Many Embers, One Glow
Reflections on Glow Up, Our Contemplative Winter Series
In the weeks anticipating Solstice, Earth pivoted in its cycle around the sun and the days are now growing longer. Jupiter, Saturn and Earth were at their closest in hundreds of years. People of Jewish heritage, their families, friends and allies around the world celebrated Hanukkah, a season for kindling light and hope in the darkest of times. Accompanying these meaningful events was the gathering of two dozen seekers from across the US, Canada and even Europe to cultivate awareness, resilience and connection. For four weeks each Sunday, Lab/Shul partners and friends gathered at sundown (Eastern time) in Glow-Up, a contemplative practice series for SoulStice.
The series followed the universal themes of Body, Dark, Light, and — their Integration. Each session, we practiced grounding meditation to abide deeper in loving our bodies, seeing them in the cleansing sight of Not Knowing – things as they are – by the simple choice to shift our attention. We shared our personal experiences, listened from the heart, and chanted together to the low beat of a drum. With each beat, the glow grew stronger.
“It was a framework which held me in the much needed practice of stillness and drawing closer to the Divine.” – Odile
Returning time and again to our direct experience of our body and our breath as the most fundamental center, we dived into our notions of the Dark, our personal fears, as well as owned societal notions we hold of darkness related to negativity and the challenge these posits specifically to People of Color. We were guided by teachings by Hassidic masters Reb. Nahman & Sefat Emet, and the Zen Buddhist teachings of Shitou Xiqian and the Heart Sutra, as we engaged the Luminous Dark, the womb of potential, and the mind of Not Knowing – in which all is undifferentiated and present, just as it is.
We then turned our attention to explore Light, Jewish mystical interpretations and application to our spiritual practice. We were guided by Hanukkah’s 4th night Menorah candles and Hassidic masters’ encouragement to turn the candles within and light the crevices of our body and mind, to fulfill an ancient prophecy of revelation – right here and now.
In our last session, we integrated our themes of Body, Dark and Light. When our ancestors invoke Oneness, some acknowledge that our minds call parts of our experience in different names, but that direct felt experience of reality is, in fact, always unified. To get a taste of this unity, that night we drew on creative expression. We gathered in silence each with writing, drawing and painting utensils and followed a guided art process with these our experience of Body, Dark and Light. As they integrated before our very eyes simply by occupying the same canvas before us, so did our minds and hearts bore witness to the wholeness of these within.
In our closing ritual, we invoked our inner Kohen/net, our inner Glow Keepers and generated a shared field of attention, intimacy, presence, and blessing.
May the intention and effort by all participants benefit everyone and our planet, and inspire us to bring forth this glow into our relationships and into our efforts to repair and heal the world.
Rabbinic Fellow
“I loved the gentle pace; the rhythm of mediation, sharing, listening; use of chant and voice; use of metaphor; warm intentions to carry into the week” – Lori
Following is artwork made during Glow Up by Georgia Von Schlieffen, Marsha Gildin, Rebecca Kelly, and Aleria Sarra
