WHAT’S IN A NEW YEAR? CONSISTENCY AND A LITTLE BLESSING

What is in a New Year? If nothing a time of reflection, regeneration and renewal.

We have this in our Rosh Hashanah that comes in the Autumn but what to do with the advent of 2023?

It has been such a rocky year for many. Most of what we buy is getting more expensive, the economy seems more and more precarious, and we are almost a year into a brutal war on mainland Europe. Just to name a few reasons (all of which we don’t need reminding of!) why I might be happy to see the back of 2022.

So, what to do in January? These are week’s that are not easy to get right, many of us have had a few days down time in December and January can be a slog to get back up and at it.

I have certainly found this week a little gruelling!

Tell us some wisdom to get us back out there?! Its simple, one of my favourite words in Hebrew, hatmada, consistency or regularity. Pick moments of spiritual practice, momentary acts which bring awareness to yourself, to who you are and to your higher purpose.

In this week’s Parsha Jacob blesses Ephraim and Menasha, ‘בְּךָ֗ יְבָרֵ֤ךְ יִשְׂרָאֵל֙’, ‘through you Israel will bless’, there is an acknowledgement that the blessing of children which is set up in our Torah portion will be passed down from one generation to the next.

I was listening this week to a podcast with doctor and author Gabor Mate, he speaks about how our trauma informs everything we are: our self-speak, our addictions, much of our day-to-day interactions and of course our relationships. His interviewer Steven Bartlett asks him: “how do we begin to heal?”A part of his answer relates to self-care, walking in woods or on hills, sitting in meditation, finding moments for ourself.

These two parts combined are an intention for 2023. This Shabbat let’s bless our children or those around us (traditionally said before eating on Friday night), bring us to show appreciation for the blessing that surrounds us. And then in that same breath let us set out in the fullness of the new year doubling down on care for us, the more stress and the more pressures, the greater the need to prioritise that which lifts us up, let’s us breath, lends to the creation of creative space and vision.

WISHING EVERYONE A SHABBAT SHALOM AND A FANTASTIC, MAGICAL 2023.