Prayers to Nurture New Behaviors and Understandings of Eating

Some days, I hunger for perfection and nourish myself only with anxieties and swallowed feelings.

Today, give me a hunger for life and a thirst for connection, 

and the willingness to embody these through sustaining my body. Amen.


Growth needs nourishment.

Today I will sustain my body, as God sustains my spirit.


Open my eyes to understand:

that food is not a goad

to make myself work

or a whip

to punish myself.

that I am worthy to eat

whether I succeed or fail,

whether I feel good or bad,

pride or shame,

whether or not my work is finished,

even if someone is upset with me,

and when I am upset with myself.


The highest mitzvah is preservation of life

and the highest work is nurturing life:

Today I will not starve myself

in order to do lower work.


Today I am prepared to designate time/space

to breathe, to eat, and to do the work of living.


Merciful One – remind me

that there is no perfection

in thinness and emptiness.


Merciful and compassionate God –

Help me to cease from abusing myself.


Today I will not show contempt for my life

by withholding or throwing up what nourishes it.


Today I will not swallow my feelings in place of food.

Today I will not starve myself into numbness.


I believe that my body is worth nourishing,

I believe that my life is worth sustaining.

צְמִיחָה צְרִיכָה מְחִיָה

הַיּוֹם, אֲחַיֶה גוּפִי כַּיהוה מְחַיֶה נַפְשִי


 :פִּתְחִי/פְּתַח עֵינַי לְהַכִּיר

שֶׁמָזוֹן אֵינוֹ שׁוֹט

לְהַעֲמִיד עַצמִי

אוֹ מַגְלֵב

לְהַעֲנִישׁ אוֹתִי

שֶׁאֲנִי רְאוּיָה/רָאוּי לֶאֱכוֹל

אִם אַצְלִיחַ אוֹ אֶכָּשֵׁל

אִם אַרְגִישׁ טוֹבָה/טוֹב אוֹ רָעָה/רַע

גַּאֲוָה/גַּאֲוֶה אוֹ בּוּשָׁה/בּוּשׁ

אִם עֲבוֹדָתִי נִגְמֶרֶת אוֹ לֹא

 אֲפִילּוּ מִישֶׁהוּ תִּרְגַּז/יִרְגַּז עַלַי

וּכְּשֶׁאֶרְגַּז עַלַי


הַמִּצְוָה הָעֶלְיוֹנָה הִיא פִּיקוּח נֶפֶשׁ

והָעֲבוֹדָה הָעֶלְיוֹנָה הִיא טִיפּוּח נֶפֶשׁ

הַיוֹם לֹא אַרְעִיב עַצְמִי

כְּדֵי לַעֲשׂוֹת עֲבוֹדָה תַּחְתּוֹנָה


הַיוֹם אֲנִי מוּכָנָה/מוּכָן לְהַזְמִין רֶוַח

לִנְשׁוֹם לֶאֱכוֹל וְלַעֲשׂוֹת עֲבוֹדַת חַיִים


הָרַחֲמָנָה/הָרַחֲמָן – הַזְכִּירִי/הַזְכֵּר לִי

שֶׁאֵין שְׁלֵימוּת

בִּקְלִישׁוּת וְרֵיקָנוּת


אֵל רַחוּם וְחַנּוּן / יָה רְחוּמָה וְחֲנוּנָה

עֲזוֹר/עִזְרִי לִי לְהַפְסִיק מֵעִנּוּי עַצְמִי


הַיוֹם לֹא אָבוּז אֶת חַיָּי

עַל-יְדֵי עִיכּוּב אוֹ הֲקָאָה מָה שֶׁמֵזִין אוֹתוֹ


הַיוֹם לֹא אַבְלִיעַ הַרְגָּשׁוֹת בִּמְקוֹם מָזוֹן

הַיוֹם לֹא אַרְעִיב עַצְמִי


אֲנִי מַאֲמִינָה/מַאֲמִיו שֶׁרָאוּי לְהָזִין אֶת גּוּפִי

אֲנִי מַאֲמִינָה/מַאֲמִיו שֶׁרָאוּי לְטַפֵּחַ אֶת חַיָּי

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