May the One bestow compassion and acceptance for all people,

To restore their health and repair their bodies,

To heal body, mind, and soul so they can rebuild their lives and recreate their self-perception,

To allow themselves to rest, so that they may be strengthened and resilient to cope with life without feeling the desire to take it out on their bodies,

To gain insight into the perfect storm of what caused their eating disorder, allowing them to heal in mind, body, and soul,

May the One help them validate themselves and realize that self-worth is within them and has nothing to do with a number or a size, so that they can live life freely and have a renewed passion for showing up as themselves,

May the One send them hope that full recovery is possible and the understanding that healing is not linear.

And provide patience with themselves and perseverance to keep going. Amen.

These brief rituals are designed to be accessible and supportive for folks across all life stages and experiences. Feel free to engage with them as much as you need to, and remember that healing in Jewish tradition is, like the cycle of time and the seasons, not a strictly linear process. 

“Just to be is a blessing. Just to live is holy.” — Abraham Joshua Heschel

Healing and recovery are journeys, not fixed destinations or binary modes of being. They are not linear, but neither is Jewish time—just as each year brings a new cycle of seasonality, so does the path of healing and recovery. We may go through times when it feels certain that the sun will never shine again on our bodies and spirits, but sometimes stars still sparkle across the veil of the dark. 

This book is for you, wherever you may be on that journey, so feel free to take what works and leave the rest. May it serve and support you in all the ways you need. 

Baruch atah Adonai

Brucha at Shechina

Blessed One-ness

Bringing connection when there is separation,

Remembering joy even when we cannot.

One-ness,

We are blessed to be part of this holy wholeness

Even if we understand so little of it.

We are blessed to have received so much love,

Even when it is lost. 

And we pray for the strength to perceive the blessings

Even when it hurts so much.

Amen. 

Birkhat haGomel (Blessing of Gratitude) is commonly said after recovering from serious illness or delivering a baby, but can also be recited in appreciation for completing a dangerous journey. The Gomel blessing has its origins in the Talmud. It's usually recited in community with at least 10 other adults who can offer the response. 

First, one person offers this blessing:

Baruch atah Adonai, Eloheinu melech ha-olam, ha-gomel l’chayavim tovot she-g’malani kol tov.

Blessed are You, Lord our God, ruler of the world, who rewards the undeserving with goodness, and who has rewarded me with goodness.

After the recitation of this blessing, the community responds:

Mi she-g’malcha kol tov, hu yi-g’malcha kol tov selah.

May he who rewarded you with all goodness reward you with all goodness for ever.

The One Who Blessed Our Ancestors, Ruach HaOlam, Breath of the Universe, heal me…

I need a Healing Prayer.

But I can't do it.

I don't have the soothing words.

I'm in pain

Right now

And it's been going on for a while

And it looks like it's going to last longer than it takes to say any prayer.

So instead I offer to you a Pain Prayer:

What was solid is porous,

What was secure is scary,

And everyone wants to hurry me through my grief.

It will be so much better, they say, when this is over:

You will be transformed!

Yes, I say, but into what?

Yes, I say, but I’m not there now!

Yes, I say, but please, let me mourn first.

“Refa’aynu Adonai V’Nayrafay

Heal us God, and we shall be healed.”

Can this be true?

Where is that healing of the body, mind and spirit?

Is it in the music?

Is it in my friends?

Is it in prayer?

So I listen to the music

And I am transported away from the hurt.

I look around at my community

And I am taken care of.

I recite this prayer

And I speak to God.

I guess this is a healing prayer after all.

Baruch Atah Adonai, The One Who Blessed Our Ancestors, Ruach HaOlam, Breath of the Universe,

Healer, Healing, Healed. Amen

-Trisha Arlin