Life gets so full and hectic: working and care-taking. The tasks for the day invariably spill into the evenings, and yet… when mikveh night rolls around, we women clear space for it. 

Each month. 

Within our overloaded schedules, we make it happen.

On this particular night each month, YES, we make time for that long bath. 

YES, we make time to give attention to every part of our bodies. 

Although we often treat our bodies as merely vehicles to transport our minds from place to place, in contrast: on mikveh night, we become fully present with our bodies. 

Natural and unadorned.

As we prepare for the mikveh, we intentionally focus on every single part of our bodies. 

We wash, we cleanse, we soften, we comb, we file, we buff. 

We remove every single thing that is extraneous, and return our bodies to their natural state. 

We enter a pool filled with rain-water. Just as we are.

We take a deep breath in. We take a deep breath out. 

We immerse ourselves, and feel the warm water touch every surface of our bodies. 

We bless the immersion. 

We are wholly ourselves. And nothing else. 

And wholly in the moment. Nowhere else.

Minimalism at its purest.

In touch with our bodies, we become mindfully present.

Connecting with nature and our breath brings calmness and a sense of wellbeing to our nervous systems. 

Awareness of our spirit, and connection to a higher power, lift us up above everyday stress.

All these things are potent. All these are life-affirming.

Through the rituals of mikveh night, we fully inhabit our bodies. As a result, we are more likely to feel free and open to engage in loving connection with our partners.

And this we know is true:

  • That simplicity calms us.
  • That rhythm and flow sustain us.
  • That connection to our bodies grounds us.

And I ask you to consider: 

  • What nourishes and refreshes you? 
  • How do you reconnect to your own essence? 
  • Who are you? Beneath the roles you play, and responsibilities, and the masks?
  • How and when do you clear time and space for yourself?
  • How do you return to a sense of wholeness within your body?

Here are some other ways to be in present-moment connection with your spirit and body:

  • Carving out time for meditation and stillness.
  • Being in nature.
  • Focusing on your breathing, sensations within your body, and your movement through space.
  • Giving gentle, mindful attention to any task.
  • Practicing gratitude.

Naomi Zelwer is a body-centered psychotherapist with a private clinic in Jerusalem. She runs workshops for women on a range of mind-body topics such as mindfulness, healthy boundaries, minimalism, and intentional living. www.naomizelwertherapy.com

Naomi is also a simplicity expert, and combines professional organization with a deep therapeutic process. Her goal is to help clients who feel overwhelmed by emotional and physical clutter, to clear space, time and energy for the things that really matter to them. She helps her clients create order and spaciousness that’s easy to maintain. www.naomizelwer.com

Naomi has worked in this field for over ten years, with hundreds of clients throughout Israel, and abroad.

Originally from Melbourne, Australia, Naomi lives with her husband and four kids in Jerusalem.