The Omerathon: A 49-Day Brain-Body Adventure to Optimize Movement, Energy, and Resilience
What is the Omerathon?
The Omerathon brings the Counting of the Omer to a new level by offering a powerful framework to practice the mitzvah of taking better care of oneself in a way that is engaging, meaningful, and accessible.
This 49-day journey weaves together short, guided somatic practices, principles from applied neurology - which explore how targeted input to the brain can improve how we move, feel, and live - and meaningful Jewish themes.
Each day, you’ll have access to a short video sharing a body-brain experience that connects with the qualities of the specific day of the Omer. You’ll simultaneously embody the Omer and cultivate positive change while learning more about how your brain works.
Click any of the buttons below to check out the corresponding videos! All practices are one either sitting or standing with no equipment required. No prior knowledge of Jewish tradition or movement practices is needed.
For more on The Omerathon, including Sandra Razieli’s methodology of combining the Omer with Applied Neurology, click here!
What is the Counting of the Omer?
The Counting of the Omer was first documented in the Torah in the Book of Leviticus. It traditionally marks the time between the second day of Passover—a celebration of freedom from slavery—Shavuot, which celebrates the giving of the Torah containing the instructions and stories that were to guide the Israelites in the creation of a new and better society. It also correlates agriculturally with the time of the first grains of spring leading to the first major harvest of the year.
Over the years, many different traditions have developed around counting the Omer. Jewish mystics, known as Kabbalists, correlated the days of the Omer to with attributes of the divine flow of life (otherwise understood as God, source, or creative energy). In Hebrew these attributes are called sephirot (singular: sefira). The attributes can be understood as energies, qualities, emanations, etc. There are 10 sephirote in total and the first seven are used in the counting of the Omer.
The 49 days are divided into seven weeks of seven days. Each week is matched with one sephira. Each day of the week is also matched with one sephira. This results in each of the 49 days being comprised of two attributes - that of the week and that of the day. In other words, each week of the Omer is framed by one attribute and each day centers on a combination of the weekly attribute and the specific attribute of the day. The specific attribute of the day is said to be within the attribute of the specific week.
Omerathon: Intro and Assessment
Omerathon: Week 1 (Chesed)
Chesed is the full expression of lovingkindness and unconditional love. In the body, it shows up as fluidity and flexibility. This week’s practices are proprioceptive—cultivating our sense of how we move through space—and explore how joint mobility supports our ability to move with ease and flow.
Omerathon: Week 2 (Gevurah)
G’vurah means strength. It is the quality that allows for discernment and the creation of healthy boundaries. Our bones provide g’vurah for the softer tissues of the body. The practices for this week focus on attuned alignment and stability.
Omerathon: Week 3 (Tiferet)
Tiferet is harmonious beauty. It is the ultimate balance between Chesed and G’vurah. The practices for this week focus on breath to bring equanimity to the body.
Omerathon: Week 4 (Netzach)
Netzach is stamina and the willingness to put in sustained effort, even when things are challenging. It calls on long-term vision and perseverance. This week’s practices focus on cultivating a healthy visual system to support endurance and forward orientation.
Omerathon: Week 5 (Hod)
Hod encompasses gratitude, humility, and splendor—all rooted in our relationship with the world around us. This week’s practices engage the vestibular system, which senses our relationship to gravity and responds instantly to changes in position.
Omerathon: Week 6 (Yesod)
Yesod is grounding, support, and the wellspring from which creativity flows. It is the integration of Netzach and Hod. This week’s practices weave together the proprioceptive, visual, and vestibular systems to foster coherence and connection.
Omerathon: Week 7 (Malchut)
Malchut, rooted in the word for sovereignty, represents the integration of all the s’firot. It is embodied presence. This week’s practices focus on interoception—our inner sense of awareness—inviting a deeper connection to ourselves from within.