Guided Meditation for Tashlich, 5781

Tashlich is a time for casting away the last crumbs of the year before…to release them from our hands and our hearts and let those sins…those missed marks flow away from us.  Today, we will focus on releasing.

Get into a comfortable position…sitting, lying down, reclining.  Feel your body at the points where it makes contact. Feel that connection…that presence of being grounded.

Notice your breath. Breathe at a comfortable rate…in…out…at your pace.

In…out…   In…out…

Starting at the bottom of your feet, focus on how you are feeling…is there tension? Are you at ease?  Moving up through your ankles…your calves…over your knees…to the top of your legs and into your hips…notice your lower back…move up along your spine…focus your energy on your shoulders…down your arms…into your wrists and hands.  Feel your lungs expand and contract as you breathe comfortably and easily.  Move up your neck…the base of your head…across your jaws…over your face…and to the very top of your head.  Breathe deeply and release…

Imagine that you have something in your pocket.  You reach your hand in. What you touch is something that has been on your heart and on your mind this year. Something you may have said or done that has stayed with you. This might be something that harmed someone else or caused a divide.  Wrap your fingers around it…bring it out of your pocket. Hold it in your hand.  Focus on this object.  Focus on its weight.  Notice its texture.  Notice how much space it takes up in your hand.

Wrap your fingers around it once more…feeling the full sensation and thinking about what you are holding.  As I count to three, you will loosen your fingers…relax your hand…and allow it to fall away.  One…   two…   three.  Notice your hand.  How does it feel now that it is empty. 

You notice that there is something in your other pocket.  You reach your hand in. What you touch is something that you have done in secret or privately.   Something you may not have owned yet. Something you may have forgotten was there. This might be something that harmed or affected you more than others.  Wrap your fingers around it…bring it out of your pocket. Hold it in your hand.  Focus on this object.  Focus on its weight.  Notice its texture.  Notice how much space it takes up in your hand. Does it feel the same as the other object?

Wrap your fingers around it once more…feeling the full sensation and thinking about what you are holding.  As I count to three, you will loosen your fingers…relax your hand…and allow it to fall away.  One…   two…   three.  Notice your hand.  How does it feel now that it is empty. 

You look to the side and see water gently flowing nearby. You approach the water. As you reach out and gently touch the surface…how does it feel? You reach down and place both hands in the water, knowing that you are now able to remove the feelings of those objects you were holding. Feel your fingers intertwine with each other. Feel the water on your palms…and the backs of your hands.  As you slowly lift your hands from the water, words come into your mind.  You have released the objects. Your hands are clean. And there are words forming gently in your mind…coming to your lips.  Those words that represent the full release of the past year.  Breathe in and hold those words in your breath.  Breathe out and exhale them.

Stretch your hands and fingers and feel the freedom of having nothing on them in this one moment.  As I count to three, slowly begin to open your eyes…to sit up…and to come back to our collective presence.   One…   two…   three…


Booklet Section: Looking Back / Tashlich 
Source: Julee S. Levine