Segment 6, Day 20: intersecting calendars

We are officially done with Year 3. That's a scary thought. It means I only have a year of this left and then I'm left to my own devices to figure out what to do with it. Luckily the sense of community that's formed over the last three years among our classmates is strong enough that no one will get left out in the cold when we graduate. It's a really fantastic group of people.

It's interesting that today, along with being the end of Year 3, is Yom Kippur. I usually really enjoy Yom Kippur services, but have decided not to go tonight. After a month of deep self-reflection in a community I feel very close to, I don't feel the need to go to services for a couple of days of self-reflection. Since I don't go to services regularly, I don't have a particularly strong sense of community at synagogue and it is not a normal social setting for me. I have to figure out what to do with myself there. If I'm awake enough for it tonight, I'd rather go out blues dancing, a normal social setting for me, and find a way to put my self-reflection to good use there.

The High Holidays are about getting a fresh start on your relationship with yourself, your spirituality, and your relationship with others for the new year. My spirituality has been very quiet lately, so for that reason I'm not drawn to services tonight. As for the other two pieces, they are a huge part of my Feldenkrais training. If you don't respect and understand yourself, you will be of no use to anyone when you put your hands on them. All they will feel is confusion. If you don't respect and understand the person your hands are on, there will be all sorts of trouble. It's all about learning how to know where you are (emotionally, physically, etc) and meet them where they are. There's no way for that to not apply to "real life".