2. Why Pray?

Brainstorm
As we began to envision what this semester could look like, we talked about using previous forms, possibility of keva movement minyan. As our discussion continued we ended up moving away from this idea and towards a focus on our relationship to Gd and how that gets expressed through prayer. Adam brought up a Hasidic teaching that says that when a person prays, she should be so engrossed and passionate and intent that even the first letter, the bet of baruch, can hardly make it out of her mouth. We became interested in exploring the blessing formula "Baruch Atah YHVH" that we say so many times every day. As we began to delve into these words we started by writing the words of the blessing formula on the board, each in its own separate space. We thought about qualities of each of the words and the transitions between them. When we were done, we underlined physical qualities that we had put under each of the words so that we might more easily bring the language of movement into our brainstorm.


As part of our brainstorm, we started with Baruch Atah YHVH. We were intrigued by the transitions between words. We began to play with the traditional bending, bowing, straightening choreography that we've been given by tradition. In Adam's studio space we got into our bodies and played around with trying to go from one posture to another in as many different ways as possible, moving from habit to consciously embodied movement. With Ebn's help, we realized that the choreography is a function of the metaphor for one interpretation of the meaning of these words - a dramatic embodiment of bowing to a king as god, or the bending to lower oneself, the reaching out into space, and the coming back to stillness.


We decided to begin our semester-long exploration of these words by starting with the given choreography. What could these 3 movements teach us about these words and the theology behind them?




Outline

I. Theme - (5 min)

Taking Ebn's famous triangle of tefilah: Gd, Community, Shaliach Tzibur, this semester we will be exploring the Community and God "angle" of the triangle. If tefilah is about relationship to Gd and tefilah is dynamic, what relationships to Gd do different elements of tefilah evoke?

Our specific question for this semester will be focused on:

- What is the meaning and experience of moving through the words of the blessing formula "Baruch Ata YHVH Eloheinu Melech HaOlam"?

- What steps does this string of words take me through and in ways do they have the potential to transform me?

- What does this formulation say about our relationship to Gd?

- How are we different before we say these words and after?

- Ultimately: why pray?

II. Frame (5 mins)

To begin our exploration of the meaning behind the sequence of words in the blessing formula, we will begin by asking what the choreography of words “Baruch Ata YHVH” can teach us.

Overview:

1. Starting with the formula, exploring words and their choreography.

2. Yoga flow that takes us deeper into those three postures.

3. Taking that into individual flow

4. When music stops, stop wherever we are and say these words with movements that came out of personal movement.

Instructions:

- Find something that was intriguing for you to play with.

- Play with y axis (up down) and x (out and in) axis movement.

- Play with what these movements feel like in your body and notice what image of Divine it evokes.

III. Warm up (5 mins)

How does it feel? How do you relate to the words? What are you doing? What is taking place?

1. Say words without movement

2. Movement without words

3. Say words with movement

IV. Movement (25 mins)

1. Yoga flow: (15 min)

Utkatasana chair pose, Utanasana forward fold, airplane, warrior 3, standing split, Tadasana mountain pose, full prostration, child’s pose

2. Take movement into own flow exploring these three different movements (10 min) (music: Higher volume, read the room’s energy)

3. At cue, stop music; start the blessing with us

People stop wherever they are and say “Baruch Ata YHVH with movements that came out their flow.

V. Reflection (15 mins)

- What was your experience of moving through the words of the blessing formula "Baruch Ata YHVH" and moving through it's associated choreogrpahy?

- What different ways were you able to play with the three movements?
- Did your own exploration of these movements change the way you relate to the words?

VI. Hand closing

Reflection

During our closing discussion people shared some incredible insights about the meaning of the words and the sensation of the choreography.  Avi reflected that when we said the "Baruch Atah YHVH..." at the end of the session she had the inclination to finish this blessing with the words "la'asok b'divrei Torah," which brought up ideas of body and community as Torah.  Nate shared that he felt a big difference during the choreography of the bending of the knees during Baruch when he played with the different ways to do this motion.  During the yoga portion we introduced the knee bend as the Utkasana powerful squat and during his personal exploration Nate experienced the knee bend as a crumpling, collapsing fall down.  Ora offered that she had the feeling of a longing, reaching, yearning during the forward bend during Atah.  Many of us experimented with the difference between prostrating ourselves on the floor verses bowing in midair.  Sara shared how powerful and intense prostration is and that she is glad that experience is reserved for the Chaggim.  Monica talked about how she always wants to prostrate herself during prayer but has been afraid to do so and she felt grateful to be surrounded by other people doing that during this session.  In her reflection, Lisa shared that had herself turned away from the wall for Baruch and then turned towards the wall for Atah and felt like the wall was wrapping around her--like the Atah was present and real.  David is currently feeling detached from his body and today, and with the spaciousness of movement minyan was able to notice this disconnect within himself, especially as he made the music during the session.  Almost as an articulation of our subconscious, during the flow David wove in the words of the blessing formula into the music.