What can we do with negative or toxic energy? How do you respond to the person is who annoys you, or the annoying thing you just can’t get out of your mind?
This year, every week, I want to ask one question: How is the Torah happening Right Now In My Body? I am on the hunt for the Biblical teachings deep within us. Admittedly this stuff isn’t obvious…but join me for the ride if you are interested in the journey. Here is an example. There is corruption on the earth (Genesis 6:11), toxicity needs to be ‘flushed out’ and God brings a flood. After the flood, water covers the entire earth: ‘God caused a spirit-breath pass over the earth and the waters subsided’ (Genesis 8:1).
A version of this process happens inside your body. You have this internal pool of water (your bladder) that is used to flush out waste, and this is one version of the ‘flood’ that expels negativity. Above your bladder there is air, namely, your abdomen which is used for breathing. Your breath – which is part of God – is literally hovering right above the surface of your waters.
Similarly, Noah’s Ark – the vessel he uses to rise above the flood – is called a Tevah in Hebrew (תבה). Tevah could mean ‘box, hull, body’..yes..body! On one level your entire body is a vessel to get you through the turbulent waters of life (in Kabbalistic teaching, water represents feminine intuitive emotion). Or we could take this one stage further – our body is made of 60% water, so the solid parts of our body – bones and so forth – are technically sitting in water. Who is the passenger of your body-ark? Your soul.
Now..this could be a nice little intellectual exercise, but I am interested in action. We can meditate on the flood of information around us or the flood of emotion, and we can mindful to not drown in it. We can live consciously, connect with the ‘spirit of God in our nostrils’ (Genesis 7:22), and rise above the waters. When somebody bothers us, when a thought is stuck cycling in our mind, we can take a breath and rise high. Let the Divine breath hover above the turbulent waters.
Yours in Freed-Om
Marcus
www.marcusjfreed.com