Tag Archive for "wellness and well-being"

Posts Tagged ‘wellness and well-being’

Cancer Anniversary

Posted on: January 26th, 2017 by Alden

This prayer is for all who are marking an anniversary of being cancer free. Having fought the battle – the one you’ve won that others lost – gratitude may be matched with an overt or underlying sense of anxiety. This is written to allow you to bring your emotions into the text, with space for those emotions to be different from one year to the next. This prayer appears in “Jewish Prayers of Hope and Healing.”

Cancer Anniversary
G-d of health and healing,
As I approach the [first, second…]
Anniversary of successful cancer treatment,
[My anxiety and (add your other emotions: fear, anger, grief) have returned.]
[I also have a wondrous and surprising sense of optimism and hope.]

I remember clearly the shock and trauma of my diagnosis.
The concern of family and friends.
The fear.
The sleepless nights.
The sadness and tears.
The moments of hope.
The moments when hope seemed lost.
I remember those who have succumbed to this disease.
And I am aware of the fragility of life.

Thank you, G-d on high,
For the past [year/years] of health,
Years with my cancer in remission.
Thank you for the gifts and blessings in my life,
The diligence of my physicians,
The support of those around me,
And the hope of tomorrow.
May vigor and vitality accompany me always.

Blessed are You,
G-d of our fathers and mothers,
G-d of gifts and blessings,
Source of life.

Postscript: My other cancer prayers include: “Cancer Fear,” “For Cancer Treatment” and “Cancer Remission.”

Please check out my Meet the Author video for This Grateful Heart: Psalms and Prayers For a New Day. Please consider making a contribution to support this site and my writing. For usage guidelines and reprint permissions, see “Share the Prayer!” For notices of new prayers, please subscribe. You can also connect on Facebook and Twitter.

Photo Source: Testimonies

Praise for Healing

Posted on: May 27th, 2015 by Alden

This is a prayer to be said after recovery from illness. Although I’ve written several specific prayers — such as “Cancer Remission” and “Upon Recovery from Surgery” — this is my first general prayer of thanks for physical recovery. It’s an adaptation of “Inviting Healing,” which appears in my book, Jewish Prayers of Hope and Healing.

Praise for Healing
Radiance and awe.
Splendor and wonder.
The energy of being surrounds me
Flowing day-by-day
From the holy realms.

These gifts of holiness
Flow into my hands,
Into my body,
Into the core of my being.

The energy of life flows
Into my limbs,
Into my chest,
Into my heart.

Thank you
Source and Shelter,
For opening the well of healing to me,
Bringing renewal and hope.

G-d of Old,
Healer and Guide,
You have blessed me with life,
With days of joy and yearning.
You have blessed me with Your care,
Leading me back
To a life of wholeness and peace.

Postscript: Thanks to my friend, Rabbi Len Zukrow for the idea for this prayer. He asked me if I had a something that could be used at a communal Shabbat gomel service for all who’ve recovered from illness. As a result, I put this together. Other healing prayers include: “For Surgery,” “For a Critically-Ill Child,” “For a Critically-Ill Mother,” “For a Critically Ill Father,” “For Cancer Treatment” and two Hospice Prayers. See also: “Quick Prayer for Healing,” “Quick Prayer for My Healing,” “Quick Prayer for Healing (Specific)”and “On Recurrent Pain.”

Please consider making a contribution to support this site and my writing. For usage guidelines and reprint permissions, see “Share the Prayer!” For notices of new prayers, please subscribe. You can also connect on Facebook and Twitter. Please consider purchasing my book, Jewish Prayers of Hope and Healing.

Photo Credit: Agility Recovery

Quiet

Posted on: June 27th, 2014 by Alden

This prayer is about the holiness of quiet. It captures an essential aspect of the Sabbath. Especially here in Jerusalem, as Shabbat approaches, there is first an intensity of motion and doing – preparations for Shabbat, social activities, parties, smachot – and then the city slows, calms and a tangible quiet settles over us all. In this quiet, so much more can be heard. This prayer appears in my second volume from CCAR Press, This Joyous Soul: A New Voice for Ancient Yearnings.

Quiet
In the quiet,
My breath is the wind,
My heartbeat is thunder.

In the quiet,
My spirit settles,
And my soul rests.

In the quiet,
All that I am,
Meets everyone I might be.

G-d,
Grant me moments of gentleness,
Moments of gratitude,
Moments of calm,
Moments of peace,
So that I might hear the echoes of eternity,
And the stillness within.
So that I might live a life
Of joy and laughter,
Wisdom and dignity,
Love and honor,
In service to myself,
In service to others,
In service to Your holy name.

Blessed are the gentle
Moments of grace.

Postscript: Here’s a prayer “For the Arrival of Shabbat” and a question to G-d “About Shabbat.” You might also enjoy this “Shabbat Blessing for Children Who Have Left Home,” a Shabbat “Blessing for a Spouse / Partner” and two short, short stories – also known as flash fiction – about Shabbat: “Sarah Rivkah: A Challah Baking Story” and “Mendel Baruch: S’hema on Shabbat.”

Please check out my CCAR Press Grateful/Joyous/Precious trilogy. The individual books are: This Joyous Soul, This Grateful Heart, and This Precious Life. Here’s a link to my ELItalk, “Falling in Love with Prayer..” For reprint permissions and usage guidelines and reprint permissions, see “Share the Prayer!” To receive my latest prayers via email, please subscribe (on the home page). You can also connect on Facebook and Twitter.

Photo Source: WikiMedia Commons

Inviting Healing

Posted on: February 11th, 2013 by tobendlight

G-d’s healing power surrounds us. Re’fuat haguf. Healing of the body. Re’fuat hanefesh. Healing of the spirit. This is a meditation on inviting healing into our lives. It’s one of 10 new pieces that I wrote after getting out of the hospital. This prayer appears in my new book, Jewish Prayers of Hope and Healing.

Inviting Healing
Radiance and awe.
Splendor and wonder.
The energy of being surrounds me
Flowing day-by-day
From the holy realms.

Let me invite these gifts of holiness
Into my hands,
Into my body,
Into the core of my being.

Let me invite the energy of life
Into my limbs,
Into my chest,
Into my heart.

Let me invite this well of healing
Into my breath,
Into my blood,
Into my spirit.

G-d of Old,
Healer and Guide,
You have blessed me with life,
Days of hope and yearning.
Bless me with Your healing power.
Lead me back to
A life of wholeness and peace.

Postscript: My other healing prayers include: “For Surgery,” “Upon Recovery from Surgery,” “For a Critically-Ill Child,” “For a Critically-Ill Mother,” “For a Critically Ill Father,” “For Cancer Treatment,” “Cancer Remission” and two Hospice Prayers. See also: “Quick Prayer for Healing,” “Quick Prayer for My Healing,” “Quick Prayer for Healing (Specific)”and “On Recurrent Pain.”

Please consider purchasing my book, Jewish Prayers of Hope and Healing. For usage guidelines and reprint permissions, see “Share the Prayer!” For notices of new prayers, please subscribe. You can also connect on Facebook and Twitter. Also, please consider making a contribution to support this site and my writing.

Photo Credit: University of Cincinnati

On Recurrent Pain

Posted on: February 3rd, 2013 by tobendlight

I recently spent several days in hospital dealing with a kidney stone. In the days before, during and after, I had times of dull pain, times of intense pain and times of relief. This prayer is to be said when a person has a medical condition that includes recurrent pain. I have also written, but not yet posted, a variety of prayers on the topic of pain, including: “Relief from Chronic Pain,” “Relief of a Loved One’s Chronic Pain” and “This Well of Pain.” See also: “Quick Prayer for Healing,” “Quick Prayer for My Healing” and “Quick Prayer for Healing (Specific).” This prayer will appear in my forthcoming book, Jewish Prayers of Hope and Healing.

On Recurrent Pain
G-d of Old,
My pain has diminished,
The trouble has eased,
This grief has, for now, faded.
Thank You for these moments of relief
After the hours of affliction,
These moments of quiet inside me,
These times of rest.
Thank You for those who have
Dedicated themselves to my care.
Thank You for the chance to regain
A sense of wholeness,
A sense of calm,
A sense of peace.

Ancient One,
Well of healing,
Grant healing power to my physicians
And my medications.
Grant comfort and healing to all who suffer.
Grant me the strength to endure
When the pain returns.

.ברוך אתה ה’ אלוקינו מלך העולם הנותן ליעף כח
Baruch atah adonai eloheinu melech ha’olam hanotein laya’ef ko’ach.

Blessed are You, Adonai our God, Ruler of the Universe, who gives strength to the weary.

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Photo Credit: AdultSpan Counseling

Posts Tagged ‘wellness and well-being’

Cancer Anniversary

Praise for Healing

Quiet

Inviting Healing

On Recurrent Pain

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