Teffilah Lab: An Experimental Experiential Worship Group

Tefillah Lab will be an experiential Jewish worship group at Monmouth Reform Temple. The group will focus on experimenting with Jewish meditation and have the goals of increasing mindfulness, promoting a sense of peace, and facilitating an experience of the divine for its participants. Drawing from psychological research, biblical commentary, and the Jewish meditation literature, we will discuss then try a variety of spiritual practices in lively and interactive sessions.

In the first session, we will start by discussing our past experiences with prayer. When has it been helpful? When has it not? Are there certain settings or circumstances where prayer has been effective? What feelings do you experience when you pray? We will do a self-assessment of our prayer experiences through the use of a standard questionnaire that has been designed to measure spiritual experiences.

In the second part of the session, we will try a breathing exercise that can help prepare the mind for prayer. Finally, we will discuss praying intentionally, praying with Kavanah, and will practice a prayer technique called mantra meditation that is designed to foster this type of prayer.

For more information contact Elliott Familant at efamilant@gmail.com.