I can tell we are closing in on the Yamim Noraim - the High Holy Days. There are many signs, but the one that works for me is the personal changes I can observe in my schedule. The to-do lists are getting a little longer...the days seem a bit fuller...and I definitely arrive home just a little (or a lot) more tired.
(That is all the "justification" for why I am combining these two blog posts!)
Every year our congregation tackles a learning theme. In some cases this is intellectual and in some cases experiential. Depending on the topic, we use it to inform the educational opportunities offered for all ages. This year our theme is Mindfulness.
This weekend we held workshops for parents of preschool children, parents of teens, and our religious school and preschool faculties. We learned about the neurological benefits of Mindfulness and strategies to bring this practice to our families and our classrooms. (Thank you to Kristen Race from Mindful Life for leading these sessions)
At it's core, mindfulness is about awakening. It is about being in the present - not the past or the future. It is about tuning in to the sights, sounds, smells, rhythms, patterns that surround us.
I hope that this time - the days leading up to and including the High Holy Days - can be a period of awakening for all of us. Stop and tune in. What sights surround you? Practice being in the moment. May it be a period of awakening for all of us!
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