The holiday of Sukkot is known as a time of joy.
Besamachta bechagecha ve'eita ach sameach.
You shall rejoice in your festival and be fully happy.
What's interesting is that this holiday comes only four days after Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur.
And these are days of deep introspection when we're called to examine our lives,
Ask forgiveness,
And seek a new path forward.
And then almost overnight we're told to move from a more serious and solemn mood to joy,
To step outside and celebrate.
It's a fascinating transition and maybe this is why Sukkot is such a powerful reminder of how joy and mindfulness can come together.
Autumn provides the perfect backdrop.
It's a time of gathering crops and fruits,
Of giving thanks for land's bounty,
And even today when most of us are pretty far removed from agriculture,
The holiday draws our attention back to gratitude in the cycles of nature.
For me,
Sukkot is the ultimate mindful holiday.
Sitting in the sukkah,
We're literally surrounded by reminders of fragility,
Impermanence,
And blessing.
A sukkah is temporary.
It's open to the sky,
It's vulnerable to the wind and the weather,
And yet it's right here in a place that's not so secure that we're told to rejoice.
The message is clear.
Happiness doesn't depend on perfect circumstances,
But on the ability to notice and appreciate what is here right now.
We have four species,
The etrog,
The lulav,
The palm branch,
Hadassim,
The myrtle,
And aravot,
The willow branches.
And these strengthen the message because we hold them,
We smell them,
We shake them in every direction.
It's a sensory way of saying life is plentiful,
And we give thanks.
Sukkot urges us to pause,
Notice,
And be grateful.
This mindfulness can extend to our meals as well.
During the holiday,
Many families gather for festive meals in the sukkah,
And it can also be a time for mindful eating.
Most of us don't often stop to consider where our food comes from,
And who planted the seeds,
How much sun and rain nourished them,
Who harvested them,
Packed them,
Transported them to our tables.
Pausing before a bite to reflect on this journey turns a simple meal into a practice of awareness and gratitude.
Another layer of joy comes from the timing of Sukkot.
We have just emerged from Rosh Hashanah on Yom Kippur.
These holidays demand introspection,
Self-examination,
And Yom Kippur is serious but it's also hopeful.
It offers us a chance to release old habits,
To forgive ourselves and others,
And begin again.
There's a special joy in fresh starts and knowing that life offers us the possibility of renewal.
But what really is joy?
The Torah commands us to rejoice at Sukkot,
But joy isn't always so easy to define.
Is it fleeting happiness,
Like hearing your favorite song on the radio?
Is it the thrill of a party,
Or perhaps the calm contentment of being at home?
Is it gratitude,
Or the deeper sense of meaning that comes from knowing our lives matter?
Joy is probably some combination of all of these,
Woven together differently for each of us.
To cultivate joy,
It helps us to look at its parts.
Contentment is one.
Contentment doesn't mean ignoring what we lack,
But appreciating what we have.
You may dream of a larger home,
But find yourself grateful for the ease of a smaller space and the kindness of close neighbors.
Gratitude is another.
Just the simple act of noticing the goodness around us,
Whether it's the support of a friend,
The warmth of a meal,
Or a walk under a beautiful night sky.
And then there's meaning.
Meaning can be found in daily life,
In relationships,
In work,
In nature,
And caring for others.
When we know that our lives have significance,
Joy often follows.
Mindfulness helps us nurture all of these,
Contentment,
Gratitude,
And meaning.
It's the practice of paying attention to the present moment gently and without judgment,
And in slowing down we become less reactive and more open.
We notice small blessings that might otherwise pass us by.
The sound of leaves rustling in the wind,
The warmth of a cup of tea,
The breath that steadies us.
Joy can arise from something so simple.
So let's take a few minutes together to notice what is present,
What is here and now.
Could be sounds,
Sensations,
Images,
The breath.
I'll pause along the way giving you space to just observe whatever arises in your awareness.
So take a moment now to get comfortable.
Maybe you want to sit in your sukha or imagine yourself sitting in a sukha and let your body settle.
Allow your feet to rest on the ground,
Hands by your sides relaxed,
Shoulders relaxed.
Feeling the support that you have from the chair you're sitting on or the ground or the cushion and gently closing your eyes if that's good for you or softening your gaze.
And start by noticing your breath.
You don't need to change it or breathe in any special way.
Just feel the natural rhythm of inhaling and exhaling.
Allow the breath to anchor you in this moment.
If your mind gets distracted,
If you feel pulled by different thoughts,
Then just gently bring your focus back to noticing your breath.
And now bring your awareness outward.
If you're sitting in a sukha,
Imagine what's around you.
The branches overhead,
The walls that shelter but don't really fully protect you.
The sky that you might see above you.
Feel the openness.
Notice the reminder of fragility and impermanence.
And just allow yourself to kind of stay in this space for a little while.
Noticing what's around you.
Noticing how fragile the sukha is.
And maybe noticing the air on your face.
And your skin.
And bring your awareness to sounds around you.
Maybe it's the wind.
Maybe there's voices from nearby or not so nearby.
Maybe there's traffic or maybe silence.
When you focus on these simple sensations,
It reminds you of the aliveness of this moment.
It's happening right now.
And now bring to mind one thing.
It could be a small thing or a large thing,
But something you feel grateful for.
Let that feeling of gratitude spread throughout your body.
Maybe you feel your face softening or your shoulders.
Maybe you feel your heart expanding.
Maybe you feel warmth in your body.
Whatever it is,
Just stay with it for a few breaths.
Keeping your focus on that one thing.
Noticing any sensations in your body.
And taking one more deep and natural breath in.
And slowly exhaling.
If your eyes were closed,
Feel free to gently open them.
And if you feel a sense of calm or gratitude or joy,
Then maybe carrying it with you as you go about your day.
Sukkot teaches us that joy isn't something that we wait for.
It's something we can create and cultivate.
The sukka is fragile,
But within it we're called to rejoice.
Life is uncertain,
But meaning,
Gratitude,
And connection are always available to us when we stop and notice.
As this new year begins,
We can ask ourselves,
How will I find joy?
Maybe it'll be in a shared meal,
A quiet walk,
An unexpected laugh.
Maybe it'll be in the chance to start over,
To forgive,
Or just to be present.
Joy doesn't have to be large and grand.
Sometimes it's just in the smallest and most ordinary moments.
Moments that mindfulness can help us see.
So as you step in the sukka or pause anywhere in your day,
May you discover that joy is not distant or elusive.
It's here,
Waiting in the present moment.
Chag Sameach,
And thank you for practicing with me.
