Day 28: Daily Omer Wellness Practice

Omer Day 28
13 Iyar 5780
Thursday 7 May 2020

Today we tap into the earthly nature of Malkhut (majesty) — the “lowest” or most earth-bound sefirah, and the final sefira in the week of Netzach (endurance) — by literally getting in touch with earth through soil. Soil is the lifeblood of almost all life on earth and a critical stage of the cycles that sustain us and allow all of us to endure. Through today’s practice, we get our hands into the dirt, write some poetry, and tap into the cycles that sustain us as we seek to close out this week focusing on endurance in this difficult time.

☀️Omer Day 28 practice [11 Iyar 5780 | Tuesday 5 May 2020]☀️

1. Get in Touch (and smell, and sight …) — Find some soil near you. Observe it. Notice its color. Put your hands in it. Feel its texture. Smell it. Listen to it. Maybe even taste it (if you feel confident about its source). Use a magnifying glass if you have one. Just sit quietly and hold it in your hands. Think about the microbiotic life teeming within. Spend some real time with this soil. Ask it what it needs. Think about what it gives. (2 minutes)
2. Write About It — Option 1: compose a six-word memoir for this soil. Option 2: write a haiku about it. (2-3 minutes)
3. Tap Into the Cycle — Option 1: Plant something. A seed, a seedling, a sapling, repot an older plant … etc. Option 2: Nourish the soil. Feed it organic matter. Bury some food scraps, mix in used coffee grounds or tea leaves, compost tea, etc. (2 minutes)
4. Make an intention for the soil, and add water as a tangible manifestation and blessing. (1 minute)

🌀Materials🌀

• Soil
• Notebook or Journal + writing utensil
• Timer
• Magnifying glass (optional)
• Seed, seedling, sapling, plant ready to repot … 
• *And/Or* Food scraps, used coffee grounds or tea leaves, compost tea …
• Water

✨Practice Notes ✨

• Finding soil — get creative, and don’t be too perfect about it. Look outside in a garden or yard or sidewalk / median strip; or inside in a houseplant or that bag of potting soil laying around … etc.
• If burying organic matter, don’t worry too much about “perfect” composting ratios. Just find something you can nourish the soil with.
• You may wish to adapt one of the blessings from the traditional Amidah (standing prayer) liturgy, which ends “m’chayei ha’meitim” — “who brings life to the dead.” While not traditionally associated with soil or planting, this blessing fits nicely into the context of life and nutrient cycling at the heart of today’s practice.

☀️ This post is part of our Omer Wellness Series – a daily 7-minute opportunity for introspection and intentional focus on caring for ourselves, each other, and our environment in this incredibly challenging time. ☀️

#omer #wellness #jewish #countingtheomer #jewishmovement #movementculture #movementecology #selfcare #dailypractice #hebrewcalendar #kabbalah #jewishwellness #dailyomerpractice #embodiedpractice #omerinplace #omer5780 #soil #planting #compost #intention #blessing