Emuna Therapy

The Happy Workshop

Mrs. Rivka Levy is a highly impressive person.  Not only is she bright and well-educated in the teachings of Rabbi Shalom Arush and Rebbe Nachman of Breslev, but she is an exceedingly kind person.

Rivka is one of  Breslev Israel's most respected writers. She's just written a marvelous new ebook of her own called the Happy Workship. It's on how to achieve real and lasting happiness based upon the teachings of Rebbe Nachman of Breslev. It's available here for only $2.99. Who said you can't buy happiness!

Here's the publisher's description of the book: It's "An eight week program to finding lasting, genuine happiness. The book will enable readers to work out what is really making them miserable; what they can do about it; and how they can keep a positive frame of mind even in the most challenging of circumstances. As well as tried and tested advice and practical tips for how to stay happy even when life gets difficult, the book also contains a number of practical exercises, to help readers understand what's really going on in their own lives."

Another one of her Rivka's many community services is a weekly lecture for women on emuna-based parenting. Her lectures, which are based on the teachings of Rabbi Shalom Arush, are both practical and fun. The lectures are given in English on Monday mornings from 9am - 10am in Yad Binyamin.

Bye the way, if you'd like to be friends on facebook don't be shy. All you've got to do is request it here!

Have a blessed new day!

Dr. Zev Ballen

 

Live Broadcast Today - How Love Grows

    

 

Photo by ♥ Minnie | Photography ♥

With the US divorce rate climbing to almost 60%, marital experts are suggesting that we consider the reasons why marriages based on more traditional values are doing so much better. What do 22 marriages where love has grown have in common despite being from nine countries and five religions? You'll be amazed at the answer!

G-d Willing we'll be broadcasting today's lesson live from the Chut Shel Chesed Yeshiva in Jerusalem at 5:00 PM Israel time.

The broadcast, as well as my lessons posted are Mac and iPod compatible. If you tune in too early to the live broadcast link, you'll be sent to the main page of the Breslev Israel website, so try to tune in as follows:

7:00 AM in LA and the West Coast, 8:00 AM Denver, 9:00 AM Mexico and Central Daylight, 10 AM EDT, 3 PM in the UK, 5:00 PM Johannesburg and Capetown, 5:00 PM Israel. G-d willing, we'll try and post a link to the lesson for all those who couldn't see it live by 12:o1 AM Monday morning. If you can't see the broadcast, you might need to download a new version of Flash Media player, which you can do here.

With Blessings,

Dr. Zev Ballen

Expressing Affection Reduces Cholesterol

 

 [photo by SillyAngel0906]

The health advantages of expressing affection to loved ones has been proven in two research studies. Floyd et al. (2007) showed that people who wrote out their affectionate thoughts and feelings to their loved ones significantly reduced their cholesterol levels compared to others who simply spent the time writing down mundane daily tasks.  

In the studies, the participants  only wrote for three twenty minute sessions over a 5-week period. Can you imagine the health and mental health benefits that accrue to a person with Emuna, who believes in the importance of speaking lovingly to himself and others all the time? Or, to a person who speaks daily words of love and praise to his G-d?

The goodness of G-d is omnipresent. He has the power to cure all wounds and illnesses. He has the additional advantage of always being available. Hashem shines His greatest Light between two people who express their love for one another. Physical distance is immaterial. We're even doing it over cyber-space! 

Bye the way, if you'd like to be friends on facebook don't be shy. All you've got to do is request it here!

With blessings,

Dr. Zev Ballen

 

 

Demons Don't Exist

 

  Lucidio Studio

When a person following the Emuna Therapy approach says: 'that thought is coming from the Dark Side, it's not a real, holy thought' - they are making that thought completely disappear. Hashem is the only reality here, and He just made that thought disappear. We're not suppressing anything; rather, we just got a whole bunch of Heavenly help, or siyatta dishemaya, to completely take that thought out of our personal picture. It's not buried somewhere deep down, ready to attack us again even harder the next time - it's completely gone.
 
The other guy who isn't following the Emuna Therapy approach, he's got a problem with "thought suppression", because he's still looking at his thoughts as though they are real, and that he has a real "mental demon" that he has to deal with. Again, if he's trying to deal with that demon without having Hashem in the picture, then after he "suppresses" his thought the demon is going to come back; and he's going to bring his bigger brother with him.
 
But for us, those mental demons don't exist anymore. They are a mirage. As soon as we tell Hashem that we are true to Him, and that we are loyal to Him, and that we know He is the only reality in our lives, then those negative thoughts simply disappear. We know that they are fake; that they are a...continue here...

Do you want some more great reading? Take a look at these:

Avi's Story - By Rabbi Shalom  Arush

Who am I? - by Rabbi Lazer Brody

Divine Letters - By Yael Karni

Selective Amnesia - By Tal Rotem

Emuna and the Job Search - By Dovber HaLevi

Giving Peace a Chance - by Rabbi Shalom Arush

Coming Clean - By Rivka Levy

Above the Sun - By Rabbi Lazer Brody

Opposite World - By Racheli Reckles

The Ten Commandments - By Rabbi David Charlop

Friendship

Bye the way, if you'd like to be friends on facebook don't be shy. All you've got to do is request it here!

No Secrets

Why keep your personal "deficits" a secret -  there's nothing to feel embarrassed about - they are your greatest assets! It's the subject of this week's video lesson and my gift to you!

Wishing you a great week!

Dr. Zev Ballen

 

Concealed Gifts

An awesome story from Rabbi Lazer Brody's best selling book, The Trail to Tranquility. This was truly a miracle rescue from certain death. Rabbi Brody's book is available here.

Also see our parsha newsletter in time for Shabbos Tu Bishvat!  In this issue, you'll read my advice to a young man who has become discouraged about finding his match. Download CSC NL Week 16 Beshalach.

Have a wonderful family Shabbos!

Dr. Zev Ballen

 

 

Children's Prayers

This is a precious video, courtesy of Breslev Israel. We should emulate the simple honesty of the prayers of these children!

 

Loving Your Limitations

 

image credit:YOUneak / Shannon Frost

Once you realize that the things that you've been ashamed of because you don't do them well are coming from  G-d, you won't need to keep those things secret anymore.  You'll love and cherish what you don't do well because you can use those "deficits" to have a life of greater courage, happiness, freedom and self-acceptance. In this week's lesson, I'll show you how to turn your tailor made personal "deficits" into your greatest assets ever! 

G-d Willing you can see the live broadcast today, Wednesday at 5:00 PM Israel time at the Chut Shel Chessed Yeshiva, 13 Shmuel Hanavi Street, Jerusalem, in the main sanctuary.  The broadcast, as well as our lessons posted from now on - are Mac and iPod compatible. If you tune in too early to the live broadcast link, you'll be sent to the main page of the Breslev Israel website, so try to tune in on time as follows:

7:00 AM in LA and the West Coast, 8:00 AM Denver, 9:00 AM Mexico and Central Daylight, 10 AM EDT, 3 PM in the UK, 5:00 PM Johannesburg and Capetown, 5:00 PM Israel. G-d willing, we'll try and post a link to the lesson for all those who couldn't see it live by 12:o1 AM Monday morning. If you can't see the broadcast, you might need to download a new version of Flash Media player, which you can do here.

Enjoy!

With Blessings,

Dr. Zev Ballen

Depressed? So What!

Depression doesn't have to be the knock-out punch for everything else in your life. Once you realize that depression doesn't have to be a funeral march, and it doesn't have to kill you, you'll be the happiest, highest-functioning, most optimistic depressed person you ever met. With Hashem there are no rules that restrict you from being very happy while you are still depressed. Don't believe anything that you ever read or heard to the contrary. Remember, that we are entering the World of Emuna, where everything is run by Hashem, and anything is possible. Continue reading...

Here's some more great reading material for the week:

Save the Trees - By Rabbi Lazer Brody 

First, the Peel - by Rabbi Shalom Arush

The Look of Love - By Racheli Reckles

The Two Voices - By Rivka Levy

From Head to Toe - By Chaya Golda Ovadia

Divine Illuminations - By Yael Karni

The Fantasy Horse - Tal Rotem

Here to Stay - Tal Rotem 

The Tenth Man - Rabbi Lazer Brody

The Kiss from Above - Rabbi David Charlop

Don't for get to say Parshas HaMan today in order to have a good livelihood. Hashem please send material abundance now! Rabbi Brody has a copy of the text for you right here.

Have a Blessed day,

Dr. Zev Ballen

 

Hashem Needs Our Help!

This eye-0pening clip shows us in unequivocal terms where we stand in relation to our neighbors and the world at large. Isn't it clear that when Rabbi Shalom Arush tells us that we can't count on anything but our Faith that he knows what he's saying? Let's take time today to decide on one thing in ourselves that we will fix with Hashem's help. In the merit of even your desire to improve in one area of your life, may Hashem grant you that change and lift you above all the other challenges of your life as well! Amen.

With Every Blessing,

Dr. Zev Ballen