. No previous experience of
any form of meditation is required. Nor is any knowledge of
the Jewish religion or Buddhism.
“We are
accustomed to using our minds, to applying our reason,
logic and intellect to solve problems. We try to reason out
the right thing to do: we gather information from books,
television, radio and newspapers. We ask others for advice.
All of this comes to us in verbal form, concepts which we
have to process with our logical brain.
Meditation provides an antidote to this “wisdom of the
head”. It is, indeed, a “wisdom of the
heart.” When we
meditate we allow the head to rest for a while, and instead
we open our hearts in a safe space. The heart, as well as
the head, is receptive and capable of responding to
stimuli: the heart is capable of finding the answer to
questions which have defeated the head. Sometimes, in the
quiet space which meditation creates, a problem is overcome
or a dilemma solved, without any conscious process having
been employed. Or, after a meditation, the mind, having
rested, suddenly feels able to resolve a problem which for
long before had defeated it.”
From
Wisdom of the Heart:
Meditations from the Jewish Mystical
Tradition by
Sheila Yeger.
Reference will be made to a wide variety of sources, and
an eclectic
selection of spiritual
writings.
However, the approach will be neither academic nor
esoteric. Rather, the
emphasis will be on seeking the practical and everyday
applications of all that is learnt, so that each student
can begin to devise a daily spiritual practice
which is personal and relevant
to him or her.
Whilst disciplines such as NLP and Life Coaching are
undoubtedly valuable and effective, I believe that they may
lack a dimension in the fourth world: the world of Spirit.
Nevertheless, to dwell only in the world of Spirit may mean that
everyday concerns and mundane considerations are not
sufficiently addressed or taken into consideration, with
the result that one may become “light-headed” and
ungrounded. Thinking in terms of the Tree of
Life, it is necessary
to stay rooted in the earth, whilst at the same time
reaching for the sky, and extending out into the world in
all directions.
THE FOUR WORLDS:
The Kabbalistic paradigm of the
Four
Worlds provides us with
a very useful, positive and all -encompassing approach to
the world and the way in which we function in it.
We exist simultaneously in the world of Action, the world of Emotion,
the world of Intellect
and the world of
Spirit. Inbalance between these worlds
inevitably causes disharmony, confusion, unhappiness,
stress, and may even lead to physical illness. Once we
learn how to find a point of equilibrium in the four
worlds, then we begin to feel more at peace with ourselves
and with the universe. Problems,which seemed at first
insoluble, can be unravelled when we apply this paradigm.
Physical symptoms and pain may become less disabling. From
feeling powerless to affect the outcome of difficult
situations, we begin to feel empowered
and thus more in control of
our own lives. As a consequence, we become happier and more
effective in all that we do, and more fulfilled in all our
relationships.
“And from the ground the Lord God caused to grow every tree
that was pleasing to the sight and good for food, with
the tree of
life in the middle
of the garden…” Genesis 2:v 9
Early Kabbalists
found this a potent and inspiring image. Today, many
hundreds of years later, this ancient symbol is still a
source of inspiration with great relevance to the
challenges of everyday life in the modern world. Whatever
your religion, and even if you feel no religious allegiance
at all, the images it evokes, and the ways in which it
resonates in many areas of life, can provide you with a
detailed and useful map for your journey towards personal
growth and spiritual fulfilment.