Getting Your Mind and Soul Ready for the New School Year

A love for time and for the calendar is at the center of all Jewish practice. Seasonal awareness, guided by Mother Nature and deeply embedded in each of us, intuitively invites us into states of consciousness, both individual and collective. It’s no coincidence that the start of our school year aligns with the Jewish new year in the magnificent season of fall. Here are three steps of ancient Judaic wisdom to ready your mind and soul for your new year.

First things first, take a deep breath. 

Locate yourself. Say, “Hineini (hee-NAY-nee) I am here.” 
 

1. Hug Your Heart. In the Jewish calendar, the month leading up to the new year is called Elul (Eh-LOOL), and it’s 100% dedicated to unconditional love. How’s that for timeless wisdom? Start with unabashed selflove – adorn yourself; take a luxurious bath. Savor moments of tender selfcare and quiet before the classroom is bustling again.
    
2. Tap In. Personal preparation can include a practice called Cheshbon HaNefesh (chesh-BON ha-NEH-fesh). This is a kind of accounting of the soul. Place your hand on your belly, take that deep Hineini breath, and ask, ”When I think about this upcoming school year, how do I feel?” This intake, whether it unfolds through journaling or talking with a colleague over coffee, can be tricky, so follow your gut. Listen for patterns in the stories you tell. Sometimes hearing our voice can be vulnerable and tears will readily come, so be sure to take space for this important soul work.
    
3. Zoom Out. Take an expansive look outward; notice Mother Nature’s flow and your place in it. Allow the Hineini breath of “Me” to blur into the collective breath of “We.” Seasonal wisdom says, bloom, shed, and renew. In this symbiotic relationship with time, we can breathe easy and follow the cosmic lead. 

Spiritual preparation is a matter of slowing down and beckoning in spaciousness so that you may feel present in mind and body. Here may you see yourself reflected in the loving community you have built. Here, may you live in your power in this vibrant sacred life. Happy New (School) Year. 

Shira Kline

Spiritual Leader, Lab/Shul NYC