Recently, as a result of my sons Bar Mitzvah, I have begun to reconnect - or rather connect - with some aspects of Judaism. There are those Mizvot that are kind of difficult to take on and then those like Shabbat, which immediately have their allure.I vaguely knew about the Mikvah but it had always seemed to me something of another world, completely in the realm of others more orthodox and nothing that an emancipated feminist such as myself would ever really want to have much to do with. Nevertheless in the spirit of my newly found open-mindedness I attended a shiur on the laws of Family-Sanctity.
Surprisingly there was much that I learned which resonates with me.
My years of ovulating are soon going to be coming to an end and as a result Ive begun to really tune into and value my monthly cycle. The practices around the Mikvah appeal to me as a ritualisation of my menstrual cycle.
After twenty years and three children, my husband and I often struggle to rekindle the passion we once felt for each other. The regulation of times to come together and times to be apart promises to establish a more focused, intentional pattern of loving.
The idea of some time, even though it may be only an hour or so, to spend on your self, concentrating on your own body, with no necessary ulterior duty of beautification, seems exquisitely luxurious.
All this plus you are actually performing a Mitzvah.
Well, Ive only been to the Mikvah a couple of times and Im hoping that the magic and excitement I felt enacting such a beautiful, sensual and ancient ritual endures. That the connections I have made, to my own body, to other incredible women who have guided me through the process and particularly the renewed connection to my husband, grow and are strengthened with each future immersion.
http://www.greatmikvah.com/