Friday Dispatch: Holding Your Practice Loosely

And other spring news

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Friday greetings,

Spring is here. Crocus and daffodil sightings (!!). Putting away winter coats. Opening windows and doors – literal and figurative. Strollers and dogs out and about.

In Jewish time, of course, the arrival of spring means thinking about Passover. So during this week’s webinar with my Jewish Studio Project Creative Facilitation cohort, we discussed this line from the Haggadah:

Now we are here
הא שתא הכא
Ha shata hacha

Rabbi Adina Allen noted on the source sheet: ”Ha lachma anya is the first part of the maggid (telling of the Passover story) during the Passover seder. Ha shata hacha is one line from this larger text.”

In pairs and then as a group, we had a rich conversation about these words, along with a passage from Thich Nhat Hanh:

“The present moment is the only moment available to us and it is the door to all other moments.”

Then it was time to go inward, write down an intention, and spend some time seeing what else might be present.

I got out some cray pas and drawing paper. Honestly, I felt uninspired and considered staring at the ceiling for a while instead. I knew coming into the webinar that I was feeling tired – still recovering from being sick – but I also suspected that the tiredness was easier to access than many of the other thoughts and feelings lurking beneath the surface that I wasn’t ready to touch into.

I made marks on the page, which is JSP parlance for working with materials. I would liken this to the visual equivalent of freewriting. In other words, there is no pressure to produce anything great or even good. No expectation or evaluation. Ideally, no judgment or labeling at all. No pushing or prying. Just practice.

Taking a break from words delivered me back to words.

After drawing a little, I returned to that simple line and began to riff on it.

Now we are here.

At first, I only used those four words in various arrangements. Then some others came forward, and others still. I wrote them down as if transcribing something inaudible.

The present moment was a doorway.

Beyond the doorway, I found a poem I hadn’t known was awaiting me.

Here it is:

Whether your medium is visual or written or kinesthetic or something else altogether, you often won’t know what’s awaiting you until you settle into the now, here. Make some marks or some movements. Start with a few words, say three or four, then a few more.

See what happens when you hold this process loosely. Let it be new, like the season itself.

With prayers for peace – within and without.

Shabbat Shalom and love,

Jena

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Fierce Encouragement Book Updates

🎉 Later today, I’m being interviewed for a Features piece in the Daily Hampshire Gazette. Stay tuned for more about that.

✍️ I’ve confirmed my first book signing event. It's the day before Mother's Day, so hopefully, a lot of folks will be out and about. If you're near West Hartford, please save the date and swing by to say hello to me and M.J. (sadly, Chalupa is not invited). ✍️

Saturday, May 10
1:00-4:00pm
Barnes & Noble
Blue Back Square, 60 Isham Rd
West Hartford, CT

🌷 Reports of “Fierce Encouragement” writing groups are starting to pop up, like spring flowers. Nothing could make me happier.

✨ If you have the book, if you love the book, if you’re using the book, PLEASE consider leaving a review on Amazon and/or BookBaby! Here are the links:

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Writing Towards Redemption: A Pre-Passover Workshop

I’m so pleased to be collaborating with Rabbi Susan Elkodsi of the Malverne Jewish Center to invite you to connect with what the Passover journey means for you this year. In this welcoming workshop, we’ll do a few short rounds of freewriting and some (optional) sharing. You might leave feeling a bit more grounded for the holiday and/or with some thoughts to share during a seder. Want to join us? Drop me a note and I’ll send you a Zoom link shortly before the workshop.

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