BLESS THE HANDS THAT FEED US
How to bring greater awareness
to the things we do I BY DR JONATHAN MOCH
MEDITATION IS FOCUSED ATTENTION. MINDFULNESS
meditation is paying attention purposefully to the stimuli of the present moment, without judgment, embedded in a
mindset of curiosity. Simple to describe,
but much easier said than done. It’s probably the most effective antidote to the
stress pandemic. Think of it. We can only
exist in the here and now of the life cycle.
The past is gone, the future is still to
come, leaving the present moment as the
only time slot to make decisions. People
who dwell in the past (what was!) tend towards depressive states; those who live in
the future (what if?) stew in a cholent of
anxiety disorders.
Of course we need to pivot and reflect
on the past, our experiences, mistakes,
and our place in the long dramatic history
of Judaism. Of course we need to project
our imagination into a future of hope and
a better tomorrow. This core belief of possibility is ingrained into our Jewish genes,
expressed by the lofty idea that our everyday actions influence our position in the
spiritual world to come (Olam Haba),
keeping us alert and giving meaning and
purpose to our daily choices.
But we risk mindlessness, a state of au-
22 JEWISH LIFE
ISSUE 86
topilot, when we get caught up in the
frenzy of just doing things, without experiencing the full bloom of the present moment – a moment comprising all our current sensory inputs (sight, sound, smell,
taste and touch) combined with our inner
thoughts, emotions, and impulses, as well
as the energy and information of our interpersonal relationships. We literally
have only moments to live and each moment is unique, a smorgasbord of different inputs and reactions.
Mindfulness meditation is now an accepted form of medical treatment for a
host of stress-related illnesses ranging
from burnout to depression, anxiety to
skin diseases, as well as for pain relief.
There are formal techniques, such as daily
sittings for 40 minutes and week-long retreats, and informal practices such as, for
example, eating just one single raisin,
slowly and deliberately, bringing attention for a couple of minutes to hand
movements, touch, smell, taste, chewing
and swallowing. Yes, one raisin, two minutes, mindfully, without any distractions.
The most effective mindfulness method
is to just stop and check-in throughout
the day. And I mean: S.T.O.P! Stop what-
ever you are doing. Take a breath. Observe what is happening. And then Proceed. This acronym encapsulates the
essence of mindfulness meditation; helping you to live longer and better; adding
years to your life, and life to your years.
Try it a hundred times a day.
A Torah-inspired life is meant to be a
lifelong journey of mindfulness each day,
from waking in the morning and reciting
Modi Ani (I am thankful for the return of
my soul), Netilat Yadaim (washing the
hands), all the way until we prepare to go
to sleep by saying Shema Yisrael – each
moment is a potential act of mindfulness
meditation. For each, we just need to
S.T.O.P. Stop, take a breath, observe that
breath and the action about to be performed, and then proceed. Our rabbis call
this process: kavana, the intention to pay
attention before and during the performance of mitzvos.
My favourite mindfulness exercises
centre on eating. Before making Kiddush
on Shabbat, I hold the becher (cup) in my
right hand, stop, bring my attention to
my breath, observe those around me, reflect on my thoughts, imagining that a
million or more Jews around the planet
will be reciting or listening to the words
of this thousand-year-old bracha, answering “Amen”, and sipping wine or grape
juice this very same Shabbat, and then I
proceed: VaYehi Erev, VaYeHi Boker, Yom
HaShiShi (And it was evening; it was
morning, the sixth day), reciting each
word deliberately, with awareness.
Then onto the Hamotzi ritual, breaking
bread and sharing it with guests. There are
many loops of S.T.O.Ps within this ancient
tradition. From washing hands with a bracha; not speaking after that bracha until
lifting the two covered challahs, and saying
the bracha over the challah (Who brings the
bread out of the land), cutting the challah,
dipping it in salt, and then, in silence, distributing the pieces around the table and
eating them. We end the meal by holding a
bentscher and focusing our attention on
PHOTOGRAPH: BIGSTOCKPHOTO.COM; PORTRAIT: SUPPLIED
Just S.T.O.P it!