Living A Life Of Joy December 29, 2015
Posted by ajoyfulpractice in Basketball, Bhakti, Black Elk, Books, Changing Perspectives, Donate, Faith, Fitness, Food, Gratitude, Harlem Globetrotters, Healing Stories, Health, Hope, Hula Hoop, Karma Yoga, Love, Meadowlark Lemon, Men, Movies, Music, New Year, One Hoop, Pain, Peace, Philosophy, Religion, Suffering, Volunteer, Women, Writing.Tags: Meadowlark Lemon
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“Life’s most meaningless statistic is the half-time score.”
&
“My lasting legacy is if I pledge to always take it to the next level, on and off the court.”
– Meadowlark Lemon
If you’ve ever questioned how doing what you love (and loving what you do) can benefit the world, if you’ve ever questioned how your personal goals can impact people you’ve never met and will never meet, or if you’ve ever wondered what happens when you live a life fueled by joy…remember Meadowlark Lemon’s smile.
Lemon, who died yesterday at the age of 83, was known as the “Clown Prince” of Basketball…as well as an Ambassador of Good Will in Short Pants, the Missionary of Happy, the Smiling Zealot – oh yeah, and also as Reverend Lemon, an evangelical Christian minister who said in a 1999 pre-Christmas interview, “I believe God put me on this earth to bring joy.”
And bring joy he did – even when he was “beating” the pants off of his opponents.
Over the next few days, weeks, maybe even months, people will be talking about how Meadowlark Lemon inspired them. There will be friends and family members expressing gratitude for his presence in their lives. There will be basketball players who will talk about how the Harlem Globetrotters organization led to the integration of the NBA. There will be actors and other entertainers who will mention how he helped them through a challenging time. There will be people who talk about how the Globetrotters were the first African-Americans and/or the first Americans they admired or appreciated. There will be kids (former and current), armed service men and women (former and current), prisoners (former and current), as well as the sick and shut-in (former and current) who were touched by a man with a big heart, big skills, and an even bigger smile.
And, somewhere out there in the world, there is a former or current 11-year old who hears about how the 11-year old Meadow Lemon III’s dream came true – and decides to hoop it up:
Or hoop it up:
Or hoop it up:
Or…you get the idea.
“One significant difference between life and any other game or race is that in life we only compete against ourselves. Even though others may be involved, each person’s life is judged by no greater criteria than how they did when measured against their own individual potential. Decide right now that you are going to begin a new chapter in your life. Why wait until January 1 to make your resolution? Make your declaration today and finish this day strong, this week strong, this month strong, and this year strong. The common denominator for all mankind is that we all get 24 hours in a day, just like everyone else. What you do with that time is up to you. Choose well…” – Meadowlark Lemon
Click here for more information about Meadowlark Lemon Ministries.
~ OM SHANTI, SHANTI, SHANTHI OM ~
New Year, New Intentions? December 8, 2015
Posted by ajoyfulpractice in 108 Sun Salutations, Books, Changing Perspectives, Daoism, Depression, Faith, Fitness, Healing Stories, Health, Hope, Japa, Japa-Ajapa, Loss, Mala, Mantra, Meditation, Men, Minneapolis, Minnesota, Music, New Year, Pain, Peace, Suffering, Surya Namaskar, Taoism, Tragedy, Twin Cities, Uncategorized, Women, Yoga.2 comments
“Searching for an answer / Where the question is unseen / I don’t know where you come from / And I don’t know where you’ve gone…”
– Amen Omen by Ben Harper
We are closing in on the end of 2015. And many of us are wondering, “Where do we go from here?” or “How do I go on without him/her/them?” or “Now what?”
It’s those unseen (and unspoken) questions lingering between our readiness to be done with some parts of this year; our desires to move on; and our need to let go of the old – so some healing can begin – that can create fear-based behavior and make us move into deep hibernation. But, as much as I’m a fan of hibernating in order to heal, I’m more of a fan of putting things in perspective and moving on. So, let’s remember that this year hasn’t been all bad.
Remember, for instance, if you set an intention at the beginning of the year and now realize the “stars aligned” to help you reach your goal. Maybe you wanted a new experience, a new job, a new love – or maybe you wanted to heal as an old experience, job, or love passed out of your life. Either way, with all the craziness (and scariness) we’ve seen in the world this year, I think it’s important to remember our own personal highs-and-lows, ebbs-and-flows, risings-and-fallings.
Sun Salutations (surya namaskar) are a moving meditation which mimics the natural tendencies of our bodies and our lives. We rise, we fall, we ebb, we flow – and, if we do enough of them, we experience highs and lows. Practicing a 108 Sun Salutations is the yoga equivalent of a marathon. Like a distance runner, we repeat the same steps over and over again; finding our breath, finding our rhythm – until there is no difference between our breath, our rhythm, our minds, our bodies. We become the cycle, we become the circle or ring (mala). In essence, we are practicing effortless repetition (ajapa japa): where a whisper becomes a scream and then drifts away to silence. (See link above; it’s so worth it!)
I’ve started the past few new years with this 108 ajapa-japa mala practice because it is a great way to reflect on the past, wipe the slate clean, and prepare for the new year. Again and again, it is a way to take Rainer Maria Rilke’s suggestion to a young poet and “live the question (in order to)….live your way into the answer.”
If you’re available or interested, click on the links below for more information about 108 Sun Salutations events on New Year’s Eve or New Year’s Day:
- I’m leading or co-leading two (2) practices on Friday, January 1st.
- Aubrey Weger is leading a mala at Yoga Sanctuary on January 1st.
- Amber Huttner is leading a mala at Spirit of the Lake on January 1st.
- Drishti Yoga (in White Bear Lake) will host a mala on January 1st.
- (more to come….)
If you’ve started a new year with this practice, please share your experiences below!
~ May you be healthy and strong (and accept your limitations with grace) ~
Food For Thought – Part I December 1, 2015
Posted by ajoyfulpractice in Changing Perspectives, Fitness, Food, Gratitude, Healing Stories, Health, Men, Minneapolis, Minnesota, New Year, Science, Texas, Twin Cities, Women.add a comment
It is the last few moments of Movember (which, for those in the know, is the month following Pinktober) and while some folks are still digesting the first of many holiday meals, I want to offer a little food for thought. Enjoy and be grateful!
A Joyful Practice 