DROP INS WELCOME! THIS IS A FREE PROGRAM
After an incredibly stressful year of quarantine and isolation, we are re-emerging, reconnecting, and reimagining our footing together on new ground - while still living with the grief and anxieties from this past year.
At Orot, mindfulness in a Jewish framework is interwoven throughout many of our programs and offerings. The contemplative tradition, teachings, and practices offer us spiritual tools to slow down, cultivate deeper awareness, and live every day with greater skillfulness, compassion, and love.
The weekly Wednesday summer sit will meet weekly in July. Each session includes teaching, guided meditation, and time to sit in silent practice. This is a chance to be part of a mindful community and find peace as pandemic life continues to evolve.
Open to all levels. Open to Twenty and Thirty Somethings.
Location: The location will be south of the Clock Tower Cafe and north of the North Side Archery Club (closer to the Archery Club). The Waveland Parking Lot is the closest. Parking on N. Recreation Dr. near the tennis courts and sports fields is just a short walk.
Since it is outdoors we will have to be flexible about the specific spot. Rachel will have a hand painted white and blue sign that says "Quiet Please", so it will be easy to locate the group.
The location will be somewhere inside of the yellow circle on the attached map. To make sure we have a little bit of privacy we may be next to the bird sanctuary fence in an area surrounded by trees. It is not a large area, so it should be easy to find us. Come early so you can find us and get settled. Please let us know if you need any accommodations. Sunscreen, bug spray, a towel or chair to sit on are recommended, but optional. Being comfortable while sitting is ideal. Wear layers! It's windy out there.
Dates: July 7- July 28 | Wednesdays in July | 7-8pm
Educator: Led by Rachel Singer
Rachel Singer grew up in Colorado and was raised to see Judaism through the lens of nature. Each Shabbat she walked to synagogue on a trail next to a creek while her mom told her stories of nature, Torah, and family. Rachel graduated from Colorado State University and studied Psychology and Design and Technical Theater. After graduating she worked at University of Chicago Hillel. She has continued her work as a Jewish educator integrating social justice and mindfulness into her curricula at Makom Solel Lakeside. Over the last decade, Rachel taught dance combined with social and emotional learning in the Chicago Public Schools. She is also passionate about puppetry. This work is rooted in breath, body awareness, communication and interconnection. Currently, she is in school to become an occupational therapy assistant with a goal of integrating the arts and mindfulness into the healing process. Rachel is a yoga instructor and teaches yoga to people with physical disabilities, using breath, visualization, and movement to spark connection and presence. In Rachel’s personal Jewish mindfulness practice, she uses visual art to explore unseen worlds and to create ritual objects.