Flourish:
A Jewish Mindfulness Immersion and Certification Program
Practice with Yael Shy
March 10 – May 26, 2026
Live Sessions Tuesdays, 5:00-6:30PM ET — with 1st & Last: 3:30-6:30PM ET
March 10, 17, 24, 31; April 7, 14, 21, 28; May 5, 12, 19 and 26
Jewish communal leaders, educators, and other professionals are invited to join us for a transformative 12-week immersion program that weaves together Jewish and Buddhist teachings and practices and also offers a Sit-Leader certification.
- Learn transformative mindfulness techniques to alleviate daily stress and suffering
- Deepen your mindfulness practice in warm, supportive community
- Study texts from the Jewish tradition, as well as wisdom from Buddhism, psychology, and poetry to support your growth and skills
- Refine and practice guiding others in meditation
- Reconnect to your joy
“Thank you. Flourish ignited my love for Judaism on a new level. Before I felt that my Judaism and my diversely-influenced spirituality were two separate things. Thanks to this program…I now feel a beautiful renewal of my identity as a spiritual Jew..”
After completing the course, you will have greater capacity to:
- Remain steady and grounded, resilient and open-hearted, using the tools of mindfulness and Jewish spiritual practice
- Access your inherent human qualities of stability, spaciousness, and compassion when confronted with challenging conditions around you
- Find clarity and vitality in your body, relationships, and life
- Draw upon Jewish and Buddhist teachings and practices as resources for ongoing insight and support
- Connect to a community of supportive, like-minded practitioners who encourage your growth
- Work skillfully to overcome the distortions of inner critics and reactive habits with increasing friendliness, wisdom, and choice
- Lead your community in guided meditation.
Regain the balance that enables you to lead, create, and flourish in work and life.
Over 12 weeks, we’ll move at a pace that allows you to sink deeply into the material and integrate it into your life as it is unfolding. You will have step-by-step guidance and support from an experienced teacher and a caring community of co-travelers.
Curriculum
The curriculum for this course weaves together Jewish and Buddhist teachings and practices.
Judaism is our grounding framework and the home of our souls. We’ll explore Jewish teachings that offer us clear and vivid focus for cultivating d’vekut (intimacy with Divine Presence in every moment) and becoming increasingly present with our inherent Divine nature. This mindful, soulful way of engaging animates both the traditional practices of the mitzvot and guides us to practice with our direct experience—with body, heart, mind, and soul.
Buddhism provides clear instruction and focused insight on how we learn to cultivate loving, non-judgmental, and clear awareness.
Week 1 – 4
Drop In
Step out of the stream of reactivity, overwhelm, and anxiety about the past and future and drop into the still waters of the present moment. This includes a three-part process of: 1) setting a kavanah, a clear intention to anchor yourself; 2) lasim lev—paying attention with an awakened heart and mind, and feeling your feelings; and 3) teshuva—the process of noticing when the mind is absorbed elsewhere and coming home, with clarity and compassion, to your anchoring kavanah.
Week 5 – 7
Move Closer
Get curious about the stories and beliefs you hold about yourself and others and unravel what is distorted, not serving you, or blocking you from more expansive and inclusive truths. This includes a three-part process of cultivating curiosity, questioning your narratives, and making space for all parts of yourself. You will learn practices to strengthen your capacity to clearly see what is within and outside you, holding emet (truth) with chesed (deep compassion).
Week 8 – 10
Open Up
Loosen attachment to our small and separate selves and fall open in relationship with the Oneness of Being. We will explore greater intimacy with our inner lives as a doorway to spacious, open hearts and expansive awareness. This includes a three-part process of radical acceptance, cultivating innately loving qualities of the heart, and opening into freedom.
Week 11 – 12
Leading Others in Meditation
Learn to craft and guide simple meditation practices for your community. You will have the opportunity to practice leading others and gain helpful feedback to refine your skills. Those who craft and lead a meditation will be eligible for certification in Mindfulness Practices from Sefira Wellness, LLC.
What’s Included
Live Zoom sessions:
- Opening Online Retreat: Tuesday, March 10, 2026, 3:30-6:30 pm ET
- 10 live weekly practice and discussion sessions: Tuesdays at 5:00-6:30 pm ET (All live sessions will be recorded.) These sessions will be held on:
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- March 17, 24, 31
- April 7, 14, 21, 28
- May 5, 12, 19
- Closing Online Retreat and Celebration: Tuesday, May 26, 3:30-6:30 pm ET
Asynchronous Support:
- 10 Short (5-20 minute) instructional videos moving you through the curriculum
- Jewish sources to ground our learning and practice in Jewish wisdom
- Guided Jewish spiritual practices including prayer, ritual, chant, and embodied practice to integrate the teachings into our bodies
- 10 audio meditations to support your daily practice, week-by-week
- 12 weeks of journaling prompts to help you reflect, personalize, and integrate the material more deeply
- An opportunity to move through the material with a chevruta/learning and practice partner
- A lively whatsapp community to ask questions and share inspiration along the way
- 12 Approved CE Credits through the Yoga Alliance for Certified Yoga Teachers
- 1 Certificate in Jewish Mindfulness Practices from Sefira Wellness, LLC (pending successful crafting and guiding a meditation for others in the cohort) to use on a resume, as professional development, or as a precursor for teacher training programs
“I greatly appreciated all the teaching, the wisdom, and the guidance you shared around meditation and meditation practices. The readings were always exceptional and the talks and support were always deeply honest and real.”
How do I know if this experience is for me?
This program IS for people who…
- Want support from experienced Jewish meditation teachers and a like-minded community as they apply ancient and contemporary wisdom and transformative practice to their lives and leadership
- Are excited to dive in deeply, engage in the practices, and authentically and bravely show up in this experience
- Want to explore embodied mindfulness practices to nurture holistic healing and growth
- Want to eventually go on to lead and/or teach meditation to others
This program is NOT for those who…
- Are brand new to meditation (i.e. no familiarity whatsoever)
- Are seeking a teacher-training program (although this is a great precursor to one!)
Register for Flourish
IJS is pleased to offer this course at three tuition levels.
We encourage you to pay at the highest level you can, which will enable more students to participate.
Executives and Senior Clergy
$1,799
Cover Your Costs
$1,399
Supported Level
$999
If you’re in need of additional financial assistance, please contact us at support@jewishspirituality.org
Meet Your Instructors:
Yael Shy
Yael Shy has been using the transformative power of mindfulness, rooted in her 20+ years of study in Judaism and Zen Buddhism, to support herself and others through the pressures of life. It is her life’s purpose to support individuals and collectives uncover their inherent worth and capacity for deep joy.
Yael is the Founder and CEO of Sefira Wellness, where she teaches and consults on mindfulness for universities, corporations, and private clients around the world. She is the author of the award-winning book, What Now? Meditation for Your Twenties and Beyond (Parallax, 2017), and the founder of Mindful NYU, the largest campus-based mindfulness initiative in the US.
Yael is a graduate of the IJS Jewish Mindfulness Teacher Training Certification. She is adjunct faculty at the Institute for Jewish Spirituality, Or HaLev, as well as at New York University. She has been featured on Good Morning America, CBS, Fox 5 News, and in Time Magazine and the Harvard Business Review. She lives in Stamford, Connecticut, and you can find her online at www.yaelshy.com and on instagram @yaelshy1
Jordan Sved
Jordan Sved (Assisting Teacher) is certified in Mindfulness Practices as a Flourish graduate, and is a RYT-200 certified yoga teacher. He has been meditating for 18 years, growing his practice through Jewish spirituality, silent retreats, yoga, and Buddhist Insight practice. Most importantly, he believes in every being’s inherent capacity for awakening and seeks to share his blend of experience in support of others’ journeys.
Jordan has started meditation groups in his living room, taught meditation to corporate colleagues and coworkers, and enjoys talking your ear off about the latest book he’s read on Buddhist psychology or philosophy. He has spent weeks of his life in noble silence.
About the Institute for Jewish Spirituality
Since 1999, IJS has been a leader in teaching traditional and contemporary Jewish spiritual practices that cultivate mindfulness so that each of us might act with enriched wisdom, clarity, and compassion. These practices, grounded in Jewish values and thought, enable participants to develop important skills while strengthening leadership capacities, deepening their inner lives, and connecting more meaningfully with others, Judaism, and the sacred.
About Sefira Wellness, LLC
Sefira Wellness offers transformative mindfulness coaching and consulting, rooted in thousands of years of ancient wisdom and the latest scientific research, for more ease, healing, and joy. Learn more at: sefirawellness.com