Unleashing Our Potential: Mindfulness & Parshat Pinchas

Unleashing Our Potential: Mindfulness & Parshat Pinchas

In this week’s Torah portion, Pinchas, we encounter two powerful examples of people who step forward and act with conviction: Pinchas, the grandson of Aaron, and the daughters of Tzelofhad.

Pinchas witnesses Bnei Yisrael consorting with foreign women and engaging in idol worship. One man in particular—Zimri, a prince of the tribe of Shimon—openly flaunts his behavior. In a dramatic and controversial act, Pinchas takes matters into his own hands and kills Zimri. As a result, a devastating plague is halted and the people are saved.

Our sages, however, are deeply conflicted about Pinchas’s actions. He acted zealously and without a trial. The rabbis emphasize that this was an exceptional, one-time event—not a model for us to imitate. His story raises complex questions about passion, judgment, and restraint.

Later in the parsha, we encounter a very different kind of courage.

The daughters of Tzelofhad come before Moses after their father’s death. At that time, inheritance in the Land of Israel was passed only to sons. Yet they boldly challenge this assumption:

“Let not our father’s name be lost to his tribe just because he had no son.”

They advocate not only for themselves, but for fairness and justice. Their claim is accepted, and the law is changed.

Both Pinchas and the daughters of Tzelofhad act out of conviction and passion.

In very different ways, they step forward and fulfill their potential despite risk.

We all have potential within us.The question is: how do we cultivate it?

What are you passionate about? What truly matters to you?

A meaningful place to begin is by clarifying your values.

As you explore what is important to you, here are a few guiding principles:

1. Know Yourself

Growth begins with honest self-awareness.

When you recognize your strengths and your challenges, you can begin to move in the direction you want. For example, if you want to be more effective at work, you might notice patterns such as procrastination or difficulty organizing your time. Awareness is the first step toward change.

2. Let Go of Perfectionism

Perfectionism doesn’t help us grow—it often holds us back.

Striving to improve is healthy; being overly self-critical is not. As the saying goes, “the perfect is the enemy of the good.” Real growth comes from looking at ourselves with honesty, patience, and a non-judgmental attitude.

3. Step Outside Your Comfort Zone

Growth requires us to stretch beyond what feels familiar.

This doesn’t mean overwhelming yourself, but rather gently expanding your boundaries. Over time, what once felt uncomfortable can become more natural.

As Brené Brown writes, “You can choose courage or you can choose comfort. You cannot have both.”

Where in your life do you tend to stay within your comfort zone?Where might you take a small step beyond it?

4. Reflect on What Truly Matters

What brings you joy?What gives you a sense of meaning or purpose?

This might include relationships, learning, creativity, helping others, or new experiences.

Let's explore this more with a mindfulness practice.

A Mindfulness Practice for Clarifying Values-

Begin by reflecting on what you need in your life to feel fulfilled. These are your core values—such as family, creativity, health, growth, connection, or justice.

You might ask yourself:

• If I had to leave my home quickly, what would I take with me?

• What values are essential to my life?

• What supports my inner well-being?

Mirabai Bush offers a simple practice:

Sit quietly and bring your attention to your breath.

Gently reflect on the values that matter most to you, and imagine how they might be expressed in your life—through your work, relationships, or daily activities.

Allow images, ideas, or feelings to arise naturally.

There’s no need to force clarity or make immediate sense of what comes up. Simply observe with openness and curiosity.

Pause. Breathe.

You might try approaching this with a “beginner’s mind”—as if you are seeing your life for the first time, without assumptions or expectations.

Notice what emerges when you create space for it.

Your mind does not need to have all the answers right away.

With patience, new insights can unfold.

And if you don’t immediately feel a strong passion—this is completely natural.

Not all of us experience the same intensity as Pinchas or the daughters of Tzelofhad.

What matters is the willingness to keep asking, gently and honestly:

What is important to me?

When we listen carefully to the answers and begin to make them a part of our daily lives, we take meaningful steps toward fulfilling our potential.

*Listen to this on Insight Timer:

https://insighttimer.com/skeinon/guided-meditations/how-to-fulfill-our-potential-mindfulness-and-parshat-pinchas

For more information about the next mindfulness course with Susie:

https://www.mindfulnesswithsusie.com/about-the-mindfulness-course-with-susie

https://www.mindfulnesswithsusie.com/he/mindfulness-course-with-susie-lp HEBREW

On Facing Our Fears Mindfully: When The Well Dries Up

In this week’s Torah portion, Chukat, Bnei Yisrael—the Children of Israel—complain in the desert after Miriam’s death, when their well of water suddenly dries up.

According to tradition, it was through Miriam’s merit that the people had a well that continuously provided water. Without it, they feared they would not survive.

They cry out to Moses and Aaron:“Why have you brought us out of Egypt to die in the wilderness?”

Their words place blame on Moses and Aaron, rather than recognizing a larger divine plan.

Up until this moment, they had never experienced a lack of water throughout their desert journey.

They were afraid.

Their fear—and, some would say, a loss of faith—shaped their reaction.

And this is deeply human.

Our brains are wired to focus on fear in order to keep us alive.

For early humans, this was essential. If our ancestors didn’t react quickly to every sound in their environment, they could have been attacked by a predator.

Today, however, most of us are not facing life-threatening danger on a daily basis. Instead, our stress is triggered by things like an overflowing email inbox, traffic, work deadlines, or tension in our relationships. These experiences can still create a powerful sense of anxiety and fear.

According to Robert Sapolsky, a professor of biology and neurology, chronic stress has a significant impact on our health. In fact, we’ve evolved to the point that we can literally “worry ourselves sick.”

In his research on primates—many of whom live with relatively few real threats—Sapolsky found that those under chronic stress often have elevated levels of stress hormones like cortisol, even in the absence of danger. Their bodies remain in a constant state of activation. As a result, their health suffers: healing slows, blood pressure rises, and their overall functioning declines.

As he famously put it:“99% of the beasts on this planet scream for three minutes on the savannah when they are afraid—then it’s over. We turn on the same stress response for a thirty-year mortgage.”

Stress itself is not the problem. It’s a natural and important response.

The difficulty arises when our internal alarm system is constantly activated—when every challenge feels like a threat.

Returning to the parsha: the people were indeed thirsty. Their fear made sense. And yet, they had already witnessed profound miracles—being taken out of Egypt, the splitting of the sea, and the daily provision of manna. They had reason to trust that water, too, would be provided.

How might mindfulness have helped them in that moment?And how can it help us today?

Like all emotions, fear can overwhelm us—but mindfulness offers a way to steady ourselves within it. It helps us see more clearly, to distinguish between real danger that requires action and perceived threats created by the mind.

Let’s explore a simple mindfulness practice for working with fear:

1)We can start our practice by naming our fear or whatever we’re feeling

Also known as name it to tame it: naming the emotions creates a distance between you and the reaction. You recognize that you’re experiencing an emotion, but you don't have to be caught up in or controlled by it.

Noticing and labeling emotions as they’re happening by saying to yourself:

I’m feeling ____________(fill in the blank)

2)Acknowledge the fear, perhaps by saying to yourself “I’m afraid or I’m suffering right now”. Sometimes admitting we are scared is harder than the actual fear.

3) Bring awareness to your body sensations. Simply noticing what sensations you’re experiencing in your body can soften the sensations and feelings and reduce unhealthy thoughts.

Take a moment; take a few breaths, and do a scan of different parts in your body to observe any sensations arising. Simply noticing without trying to change the sensations.

4) Befriend your fear, also known as "leaning into fear." Rather than avoiding it, see if you can gently lean in.

Allow the feelings to be there, noticing them with curiosity.If helpful, label them again: fear, tension, worry.

Approach your experience with kindness.There is nothing wrong with feeling afraid—it is part of being human.

See if you can notice how the fear shifts over time—rising, falling, changing.

This practice helps us relate differently to our inner world.We become less reactive, more aware.

As we begin to recognize what is happening in our body and mind—and in doing so, we send a signal to our nervous system that we are safe.

And from that place, a new story can begin to emerge.

Listen to this practice on Insight Timer:

https://insighttimer.com/skeinon/guided-meditations/facing-our-fears-mindfulness-and-parshat-chukat

Or on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/episode/31bcmlESEvISXWsEgUiTxa?si=yCwFvy6rSpWebD6RHma1mA&utm_source=copy-link

To learn more about the next mindfulness course or workshop: https://www.mindfulnesswithsusie.com

Mindfulness With Susie

From Anger to Awareness: Korach's Rebellion

In this week’s Torah portion, Korach, Korach accuses Moses: “You have gone too far.”

He challenges Moses’s leadership, accusing him of elitism: “Why do you raise yourself above the congregation?” Beneath his words lies jealousy—of Moses’s position and authority.

Jealousy is deeply human.

Yet Korach had moments—opportunities—when he might have paused, stepped back, and gained perspective. He could have taken time to process his feelings and see the situation differently.

When we don’t pause, we risk jumping to conclusions without knowing all the facts. This can be destructive to relationships—like when parents, in the height of anger, punish their children in ways they later regret.

Interestingly, the Hebrew word for “nose” is af, and anger is charon af—literally “a flaring nose.” When we become angry, our nostrils flare. At the same time, G-d is described as Erech Apayim—“long-nosed,” a metaphor for patience, like that of a loving parent toward a child who has made a mistake.

Perhaps there is wisdom here: when anger arises, we can turn to the breath—specifically, breathing through the nose.

When we feel the fire of anger igniting, we can pause… and breathe.

In other words, we can practice mindful awareness. Perhaps Korach, too, might have benefited from a moment of mindful breathing.

Research supports this. A 2016 study found that participants who were intentionally angered became significantly calmer after just 20 minutes of meditation—even those with no prior experience. Their heart rate and blood pressure decreased.

Meditation helps protect both body and mind from the stress of anger—and from difficult emotions in general.

Emotions live in the body. We know this from experience: butterflies in the stomach when we’re nervous, warmth in the chest when we feel moved.

It can be more helpful to attend to these physical sensations than to the thoughts about them. Why? Because sensations move more slowly than thoughts—they are easier to stay with. They shift, change, and soften. Simply noticing them can ground us and help us settle.

We’ll now move into a short practice of noticing sensations in the body. I’ll leave moments of silence so you can observe your experience.

We’ll begin by finding a comfortable place to sit on a chair, on the floor. It doesn’t matter where you sit, but the attention that you bring to the practice. So wherever you can be the most awake and attentive. We’re going to be paying attention to body sensations. Placing your feet on the floor, your hands on your thighs, and sitting upright in an alert and comfortable way.

Noticing how your feet feel on the floor, noticing your hands on your thighs, and noticing the contact that your body makes with the chair, the ground or a cushion. Noticing your spine, if it’s resting on the chair or slightly off your chair.

Observing your breath and what it feels like to be breathing in this moment.

Bringing awareness to your physical sensations as you inhale, and as you exhale.

(pause)

And noticing your breath and the air entering and leaving your body.

Can you feel the air as it enters your nose? Is it warm or cool… Focusing on the temperature of the air as it enters your nose and leaves your nose. (Pause)

Paying attention to the sensations in your chest with each in-breath and each out- breath.

Perhaps contracting; expanding? Tightness; heaviness, lightness, a sense of flow…… Just noticing. (pause)

And now focusing on the stomach as the breath goes in and out.

What sensations do you notice there? Being curious about whatever you are noticing in your body right now. Expanding, contracting….. queasy, butterflies, knots,

lightness, calm?

And now noticing your clothing on your body.

Observing where you feel your clothing: is it tight or loose? Rough or soft?

We’re going to take a few moments to notice what’s happening in your body and any sensations arising, or falling away. Sensations such as: warmth, /heat, clammy or sweaty, coolness, dryness, tingling, prickly, trembling, an itch, heaviness, tension, stiffness, or perhaps numbness, relaxed.

Take a few moments now to scan your body from head to toe (or toes to head) PAUSE

And now bringing awareness to sensations in one place in your body– your face,

your chest or stomach; your back or legs…….

As you notice a sensation arising in your body, you can move your awareness to that sensation. For example, you become aware that you have an ache in your right knee. Move your awareness to the sensations in the right knee. Observing if the knee is it hot or cold?

Then maybe that sensation starts to fade, and you notice another sensation, this time an itch on the ear. Maintain your stillness and be aware of the itch. As this passes, another sensation might arise. Taking another moment and observing any and all sensations

You can widen your focus by noticing sensations coming from different places in your body, and also narrow your focus by paying attention to a specific place in your body when you notice a sensation.

Being mindful of physical sensations in the body can help you to become more connected to your body. You can start to differentiate between discomfort, and pain. It also helps with relaxing the body, as when you scan your body, you start to notice areas of tension and can start to allow yourself to relax.

Another advantage of noticing your bodily sensations is grounding yourself in the here and now -in your present reality as experienced through your body. This practice helps to achieve this groundedness in the present.

Taking a moment to appreciate taking care of yourself in this way.

While most of us don't get angry enough to incite rebellions like Korach, we can benefit from making an intention to continue with this practice.

You can listen to this on Insight Timer:

https://insighttimer.com/skeinon/guided-meditations/anger-and-rebellion

For more information about mindfulness with Susie:

https://www.mindfulnesswithsusie.com/about-the-mindfulness-course-with-susie

HEBREW

https://www.mindfulnesswithsusie.com/he/mindfulness-course-with-susie-lp