I am writing again to talk about the expansion of my Shal OM idea.  As I have written in the past, the idea first came to fruition when I began teaching Jewish Yoga and Meditation at Hebrew High.  Since then I have taught Jewish Yoga at the Hazon Food Conference, the Teva Environmental Educator conference, and at Limmud Colorado.  After Limmud Colorado I was informed of a Jewish Learning Grant from Rose Community Foundation for programs inspired by Limmud Colorado 2011.  I applied and was awarded the grant and ran a 2 month series of Jewish Yoga classes.

I had always planned on saving some of the funding for a bigger project and when I thought of the idea for a Partner Yoga Havdallah Experience, I knew I had it.  While teaching yoga on Shavuot I met Rhonda Wallen, who led an beautiful impromptu Hebrew chant.  I recruited her to join me, and along with a musician, Jim Beckwith, we are hoping to provide an evening filled with movement, music, chanting, prayer, and connection.  When the JCC heard of the idea they graciouslly offered to provide the space.  This is truly a collaborative effort.  I hope you will join us for this certainly memorable evening.

Please join me at the Boulder JCC, Saturday November 5, from 7-9pm for a Partner Yoga Havdallah Experience.  Welcome in the new week with movement, music, chanting, and spirituality.  No yoga experience required and people of all faiths welcome.  Bring a partner or come alone.  We will be guided through accessible poses and led through beautiful Hebrew chants and prayer.  Live music from Jim Beckwith will accompany us throughout this journey.  Donations are welcome but not required. Please contact me with any questions.

Blessings, Shalom, Namaste,
Raj
303-588-5581

The program, held at Boulder’s JCC, was lead by teacher and Jewish Yoga instructor, Raj Seymour. Raj explained that the group was coming together to celebrate the Jewish Earth Day, which was originally postponed due to a snowstorm.

[Tu B'Shvat] brings environmentalism into Judaism,” he said.

He began the Seder by talking about the first fruit. This fruit is hard on the outside and soft on the inside.  All four of the fruits relate to human nature. Accompanying the fruit was white grape juice, which is symbolic for the winter and purity.  Fruits such as oranges were enjoyed. Raj and the group then discussed Tikkun Olam, which is repairing the world.

The second fruit was soft on the outside and hard on the inside.  White and red grape juice was mixed together to represent spring.

The group then discussed tree horoscopes from Tree Source and most said that their tree sign fit them perfectly.

“How can you help the earth?” Raj asked the group. Answers like donating money to green causes, supporting renewable energy, planting trees, walking to school and using reusable water bottles came up.

The third fruit was soft on the outside and inside, like various types of berries and grapes. “The Torah is like a tree,” the group discussed. The group then designed their own trees, and drank a “spiritual” red glass of grape juice to represent that they have enough, wholeness in the world.

Lena Linares, a 14-year-old Niwot High School student, said that she enjoyed the program.  “I had fun learning about Tu B’Shvat,” Linares said. “My favorite part was eating.”

Reed Forman, a 14-year-old Louisville Middle School student, also said that he enjoyed the program and that he loves to come to Hebrew High, in general.

I love it.  I love this place. At school, there’s not many Jews. This is a place to learn about our ancestry. I didn’t know much about Tu B’Shvat until now.”

Raj concluded by asking, “What can you do for the earth and for yourself?”

To learn more about Hebrew High in Boulder, contact Sara Goldberg.

Raj Seymour

Shal OM Yoga – An all-levels yoga flow with a Jewish  Flavor. Every Sunday at 1:00pm starting January 3rd at Vida Yoga ( 2749 Iris Avenue (303) 562-5963).  This is a donation based class and all are welcome.  Raj will be teaching most classes with occasional guests.

Questions?  Want to be on the Shal OM mailing list and get schedule updates? You can email me at rseymour35@gmail.com and I will add you to the list.

Blessings, ShalOM, Namaste, and Happy New Year!

Raj

See Raj’s original article, “Shal OM — The Practice of Jewish Yoga” for more information on how Raj developed this class.

Raj Seymour

I am writing this piece because I am exploring my spirituality, and yoga has been a powerful tool for me to discover stillness and intention.  My connection to my Judaism is very important to me and I am interested in investigating an integration of the two.   I began exploring a potential synthesis about a year ago and have slowly been able to join these two incredibly spiritual practices. In a discussion at the Hazon Jewish Food Conference many questions came up and were discussed:  How can we bring Judaism into our Yoga practice?  Is their any connection there?  Does it mean anything?  Do we want to explore it?  What can we do as like-minded Jews and Yogis, both as individuals and collectively?  While no definitive answers came from this discussion, a seed was planted for me to start something in Boulder.

I started a Jewish Yoga group, where Jewish Yoga teachers and practicing Jews and Yogis could meet and talk about the parallels and connections. There was talk of bringing sun salutations into prayer, comparison of the chakras and the sefirot, and the similarities between the Yamas and the Niyamas, the observances and restrictions, and the Commandments.  We also discussed the importance of having your own practice in both in order to be able to mesh the two. I was speaking with someone about the conversation a few days later and some interesting thoughts came up.  She said that she believed that the tenets of Judaism are to teach one to be a positive force in the world, while she believed a deep yoga practice teaches one to turn inward,  pratyahara, and focusing on the inner self that can lead to withdrawal from society.  I believe there are aesthetics in all walks of life and that the yoga and the Judaism of the past is not the yoga or Judaism of today.  Each is evolving and changing in order to help people find meaning and balance in their lives.  There are tools in both to help individuals work on themselves and be a positive force in the community and the world.

I taught a Jewish Yoga and Meditation class to all girls at Hebrew High last year and will again this coming semester, and have also taught sessions at the Teva conference in New York as well as at Limmud Colorado.  I am excited to announce that I will start teaching a donation-based Jewish Yoga class for the community in September.  I have not found a location or picked the time yet but I plan on holding them in the evening on a weekly basis.

I will send out an announcement when I have more details, or you can email me at rseymour35@gmail.com and I will add you to the list.

Blessings, ShalOM, and Namaste,

Raj

When everyone else is busy doing the usual things on Christmas Eve, you can be special. Come and tune your body with the rhythm of the Torah cycle and the biblical Hebrew chants!

Torah Yoga is an integrative and gentle activity of body/mind/soul in which participants experience Yoga poses, Hebrew chanting and Jewish meditation. It is a weekly program co-led by Rabbi Ori Har and Rabbi Nadya Gross. Torah Yoga is open to all adults, genders and religions. No background in either Torah or Yoga is required, only a willingness to move in new ways, and to pray with your body.

and more from the Center for Spiritual Friendship

On-going Group and Individual Spiritual Direction – Ask about our on-going group and individual Spiritual Direction (Hashpa’ah), by Rabbis Ori Har-DiGennaro and Nadya Gross.

“The Torah Yoga class is a beautiful synthesis, bringing the elevation of prayer into the grounding practice of asana/pose. The chanting and harmonium of Reb Nadya enhance the whole with great beauty and soulfulness.”

Sara’ Hollander

This is what one participant has to say about this wonderful opportunity, available to you every Thursday morning, in which you are invited to tune your body with the rhythm of the Torah cycle and the biblical Hebrew chants. From Torah we learn to continually be present to the gift of Life. With Yoga we can fashion our body as a vessel ready to receive and experience the gift. Yoga helps us both to soften our body and strengthen it at the same time.

Torah Yoga is an integrative and gentle activity of body/mind/soul in which participants experience Yoga poses, Hebrew chanting and Jewish meditation. It is a weekly program developed and co-led by Rabbi Ori Har and Rabbi Nadya Gross. Torah Yoga is open to all ages, genders and religions. No background in either, Torah or Yoga is required, only willingness to move in new ways, and pray with your body.

Join Rabbi Ori Har DiGennaro and Rabbi Nadya Gross for

Torah Yoga

every Thursday morning

9:00 – 10:30 AM

November 19, at the Solstice Center on 302 Pearl St.

December’s location TBA.

For more info call the Center for Spiritual Friendship @ 303.563.2114 or 303 440 1024