The Course in Jewish healing              December 2007

 For many of us, winter is an emotionally and physically stressful season. Colder temperatures, shorter days, and more illnesses are realities. But you can create greater health, peace of mind, and pleasure for yourself. Winter dark-time brings greater possibility for introspection and quiet peace. All of nature is resting and gathering energy for the burst of spring to come. You have a similar cycle that wants to gather energy for your personal creative spring. Meditate, go deep inside and to find your creative center, then do something you’ve dreamed about, write, paint, learn Italian, take up knitting, or create some art or craft that excites you. Dark days also give you time to catch up on the good books you’ve been stashing away.

Darkness can produce what is known as SAD, or seasonal affect disorder, caused by not enough light coming into our eyes. People are affected differently by light, but most of us feel better when days are sunny and long. If you feel depressed as the days get shorter, you need more light.1 Be sure you go outside in midday when the sun is highest in the sky, and sit near a window when you work.You will benefit by using additional bright lights at work and at home. Try halogen lamps or full-spectrum light bulbs for sun-like brightness, and balance incandescent bulbs with florescent at work. The combination of the two gives you a more balanced light spectrum, which is healthier. Put extra bright light on your desk. If truly depressed, you can buy SAD-lights made for alleviating seasonal depression.

Jewish healing can assist in the effectiveness of professional medical or psychological treatment. Many doctors today recognize the efficacy of alternative medicine, the combination of holistic therapies combined with standard medical or psychological procedures.

From last month's "Groundwork for Jewish Healing" the notion of psychoneuroimmunology, a relatively new field of medicine that claims the mind provides numerous healing benefits for the body, may have become evident. Spirituality begins in the mind through the power of the imagination and from there filters its way deep into the spiritual dimension. Spirit can be compared to the operating system of your computer; it's responsible for running all the software. Like the computer, we too are programmed to function physically, emotionally and mentally; if there are glitches in our software, some of the programs may not run so well.

One of the principal causes of human software malfunction is stress. A certain amount of stress is beneficial; it keeps us on our toes. But an over abundance causes the "fight or flight" response to kick in and places many bodily functions in overdrive. Chemical changes occur that create imbalances in our psychophysical makeup which lays the groundwork for illness. Jewish healing attempts to bring spirit into our lives to untie the knots that bind us.
 

The Four Worlds of Jewish Mysticism
The Zohar, the authoritative text of Jewish mysticism teaches the concept of universes or worlds which contains the fundamentals of Jewish healing. These worlds, which are nothing more than shades of energy that span the boundaries between heaven and earth, have been understood by ancient civilizations since the dawn of mankind. The Jewish worlds were limited to four--other cultures ascribe other numbers--and these correspond to the ancient natural elements of earth, water, fire and air. In Judaism they are the Worlds of Assiah (action), Beriah (formation), Yetsirah (creation) and Atzilut (emanation). These four also relate to the yod, heh, vav, heh; God's ineffable name.
Each session of our healing journey will take us through each of the four worlds. The element of earth relates to the body and its sensations; water pertains to every facet of our emotions and relationships. Fire is the energy of the mind, like those electrical impulses that go whizzing around inside our brain; and air, with its delicate, vaporous characteristics brings to mind our spiritual nature.
Our definition of health assumes that each of the four elements needs to be in balance with one another. Either excess or a deficiency of any one of the four contains the cause of illness. In other words, a disease state is an imbalance of the body/mind continuum, otherwise known as the four worlds.

A Journey Through Four Worlds

Disclaimer: this web site does not presume to offer medical advice or prescribe the use of any technique as treatment for any
physical or psychological disorder without the consent of a physician. This site should not be a substitute for proper medical and
psychological care, however you can use the resources here to complement professional intervention. In the event you use any of
the information on this website, the author or webmaster does not assume any responsibility for your actions. The intent of this
website is only to offer information of a general nature to help you in your quest for personal growth and healing.

Our Goal For December 2001
This month we begin work on the Four Worlds. It is not necessary to start at the beginning; you could start
anywhere that's most comfortable, doing any one or all of the exercises in each World.
When working on any of the Worlds, it is important to try to keep your body as relaxed as possible and
breathe deeply. It could also be helpful to keep your eyes closed. We suggest you print out these pages to
work from. Some people prefer to record the exercises on a tape recorder, so your own voice provides the
necessary guidance.

Earth                                      The World of Assiyah                                                     The Body
This exercise and those to follow in future months are designed to bring renewed awareness to the body. In
the process of growing up we lost much of the sensitivity of our bodies. As infants we relied heavily of
physical sensations, like wet, hungry or uncomfortable. The years of intellectual education has brought our
focus into our minds--we learned to think matters through--while leaving the sensations of the body behind.
The body is our source of spiritual and healing wisdom. Getting in touch with our bodies brings up clues to
what's gone wrong, physically or emotionally. Our emotions, for example, are actually feelings--sensations
we experience somewhere in our bodies. Spiritually our bodies live in the present moment where we are
most capable of encountering God, our source of healing energy.

     - Being aware of your body means having your attention fully in your body so that mind and body
     become united.
     - Being aware of your body quiets your mind and reawakens your senses. As you become more and
     more aware, your self-confidence grows.
     - With greater awareness of the body, you can learn to take more responsibility for your own well
     being.

Find a quiet place where you can remain undisturbed for ten to fifteen minutes. Lie down or sit comfortably.
Close your eyes and allow yourself the breathe normally. Take a few deep breaths and let the air out slowly.
Let your body relax fully. Mentally scan your major body parts--your legs, your arms, your back, your neck
and your face to notice where in your body you feel tension. Allow your body to remain as relaxed as
possible. Simply allow yourself to be aware of your body, how it feels and where sensations like tightness,
tingling, pressure, soreness, aches, heat or cold, seem to accumulate. Notice what you feel and just make
a mental note of it. Remain in your present state of relaxation as long as you wish, staying aware of the
unity of mind and body.

Brachah for healing the body: Blessed are You, Lord our God, King of the Universe who heals all flesh and acts wonderously.

Water                                                  The World of Beriah                                     Emotions
1. Can you recall an event, recently or in the past that was particularly upsetting?
2. What happened?
3. Where did it take place?
4. Who was involved?
5. How did you react?
6. What feelings arose (it may have been one or more feelings)?
7. What defenses did you use to avoid the feelings at that time?
8. Can you experience those feelings now without avoidance?
9. Where in your body did you feel the feeling then?
10. Where in your body did you feel the feeling now?
11. Focus only on the feeling without the thought of what happened and without judging it--just experience
the feeling.
12. Allow the feeling to come closer and gradually let it flow into and around yourself. Expose yourself to it
without resistance.
13. Breathe energy into the feeling in your body; keep your body as relaxed as possible. Allow the loving
energy attached to your breath to neutralize the feeling as much as possible

Brachah for healing the emotions: Blessed are You, Lord our God, King of the Universe who gives strength to the weary.

Fire                                           The World of Yetzirah                                                    Thought
1. Recall the feeling you generated in the World of Beriyah, your emotions, or any other feeling you need to
work on. Try to find in your imagination an image that best represents that feeling. Examples of such
images might include a block of ice, a dark shadow, a gray cloud, a thick fog. You might choose, to
represent your feeling, a dangerous animal--a tiger or a fire-breathing dragon. It is most effective, however,
that you select an image of your own choosing, invented by your own imagination that appears as an
appropriate representation. Once you can match the image you just created with the feeling, go to the next
step.

2. Find your source of healing energy. God is the Jewish source of healing energy, but it's difficult, if not
impossible, to visualize an inexpressible, transcendent God. We could however devise a symbolic image to
serve our purposes. Images such as a brilliant light, a golden shimmering ball, a fully lit menorah or even a
wise old counselor, could work well. It is important as in the previous step to design an image of healing
energy that feels right to you.

3. Allow your image of healing to approach, in your mind's eye, the image that represents your negative
feeling. Take your time, and slowly watch the healing energy overpower and destroy your negative image.
You might have imagined your unpleasant feelings as a block of ice that is slowly melted by the brilliant light
of God.  Keep your body relaxed, breathing deeply throughout this entire exercise.

Brachah for healing the mind: Blessed are You, Lord our God, King of the Universe who gives the heart
understanding to distinguish between day and night.

Air                                                      The World of Atzilut                                                          Spirit
1. Faith is the essential requirement to actualize the healing work that you have done so far. At times it is
more meaningful to have faith that your connection to spirit can effect your healing, more than the healing
work itself. It's not often easy, particularly at times at times of unsettling news, to believe in the awesome
healing possibilities of God, but it can start in small ways. We can start with trust, a quality a little more
down-to-earth. Consider some of the ways we put trust in our everyday affairs--depositing money in the
bank or buying food that's fresh from the market. Once you compile such a list, consider what it would take
to put trust in God's healing abilities. Belief in God's fervent desire to bestow good on mankind is probably
the most effective healing tool of all.

2. Another means to invoke the healing powers of the spiritual dimension is to recite healing psalms. The
celebrated Hasidic master, Rabbi Nachman of Breslov (1772-1810) isolated ten particular psalms as
healing psalms. These songs, better known as Tikkun HaKlali, the complete remedy, are considered to
have special power for healing the body, mind and spirit.
The following is the sixteenth psalm, the first psalm of the complete remedy. The suggested method is
extract the most value from psalms is to read one daily for a month, and during each successive reading
attempt to find new and personal meaning in the words and the verses.

           Psalm 16
1.  These are among David's golden words: Watch over me God, for I seek refuge in You.
2.  You said to the Lord, "You are my master, but my good fortune is not Your concern.
3.  "Rather, the holy ones on the earth--You care for them and for the great ones whom I should  emulate.
4.  "When their pain multiplies, they know to speedily turn to another. But I cannot even pour   their libations because of
guilt, I cannot even lift their names to my lips".
5.  The Lord is the Portion, which is mine by right, my Cup. You nurture my destiny.
6.  Labor pains turn into pleasantness--so, too, I must see my inheritance of beauty.
7.  I will bless the Lord who counsels me, though at night my conscience afflicts me.
8.  I keep the Lord continually before me; because of God, Who is my right hand, I shall not   break down.
9.   So my mind is happy, my whole being joyful; even my body rests secure.
10.  For You shall not abandon my soul to the world of the dead, not let the one who loves You, see  his own grave.
11.  Give me directions on life's road. With Your Presence, I am filled up with joys, with the   delights that ever come
from Your Strong Arm.

3. Take on the Mitzvah of tz'dakah in your life. Tz'dakah is generally taken to mean giving money to charity.
The word actually is translated as righteousness, not charity. It suggests that we give something or be of
service to others, not necessarily money. For your healing welfare, try to find a project where you can give
to others. It might include visiting the sick regularly, visiting the elderly and the shut-ins, teaching a skill to
someone less accomplished than yourself, listening intensely to anyone who has a burdensome story to
tell. There are unlimited possibilities for giving tz'dakah; if you can't find any, than just give money.

Brachah for healing of spirit: My God, the soul you have placed in me is pure. You created it, You fashioned it, You breathed
it into me, You safeguard it within me, and eventually You will take it from me, and restore it to me in Time to Come. As long
as the soul is within me, I gratefully thank you, HASHEM, my God and the God of my forefathers, Master of all works, Lord of
all souls. Blessed are You, Lord our God, who restores souls to the dead.

Remember healing is an on-going process of taking care of yourself. Have patience, courage and fortitude
and you will prevail. You can start the Course in Jewish Healing at any time. If you have not read,
Groundwork for Jewish Healing, the initial article of this series, we suggest emailing us for a copy before
you begin the work.