August 2, 2012 | 1:34 pm

‘Faith’ video launch - Jewish George Michael spoof

Posted by Marcus J Freed

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It’s Tu B’Av, the festival of love. A time for Faith… enjoy!

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July 13, 2012 | 11:42 am

Conflict Interruptus

Posted by Marcus J Freed

Kosher Sutra: “I hereby give him My covenant of peace. (Numbers 25:12)”.
Soul Solution: Calm internal conflict
Bibliyoga pose: Virabhadrasana I/Warrior One
Body Benefit: Strengthen legs and balance

Sometimes the battlefield is within. The greatest war is not that which is fought on the fields of Flanders, Iraq or Africa, but the battle in our own minds. We have various emotions which reveal inner conflict. Guilt shows that part of us would take one course of action, but we have chosen another. Regret demonstrates a similar split of intention. Sadness and anger tell us that we have not fully accepted something in our lives, wishing or wanting that reality could be other than it is.

Pinchas is the grandson of Aaron who sees a Hebrew man having intimate relations with a Midianite woman and plunges a spear through them whilst they are in the act - bringing a whole new meaning to ‘coitus interruptus’. He is rewarded with the Brit Shalom, a covenant of peace. Or according to some views he is in fact being rebuked by God by being effectively told ‘nice work on this occasion, you sent a clear message to the people as they were going off course, but don’t do it again’.

I won’t get into the hugely problematic issues with this, as the Rabbis have spent centuries doing intellectual backflips to justify Pinchas’ actions*. Rather, I’d like to invite you to take it deeper.

How does Pinchas represent a battle that you have experienced within your heart or mind? Have you ever taken or thought of taking actions that are completely off-course with your personality and what you believe – “I’d never usually do this…I’m not that sort of person…it was totally out of character…”…but you still did it? Of course it’s happened – we’re all human after all. Perhaps Pinchas is inviting us to recognise the hardcore zealot within us all, but also suggesting that we should aim to get to ‘a covenant of peace’ as quickly as possible. Some of the most powerful emotions we can experience are peace and joy, but we can use guilt, regret, sadness and anger as signposts to tell us we are getting off track.

The yogis, of course, will agree. The highest rung on the karmic ladder is samhadi, a kind of earthly enlightenment that is synonymous with joy, peace, acceptance, balance and lightness. The tribal war stories of the Bhagavad Gita complement those of the Torah and we need only look within to find the potential for battles of our own.

Today, choose peace.
__________
Notes on Virabhadrasana I/Warrior One:Find grounding and calmness within the pose. Allow your legs to be active and aim to get your front leg parallel to the ground, keeping your back ankle stable and open. Be aware of the conflicts within your body – perhaps your muscles are feeling tight – and be aware of any conflicts within your heart and mind. Stay with the posture and practice until you find a sense of peace arising within. Close with five minutes’ seated meditation.

*The Zohar explains that Pinchas is the reincarnated soul of the prophet Elijah, as echoed in Yalkut Shimoni, Torah, 771 see here for more.

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April 20, 2012 | 11:28 am

Silent Retreat - Kosher Sutra: Shemini

Posted by Marcus J Freed

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When were you last with someone who spoke a lot but said nothing? Oftentimes, it can be a human tendency to speak as a way of letting out anxiety. Rather than acknowledging uncomfortable emotions, we chatter so that we don’t have to feel the discomfort. Few people take the time to go on a retreat into silence, which is why very few discover the incredible rewards from this practice.

Moses’ brother Aaron makes a powerful choice of words when faced with an extraordinarily challenging personal situation concerning a Divine punishment on his sons: he says nothing. Instead of wailing, blaming God, or anxiously talking through his problem, he chooses not to make it a problem and retreats into a contemplative, accepting silence.

The Hebrew word used is ‘Dam’, which is a form of silence. It is a self-controlled, spiritually connected, completely aware, active silence. The same word is used when Elijah hears the ‘still, silent’ voice of God and the same word also appears when King David wrote ‘Be silent and know God’ (Psalm 46:10). This is Aaron’s form of silence; it is not passively accepting tribulations from heaven but acknowledging that there is a time listen rather than speak.

Ayurveda is the primary school of yogic medicine that originated in India over 3000 years ago . It is based on the five elements of earth, water, fire, air and ether. One of my yoga teachers suggested that our society is engulfed by the air and ether elements, what Ayurveda calls ‘vatta’. In other words, we have tendency towards a flitting, airy nature which would benefit from grounding. How can we ground ourselves? Through holding the air within and using the tool of silence. Yoga postures which are good for grounding include all of the standing poses, such as Triangle, Mountain and Pyramid pose.

Both business leaders and spiritual sages know that less is more, but it can take more energy to say less.

Marcus J Freed is the creator of Bibliyoga (www.bibliyoga.com), President of the Jewish Yoga Network (www.jewishyoganetwork.org) and CEO of Freedthinking (www.freedthinking.com). He lives in Los Angeles.

[www.bibliyoga.com](http://www.bibliyoga.com)

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March 30, 2012 | 1:54 pm

Kosher Sutra: The Holy Grudge (Tsav/Shabbat HaGadol)

Posted by Marcus J Freed

There is a powerful field of medicine known as ‘intuitive healing’. Whereas traditional (allopathic) doctors focus on symptoms within the physical anatomy, intuitive healers are able to read a person’s energy field. One of the most well-known is Dr Caroline Myss who wrote Anatomy of the Spirit. She explains that we can all bring about a huge amount of healing if we are able to forgive.

Forgiveness isn’t easy. We enjoy holding onto past pains and having something to complain about. It is easier to make our loved ones feel guilty about something they did in the past rather than forgiving them in the present, but as Myss points out, we never feel like forgiving someone until we have followed through and completely forgiven them! At that point we feel more clean, pure and light.

This week’s Kosher Sutra speaks of the guilt-offering, a sacrifice that is described as ‘a holy of holies’ (Leviticus 7:1). The process is sequential; a person feels guilty about something, brings a guilt-offering, it is slaughtered, burnt and eaten, and then they have reached this ‘holy of holies’. There are no more guilt-trips and no more reminders, because everything is forgiven and truly finished. I think this points towards a radical idea, that when reach a place of true forgiveness - whether it is forgiving ourselves or others - we are in the holiest place on earth.

The Kabbalists connected the Holy of Holies, the **Kadosh Kadoshim** with the heart. Perhaps this is because when we truly forgive someone, it really has to come from our heart. Not only that, but the Holy of Holies is the place where the High Priest used to connect directly with God, and if we create space in our heart by forgiving someone else, then we really have the chance to establish a Divine connection.

Meanwhile, the ancient yogis had absolutely no doubt about the need for clearing energetic blockages. Neither did the Taoists, the Buddhists, or any other spiritual groups. The yogis noted five levels of the body, the koshas, and viewed the physical body as only the most obvious manifestation. The driving idea behind yoga is to remove blockages within the body to allow healing to take place, so that the prana/life-force can flow through the channels. When energy is blocked, cell tissues do not get the life-force they need, the body is ill-at-ease, or dis-eased, and this is what we call ‘illness’. As Dr Myss repeats time and again, one way to heal the body is to free up bound energy by forgiving people.

When the Torah states “Do not take revenge and do not bear a grudge against a member of your people.. ” (Lev 19:18), we can do an instant Bibliyogic rereading. Do not bear a grudge against a member of your people is an Imperative Universal Law because we are actually storing that grudge in our own physical members, e.g. our limbs. If we don’t forgive other people then we are harming ourselves. When somebody says “but I can’t forgive X for what they have done” then it just means they have to work harder to find that forgiveness and bring about closure. Otherwise the energetic law states that they will suffer. Paradoxically, we will often feel a greater amount of joy if it has been more difficult to forgive someone. When we truly clear our hearts, we create a space for God.

This weekend, try to forgive someone. You may not feel like it beforehand, but when the deed has been done you are guaranteed to feel lighter. And if you don’t, then blame me and I will promise to forgive you.

Shabbat shalom

Marcus

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Marcus J Freed is the creator of Bibliyoga (www.bibliyoga.com), President of the Jewish Yoga Network (www.jewishyoganetwork.org) and CEO of Freedthinking (www.freedthinking.com). He lives in Los Angeles.

[www.bibliyoga.com](http://www.bibliyoga.com)

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March 23, 2012 | 4:36 pm

Kosher Sutra: Burning Man (Vayikra)

Posted by Marcus J Freed

Burning Man. Burn, baby, burn.

There is a pilgrimage that takes place every summer in the Nevada Desert. 50,000 people head to the sandy wasteland and participate in a week-long festival which culminates with the night time burning of a massive effigy of a human being. Burning Man is a phenomenon that eerily connects modern living with the ancient phenomenon of sacrifice.

Our Kosher Sutra is stark: “When you bring an offering to God, you shall bring an offering of cattle, or even of herd or of flock. If the offering is a burnt-offering of the herd, it shall be a male without blemish…” (Lev 1:3-4). The Hebrew word for offering or sacrifice is Korban and the root of the word, karev, literally means ‘draw close’. Through the process of sacrifice, humans come closer to God and closer to one another.

Sacrifice is a painful business. It hurts. It smells. It is visceral. When we talk about ‘making sacrifices’ in our life, we usually refer to giving something up in order to transform something else. We might sacrifice the last drink of the evening in order to get to sleep so that we can rise early to exercise, or we might sacrifice some pride if we are to create a lasting sense of peace within the home.

The teachings of yoga refer to an idea of inner sacrifice and it has been taught that ‘the sense organs, the tongue, etc., are the sacrificial vessels, the objects of the senses, taste, etc., are the sacrificial substances’ (Merce Eliade, Yoga: Immortality and Freedom, p111 fn.50). The fire or ‘tapas’ of a yoga practice heats us up and burns away our ego, wiping away the sacrificing the thoughts and behaviours that hold us back.

If we practice with commitment, we can end up with a purer heart, a clearer mind and spiritual clarity. It just might burn a little.

Marcus J Freed is the creator of Bibliyoga (www.bibliyoga.com), President of the Jewish Yoga Network (www.jewishyoganetwork.org) and CEO of Freedthinking (www.freedthinking.com). He lives in Los Angeles.

[www.bibliyoga.com](http://www.bibliyoga.com)

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March 16, 2012 | 4:33 pm

Kosher Sutra: The How of Happiness (Vayakhel-Pekudei)

Posted by Marcus J Freed

Kosher Sutra: The How of Happiness (Vayakhel-Pekudei)

Freud articulated it best when he explained the Pleasure Principle. Ultimately, we all want to be happy. Almost everything we do derives from that one basic desire, whether it is pursuing money, entertainment, love, or intellectual pursuits….we just want to experience joy.

In “The How of Happiness” Professor Sonja Lyubomirsky suggested that up to 40% of our happiness quotient is with in our own control. She outlined ‘a scientific approach to getting the life you want’ and used academic research data to create a systematic approach to help us feel better. This included ‘happiness activities’ such as Practicing Acts of Kindness, Nurturing Social Relationships, Learning to Forgive, Savouring Life’s Joys, Taking Care of Your Body and much more. The book is very good indeed!

This week’s Kosher Sutra is a repeated phrase about ‘everyone who is generous of heart’ (Ex 35:5), ‘everyone whose heart inspired them, and everyone who is generous of spirit’ (Ex 35:21), describing those people who are motivated to help others and build part of the community. This can be understood as Karma Yoga, something which has been explained as ‘selfless community service’.

Karma Yoga is the exercise that takes place away from the mat for the direct benefit for others. Perhaps the puppets of Avenue Q said it best when they sang ‘when you help others you can’t help helping yourself’.

Shabbat Shalom

Marcus

Marcus J Freed is the creator of Bibliyoga (www.bibliyoga.com), President of the Jewish Yoga Network (www.jewishyoganetwork.org) and CEO of Freedthinking (www.freedthinking.com). He lives in Los Angeles.

[www.bibliyoga.com](http://www.bibliyoga.com)

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March 9, 2012 | 5:40 pm

Kosher Sutra: Super-8 (Ki Tissa)

Posted by Marcus J Freed

There was a time when every second mattered. My childhood birthday parties were captured on Super-8 cine film that my father carefully filmed, before sending off the four-minute reel of tape for developing and waiting two weeks. He then physically spliced the film for an edit, before closing the curtains, setting up the projector and gathering the family for a long-awaited film showing.

There was a time when every shot mattered. We bought rolls of 35-mm film for our cameras, and were careful about how we used those 24 or 36 photographs.

There was a time when every friend mattered. We knew exactly who our friends were, physically wrote their names and numbers in a contacts book and the word ‘friend’ held a higher linguistic currency. Most people couldn’t number their friends in the facebook thousands and there wasn’t the option to add, delete or ignore them at the click of a button.

What is the impact of all of this on our time, our self-respect, our value?

Our Kosher Sutra recalls a system of counting people; “When you take a census..everyone shall give a half-shekel” (Exodus 30: 12-13). Rather than counting them by their numbers, the community was counted by their contribution. Everyone had to give a half-shekel unit of currency towards the communal structure, and the money was then calculated, telling the leaders how many people there were. This was a simple but radical shift. What makes us matter is not how much we have (status, possession, friends), but whether or not we are prepared to give.

As I write, both the Girl Scouts of America and Lady Gaga are running campaigns to help children improve their confidence and sense of self-worth (Time Magazine, March 2012). If we look closely, many of us question our value at some point or other.

Yoga’s overarching goal is for us to become sukha stiram, or ‘stable/secure and joyful’. To find peace of mind and inner joy at every moment. Although joy may be our birthright, it doesn’t always come automatically.

Perhaps we can achieve more by accumulating a little less. Take shorter videos, fewer photographs, collect less friends and instead to focus on each moment and each person we are spending time with. The paths of spirituality, yoga and meditation may demand discipline, but the rewards can be immense.

Marcus J Freed is the creator of Bibliyoga (www.bibliyoga.com), President of the Jewish Yoga Network (www.jewishyoganetwork.org) and CEO of Freedthinking (www.freedthinking.com). He lives in Los Angeles.

[www.bibliyoga.com](http://www.bibliyoga.com)

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March 1, 2012 | 7:47 pm

Kosher Sutra: The Shmatte Game (Tetzaveh)

Posted by Marcus J Freed

There was a time when three generations of my family were involved with the clothing business, or as my Dad calls it, ‘the shmatte game’ (shmatte = Yiddish for rag or fabric). My late Grandma Sadie was in her 80’s, sitting by her classic Singer sewing machine, patiently making dresses, doing alterations and fixing hems. My father was flying to and from fashion warehouses in Milan and Bologna to source new women’s clothing lines for London buyers, and my sister was weaving fine silks on the loom she’d bought after graduating from the famed Central St Martin’s College of Art & Design.

Our Kosher Sutra centres around clothing production. We read about how “all the wise-hearted people whom I have invested with a spirit of wisdom shall make the garments of Aaron, to sanctify him” (Exodus 21:3). The designers, garment-makers, weavers, haberdashers, milliners and their colleagues all have full employment in the preparations for the Mishkan, the predecessor to the Temple.

One thing I’ve learned from watching family members at the sewing machine is that it takes patience. This isn’t mentioned in our Kosher Sutra, but it is certainly implied. If you’ve ever tried to sew something, you’ll know that it takes time and concentration. When my father works on the sewing machine, he is in a zen-like state of focus. The hems have to be lined up, the needles have to be thread carefully, the seams are ironed dutifully and all of the preparation goes towards creating a perfect result.

Spiritual growth takes patience, focus and concentration. The Yoga Sutras teaches Dhyana (inwards-focused meditation) and Dharana (outwards-focused meditation), which are considered the fifth and sixth ‘limbs’ of yoga. Whether our meditations are on a specific point or on the entire universe, it is through concentration that we can become one with the object of our focus. This oneness can be called ‘yoga’, ‘spirituality’, ‘enlightenment’ or many other names. In every form, though, it is characterised by patience and focus.

There are a million routes to stillness but if we want the ‘spirit of wisdom’, the ruach chochma of the Kosher Sutra, then we need to be open to receive it. The idea of vinyasa yoga is that we are achieving a sense of stillness-in-motion, keeping a fluidity to our body and a fluidity to our mind. If you want to check whether you’re achieving this, pull out a needle, and thread and start sewing.

Shabbat shalom

Marcus

Marcus J Freed is the creator of Bibliyoga (www.bibliyoga.com), President of the Jewish Yoga Network (www.jewishyoganetwork.org) and CEO of Freedthinking (www.freedthinking.com). He lives in Los Angeles.

[www.bibliyoga.com](http://www.bibliyoga.com)

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