Monica Berg's Blog, page 13

Counting the Omer: Accelerated Growth

This week brings us the beginning of Pesach, and yesterday, we began the Counting of the Omer, an incredibly potent and transformative period of 49 days that begins with Passover and ends with Shavuot. I like to refer to this period, and indeed this process, as a spiritual marathon—it accelerates growth through focused self-work.

The kabbalist Rav Avraham Azulai wrote, “When the world was created, there was also a creation of 50 Gates of Purity and elevation, controlled by the Angel Michael and all of the angels that support him. So, too, were 50 gates of impurity (Tumah) and darkness created, which are controlled by the most negative of angels, the Samech-Mem.”

This principle parallels a spiritual and existential truth about our lives: we are always in motion. At any given time, we are either moving toward negativity or working toward positivity. I say “working toward” because it is always up to us whether we are elevating through gates of purity or falling through gates of impurity. Elevating takes work. Falling does not.

This may sound daunting, but it is also where the real power of Counting the Omer arises.

The Arvei Nachal explains that to move through the next gate, we must complete an eight-day cycle of transformation. Let’s say a person begins her spiritual process, and she is between the 50 Gates of Purity and the 50 Gates of Impurity. Right in the middle. She sets an intention to grow, and if she does her work of spiritually connecting and transforming for eight days straight, she will have completed the process necessary to elevate into the next gate of purity.

The process of the Counting of the Omer allows us to elevate through a gate in one second.

It not only shortens the time it takes us to pass through the next gate, but it also enhances the quality of our spiritual growth. When we connect with this spiritual tool, we are thrown through an entire gate—eight days’ worth of pure work—instantly!

As written in The Arvei Nachal, this system of the Counting of the Omer is one of the more magnificent gifts the Creator gives us. Not only do we have the ability to stop the process of falling (which is the purpose of Passover), but the Creator also gave us a rocket booster into the process of elevating through the 50 Gates of Purity.

So how do we do it?

Kabbalah teaches that the Creator interacts with the human world through seven channels or sefirot, and these channels are reflected in us through 49 aspects of our personality. The seven channels are the seven basic human traits that make up the foundation of the human experience. At the root of all suffering is a misalignment of one or more of these traits. Through the Counting of the Omer, we can realign ourselves as we focus on that week’s specific trait and the corresponding aspect of humanity. The Counting of the Omer takes approximately five to ten minutes—we all have an extra ten minutes—each night for the 49 nights between Passover and Shavuot.

In practical terms, one week will focus on the emotion, and each day of that week is dedicated to one way in which we work with that emotion. For example, week one focuses on love. The second day of that week focuses on love and restriction. By engaging in the practice, we are brought to thoughts, words, actions, and circumstances that help us to cleanse and grow through all of these specific traits and emotions. Below is an outline of the consciousness for each week of the Omer.

Week 1: Chesed ~ Loving-Kindness: This week focuses on the ways we love, how we give love, and how we receive love. It is the pure energy of our being and the foundation of our lives.

Week 2: Gevurah ~ Justice & Discipline: This week, we examine all the ways we reveal our love through logic, discipline, and discernment. Love requires direction and focus, which are found through restriction.

Week 3: Tiferet ~ Harmony & Compassion: This week builds upon Chesed and Gevurah, exploring how we focus and reveal love through compassion, honesty, and selflessness.

Week 4: Netzach ~ Endurance: This week, the focus is on the self, examining ambition, drive, and tenacity and how we balance those traits with patience and determination.

Week 5: Hod ~ Humility: This week, we focus on our humility. During Netzach, we look to what we wish to accomplish; this week, we bring modesty to our pursuits. We look at all of our strengths, remembering they come not from us but from the Creator.

Week 6: Yesod ~ Bonding: Building upon the first five weeks, which deal primarily with the self, we now take a look at the ways we connect and the quality of those connections, examining the bonds of each relationship in our life and how those bonds are nurtured.

Week 7: Malchut ~ Sovereignty & Leadership: Finally, we arrive at Malchut, the state of being when all six states of being are aligned. This week, we focus on all the ways in which we embody leadership and look to examine our independence and confidence.

By practicing and connecting to this tool, we can condense the work of 400 days into forty-nine. As Rav Berg said about Kabbalah, it is simple but not easy. The Counting of the Omer is simple but not necessarily easy. As we move through the Omer, we will be doing the work. We will be given opportunities in our lives to grow, and our lives will shift in marvelous ways, right before our eyes. It may not always be comfortable, but your discomfort will be the first indicator that you are on the right path.

As we Count the Omer, there will be tremendous pressure on our souls. But, as I have spoken about before, the level of opposition we experience is equal to the level of blessings we will bring about. The question is ultimately whether we use this pressure as fuel to propel ourselves through the 49 Gates of Purity — or not. Either way, the pressure is what these 49 days are all about. There is no other time, no other period of days throughout the year, where we can accomplish what we can accomplish in these 49 days.

Finally, I encourage you to be gentle with yourself during this time, to practice certainty and trust, and to connect back to the Light every time you feel strained, stressed, or unsure. And remember, this gift of transformation is one that we give ourselves and the entire world.

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EmotionAL Support

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Pesach: The Miracle of Your Consciousness

Science and spirituality both tell us that when our consciousness is in the right place, we experience the highest expressions of ourselves, others, and the entire world. We have the ability to bring about blessings, healing, unconditional love, and freedom. Beyond that, we become radically kind and compassionate. We have the power to create miracles. On an average day, full of average thinking, we mistakenly believe that these monumental things require monumental effort when, in fact, the beginning of their creation lies in the smallest of actions—the decision to shift our consciousness to joy.

The Israelites are a perfect example. Pesach, also known as Passover, lasts for seven days, and it was on the 7th day that the Israelites first awakened a miracle with their own Light. Rav Brandwein, in a letter to Rav Berg, explained that the Light of the Creator is like our shadow—as we behave, so does our shadow. So when the Israelites came to the sea, the Egyptians relentlessly on their heels and ready to kill them all, they were trapped. It was here that they called out to the Creator for his assistance, yet The Creator assured them that they had the ability to create the miracle for themselves. This provided the necessary shift in their collective consciousness, and the Creator matched it, making a path where once there was none.

This is the power of our consciousness. Rav Berg said time and again that “consciousness is everything.” While scientists and spiritual teachers agree, philosophers support this truth as well.

Panpsychism is the view that consciousness is a universal and primordial feature of all things. Philip Goff, a philosophy professor at Central European University in Budapest, explains that it is a fundamental feature of physical matter; every single particle in existence has an “unimaginably simple” form of consciousness. These particles then come together to form more complex forms of consciousness, such as humans’ subjective experiences. Now, they aren’t saying that everything, from a rock to a table, is coherent or actively thinks for itself. Instead, there is an inherently subjective experience of consciousness in even the tiniest of life’s particles.

What sets the human mind apart from everything else that “is” consciousness is that we have the power of choice. We have the power to direct and redirect our consciousness however we want to by shifting our perspective. It reminds me of the famous quote from world-renowned author and speaker Wayne Dyer, “When you change the way you look at things, the things you look at change.” When we choose a consciousness of love, we see love. When we choose a consciousness of joy, we see joyfulness. When we choose a consciousness of miracles, we see the miraculous.

Try it now. Think of a mildly stressful or otherwise negative experience you have had or are even currently having. Once you have it, bring it fully into your mind.

Now ask yourself, “How does this situation change if I try to see it as positive?”

I’m willing to bet that a few positives arose in your mind, even small ones. That person who cut you off on the way to work becomes an agent of the universe, averting you from a possible accident. Barista got your usual coffee order wrong? Voila, you now have a new favorite drink that you wouldn’t have otherwise tried. If you can start with little inconveniences like this, you’ll be in good practice for life’s bigger challenges.

Begin to apply a positive perspective, a consciousness of joy, gratitude, or kindness to each day, and you will see your entire life change before your eyes. Connecting to the power of Pesach amplifies this positivity tenfold.

Kabbalists explain that the Light is so unnaturally abundant on the first day of Pesach that any negativity that we have attached ourselves to dissolves. The Light of the Creator arrives with such power that it completely overwhelms the forces of negativity. Just as the Egyptians were forced away from the Israelites, so too are our own sources of negativity removed from us. The consequences of our negative thoughts, words, and actions—all can be fully wiped away. All as a result of bringing awareness to our consciousness and redirecting it towards joy and love.

It is not up to the Creator to change our nature; that is our work. We make the change, and like our shadow, the Creator will behave in the same way that we do. The greatest change we are meant to make is to give up our desire to receive for the self alone. Luckily, when we choose a consciousness of joy, we align ourselves with the energy of the Light, the desire to receive in order to share.

From this place, we earn the power and ability to change the nature of our world. That’s the possibility inherent in our consciousness, especially in this window of time known as Pesach.

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Great Day Houston

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Forever Young

“I don’t want to be old when I’m old.”

This is a classic motto from Elaine LaLanne, the veritable superhero of aging and wife of fitness legend Jack LaLanne. Honestly, who does want to be old when they’re old… or any other time, really? As Elaine has been credited with stating many times and in many ways, it all comes down to perspective.

At a truly incredible 98 years old, Elaine still starts every day with 20 minutes of exercise. Before she even gets out of bed, she does several above-the-cover stretches and resistance poses. She still uses weight machines that Jack invented in the 30s and the same treadmill machine they bought together in the 70s. She proves over and over again that health, fitness, and, really, wellness do not require fancy gym classes, equipment, leisurewear, or youth.

She also encourages focusing on strengthening and exercising a different muscle—one that sits just between your ears.

In a recent interview with The New York Times, Elaine explained, “You have to believe you can.” It is a mantra that has permeated every aspect of her life. It carried her through physical injuries, times of challenge, and even the long, painful journey of grieving her daughter, Janet, who died tragically in a car accident at the age of 21.

“Everything starts in the mind,” she says. And I couldn’t agree more.

Our thoughts have such an enormous power and impact on our lives. Scientific research tells us that our thought patterns inform much more than our daily decisions and amount to much more than just our personality and sets of preferences. Any kabbalist will tell you this is true, but for the layman, it can feel pretty groundbreaking.

Time for science talk! It all comes down to telomeres, the repeating segments of noncoding DNA that exist at the ends of our chromosomes. (Think of them like the plastic cap at the end of your shoelaces.) They do a few important things, like making sure our genetic material doesn’t unravel, and, most importantly, they shorten with each cell division, determining how fast that cell ages. When they become too short, they stop dividing altogether. They are not responsible for our overall aging process, but they are a huge contributor to what makes us “get old.”

The real kicker—one that Elaine LaLanne intuitively understands—is that they are listening to you. They are listening to your thoughts, the way you eat, how you feel about what you eat, and every other thing you do. They take direction from your dominant thoughts.

Before you get paranoid about every negative thought, though, I’ll invite you back to Elaine’s story. Her life was not without challenges, and she has just as many hard days as positive ones. Her husband, Jack LaLanne, passed away in 2011, and in recent years, she has suffered physical setbacks after a succession of falls. But these are precisely the kinds of moments that remind us we get to choose how we experience life.

Every single thing in your life begins at the level of a single thought. The kabbalists have long taught the power of thoughts. Rav Berg himself stated over and over again that our consciousness is everything. What you think turns into what you do and, based on this science, also determines how quickly you are aging. A new thought may require a new behavior, and that behavior may require making a few changes, but if you’ve followed me for a while, you’re probably already on your way to becoming a Change Junkie.

Elaine LaLanne is such an inspirational example of the power of our thoughts and the fact that our lives are built upon those thoughts. As a result, she didn’t just age; she evolved, grew, flourished, and thrived and did it all with panache. She showed us that our golden years—heck, all of our years!—can be filled with vitality, laughter, and fulfillment. It’s about making the most of every moment, cherishing your health, and never letting the number of candles on your birthday cake dictate your life’s possibilities.

I’ll leave you with one more of Elaine’s powerful, tried-and-true mantras: If you don’t move, you become immovable.

How can you move today? I don’t just mean your body but your thoughts, perspectives, and beliefs. How can you shift your words and the way you speak about yourself and everything else? One big takeaway from Elaine’s wisdom is that moving our physical body helps us invigorate our minds. Take a quick walk today, stand up and stretch, or strike a yoga pose—you’ll be doing your mind and your outlook a big favor, making you feel more youthful than ever. Because who wants to be old when they’re old?

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Women Waken Podcast

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Aries: A Practice for Manifesting

Kabbalah and its lunisolar calendar offer us so many chances for renewal. Each year with numerous opportunities for us to start fresh, to draw down more blessings, and to connect with even more Light. These unique windows in time are examples of the ways we are fully supported in the unseen realms.

And another one of these opportunities is upon us. Above any other month of the year, Aries grants us the ability not only to change but shape our destiny. It is a chance that we are given at the very beginning of the calendar year to take control of our blessings. And how do we do that?

Kabbalist Rav Isaac Luria, known as The Ari, taught that each of the first twelve days of Aries corresponds to and directly influences each of the twelve months of the year. For example, The First Day of Aries corresponds to the month of Aries; The Second Day corresponds to the month of Taurus, The Third to Gemini, and so on. Each of these twelve days contains the energy of the twelve months of the year, and when we work consciously with this, we plant seeds for our entire year.

This is how we take control of our blessings. There is a big difference between passively asking for and receiving blessings and actively working to make them manifest. Speaking our desires is only half of the work, and when we can meet those intentions with action, that is when we start co-creating the life of our dreams.

For example, if you have a desire to run a full marathon this year, speaking the desire and waiting to receive it isn’t going to work at all. You’re going to have to speak the desire, intend to manifest it, and then get to (hard) work training to run 26.2 miles. You would never accomplish this goal passively—our consciousness and our actions must be aligned, and this is true for so many of our desires. We must name our desire and then take control of what we have control over: our thoughts, words, and actions.

The reason this information is so beneficial to us is that how we think and behave on these first twelve days of Aries will affect the nature and future of the upcoming months. We have a real chance to change our destiny—to overcome anything that comes our way, challenges big or small, by alchemizing the energy held within each of these days. Rav Berg always taught that “Aries is the battleground to determine the outcome of all battles that will arise during the next twelve months.”

Over the next twelve days, take note of any opportunities or challenges that come your way and set an intention of proactivity. As things arise, notice how you want to respond. Are your reactions based in fear or ego? How can you shift your consciousness to respond more positively? Can you take note of the experiences you have and set new intentions for the years?

If you find yourself experiencing challenges with your physical health, what new intentions can you set to care for yourself for the rest of the year?

Perhaps you experience difficulty with a family member. What is this trying to tell you? Is it time to adopt a consciousness of deeper compassion and forgiveness? Or is it a message that strong boundaries are needed? How will that affect your year?

Do you notice your heart is being called to an entirely new career path? What would that change look like? How would you need to reorient the year ahead to make this new passion manifest?

During the month of Aries, we are planting seeds. For the next twelve days, keep a journal or a note in your phone open and keep track of everything that you notice. Stay present and open, understanding that your thoughts, your words, and your actions are planting seeds for the rest of your year.

When in doubt, remember that the energy of Aries is here to help you. It is an energy of tireless confidence, never shying away from challenge or confrontation. Aries sees no confinement and despises limitation of any kind. Much like the ram that represents this sign, this energy is quick, direct, and comes with an impulse to break down any barrier standing in the way of its full expression.

You can harness the fiery attributes inherent in Aries to grow a boundless enthusiasm, courage, and love. Whether you are born under this sign or not, you can utilize this fresh drive for freedom and the pursuit of fulfillment. Take heed, however, because with impulsiveness comes stubbornness, insensitivity, and carelessness. Remembering to slow down and bring your consciousness back to one of appreciation will help to cool the flames of this fire sign.

It has been spoken many times and still bears remembering: the more familiar we are with what awaits us each month, the greater our chance to grow and transform within it. Aries offers a big, beautiful invitation to do that. To plant the seeds of our desires that we will spend the rest of the year nurturing, tending, and harvesting.

Below is a guide to how to use the first twelve days of Aries, very literally, to shape and manifest your destiny!

April 9th ~ Aries: Aries energy is all about switching focus from self to others. It’s time to switch from “me, me, me” to “how can I help you?” Let go of past mistakes and slip-ups. By shifting your focus away from yourself, you begin to connect to what really matters. Work on avoiding conflict and, instead, empathizing with others.

April 10th ~ Taurus: Shake things up and try something new! Taurus energy loves comfort, but that can equal complacency. Kabbalah teaches us to embrace discomfort by stretching outside of our comfort zone, so do one thing today to make that stretch. Look for moments when you feel yourself leaning towards comfort and choose discomfort instead.

April 11th ~ Gemini: Today is the day to finish what you start. Gemini loves procrastinating so this is a call to take action. What things are you putting off? Is there a project you’re wanting to start? Take steps toward completing your tasks today. Pull your focus off of the big picture and place it on the details. Small steps create big changes. Trust the Light, not your logic.

April 12th ~ Cancer: Time to let go! Of fear, negativity, doubt, and excess. Cancer asks us to live in the present, but we can’t do that when we are holding onto the past or trying to plan for the future. Today, awaken appreciation for all that you have but remember that nothing in the physical realm can bring you security. Let go of possessions, beliefs, emotions, patterns, and anything else that no longer serves you.

April 13th ~ Leo: Today offers an invitation to step out of the spotlight. Leo loves to be the center of attention, so resist the urge to take charge. Take the time to consider the thoughts, feelings, and perspectives of others. Allow others to speak, take more time to listen, and truly understand them. Being strong doesn’t mean controlling people. It means supporting them. Look for ways to be for others today.

April 14th ~ Virgo: You may be right, but today, consider the possibility that you might be wrong. There may be a better way than ‘your’ way. Rather than judging others or jumping to conclusions, consider new points of view. Release your desire to control by letting go of criticizing and micromanaging. After all, control in our lives is an illusion. All we truly control is how we react. Choose wisely.

April 15th ~ Libra: Today is all about connecting to certainty at every step. Libra energy loves to mull it over so make indecision a thing of the past. When we allow the Creator to guide our choices, there is little room for doubt. Don’t question past decisions. Today, trust that you are on the right path and if doubt arises, invite the Light back in.

April 16th ~ Scorpio: The only thing more destructive than hating others is hating yourself. The energy of Scorpio is loving and compassionate, so the invitation today is to extend a little of both to YOU! Release jealousy, release control, release judgment. Share your love with yourself and others, and when in doubt, ask the Creator for assistance.

April 17th ~ Sagittarius: Slow down and open up. The invitation today is to take your time, consider all the details, look at the big picture, and then decide. Look for the things in your life you care the most about and examine what commitments or behaviors are not aligned with them. Allow sensitivity to yourself today, as well as to others.

April 18th ~ Capricorn: Let yourself love. Today, practice humility and examine the expectations you put on yourself and your love. Instead, connect to the Light and bring that energy to all of your relationships. Express your emotions, practice vulnerability, and open up to intimacy. Don’t be afraid, and always remember that the process is the purpose.

April 19th ~ Aquarius: Let the Light lead today. Being unique can lend itself to service of the ego if we aren’t careful. Practice being a team player and release the need to run the show. Try giving special care to those around you instead. When we focus our attention on others, we connect to something greater than ourselves. Focus on treating others with dignity and respect, today and always.

April 20th ~ Pisces: Today, work to release feelings of victimhood. If you want to change your circumstances, you must first take responsibility for where you are. Start by making proactive choices toward your joy and fulfillment while working to release any feelings of blame or guilt. Remember that you are not a victim, you always have a choice. Take it a step further by allowing grace instead of criticism.

This practice is powerful, so The Rav explains that the month of Aries is linked to the idea of seeds, where everything is at the infancy level–at the very beginning, offering us the unique potential for growth and change. This is a time of little tests and confrontations which, if responded to in proactive ways, will make all the difference and completely transform the year to come.

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Purim: Laughing Through the Veils of Illusion

Join Monica as she shows us how we can tap into the consciousness of Purim and laugh as we see through the veils of illusion.

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Together We Are Heroes

Throughout history—and very much today—we’ve been enamored with the idea of the lone hero. It’s impossible to even walk down the street without seeing massive billboards for the next Marvel movie, awash with images of a singularly powerful superhero who will save the world. These are individuals who, through sheer will and strength (and don’t forget those supernatural, radioactive powers), manage to overcome insurmountable odds and bring about significant change. Yes, these god-like heroes are meant to be metaphors for the power that we all have to overcome challenges… but “the world” they save is often as fantastical as they are.

For example, the very complex challenges of humanity are still there even after the supervillain has been vanquished, and Superman rarely goes toe-to-toe with things like famine, poverty, or social injustice.

Now, The Hero’s Journey exists for a reason. Joseph Campbell’s famous meditation on this subject in his book The Hero with a Thousand Faces shows us that powerful stories of one special person succeeding against all odds have been inspiring us for centuries. Not only that, these stories are some of the most beloved and influential pieces of art in existence. They inspired great people to do great things. But they leave one thing out.

The world’s most pressing problems are far too vast and intertwined for any one person to solve.

Climate change, for example, is a global issue that affects and is affected by everyone living on this planet. Similarly, social and economic inequalities are systemic problems that have been built up over centuries. These are not puzzles to be solved by a single genius or supernatural hero but ongoing challenges that require collective action and sustained effort.

This is not meant to be defeatist—and I am certainly not suggesting we throw out superhero stories! In fact, I think this can be just as inspiring as any book about a magical young wizard or powerful young woman with arrows.

The beauty of acknowledging that no one person can save the world alone is the realization that we all can. Each individual’s actions, no matter how small they may seem, contribute to a larger movement of change. When we come together, pooling our resources, knowledge, and passion, we can initiate significant transformations. The way one person is called to serve is different than another, and together, our actions of service harmonize into a power greater than any one of us could ever wield.

Continuing with the example of helping to save the environment, individual decisions to reduce waste, conserve water, and support sustainable practices are shown to make incredible positive difference over time. They also contribute to a larger trend that pressures leaders to adopt more eco-friendly policies. Social change, too, follows a similar pattern. Movements for civil rights, gender equality, and LGBTQ+ rights have all advanced through the collective efforts of individuals united for a cause.

Accepting that we’re all responsible for the world’s evolution is a call to action. It’s an invitation to engage with the world in a more conscious and purposeful manner. This doesn’t mean that everyone must take up the same cause or contribute in the same way. Instead, it’s about finding where your passions, skills, and opportunities align with the world’s needs. And no interest is without its ability to create change!

Do you love to crochet? You can get to work crafting blankets for mothers and infants in need.

Are you endlessly fascinated with crafting? Start a TikTok account teaching people how to use common waste items to make pieces of art or handy household hacks.

Not sure where your talent could be useful? Think about what you currently do for work and see if you can volunteer that skill with a non-profit organization. Even an hour a week helps!

When we understand that no act of kindness, generosity, or service is ever too small, an entire world of opportunities to “help save the world” opens to us.

As individuals, we are drops in a vast ocean, but when we come together, we are the ocean itself—powerful beyond measure and capable of shaping the planet’s future. The responsibility to help guide the evolution of our world is both a profound burden and an incredible opportunity. It says in The Book of Ethics that, while we are not “obligated to complete the work….neither are [we] free to desist from it” (Pirkei Avot 20:21). It’s a call to action that requires not just optimism, but also determination, creativity, and a willingness to collaborate.

In embracing this shared responsibility, we acknowledge that while no one person can save the world, the collective power and will of humanity can indeed shape its destiny toward a brighter, more equitable, and sustainable future. And don’t worry, it will be a future with enough room for all of our favorite superheroes, too.

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Shabbat Zachor: An Antidote for Doubt

Join Monica as she shares how we can redirect our consciousness to remove doubts, let go of regrets and appreciate the life processes that we go through as a segue for our growth and transformation.

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