Posted by ajoyfulpractice in Changing Perspectives, Fitness, Health, Minneapolis, Minnesota, Philosophy, Science, Twin Cities, Yoga.
Smile. You may not know it, but your life just changed.
Skeptical?
Take another deep breath. Now, deepen your expression.
Whether you are new to yoga, a dedicated practitioner, or just someone trying to sort out all of the hullabaloo (and not call it “yogart” in mixed company), a joyful practice can help you find things you didn’t know you needed – and explore gifts you didn’t know you had to offer.
Still skeptical? That’s cool. It doesn’t change the fact that somewhere between that first deep breath and this next one (Inhale….Exhale.) your brain chemistry changed!
And just think, you didn’t even have to step on a mat.
Namaste!
Posted by ajoyfulpractice in Faith, Healing Stories, Hope, Lent / Great Lent, Life, Meditation, Music, Mysticism, One Hoop, Pain, Passover, Peace, Philosophy, Religion, Suffering, Wisdom, Yoga.
Tags: 988, Counting the Omer, Guy Johnston, Hilary Tann, Lazarus Saturday, Lent / Great Lent, Maya Angelou, Passover, Pesach, Pope Francis, R. S. Thomas
“Chag Sameach!” to everyone celebrating Passover and/or Counting the Omer! Peace and many blessings to everyone and especially to anyone celebrating and/or observing Lent & Great Lent during Great / Passion / Holy Week!
Peace, ease, and ahimsa/nonviolence to all, throughout this “Season for Nonviolence” and all other seasons!
“Still; all that close throng
Of spirits waiting, as I,
For the message.
Prompt me, God;
But not yet. When I speak,
Though it be you who speak
Through me, something is lost.
The meaning is in the waiting.”
— quoted from the poem “Kneeling” by R. S. Thomas, with accompanying music composed by Hilary Tann, featuring Guy Johnston
Please join me today (Saturday, April 4th) at 12:00 PM for a yoga practice on Zoom. You can use the link from the “Class Schedules” calendar if you run into any problems checking into the class. You can request an audio recording of this practice via a comment below or (for a slightly faster reply) you can email myra (at) ajoyfulpractice.com.
Saturday’s playlist is available on YouTube and Spotify. [Look for “04082023 Transcendence on a Holy Sat, redux”]
An alternate (instrumental only) playlist is also available on YouTube and Spotify. [Look for “04192020 Noticing Things”] NOTE: These are double playlists. You can start with Track #1, Track #11, or Track #12.
“You may not control all the events that happen to you, but you can decide not to be reduced by them. Try to be a rainbow in someone’s cloud. Do not complain. Make every effort to change things you do not like. If you cannot make a change, change the way you have been thinking. You might find a new solution.
Never whine. Whining lets a brute know that a victim is in the neighborhood.
Be certain that you do not die without having done something wonderful for humanity.
I gave birth to one child, a son, but I have thousands of daughters. You are Black and White, Jewish and Muslim, Asian, Spanish-speaking, Native American and Aleut. You are fat and thin and pretty and plain, gay and straight, educated and unlettered, and I am speaking to you all. Here is my offering to you.”
— quoted from the preface to Letter to My Daughter by Maya Angelou (b. 04/04/1928)
For anyone interested, playlist inspired by Dr. Maya Angelou’s life and work is also available on YouTube and Spotify. [Look for “04042020 Maya Angelou”]
If you are thinking about suicide, worried about a friend or loved one, or would like emotional support, you can dial 988 (in the US) or call 1-800-273-TALK (8255) for the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline. You can also call this TALK line if you are struggling with addiction or involved in an abusive relationship. The Lifeline network is free, confidential, and available to all 24/7. YOU CAN TALK ABOUT ANYTHING.
White Flag is an app, which I have not yet researched, but which may be helpful if you need peer-to-peer (non-professional) support.
If you are a young person in crisis, feeling suicidal, or in need of a safe and judgement-free place to talk, you can also click here to contact the TrevorLifeline (which is staffed 24/7 with trained counselors).
In the spirit of generosity (“dana”), the Zoom classes, recordings, and blog posts are freely given and freely received. If you are able to support these teachings, please do so as your heart moves you. (NOTE: You can donate even if you are “attending” a practice that is not designated as a “Common Ground Meditation Center” practice, or you can purchase class(es). Donations are tax deductible; class purchases are not necessarily deductible.)
“This year however, we are experiencing, more than ever, the great silence of Holy Saturday. We can imagine ourselves in the position of the women on that day. They, like us, had before their eyes the drama of suffering, of an unexpected tragedy that happened all too suddenly. They had seen death and it weighed on their hearts. Pain was mixed with fear: would they suffer the same fate as the Master? Then too there was fear about the future and all that would need to be rebuilt. A painful memory, a hope cut short. For them, as for us, it was the darkest hour.
Yet in this situation the women did not allow themselves to be paralyzed. They did not give in to the gloom of sorrow and regret, they did not morosely close in on themselves, or flee from reality. They were doing something simple yet extraordinary: preparing at home the spices to anoint the body of Jesus. They did not stop loving; in the darkness of their hearts, they lit a flame of mercy. Our Lady spent that Saturday, the day that would be dedicated to her, in prayer and hope. She responded to sorrow with trust in the Lord. Unbeknownst to these women, they were making preparations, in the darkness of that Sabbath, for ‘the dawn of the first day of the week’, the day that would change history. Jesus, like a seed buried in the ground, was about to make new life blossom in the world; and these women, by prayer and love, were helping to make that hope flower. How many people, in these sad days, have done and are still doing what those women did, sowing seeds of hope! With small gestures of care, affection and prayer.”
— quoted from the Homily of His Holiness Pope Francis, Easter Vigil, Holy Saturday, 11 April 2020
### “You have to imagine
a waiting that is not impatient
because it is timeless.” ~ R. S. Thomas ###
Posted by ajoyfulpractice in Art, Faith, Healing Stories, Hope, Lent / Great Lent, Love, One Hoop, Passover, Peace, Philosophy, Religion, Wisdom, Yoga.
Tags: 988, Commitment, Lent / Great Lent, Passover, satya, Sidd Finch, Spy Wednesday, Yoga Sutra 2.20, Yoga Sutra 2.30, Yoga Sutra 2.36
Many blessings to all, and especially to those observing Passion/Holy/Spy Wednesday; Great Lent; the Fast of the First Born and/or erev Pesach!
Peace, ease, and commitment to all, throughout this “Season for Nonviolence” and all other seasons!
Please join me today (Wednesday, April 1st) at 4:30 PM or 7:15 PM for a yoga practice on Zoom. You can use the link from the “Class Schedules” calendar if you run into any problems checking into in the class. You can request an audio recording of this practice via a comment below or by emailing myra (at) ajoyfulpractice.com.
Wednesday’s playlist is available on YouTube and Spotify. [Look for “04012026 Spy Wednesday No Joke”]
If you are thinking about suicide, worried about a friend or loved one, or would like emotional support, you can dial 988 (in the US) or call 1-800-273-TALK (8255) for the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline. You can also call this TALK line if you are struggling with addiction or involved in an abusive relationship. The Lifeline network is free, confidential, and available to all 24/7. YOU CAN TALK ABOUT ANYTHING.
White Flag is an app, which I have not yet researched, but which may be helpful if you need peer-to-peer (non-professional) support.
If you are a young person in crisis, feeling suicidal, or in need of a safe and judgement-free place to talk, you can also click here to contact the TrevorLifeline (which is staffed 24/7 with trained counselors).
In the spirit of generosity (“dana”), the Zoom classes, recordings, and blog posts are freely given and freely received. If you are able to support these teachings, please do so as your heart moves you. (NOTE: You can donate even if you are “attending” a practice that is not designated as a “Common Ground Meditation Center” practice, or you can purchase class(es).
Donations are tax deductible; class purchases are not necessarily deductible.
Check out the “Class Schedules” calendar for upcoming classes.
### 
###
Posted by ajoyfulpractice in Dharma, Faith, Healing Stories, Hope, Lent / Great Lent, One Hoop, Religion, Wisdom, Yoga.
Tags: 988, Hays Code, Holy Tuesday, Holy Week, Lent / Great Lent, Passion Tuesday, Passion Week, peace, Season for Nonviolence
Many blessings to all, and especially to those observing Passion Tuesday / Holy Tuesday or Great Lent on Transgender Visibility Day!
Peace and ease to all, throughout this “Season for Nonviolence” and all other seasons!
Please join me today (Tuesday, March 31st) at 12:00 PM or 7:15 PM for a yoga practice on Zoom. You can use the link from the “Class Schedules” calendar if you run into any problems checking into in the class. You can request an audio recording of this practice via a comment below or by emailing myra (at) ajoyfulpractice.com.
Tuesday’s playlist is available on YouTube and Spotify. [Look for “Passion Tuesday April 7, 2020” or “04072020 Passion Tuesday”]
NOTE: An instrumental playlist for this date is available on YouTube and Spotify. [Look for the “March 31 Hays Code 2020” or “03312020 Hays Code”]
If you are thinking about suicide, worried about a friend or loved one, or would like emotional support, you can dial 988 (in the US) or call 1-800-273-TALK (8255) for the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline. You can also call this TALK line if you are struggling with addiction or involved in an abusive relationship. The Lifeline network is free, confidential, and available to all 24/7. YOU CAN TALK ABOUT ANYTHING.
White Flag is an app, which I have not yet researched, but which may be helpful if you need peer-to-peer (non-professional) support.
If you are a young person in crisis, feeling suicidal, or in need of a safe and judgement-free place to talk, you can also click here to contact the TrevorLifeline (which is staffed 24/7 with trained counselors).
In the spirit of generosity (“dana”), the Zoom classes, recordings, and blog posts are freely given and freely received. If you are able to support these teachings, please do so as your heart moves you. (NOTE: You can donate even if you are “attending” a practice that is not designated as a “Common Ground Meditation Center” practice, or you can purchase class(es).
Donations are tax deductible; class purchases are not necessarily deductible.
Check out the “Class Schedules” calendar for upcoming classes.
### ###
Posted by ajoyfulpractice in Art, Changing Perspectives, Faith, Healing Stories, Hope, Lent / Great Lent, Life, Music, One Hoop, Peace, Poetry, Religion, Suffering, Wisdom, Writing, Yoga.
Tags: 988, Guy Johnston, Hilary Tann, Lent / Great Lent, Palm Sunday, R. S. Thomas
Many blessings to all, and especially to those observing Lent or Great Lent!
Peace, ease, and intervention to all, throughout this “Season for Nonviolence” and all other seasons!
“There are nights that are so still”
“…. And the thought comes
of that other being who is awake, too,
letting our prayers break on him,
not like this for a few hours,
but for days, years, for eternity.”
— quoted from the poem “The Other” by R. S. Thomas, with accompanying music composed by Hilary Tann, featuring Guy Johnston
Please join me today (Sunday, March 29th) at 2:30 PM for a yoga practice on Zoom. You can use the link from the “Class Schedules” calendar if you run into any problems checking into in the class. You can request an audio recording of this practice via a comment below or by emailing myra (at) ajoyfulpractice.com.
Sunday’s playlist is available on YouTube and Spotify. [Look for “03292026 Peace, Passion, & Stillness on Palm Sunday”]
If you are thinking about suicide, worried about a friend or loved one, or would like emotional support, you can dial 988 (in the US) or call 1-800-273-TALK (8255) for the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline. You can also call this TALK line if you are struggling with addiction or involved in an abusive relationship. The Lifeline network is free, confidential, and available to all 24/7. YOU CAN TALK ABOUT ANYTHING.
White Flag is an app, which I have not yet researched, but which may be helpful if you need peer-to-peer (non-professional) support.
If you are a young person in crisis, feeling suicidal, or in need of a safe and judgement-free place to talk, you can also click here to contact the TrevorLifeline (which is staffed 24/7 with trained counselors).
In the spirit of generosity (“dana”), the Zoom classes, recordings, and blog posts are freely given and freely received. If you are able to support these teachings, please do so as your heart moves you. (NOTE: You can donate even if you are “attending” a practice that is not designated as a “Common Ground Meditation Center” practice, or you can purchase class(es).
Donations are tax deductible; class purchases are not necessarily deductible.
Check out the “Class Schedules” calendar for upcoming classes.
### MORE PEACE, PLEASE ###
Posted by ajoyfulpractice in Faith, Health, Hope, Lent / Great Lent, Life, Meditation, Music, Mysticism, One Hoop, Philosophy, Religion, Science, Wisdom, Yoga.
Tags: 988, citizenship, Corneille Heymans, Mahatma Gandhi Canadian Foundation for World Peace, Mirabai Starr, Saint Teresa of Ávila, Season for Nonviolence
Many blessings to all, and especially to those observing Lent or Great Lent (and Laudation of the Mother of God) and/or participating in No Kings Day (in a way that makes sense for you)!
Peace, ease, and citizenship to all, throughout this “Season for Nonviolence” and all other seasons!
“To be a citizen means to help your community be the best it can be. You are a member of many communities: your family, your place of work or school, your place of worship, your city, your country, and the planet. Participation in your community presents an opportunity to model nonviolent action, peaceful resolution, and how each of us can and do make a difference.”
— quoted from the “Reflection” section of the “Day 58 ~ March 28 ~ Citizenship” page for the “Season for Nonviolence,” provided by the Mahatma Gandhi Canadian Foundation for World Peace
Please join me for a virtual yoga practice on Zoom, today (Saturday, March 28th) at 12:00 PM. You can use the link from the “Class Schedules” calendar if you run into any problems checking into the class. You can request an audio recording of this practice via a comment below or (for a slightly faster reply) you can email me at myra (at) ajoyfulpractice.com.
Saturday’s playlist is available on YouTube and Spotify. [Look for “03282023 Moving in 7 Mysterious Ways” ]
“Remember: If you want to make progress on the path and ascend to the places you have longed for, the important thing is not to think much but to love much, and so to do whatever best awakens you to love.”
— quoted from “The Fourth Dwelling .1.” of The Interior Castle by Saint Teresa of Ávila (New Translation and Introduction by Mirabai Starr)
If you are thinking about suicide, worried about a friend or loved one, or would like emotional support, you can dial 988 (in the US) or call 1-800-273-TALK (8255) for the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline. You can also call this TALK line if you are struggling with addiction or involved in an abusive relationship. The Lifeline network is free, confidential, and available to all 24/7. YOU CAN TALK ABOUT ANYTHING.
White Flag is an app, which I have not yet researched, but which may be helpful if you need peer-to-peer (non-professional) support.
If you are a young person in crisis, feeling suicidal, or in need of a safe and judgement-free place to talk, you can also click here to contact the TrevorLifeline (which is staffed 24/7 with trained counselors).
In the spirit of generosity (“dana”), the Zoom classes, recordings, and blog posts are freely given and freely received. If you are able to support these teachings, please do so as your heart moves you. (NOTE: You can donate even if you are “attending” a practice that is not designated as a “Common Ground Meditation Center” practice, or you can purchase class(es).
Donations are tax deductible; class purchases are not necessarily deductible.
Check out the “Class Schedules” calendar for upcoming classes.
### BE MOVED & (ALSO) MOVE YOURSELF ###
Posted by ajoyfulpractice in 9-Day Challenge, Faith, Healing Stories, Hope, Lent / Great Lent, One Hoop, Pain, Religion, Suffering, Tragedy, Wisdom, Yoga.
Tags: 988, Chaitra Navaratri, Kalaratri, Kali, Navaratri, Responsibility, Salt Satyagraha, Season for Nonviolence, Selma, Selma to Montgomery
“Nine days and nine nights of blessings and happiness if you are celebrating Chaitra Navaratri!” Many blessings to all, and especially to those observing Lent or Great Lent!
Peace, ease, and responsibility to all, throughout this “Season for Nonviolence” and all other seasons!
Please join me today (Wednesday, March 25th) at 4:30 PM or 7:15 PM for a yoga practice on Zoom. You can use the link from the “Class Schedules” calendar if you run into any problems checking into in the class. You can request an audio recording of this practice via a comment below or by emailing myra (at) ajoyfulpractice.com.
Wednesday’s playlist is available on YouTube and Spotify. [Look for “0324-25/2026 Stars of Freedom Selma to Montgomery”]
If you are thinking about suicide, worried about a friend or loved one, or would like emotional support, you can dial 988 (in the US) or call 1-800-273-TALK (8255) for the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline. You can also call this TALK line if you are struggling with addiction or involved in an abusive relationship. The Lifeline network is free, confidential, and available to all 24/7. YOU CAN TALK ABOUT ANYTHING.
White Flag is an app, which I have not yet researched, but which may be helpful if you need peer-to-peer (non-professional) support.
If you are a young person in crisis, feeling suicidal, or in need of a safe and judgement-free place to talk, you can also click here to contact the TrevorLifeline (which is staffed 24/7 with trained counselors).
In the spirit of generosity (“dana”), the Zoom classes, recordings, and blog posts are freely given and freely received. If you are able to support these teachings, please do so as your heart moves you. (NOTE: You can donate even if you are “attending” a practice that is not designated as a “Common Ground Meditation Center” practice, or you can purchase class(es).
Donations are tax deductible; class purchases are not necessarily deductible.
Check out the “Class Schedules” calendar for upcoming classes.
### ###
Posted by ajoyfulpractice in 9-Day Challenge, Faith, Healing Stories, Hope, Lent / Great Lent, One Hoop, Pain, Religion, Suffering, Tragedy, Wisdom, Yoga.
Tags: 988, Chaitra Navaratri, Giving, Katyayani, March for Our Lives, Navaratri, Salt Satyagraha, Season for Nonviolence, Selma, Selma to Montgomery
“Nine days and nine nights of blessings and happiness if you are celebrating Chaitra Navaratri!” Many blessings to all, and especially to those observing Lent or Great Lent!
Peace, ease, and giving to all, throughout this “Season for Nonviolence” and all other seasons!
Please join me today (Tuesday, March 24th) at 12:00 PM or 7:15 PM for a yoga practice on Zoom. You can use the link from the “Class Schedules” calendar if you run into any problems checking into in the class. You can request an audio recording of this practice via a comment below or by emailing myra (at) ajoyfulpractice.com.
Tuesday’s playlist is available on YouTube and Spotify. [Look for “03242021 Selma to Montgomery”]
If you are thinking about suicide, worried about a friend or loved one, or would like emotional support, you can dial 988 (in the US) or call 1-800-273-TALK (8255) for the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline. You can also call this TALK line if you are struggling with addiction or involved in an abusive relationship. The Lifeline network is free, confidential, and available to all 24/7. YOU CAN TALK ABOUT ANYTHING.
White Flag is an app, which I have not yet researched, but which may be helpful if you need peer-to-peer (non-professional) support.
If you are a young person in crisis, feeling suicidal, or in need of a safe and judgement-free place to talk, you can also click here to contact the TrevorLifeline (which is staffed 24/7 with trained counselors).
In the spirit of generosity (“dana”), the Zoom classes, recordings, and blog posts are freely given and freely received. If you are able to support these teachings, please do so as your heart moves you. (NOTE: You can donate even if you are “attending” a practice that is not designated as a “Common Ground Meditation Center” practice, or you can purchase class(es).
Donations are tax deductible; class purchases are not necessarily deductible.
Check out the “Class Schedules” calendar for upcoming classes.
### ###
Posted by ajoyfulpractice in "Impossible" People, 9-Day Challenge, Art, Books, Changing Perspectives, Faith, Healing Stories, Hope, Lent / Great Lent, Life, Music, One Hoop, Religion, Wisdom, Women, Writing, Yoga.
Tags: 988, Ananta Ripa Ajmera, Andrew Lloyd Webber, B. Alan Orange, Billy Collins, Chaitra Navaratri, equality, Hugh Wheeler, James Patterson, Keegan-Michael Key, Kushmanda, Lent / Great Lent, Maty Ezrarty, Navaratri, Season for Nonviolence, Stephen Sondheim, storytellers, Writing
“Nowruz Mubarak!” Happy New Year to those who are celebrating! “Nine days and nine nights of blessings and happiness if you are celebrating Chaitra Navaratri!” Many blessings to all, and especially to those observing Lent or Great Lent!
Peace, ease, and equality to all, throughout this “Season for Nonviolence” and all other seasons!
“Practicing yoga is a privilege. And with this privilege comes a duty to be kind, to share a smile, and to offer yoga from the mat into the rest of your life.”
— Maty Ezraty
Everyone has a series of stories — and each of our stories make up part of other people’s stories. These collections of stories overlap and converge with each other and with the stories of the community. Every community has a collection of stories. How we tell those stories makes a difference — and our experiences (i.e., our stories) play a part in how we tell our stories.
For years, I have told stories about storytellers born on this date. I would, of course, make room for sacred stories when they overlapped this date. For example, today is the fourth day of Navaratri, the Hindu festival of “nine nights” celebrating divine feminine energy in various manifestations. While some people see the manifestations as nine different women, they are also seen by some as the same woman at different points in her story.
Click on the excerpt below for a short post about the Goddess Kushmanda who, it is said, “created the world with her divine smile” — a smile that also powers the sun.
Make a Commitment to Imagination (w/excerpts)
“[Kushmanda] also lives in our hearts. The fact that she is smiling reminds us that we too are our most creative when we are smiling and feeling positive, courageous (a quality of heart), and strong. The fact that this goddess, like Chandraghanta, rides a lion shows that the power of love is just as potent as the fire of transformation. It reminds us that the ability to love comes from inner strength. When we feel clouded by fear, anger, and grief, it can be difficult to imagine one day having the strength to love again. But Kushmanda is here to remind us that, no matter how brokenhearted we may feel at time, the power of love lives within us, and we can tap into it and become our creative best at any time.”
— quoted from the “Knowing Kushmanda” section of “Chapter 4 — The Art of Loving Your True Self” in The Way of the Goddess: Daily Rituals to Awaken Your Inner Warrior and Discover Your True Self by Ananta Ripa Ajmera
So, for years, even when I made room for other stories, sacred stories, I kept coming back to four storytellers. As I mentioned in the post excerpted below: These storytellers tell/told their stories in different ways. However, the storytellers themselves have something in common — other than the fact that they are all, as it turns out, the same gender and race and share the same profession and birthday. They all know/knew how to tell a good story.
Last year, I added a storyteller. Same gender, profession, and birthday. Different racial identity. Different way of telling a good story.
Again, as noted below (and since someone asked after the 2025 class): While there are other storytellers I could have highlighted, the original focus was always the last 4 storytellers referenced above. I didn’t replace anyone, just added a storyteller and adjusted the narrative accordingly. Similarly, the playlist has room, time, and space, for another song (or two).
“Don’t you love farce?
My fault, I fear
I thought that you’d want what I want
Sorry, my dear
But where are the clowns?
Quick, send in the clowns
Don’t bothеr, they’re herе”
— quoted from the song “Send in the Clowns” from the musical A Little Night Music, music and lyrics by Stephen Sondheim, book by Hugh Wheeler
CLICK ON THE EXCERPT TITLE BELOW FOR MORE OF THE STORY.
More Stories and Music [the 2025 version] (the “missing” Saturday post)
NOTE: In the March 22nd post excerpted above, the principle for the “Season for Nonviolence” was advocacy. The 2026 principle is equality, which also fits the story.
“A poet can feel free, in my estimation, to write a poem for himself. Or a painter can paint a painting for himself. You can write a short story for yourself. But for me, comedy by its nature is communal. If other people don’t get it, I’m not sure why you are doing it. I think the same can be said for being offensive, for no other reason than being offensive. Me personally, it boggles my mind.”
— Keegan-Michael Key, quoted from the (Feb 1, 2012) MovieWeb interview entitled “Keegan-Michael Key and Jordan Peele Talk Key & Peele Series Premiere [Exclusive]” by
B. Alan Orange
Please join me today (Sunday, March 22nd) at 2:30 PM for a yoga practice on Zoom. You can use the link from the “Class Schedules” calendar if you run into any problems checking into in the class. You can request an audio recording of this practice via a comment below or by emailing myra (at) ajoyfulpractice.com.
Sunday’s playlist is available on YouTube and Spotify. [Look for “03222020 Storytellers”]
If you are thinking about suicide, worried about a friend or loved one, or would like emotional support, you can dial 988 (in the US) or call 1-800-273-TALK (8255) for the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline. You can also call this TALK line if you are struggling with addiction or involved in an abusive relationship. The Lifeline network is free, confidential, and available to all 24/7. YOU CAN TALK ABOUT ANYTHING.
White Flag is an app, which I have not yet researched, but which may be helpful if you need peer-to-peer (non-professional) support.
If you are a young person in crisis, feeling suicidal, or in need of a safe and judgement-free place to talk, you can also click here to contact the TrevorLifeline (which is staffed 24/7 with trained counselors).
In the spirit of generosity (“dana”), the Zoom classes, recordings, and blog posts are freely given and freely received. If you are able to support these teachings, please do so as your heart moves you. (NOTE: You can donate even if you are “attending” a practice that is not designated as a “Common Ground Meditation Center” practice, or you can purchase class(es).
Donations are tax deductible; class purchases are not necessarily deductible.
Check out the “Class Schedules” calendar for upcoming classes.
### Enjoy & Share Your Stories ###
Posted by ajoyfulpractice in 9-Day Challenge, Art, Baha'i, Faith, Healing Stories, Hope, Lent / Great Lent, Life, Meditation, Music, New Year, Nowruz, One Hoop, Philosophy, Religion, Wisdom, Yoga.
Tags: 988, Advocacy, Chaitra Navaratri, Chandraghanta, Johann Sebastian Bach, Lent / Great Lent, Naw-Rúz, Nowruz, Season for Nonviolence, World Down Syndrome Day
“Nowruz Mubarak!” Happy New Year to those who are celebrating! “Nine days and nine nights of blessings and happiness if you are celebrating Chaitra Navaratri!” Happy Spring to those in the Northern Hemisphere & Happy Fall to those in the Southern Hemisphere. Many blessings to all, and especially to those observing Lent or Great Lent! Don’t forget to rock your socks on World Down Syndrome Day!
Peace, ease, and advocacy to all, throughout this “Season for Nonviolence” and all other seasons!
Please join me for a virtual yoga practice on Zoom, today (Saturday, March 21st) at 12:00 PM. You can use the link from the “Class Schedules” calendar if you run into any problems checking into the class. You can request an audio recording of this practice via a comment below or (for a slightly faster reply) you can email me at myra (at) ajoyfulpractice.com.
Saturday’s playlist is available on YouTube and Spotify. [Look for “03212020 Bach’s Day Too” or “03212021 Bach’s Day Too” ]
NOTE: Some tracks have slightly different timings on the different platforms.
If you are thinking about suicide, worried about a friend or loved one, or would like emotional support, you can dial 988 (in the US) or call 1-800-273-TALK (8255) for the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline. You can also call this TALK line if you are struggling with addiction or involved in an abusive relationship. The Lifeline network is free, confidential, and available to all 24/7. YOU CAN TALK ABOUT ANYTHING.
White Flag is an app, which I have not yet researched, but which may be helpful if you need peer-to-peer (non-professional) support.
If you are a young person in crisis, feeling suicidal, or in need of a safe and judgement-free place to talk, you can also click here to contact the TrevorLifeline (which is staffed 24/7 with trained counselors).
In the spirit of generosity (“dana”), the Zoom classes, recordings, and blog posts are freely given and freely received. If you are able to support these teachings, please do so as your heart moves you. (NOTE: You can donate even if you are “attending” a practice that is not designated as a “Common Ground Meditation Center” practice, or you can purchase class(es).
Donations are tax deductible; class purchases are not necessarily deductible.
Check out the “Class Schedules” calendar for upcoming classes.
### ###
Posted by ajoyfulpractice in 19-Day Fast, Art, Baha'i, Books, Changing Perspectives, Faith, Healing Stories, Hope, Lent / Great Lent, Life, Music, One Hoop, Pain, Philosophy, Poetry, Ramadan, Religion, Science, Suffering, Tragedy, Wisdom, Writing, Yoga.
Tags: 988, Ecology, Franz Wright, Laylat al-Qadr, nasheeds, Ramaḍān, Ramadan, Reba McEntire, Sami Yusuf, Season for Nonviolence
“Ramaḍān Mubarak, Blessed Ramaḍān!” to anyone observing the holy month of Ramaḍān. (Keep your eyes open!) Many blessings also to all, and especially to those celebrating and/or observing the Baháʼí 19-Day Fast, Lent, and/or Great Lent (and the Adoration of the Cross)!
Peace, ease, and (healthy) ecology to all, throughout this “Season for Nonviolence” and all other seasons!
“II
The long silences need to be loved, perhaps
more than the words
which arrive
to describe them
in time.”
— quoted from the poem “Home Remedy” in God’s Silence by Franz Wright (b. 1953)
Today’s practice almost started in silence. Silence and stillness, they are such powerful things and, also, such healing elements. They are a part of our landscape that also brings awareness to the landscape or ecology.
It may seem odd to think of “ecology” as a principle for the “Season for Nonviolence”. And, yet, when we start looking at nonviolent action, especially as it relates to equity, we must look at the world — we must look at how our actions impact the world, positively as well as negatively.
We live on a planet that is completely capable of sustaining life — and not just life as a general concept. We live on a planet that could sustain and provide sustenance for everyone living on the world. Yet, somehow (and we know how), there are people who go without the bare necessities. There are people who do not have clean water to drink or enough food to eat. There are people without shelter from the storm. There are people whose little space in the world is constantly under bombardment — which also takes a toll on the earth. And, even if we feel like we are not directly responsible for any of these things, we still play a part. We still have a part to play.
While I have referenced a whole lot of very tangible things that affect the physical environment, I would remiss if I didn’t point out the fact that just as our thoughts, words, and deeds can heal (and/or harm) the physical environment around us, the can heal (and/or harm) the ecology within us.
How we treat ourselves and others makes a difference.
“What is the meaning of kindness?
Speak and listen to others, from now on,
as if they had recently died.
At the core the seen and unseen worlds are one.”
— the poem “Solution” by Franz Wright (b. 1953)
CLICK ON THE EXCERPT TITLES BELOW FOR MORE.
The Grace of Kindness & God’s Silence
FTWMI: A Night of Great Power & Great Peace (a “renewed” post)
Purpose & Responsibility (the “missing” Wednesday post)
“I know I’m waiting
Waiting for something
Something to happen to me
But this waiting comes with
Trials and challenges
Nothing in life is free”
“My Lord, show me right from wrong
Give me light, make me strong
I know the road is long
Make me strong”
— quoted from the song “Make Me Strong” by Sami Yusuf
Please join me today (Wednesday, March 18th) at 4:30 PM or 7:15 PM for a yoga practice on Zoom. You can use the link from the “Class Schedules” calendar if you run into any problems checking into in the class. You can request an audio recording of this practice via a comment below or by emailing myra (at) ajoyfulpractice.com.
Wednesday’s playlist is available on YouTube and Spotify. [Look for “Ramadan & Eid 2024”]
Some quick notes about the music: First, my playlists for the final days of Ramadān are not halal (“permissible”) in all Islamic traditions, because of the orchestrations. They do, however, feature musicians who are Muslim (with a few exceptions).
Some remixes include some (Gregorian) date-related exceptions. Reba McEntire is another notable exception — notable, because in previous years she was the only female soloist and the only non-Muslim singer on the playlists. While this year’s playlists include several Muslim women as musicians and composers, “Pray for Peace” is still highlighted because it was re-released during the month of Ramadān in 2014 — but not just randomly in the month, the song was released in the last ten days of the month (during the holiest part of the month)!
Some songs on the playlist are Nasheeds (meaning they are religiously moral songs) that, in some traditions, are meant to be sung without instrumentation or only with percussion. I have, however, included orchestrated versions of these songs, because this seems to have worked best in an in-studio setting. I mean no disrespect by this choice. As far as I know, percussion or voice only recordings of the Nasheeds are available (if you want to build your own playlist). Alternatively, you can practice without the music — which is always a suitable option.
Finally, the YouTube version currently includes some additional before/after music.
If you are thinking about suicide, worried about a friend or loved one, or would like emotional support, you can dial 988 (in the US) or call 1-800-273-TALK (8255) for the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline. You can also call this TALK line if you are struggling with addiction or involved in an abusive relationship. The Lifeline network is free, confidential, and available to all 24/7. YOU CAN TALK ABOUT ANYTHING.
White Flag is an app, which I have not yet researched, but which may be helpful if you need peer-to-peer (non-professional) support.
If you are a young person in crisis, feeling suicidal, or in need of a safe and judgement-free place to talk, you can also click here to contact the TrevorLifeline (which is staffed 24/7 with trained counselors).
In the spirit of generosity (“dana”), the Zoom classes, recordings, and blog posts are freely given and freely received. If you are able to support these teachings, please do so as your heart moves you. (NOTE: You can donate even if you are “attending” a practice that is not designated as a “Common Ground Meditation Center” practice, or you can purchase class(es).
Donations are tax deductible; class purchases are not necessarily deductible.
Check out the “Class Schedules” calendar for upcoming classes.
### “Don’t Hate.” ###
A Joyful Practice 