Sfirot, Chakras, Anahatha and Tiferet

Sfirot, Chakras, Anahatha  and Tiferet!!

It was studying and attempting to teach the Kabbalistic concepts  of “The Sfirot” - The 10 Divine Energies - that brought me to train as a yoga teacher.

The Kabbalah speaks of 10 different energies, Sfirot, shared by us and G-d Himself, that lie at the root of all Creation. These energies exist primarily as a vehicle for G-d to imprint Himself into our world, but they are also to be found within each one of us, reminiscent of the Chakra system.

It says in the book of Job (Iyov) "And from my flesh I shall see G-d." (19:26.) Because we are created in the image of G-d,  we can study ourselves and our own nature and thereby come to know Him. So, if I posses capacities that can be identified with G-d, and I can become familiar with those capacities within myself, I have a point of departure from which to begin to understand and thereby relate to  G-d Himself.

There  are 10 sfirot, intellectual  and emotional manifestations, and each one corresponds to a part of the human body. By relating to how a particular body part works and how it fulfills its function, I can also gather information not just about myself but about G-d and His Creation as well.

I found that in teaching the theory of the sfirot, using the physical body as an example of how the sfirot were manifest was most helpful … and thus my desire to teach yoga was conceived.

The first sfirah is not always counted as one of the 10.

Keter

Crown

Above the  head

Seventh Chakra

The Intellectual Sfirot

Chochmah	Wisdom(Inspired insight)	Right Side of the Brain	Sixth Chakra
Bina	Developed Understanding	Left Side of the Brain	Sixth Chakra
Daat	Integrated Knowledge		Fifth Chakra

The Emotional Sfirot

Chesed	Expansive Kindness	Right Arm	Fourth Chakra
Gevurah	Contracting Boundary  Maker/Severity	Left Arm	Fourth Chakra
Tiferet	Compassion/Harmony/Beauty	Heart Center	Fourth /Heart Chakra
Netzach	Victory/Endurance/ Determination	Right Leg	Third Chakra
Hod	Acknowledgement/Splendor/ Surrender	Left Leg	Third Chakra
Yesod	Foundation	Genital Region	Second  Chakra
Malchut	Royalty/Mastery	Mouth/Base of Spine/Feet	First  Chakra

As we learn in all mind-body practice, by moving in a particular way we  influence the psyche and the soul as well as the body. Thus learning about the soul can help us understand our own body from a deeper perspective, and understanding how the body moves and works can help us access  our connection to our  soul and by extension to the  entire (spiritual ) world in general, which is itself created according to the principles of the Sfirot.   

And thus we come to how I came up with the name for my yoga studio: Tiferet Movement.

The Sfirah corresponding to the heart center  (which corresponds to the 4th Chakra, or “Anahatha”) is called Tiferet,  which is difficult to translate into English but means:

Beauty

Balance

Integration

Compassion and Adornment

all rolled into one!

Well, who wouldn’t want that??

The meanings that I most identify with are those that describe the beauty of Tiferet as coming about because of the balance and integration of the preceding two qualities of Chesed and Gevurah.

Unlike the chakra system with follows the energy up and down the central line of the person, the Sfirotic system, whose illustration is the logo for Tiferet Movement, is the constant  balancing and play of polar opposite energies.

Tiferet, being in the heart center of all the sfirot , balances all the different opposite energies….but most specifically, it balances the masculine and expansive giving of Chesed with the feminine and contractive focus of Gevurah. It is my understanding that the practice of yoga helps us bring our bodies and psyche into alignment through the physical moving of the left and right sides of the body, in very much the same way as the learning of Torah ( and the practice of its commandments)  with its principles based in Kabbalistic truths, bring the soul into a place of balance.

It is my hope and intention that the practice of Yoga at Tiferet Movement will be a practice that will bring its participants into a place of balance and integration, MInd, Body and Soul!

For comments or questions,give me a call (917- 821- 0694) or email me at brachame@gmail.com, check out our website  at  TiferetMovement.com.

We move to come into balance Tuesday and Thursday mornings. Please join us!

With blessings,

Bracha

A Mystical Approach to finding Balance

Printed in this months   Natural Awakenings Magazine in Rockland, on page 39
http://www.naturalawakeningsro.com/magazine/

A Mystical approach to Finding Balance (in Parenting)

by Bracha Meshchaninov

As a mother of 6, a lifelong student of Jewish Mysticism and a yoga teacher, I have found the concept of balance, or ‘Tiferet’ to be the most valuable goal to which to aspire. How as parents do we know when to say ‘yes’ and when to say ‘no’? How do we know how much love, allowance, digital time or extra mashed potatoes is too much or too little…..how much do we push ourselves as parents to go the extra mile or pull back for our own time to renew? Being able to find the balance, between the inclination to go outwards and give and to focus inwards and withhold giving, in whatever form, is a great art and a necessary component of mental, emotional and physical balance.

Sidebar:

In my own life, I was most aware of the challenges of staying in balance when I made two weddings and a Bar Mitzvah in a five week period. When asked how I was doing, I often answered with a metaphor, comparing myself to a surfer who was managing to stay dry and upright on her surfboard and was able to even enjoy the ride.. I believe it was my yoga practice combined with my understanding of Kabbalistic principles that enabled me to accomplish this.

Jewish Mysticism speaks of our nature and the nature of all existence in the context of constantly opposing forces that continually need to be brought into balance. The Tiferet Movement logo,shows the graphic representation of these forces or energies which are called “Sefirot”, often  identified as  the Tree of Life.

There are many similarities between how the Kabbalistic system of Sefirot and the Chakra system are represented in the physical human body. The chakras, however, follow the energy up and down the central line of the individual while the Sefirotic system is the constant balancing of polar opposite energies to the left and right of that central line.

The Sefirot are made up of 3 triads reflecting intellectual, emotional and active aspects, each containing two contrasting and polar opposite energies and then a point of reconciliation that balances and integrates these opposites.

Balancing Emotional Energy

In the center of this whole sefirotic construct, corresponding to the 4th or Heart chakra, is the sefirah of Tiferet, the point of resolution within the emotional triad. Tiferet resolves and balances the tension between ‘Chesed’ meaning kindness and ‘Gevurah’ simply translated as severity.

Chesed is characterized by expansive giving while Gevurah is about making boundaries and focusing energy in a way that at times can seem severe. Tiferet is revealed when there is an experience of the perfect balance between these two sefirot, such as when a child is told ‘no’ but within a spirit of expansive loving.

Parenting that reflects the qualities of Tiferet is balanced. When a child is punished without the balance of an attitude of love, it can be experienced as hurtful or alienating and the child could feel unloved. Similarly, giving in to a child unconditionally, without the restraining aspect of Gevurah, can result in the child becoming spoiled or pampered and therefore less capable. Sometimes it takes Gevurah for a parent to step back and let a child figure something out for his or herself or experience the emotion of need or want even if the parent could easily fulfill that need.

These principles can be applied to so many different situations. If we can balance action with rest, determination with surrender, impulsivity with careful contemplation, so much more can be accomplished. When we are not constantly struggling to get back on our surfboards, having lost our footing to a wave of overwhelm, we can stay surfing and release our power and potential in truly astonishing ways.

By understanding and implementing the concept of balance provided by the Sefirotic principles, we can truly find harmony and balance in mind, body and soul.

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.

Finding Stillness

Last week in Grapevine, I noticed a small quotation by the cash register... it was a quote from Tehillim (46:11)that I had not really paid attention to before but was so excited to discover: The quote was in English and I loved the translation,'Be still and know that I am Hashem."
The Hebrew is:
הַרְפּוּ וּדְעוּ כִּי אָנֹכִי אֱלֹהִים

What a great quote for Tiferet Movement!
During class this past Thursday  we used this pasuk as a new  chant or "niggun" and as something upon which to contemplate and meditate... Rivkie  translated the first word as "let go"... which also works so wonderfully...
I remember reading in Erich Schiffman's book that Yoga is the art of Moving into stillness....