Disclaimer: I would like to make it very clear that the following entry is no way intended to be a Judaic teaching.  It is my hope that my experience is merely the vehicle through which I am able to share something I believe to be important for every one, regardless of their belief system.

After a long bout with serious illness and several weeks of recovery, I’m finally back to blogging.  In the last four months I’ve learned a lot about the importance of rest, good food and other things that support healing.  Last week, at the monthly Rosh Chodesh women’s group I attend, I was reminded that each individual has the potential to support health and healing in others.  Since then I’ve given quite a lot of thought to this and have decided to share what I learned because even if we’ve all heard it before, it’s one of those basic truths that bears repeating.

The sliver of the moon just after it was new

The sliver of the moon just after it was new

This Rosh Chodesh we learned about the month of Iyar, the second month and the month that the recently freed Isrealites began to recieve manna* from the heavens. After a brief teaching we each pondered what would be the perfect nourishment for us in that moment.  Then we took turns asking to receive that nourishment from each other.  Since the group is a sacred space I will not share other women’s experiences but I can say that the requests varied from being massaged to simply being listened to.

My unique form of nourishment in that moment was to lie in child’s pose and have each woman place their hands somewhere on my body and remain perfectly still for five minutes.  What sounds like a simple request became very powerful and healing when put into practice.  Five minutes is a long time to lie perfectly still, especially in the presence of others.   In that time I relaxed and enjoyed the experience of simply breathing and being held and supported by other women.  Each woman gave herself completely to the exercise and I could feel the love and kindness of their intentions.

In our culture we think of healing in many ways: being treated by a medical provider with medicine or a procedure; receiving a massage; taking herbs or special tinctures; getting regular accupuncture treatments; having a healer give us an enegry treatment like Reiki.   All of these things require payment or at the least a trade of some sort.

While I believe they each of the above have their place and are important forms of healing, how many of us forget how powerful our loved ones are?  It can be difficult for some  of us, it is for me, to ask for what we need when we’re asking friends or a partner.  But asking is an important aspect of the healing we need.  When we ask we are acknowledging that we have a need.  We are also giving others the opportunity to help us.  Most of us, if asked, would be happy to help those we love in whatever way we can.  Why, then, is it so hard for us to ask those same people for what we need?

Whether we are the one asking for or the one giving nourishment, we are reminded that simply listening, being present, and touching another human being are powerful forms of healing that every one has the capacity for.  If you do one thing for yourself today, ask one person to give you the nourishment you need in that moment.

*Manna is thought to have been nourishment from the heavens.  It is said that manna was the perfect form of physical and spiritual sustenence for each person.