Tuesday, June 23, 2015

News Brief introducing Tiferet Movement to the general public

News Brief:

New Yoga Studio opens in New Hempstead
Tiferet Movement:
Yoga with a  Kabbalistic Twist!


When people think about yoga they often think about wonderful body strengthening stretches and poses and a spiritual tradition that involves chanting in Sanskrit and perhaps practicing in a studio with icons and smells of incense.

Bracha Meshchaninov a religiously observant Orthodox Jewish yogini wants to change that. Bracha has created a studio in the New Hempstead area where women can practice yoga in an environment that feels comfortable from both a physical, as well as a spiritual point of view. Classes are for women only, chants are in Hebrew and culled from the Jewish prayer liturgy and the spiritual insights shared are gleaned from a Kabbalistic rather than a Vedic source.

Bracha, who became observant as a teenager and has been practicing yoga since about the same time she made her commitment to Orthodox Judaism,  has both her 500 hr and Yoga Therapy certifications. Bracha offers both ongoing classes and 1:1 Yoga Therapy.

Before focusing on her Yoga training and teaching, Bracha’s  focus was mostly on teaching  Jewish Spirituality classes, based on the weekly Torah reading, (which she continues to teach) and hosting Rosh Chodesh events.

Bracha received her certifications from Gail Walsh of Yoga Mountain and has done additional training with Paula Heitzner of the Nyack Yoga Center.Bracha is tremendously grateful to the whole teaching staff at Yoga Mountain and to Paula.

For more info  check out www.tiferetmovement.com
or call: 917 821-0694

This was printed in the May/June edition of Natural Awakenings in the Rockland/Orange area, I hope you enjoy!


Yoga with a Kabbalistic Twist:
by Bracha Meshchaninov


Five Levels of Meditation or "Kosher Koshas!"


Serious students of yoga are familiar with the notion of the five koshas or the five states of being. Kabbalah speaks of the five levels of soul. The Hebrew word for soul is ‘neshomah’ and the Hebrew word for breath is ‘neshimah’. The two words share the same Hebrew letters: only their vowels are different. This hints at their common spiritual root.


It says in the Torah that when G-d created man, He breathed from within himself and exhaled man's soul into him. This link of breath and soul is a quintessential part of both Torah teachings and yoga. As we breathe, we can connect to our soul.


In Kabbalah, it is taught that our soul is comprised of five levels, each a more spiritual manifestation than the previous: Nefesh, Ruach, Neshomah, Chaya and Yechidah.


Nefesh is the part of the soul identified with and attached to the physical body. Nefesh is semantically related to the Hebrew word ‘nafash’, meaning rest. This aspect of the soul rests, so to speak, in the physical body.


The Hebrew word Ruach means wind or spirit and refers to the second layer of the soul that is connected to intuition, moments of deep insight, or revelations from the higher worlds. These revelations, when from a particularly high source, are referred to as ‘ruach ha kodesh’ or holy insights and can come from either holy teachers departed or from the Creator himself.


The third level of the soul, Neshomah, is connected to the breath, sharing the same root. When the neshomah is no longer found in the body, the body no longer has the capacity for life; the neshomah links the spiritual and physical aspects of the person together.


Chaya is related to the Hebrew word ‘chaim’, meaning life. From a Kabbalistic point of view, this level of soul is beyond the reach of the average person except on Sabbath and festivals; it connects to the transcendent aspect of life. Connecting to what lies above and beyond one’s finite self can inspire a transcendent life.


Finally, the fifth level of soul is the Yechidah. The word yechidah is connected to the Hebrew word ‘yachid’ which means  one. When one's connection with God reaches the highest level, there is a total unification of one's own essence with the essence of God himself. This is the level of yechidah, or total oneness. It is taught that on Yom Kippur, the Jewish holiday of atonement, the level of the yechidah is revealed to all connected to the holiness of the day.




A Framework for Meditation
Contemplating the five levels of soul offers a wonderful framework for a meditation.
Begin your meditation with an awareness of the physical body, the place where the nefesh is resting, and feel the physical sensations of the body.


After settling in and focusing on the Nefesh, take your attention to the level of Ruach, opening yourself to your imagination and the possibility of receiving messages or insights from the higher realms of your own intuition.


Continue higher to the level of Neshomah, feeling the connection between body and soul, noticing the pathway of the breath in and out of the nostrils. Continue to lift your consciousness to the level of Chaya, being aware of the larger picture, the aspect of soul bigger and beyond your own individuality.


Finally, connect to the level of Yechidah, uniting with the essence of all things.


Enjoy the sense of oneness and completeness for as long as you are able or comfortable, and then begin the return journey back to your finite individuality from Yechidah to Chaya, from Chaya to Neshomah, from Neshomah to Ruach and then finally, to rest one's consciousness fully in the physical body with Nefesh.


Remain in a relaxed position, coming slowly back into awareness of your current moment, place and conscious self.

Bracha Meshchaninov is the founder of Tiferet Movement, a yoga studio with a kabbalistic twist. She offers classes on Tuesday and Thursday mornings at 9:30 a.m. in New Hempstead.
She can be reached at 917-821-0694 or brachame@gmail.com or by visiting Tiferetmovement.com. She has dedicated this article to her late father, Yitzchak Ben Shimon.