Rest to Return is a podcast for a restless world. Kohenet Keshira haLev Fife is your host. This series is rooted in Shabbat, an ancient Jewish practice that teaches us how to belong to time. Here, rest is a sacred rhythm woven into who we are. We continue by gathering around a single question: Who do we become when we rest?

Lecha Dodi is the song that ends Kabbalat Shabbat (the service that helps us transition into Shabbat) before we move into the Ma’ariv prayer service.
The idea that Creator finished creation on the seventh day comes from Genesis 2:2.
Tranquility, satisfaction, calm, and quiet being created on the seventh day comes from Genesis Rabbah 10:9.
The idea of creating change that’s “slow, deep, and irreversible” comes from artist and activist Ricardo Levins Morales.
I learned the mussar practice of clarifying our ratzon by asking “what do I want? What do I really want?” from Rabbi David Jaffe of Kirva. You can learn more in Chapter 1 of his book, Changing the World from the Inside Out: A Jewish Approach to Personal and Social Change.
This quote has been misattributed to Courtney Carver. It is instead referenced by Carver in her book, Gentle: Rest More, Stress Less and Live the Life You Actually You Want. The quotation itself comes from Psychologist Nicola Jane Hobbs who teaches, “Instead of asking, 'Have I worked hard enough to deserve rest?' ask, 'Have I rested enough to do my most loving, meaningful work?'”

Enjoy the live version of Lay it Down, Let it Go here.

Check out the Rest to Return webpage for photos, info about the Rest to Return retreat, and more!

This episode is brought to you by the Institute for Jewish Spirituality. Rest to Return exists because we believe slowing down is a spiritual act. IJS believes that too. For over two decades, IJS has been helping people go deeper, through Jewish mindfulness meditation, contemplative prayer, sacred text study, and embodied practice. Their offerings range from online courses and silent retreats to immersive cohort programs for seekers of all experience levels, clergy, and spiritual leaders who are ready to live and lead from a more grounded place. Kohenet Keshira haLev Fife is part of IJS’s core faculty, and the wisdom you'll hear in this series is very much in that spirit. If this podcast is stirring something in you, IJS is a place to go further. Explore their programs, and more ways to learn and practice with Keshira, at jewishspirituality.org, including:

View the latest offerings from IJS in our program catalog
Join Keshira and others on retreat this August: Returning Anew
Learn more about Keshira's latest class at IJS on Mindful Speech as a Spiritual Practice
Learn more about Shevet, IJS's community for younger adults (20s-30s)
IJS has several online free practices with Keshira and our other faculty including our live Daily Sit, our weekly Shevet Sit for younger adults (under 40), and monthly Affinity Sits for Jews of Color, LGBTQ+, and individuals with disabilities. Click here for more information.
Join our mailing list to be notified about our upcoming fall courses, including Keshira's Earth, Moon, Mindfulness year-long class.