Rabbi Henry Harris

The Spiritual Foundations of Mental Health

Religion EN ↓ 171 episodes

Jewish wisdom on peace of mind, freedom from anxiety and habits, and personal success. In this podcast, we explore a simple and simplifying truth about feelings, moods, and states of mind. Including, how human it is to misunderstand this truth and thereby struggle and suffer, how human it is to awaken to new understanding and habits, how much wisdom and innocence we already possess (even as we struggle), and how to work and win at this spiritual truth no matter how rotten you feel.

Be sure to visit the podcast's website and support the creator: www.jewishwellbeing.org

Author

Rabbi Henry Harris

Episodes

Stay In Your Lane! 10.02.2022 21:38

This is not just another FOMO conversation.  In this episode we look at two fundamentals truths about what you are and are not accountable for in your life.  When you let go of what's not your job and settle in to what is, you will be pleasantly surprised by how smooth and satisfying your ride can be. 

Your Body, Your Friend 03.02.2022 25:25

It is very easy to disdain and disrespect the body - the aspect of ourselves that becomes preoccupied with immediate gratification at the expense of a more meaningful and pleasurable life.  Yet, the body is the soul's essential partner in every single good thing we have and do in life.  Try to show affection to a loved one, learn something new, or do anything you value without a body! &n...

There Is Room in Your Life For Negative Feelings 27.01.2022 21:29

A father helps a boy see that his being teased by others is not wholly unwelcome in his life and can even add value.  Don't focus on the technique the father used but on a simple truth:  we can be in our lives unconditionally.  The difficult feelings we have can seem unbearable but in fact are part of a safe and healthy world.  By being with those feelings, rather than escaping...

Your Main Duty Is To Affirm Your Dignity 20.01.2022 20:54

How do we best grow and change?  Rewards and punishments have some place.  But the real mechanism of change comes from seeing our inherent dignity - who I am has no place doing this!  who I am yearns for that!  What is the primary obstacle to seeing our inherent dignity?  How do we cultivate it?

The Difference Between Your View of Yourself and God's 13.01.2022 19:41

The Jewish people have a literal meltdown at the Sea of Reeds.  "Moshe, we're all going to die!  Where's God?  The Exodus was pointless and we told you so!" A few verses later, God tells Moshe, "Moshe, the Jewish people are awesome believers.  The exquisite merit of their devotion to spiritual truth is going to crash through all physical boundaries and split the sea.  Just...

Approaches to Difficult Feelings - Yours & Others 06.01.2022 22:58

There are a variety of ways we might deal with recurring difficult feelings - from ignoring, to denying, to strategizing change.  We look at a story of girl with social anxiety and she is beginning to have a new experience of strong feelings of embarrassment.

Psychological Homeostasis 30.12.2021 15:55

A living organism seeks to main a constancy internally even as externals are not constant.  This is necessary for health.  Guess what?  That's true for our psychological health, too!

The Emotional Ground You Stand on Is Holy 23.12.2021 17:27

To the degree that we feel we're having the "wrong" feelings, we seek to run from them.  But they are the "holy" ground upon which we can learn to navigate our lives. 

Dark Feelings: Flee Them, Indulge Them, Or...? 16.12.2021 19:30

Dark feelings can be likened to the contractions of a birth process.  When we understand our part, we are so well positioned to play an extraordinary role in new understanding, new growth, new life.

Are We Advocating to Ignore Feelings? 09.12.2021 20:46

If feelings aren't being created by the events and circumstances of the world out there, does that mean there's wisdom in ignoring them?  No.  Take a listen to a balanced approach to finding wisdom in feelings.

Healthy People Understand They Are Capable of Unreliable Perceptions 02.12.2021 19:14