A beautiful explanation of the main points of "DA Et Atzmacha"

Shira Smiles give a wonderful discussion of using that idea that we are in essence a soul with a body on top as clothes that we can change from the book by the author of Bilvavi Miskan Evneh, and how we can use this knowledge to help us to do Teshuva.

from the Shiur on Naaleh:

Soul Food

Teacher: Mrs. Shira Smiles Class: Elul and Rosh Hashana: Days of Closeness and Awe

http://www.naaleh.com/viewclass/921/single/

Rabbi Kirzner on Yom Kippur

On Yom Kippur, Hashem gives us the chance to separate the needs of the body from the needs of the soul. On the day of Yom Kippur, the soul has a chance to go back to its source, reconnect with its source, get reinvigorated, and then go back into the body.  While this is going on, the body is going through a cleansing process, to be reintroduced to the body in a pure way. To reintroduce a new partnership between the body and the soul.  It is in a small way, a mini gilgul neshamah.

The loving kindness of Yom Kippur is that Hashem gives us a chance to start again. While man is experiencing the turbulence of life he can know that Hashem is preparing a haven from the storm and a sense of renewal on Yom Kippur.

Then after Yom Kippur, Hashem tells us to go into the shade of the Sukkah, not to bask in the direct sunlight, taking all that we want physically, with tremendous comfort.  Rather we should go into the Sukkah and appreciate the semi-comfort, where we get what we need but not always what we want,  and come closer to Hashem.


from a Shiur by Rabbi Kirzner
YONAH: THE SOUL'S INEVITABLE RETURN TO G-D 'S CALLING
http://www.rabbikirzner.org/
a wonderful website that has downloads of Rabbi

The way that we eat can help us to climb closer to Hashem.

A person's table is like an altar to Hashem.  What does this mean?  We are able to break down our connection to the physical world through our eating.  We are able to get closer to Hashem by the way that we eat.  I can actually build myself spiritually by the way that I eat.  It is a wonderful thing that a person can eat and climb closer to Hashem.

from the Shiur: 
Eating:Advice Series (Rabbi Nachman of Breslov) by Rabbi Yitzchack Kirzner


http://www.rabbikirzner.org/system/scripts/search.cgi?category=1

Breaking free from being bonded to the physical world.

Rabbi Nachman says that when a person works on the physical discipline of controlling his eating, he is affecting himself, he is transcending a physical order of himself by his own choice. This will help him to transcend other physical nisyonos that come along later.  This comes from training himself to build up strength in breaking free from being bonded to the physical world.

We tend to think that by indulging ourselves we are controlling ourselves and calming ourselves down.  The reality is that by controlling our eating we are building a framework that will help us to  grow spiritually.

We have to eat to live, not live to eat.  We can not allow ourselves to indulge ourselves like an animal, our physical behavior is totally tied to our spiritual growth.
from the Shiur :
Eating:Advice Series (Rabbi Nachman of Breslov)  by Rabbi Yitzchack Kirzner
http://www.rabbikirzner.org/system/scripts/search.cgi?category=1

The body soul relationship.

We should never say that our bodies are not important, only our soul is important. Rabbi Shimshon Pinchas gives that mashal of a large office building that has millions of dollars of equipment in it but one fuse in the basement breaks and all of the equipment is worthless. This is the relationship between the body and the soul, the body is our connection to this world and has to be taken care of.
from a Shiur by Rabbi Efraim Wachsman