Caring for Self and Others

Resources for reflection, contemplation, and care in times of trouble.

From our Office

Sign up for Touchstone: Centering Love in Uncertain Times, a regular email offering of reflection, grounding, and connection for our community from the Vassar College Office of Religious and Spiritual Life & Contemplative Practices. Each Touchstone will showcase new voices and art from across campus and beyond it.

Resources for Reflection, Contemplation, and Care in times of trouble

• Check out Calm’s free resource page with meditations, stories, music, talks and more to support your mental and emotional wellness.
• Listen to podcasts like On Being, with interviews with leading poets, scientists, activists, and spiritual leaders, or The Slowdown, a 5-minute daily dose of poetry curated and introduced by Tracy K. Smith. See also On Being’s Listening Care Package for Uncertain Times.
• Explore short talks by faith leaders on everything from grief and loss to love and relationships through the Vennly app.
• See Wellbeing in the Time of Coronavirus – An FYI Toolkit from The Family and Youth Institute.

Religious Resources

Muslim

• Daily halaqas from the Islamic Center at NYU.
• Faith in the Time of Coronavirus: talks, webinars, and articles from the Yaqeen Institute.

Jewish

• Shabbat at home resources:
  • Virtual Shabbat Box from Reconstructing Judaism.
  • Siddur Lev Shalem pdf and other resources from Congregation B’nai Jeshurun.

• Online Services:
  • Reform: Central Synagogue (New York).
  • Conservative: B’nai Jeshurun (New York); Temple Beth Zion (Brookline, MA).
  • Reconstructionist: Kol Tzedek (Philadelphia).
  • Renewal: Romemu (New York).

• Learning and gathering opportunities:
  • Resources for Challenging Times from the Institute for Jewish Spirituality, offering regular Jewish meditation and Torah study.
  • Speakers and online meet-ups through Hillel@Home.
  • Learning Resources for Quarantine from Hadar, with online classes, divrei Torah, and music
  • JewishLIVE- A Facebook group that gathers together a variety of virtual events occurring every day across the Jewish world.

Christian

• Resources for worship and reflection from Andover Newton Seminary.
• Centering Prayer from the Contemplative Outreach network.
• Centering Prayer Series with Thomas Keating.
• Resources for Catholics at Home During COVID-19.
• Richard Rohr’s Center for Action and Contemplation - Podcasts, Daily Meditations and more
• Creighton's Online Ministries - daily readings with reflections by community members.
• Daily Office - Liturgy of the Hours.
• Ignatian Spirituality - Links to the Examen.

Buddhist

• Dharma Seed Dharma talks and meditations from the Western Vipassana Teaching.

This list is not exhaustive! Please feel free to email resources or links you think the Vassar community would find helpful to rsl@vassar.edu.