Welcome Home
Welcome Home
Embodying Jewish Mysticism
8-Week Online Course + Weekend Retreat
Emma Sartwell + Rabbi Matthew Ponak
July 11 - Aug 29, 2023
Tuesdays 6:15 - 8:15pm MT
+
Vancouver Island Retreat Sep 1 - 4, 2023
Welcome Home is a psycho-spiritual exploration of Jewish mystical teachings + practices.
This course is for you if:
you are a
therapist
yoga instructor, or
spiritual leader
looking to incorporate Jewish wisdom into your work, but aren’t sure where to start.
you grew up Jewish, but felt alienated from the tradition. Perhaps you turned elsewhere—like Eastern traditions or psychology—for spiritual nourishment, but are wondering if you can connect to your roots in a deeper way.
you have Jewish ancestry and have always wondered what insight + inspiration could be found in that part of your lineage.
you have explored many paths and modalities, and want to see how Jewish mysticism can complement your spiritual tool kit.
Take a look at a sample teaching and practice
Course Overview
- Week 1 | Creation + Inner Light
- Who are we and why are we here?
- Week 2 | Shattering Vessels + Repair
- Why are we suffering and what can we do about it?
- Week 3 | Unity + Diversity of the Ten Sephirot
- Embodying the divine qualities of human potential
- Week 4 | Sacred Feminine + Masculine in Kabbalah
- Playing with human + divine polarities
- Week 5 | The Secret “Eleventh” Sephirah
- Ordinary + non-ordinary ways of knowing
- Week 6 | Five Waters, Four Worlds + Four Elements
- Connecting to earth spiritually + physically
- Week 7 | Five Senses + Five Levels of Soul
- Soul diagnostics: discovering our most important work
- Week 8 | Flow of Blessings into Our World
- Actualizing your purpose: manifesting insight as action
Weekend Retreat
Divine Names as a Kabbalistic Map of Inner + Outer Wisdom
We will gather in person at a beautiful retreat center on Vancouver Island for three days of:
- wholesome meals
- meditative practice
- interpersonal connection
- study and reflection
- embodied contemplation + integration
After completing course, you will
Meet the Teachers
Emma Sartwell
As a somatic trauma integration practitioner, I am passionate about the intersection of spirituality + the nervous system. I have spent much time investigating the nature of reality + the nature of mind, and I’ve found that we cannot explore them in a meaningful + healthy way without first regulating our nervous system, feeling our bodies + working with our personal content.
I grew up in a Reform Jewish context. As I grew up, I thought I needed to turn to Eastern religions to learn how to work with my mind, body + emotions. After moving to Boulder, CO in 2011, I was lucky enough to encounter Jewish mystical teachings that spoke to my experience in a relevant and useful way.
I now include Jewish teachings (as well as other wisdom traditions) in my work as a counselor, coach + teacher.
Matthew Ponak
I grew up in the Jewish community, but my passions and emotional needs took me elsewhere. In my mid-twenties, while at a Buddhist university, I felt called—seemingly from beyond—to become a rabbi. After much reflection, I took the plunge + entered rabbinical school.
Over the course of five years of intensive study, I discovered that Kabbalah contained lesser-known teachings that spoke to the core dynamics of my own journey of grounded spirituality + body-centered practice.
Today, I teach Jewish mysticism to help people of all backgrounds connect with their innate wisdom, calm + strength.
What's included in the course?
The aim of this course is to create a contemplative study group — a cohort of like-minded individuals who want to take a deep dive into Lurianic Kabbalah (even if you don’t know exactly what that is yet!) and find out how it relates to and enriches life in today’s world.
This course will combine deep study with embodied practice, meditation, and group facilitation. This will be a diverse and trauma-informed container for our intellects, hearts + bodies to show up + be transformed.
The eight weeks of evening classes will provide a map and groundwork of kabbalistic cosmology + how to ground it in your body + life.
The retreat will take place on beautiful Vancouver Island — think misty pine trees, beautiful walking trails, and nature sanctuary. You will be provided with three wholesome meals per day, structured activities, and free time. The retreat will provide ample opportunity for a deep-dive into your personal process, contemplation/meditation, connecting with community, and experiential understanding of the teachings.
You will leave feeling awake, inspired + ready to carry these teachings into your personal development, work + relationships.
Pricing
$1500 USD
– OR –
3 monthly payments of
$500 USD
* for scholarships, please email us at hello@somaticspiritualcounseling.com
Price includes basic retreat accommodations: shared dorm room + shared bathroom.
If you would like upgraded lodging, the extra cost per night is listed below:
Small Cabin
$20
Rustic Cabin
$30
Lodge: Private Room with Queen Bed + Bathroom
$30
Tiny Cabin
$10
Welcome Home
Embodying Jewish Mysticism
8-Week Online Course + Weekend Retreat
with Emma Sartwell + Rabbi Matthew Ponak
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need to be Jewish?
No, people of all faiths and
backgrounds are welcome.
-
Where will the retreat be held?
Earthspring Sanctuary Retreat Center on Vancouver Island, BC.
Does my tuition include transportation to the retreat?
You need to pay your own way to the retreat, + if you would like upgraded lodging, that is also an extra cost. However, tuition includes the whole online course and everything else at the retreat: lodging, teachings + three catered meals per day.
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What if I need to miss a class?
We encourage students to come live to as many classes as possible, but if you need to skip a week, we will send you a recording.