A Mindful Hanukkah

                                                         Abbey Lossing for The Washington Post

The Jewish festival of Hanukkah will draw to a close on Friday and I realize that it would have made sense for me to share a piece I read about mindfulness during these eight days at the beginning rather than close to the end. So, I'm not always too swift!

It was in the Washington Post but the source was the website RitualWell, written by Jason Klein, a rabbi and associate chaplain for the Jewish community at Brown University, about the opportunity Hanukkah presents for mindful reflection.

The content is thought-provoking and each of these eight mindfulness encouragements could be adapted and adopted by Christians: 

 Emotional: Love anchors the holiday and many Jewish traditions. Ask yourself: Am I giving love in a way that is satisfying? Am I getting the support I need from my family, friends, therapist or others?

Environmental: The menorah at the center of the holiday tradition is itself a reminder of conservation, Klein noted. “Part of what I love about the Hanukkah story is that the Talmud tells us that a little bit of something can go such a long way. I think for me this sometimes means, how large do we need to live? What’s our footprint? Are there other ways to live large that aren’t about taking up more space than we need?”

Intellectual: “When you are having a conversation with someone and you’re feeling uncomfortable, can you push yourself to ask one more question?” Klein said. “Every interaction we have with someone, every conversation is an opportunity to experience more truth."

Financial: Use the holiday to think about your financial health. Are you satisfied with how you spend and save? Are you supporting causes you believe in? Does your family spending reflect your values?

Work: Are you finding purpose in your daily work? Ask yourself: When do I live to work? When do I work to live?

Physical: Is your body truly nourished? Are you feeling shame and disempowerment about your body? Are you offering support for body positivity for all types of bodies?

Social: Think about the people you spend time with. Are you tending to your relationships? Are the people in your life giving you the support you need?

Spiritual: Is there a spiritual practice you’ve been wanting to explore? If you’ve been thinking about prayer study, meditation, mindfulness or some other form of personal reflection, how can you take the next step to explore it?

Klein said he advises his students to think about one of these areas each night of Hanukkah or to pick a few to reflect on over the course of the holiday. This holiday, with the tragic events in Israel and Gaza, the lessons of Hanukkah are particularly relevant, he said.

“For me, this idea of light in the midst of darkness, it may be cliché but it never gets old,” he said. The story of the small jar of oil “and all its potential, reminds us of what is possible.”