אב15
tu b'av 5782 15 Embodied Jewish Ways to Express Your Love MITSUI COLLECTIVE
tu b'av: A Time for Love It's a little hard to believe this is our third Tu b'Av celebration taking place in the midst of realities still shaped and impacted by Covid and all the other ongoing challenges and uncertainties of this time we live in. As such, it may feel difficult to embrace a holiday that's all about love when so much is still painful. But it's love that will get us through all of this, and love that will sustain us on the other side. Here at Mitsui Collective we often reference the concept of na'aseh v'nishmah — "we will do, and we will understand." In this case, embracing and acting with love, even or especially when it feels difficult, helps us not only to better understand what love is about, but to also practice it and get better at — to literally lay out and strengthen the neural pathways needed to express love both now and in the future. So that's what this guide is about. Fifteen ways — Tu b'Av literally means "the fifteenth of Av" — to embody the expression of love through our five main senses. You'll see we've also organized these fifteen embodiments into three categories, based on the fractals of "body" that we think about at Mitsui Collective: loving yourself, loving others, and loving the earth. Whether you try out just one or two, or try on all fifteen, we hope this guide will support and nourish you and all those you love. Chag Sameach — here's to a joyful holiday full love love and liberation! With love, The Team at Mitsui Collective MITSUI COLLECTIVE
Embodied tu b'av
Lov e Y
צלם אלקיםoבurce mints
nS g i e r the e v o "The S uman being with yet every h f the first, and her. stamp o looks like anot son not one very single per rld Hence, e oclaim, 'The wo must pr eated for me.'” 5 was cr Sanhedrin 4: Mishnah Book a time to meet with a loved one or someone you haven't seen in a while. These days, seeing — and being seen by — another person can be a real way to practice loving yourself.
5782
ou rse
lf
Shema — a word th at can mean to listen, to hear, to u nderstand, to be compelled Take extra time tod ay to turn your listening inwards a nd truly hear, understand, and act upon what your body is telling you. How do your heart and mind inte ract? Where do you need more lov e?
Wrap your body in a fabric or garment that is particularly pleasing. Notice the sensations of contact on your skin and of being enveloped. Create and hold space to enjoy these sensations.
Find three delightful smells you have in or around your home and notice whether or what memories may be stimulated as you smell these smells. If feasible, bring some of these objects into your work or personal space to surround yourself with smells you adore that link you to happy memories.
Take an extra long time to enjoy a food you like. Observe the sensation of savoring the taste, texture, and where it came from, and what it will next become as you ingest and digest this food. Whisper a blessing of appreciation and gratitude.
MITSUI COLLECTIVE
Embodied tu b'av
5782
Lo v e Eac h o th er
ְו ָאs ַה ְב ָּת ְל ֵרllow A ֲע ָך ָּכ fe מֹו ָך our "
e Y rself :18 v 9 o 1 L " you Vayikra us/ c i t i Lev Record an uplifting message for a loved one and ask them to do the same for you. Keep it somewhere safe and play it whenever you need to feel loved.
nt the u o c d n a s e y Open your e y. Can a d o t e e s u o acts of love y -giving e f li 8 1 e v r e s you ob What are ? e v lo f o s n expressio you can e v lo f o s t c a some small others? r o f g in o d t r sta
Gift a loved one something with a pleasing smell that may support them in experiencing life more fully in that moment.
Cook a delicious meal for or with someone in person or over Zoom!
With consent, hug a loved one for an extra long time. Feel each other's hearts beat.
MITSUI COLLECTIVE
Embodied tu b'av
ּוְל ׇׁש ְמ ָֽר ּה
Lov e t he ear th ְל ׇע ְב ָד ּהin
5782
human l e h t d e tl til "G-d set en of eden, to d the gar and tend it" 5 it t 2:1 i h s i Find a new or favorite delicious e r e B / s i s e n Ge plant-based ingredient to eat or cook with today and feature it during a meal or snack. Notice appreciation for where it came from, whether it is Find a nicein season or preserved, and all the smelling plant particularities of its flavor and type. and practice gratitude for Earth's fragrances. Make time to gaze in contemplation at a beautiful portion of the earth, whethe r large or small. Allow your eyesight to tak e in all the det ail and beauty in this space.
With a garbage bag, go for a long walk (or to a public park) and pick up the trash you see.
Sit quietly in a place that connects you with the earth, close or soften your eyes, and create a "Shema sound map" — a mental map of the sounds surrounding you. Notice what you can name and what you have no name for. What feels familiar and what feels new?
MITSUI COLLECTIVE
Gratitude & Acknowledgements This guide was ideated, created, and produced by the team at Mitsui Collective — in particular, Yoshi Silverstein and Ariana Starkman. Thank you so much to all those who have continued to support us and our work in these early years — from our very first online Tu b’Av festival in 2020/5780 through to last year’s summit and inperson gathering (2021/5781) to this current year (2022/5782) and everything in between. This work is a labor of love in all the ways. We couldn’t do it without your support and we so look forward to continuing to be in beloved community with all of you who step into the practice of love and embodiment with purpose and intention every day of the year.
thank you! Stay in touch! Find more info and join our mailing list: www.mitsuicollective.org Follow us on Facebook and Instagram @mitsuicollective MITSUI COLLECTIVE