Mikveh

In the Biblical Creation story, all was water and Divine Spirit. All was peace and unity. Out of that perfect wet wholeness, God’s womb, God birthed a world of separation that is the human condition. But God left us a remnant of that wholeness in our imperfect world, in the form of a “mikveh mayim,” a gathering of water: a spring, lake, ocean, or cistern of rain water. 

With the ritual act of full body immersion in a mikveh, we are gifted the opportunity for connection with that timeless unity and with the Divine Spirit that flows through all of us. After all, each and every one of us is made of up to 75% water. When we immerse our bodies fully, we reconnect to our inner Divine selves, to our spiritual centers, and rebirth ourselves into our continual becoming. 

 Mikveh immersion is a ritual of transition and transformation. In liminal times in our lives, times of change, we are perhaps most vulnerable; but we are also most open to growth and healing. Water softens us, dissolves all that we thought we were, leaving only that which will always be: our deepest unchanging essence.

As we experience being in the Divine womb, we decide what to leave behind in the water, and what to take with us back into the world of separation. We reflect with holy intention on how to grow and heal from life’s inevitable impermanence. We own our transitions, shaping them into our unique spiritual journey.

With a doctorate on mikveh and decades of experience as a mikveh educator, consultant and guide, I am in a unique position to provide individual and group experiences at the only mikveh in Israel open to all to immerse in the way they choose: Shmaya: A Mikveh for Mind, Body and Soul (which is open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, by appointment only, for individuals, couples and groups). I am available for consultations, guidance, education, individual ritual accompaniment and preparation, experiential workshops, group seminars and talks. Contact me to make an appointment or to hear about the various options to suit your needs.

Photos by Hila Ratzabi

Shmaya
A Mikveh for Mind, Body and Soul
Reframing and Reclaiming Mikveh