à la carte spirit by ilona fried
freedom
We Are Still in Exodus
Passover begins this evening. Although I won’t be celebrating the holiday in its traditional forms, the essence of the holiday is profound, one worth serious inquiry much of the time. Frequently, not just once a year, I ask myself: What does it mean to be free? What if true freedom means embarking on, or remaining in, an … Continue reading
For Passover, I’m Refraining from Facebook
This year marks my first, “post-gluten” Passover. The holiday, commemorating the Jews’ hasty exodus from Egypt, is in part observed by eating matzah, unleavened bread, while also refraining from eating hametz, anything made of fermented grain (bread, pasta, beer, etc.). The complete dietary rules are more complex and vary depending on ancestry. Ashkenazi Jews, hailing from Eastern Europe, also avoid rice and legumes on … Continue reading
Feldenkrais: Are You Willing to Suck?
On Monday I began a Feldenkrais Training Program in New Mexico, directed by Alan Questel. I’m here, in part, to attempt to unravel my longstanding habit of prioritizing achievement and results over the process of learning itself. Consistent with this desire to privilege the journey instead of the outcome, at this moment I am not “committing” to completing the … Continue reading
Feldenkrais and Freedom
“Without learning to know ourselves as intimately as we possibly can, we limit our choice. Life is not very sweet without freedom of choice.” – Moshe Feldenkrais Last fall, after a Rolfer advised me to wake up my left pinky toe to heal my tendonitis, I recommitted to daily foot exercises. Not long after, warming … Continue reading
Matzah: Bread of Affliction or Tool for Introspection?
Most of the year I’m an à la carte spiritual being, but there are some holidays that return me to the Jewish “camp”. Passover is one of them. For some Jews, after the Seder ends, Passover becomes a week of dietary torture. Wheat and four other grains are prohibited, making meal preparation challenging if not … Continue reading
à la carte spirit by ilona fried 
Recent comments