Releasing. Adar II, Week 1
Adar Sheni: The Second Month of Adar
The Mystery is Transformation, the Infinite responds in the moment we call. (Psalm 20:10)
We now enter the second month of Adar, the month that brings Purim, the festival of possibility and transformation.
Tradition teaches that a mighty ruach—a powerful wind and spirit—comes through the month of Adar Sheni bringing the seeds of transformation. Sometimes this wind comes as a soft breeze; other times it arrives with a force that shakes us to the core.
As we enter this month, we are encouraged to take a flexible posture, to loosen our grasp on how things have always been or how things should be. As the ruach of Adar comes through, it is best not to fight it with stubborn insistence.
We are no match for these forces of change.
A soft, open posture–a willingness to let go what has been, a relaxing of our efforts to control what is and what will be–can make us feel vulnerable. But this posture allows for the ruach, for the spirit of this month, to move through us with greater ease.
A mighty wind is blowing. May we meet the spirit of this time with curiosity and willingness.
Exercise: Releasing
As we enter this new month, we ask ourselves:
What habits, routines, ways of thinking and behaving have we been holding onto even though they no longer serve us well?
What is it in my life that is calling to be changed?
As we ask these questions, we notice what it feels like in our body to do so.
Where do we feel ourselves holding on tightly and taking a rigid stance?
Where do we feel a softening, an opening, a willingness to explore, discover and let go?
We then take some time for writing, listing the habits, beliefs, stories of the mind we seek to change.
Then we write a sentence stated in the present of who we are with these habits transformed.
For example: I seek to let go of my impatience, anger, mistrust and my belief that people are always judging me harshly. I am strong, patient and able to enter into relationships with my full self, trusting I will be received well.
Meditation: The Mystery is Transformation; the Infinite responds in the moment we call. (Psalm 20:10) We take our seats, bringing ourselves into an awake posture and with the attention resting gently on the breath, we say this verse from Psalms again and again:
The Mystery is Transformation; the Infinite responds in the moment we call.
We watch as the verse travels on the breath and moves throughout the body. We imagine the psalm verse filling the heart space, the belly and moving down the arms and legs. We notice it filling our backs, our necks, our shoulders our heads.
Each time we become aware that the mind has wandered, we bring our attention back by returning to the psalm:
The Mystery is Transformation; the Infinite responds in the moment we call. As we close our sit, we say to ourselves: I am open to transformation and change. May it come with gentleness, grace and ease.
—Rabbi Yael Levy
27 Adar I 5779
To guide you mindfully through the two months of Adar, A Way In presents a series of original teachings from Rabbi Yael Levy. These take you week by week through both months, offering intentions, exercises, practices and meditations to help your ride the waves of these times.
These teachings are available on this website at the beginning of each week of Adar I and Adar II, but if you would like to read ahead or engage with them at your own rhythm, we are also very excited to offer an eBook guide for purchase containing the full two month's worth of Rabbi Yael's Adar teachings. Learn more and purchase the eBook.
We have also prepared a schedule, available on our website, to help you line up the weekly 5779 Adar teachings with 2019 dates.
Please donate to A Way In and/or purchase an eBook to keep Rabbi Yael's teachings free and available for all.