The newest episode of our university podcast, ‘Mindful U at Naropa University,’ is out on iTunes and Stitcher now! We are happy to announce this week’s episode features Zvi Ish-Shalom, PhD, associate professor of Jewish mysticism at Naropa.
Zvi Ish-Shalom: Kedumah and Jewish Mysticism
“Traditionally, Judaism is practiced by way of rituals. This includes actual ritualistic practices that involve ritual objects, but it also includes ritualistic prayer, as well as ritualistic forms of study, such as studying Torah in a certain way. My personal practice has shifted from one that is centered around ritual to one that is more about integrating the direct experience of presence, or of divinity, or of reality into everyday life. The rituals’ original function was to facilitate that kind of a process, but there are more accessible ways for many people in our culture to access an embodied condition of presence in everyday life. There are ways that do not require people to engage in these complicated and inaccessible rituals that are relevant for someone in an Orthodox community, but not very relevant for 99 percent of the planet. For me, Kedumah represents a way to transmit the essence – the Primordial spirit of Judaism – into a paradigm that is accessible for anybody, really, originating from any tradition, anywhere, or from no tradition at all.”
Zvi Ish-Shalom, PhD, is an associate professor of Jewish mysticism at Naropa University in Boulder, Colorado, and is the founder and guiding teacher of the Kedumah Institute. Zvi is an ordained rabbi in a long lineage of kabbalistic and hasidic teachers and holds a Ph.D. in Jewish mysticism from Brandeis University.
Zvi is also an ordained teacher of the diamond approach, a certified Rolfer, a yoga and tai chi instructor, a kundalini process coach, and an inner journey guide. His new book The Kedumah Experience: The Primordial Torah presents a metaphysical and experiential overview of Kedumah, and is now available through Amazon or at your local bookstore. (via https://www.kedumah.org/)
