A Joyful Practice

30 Poses in 30 Days (scroll down to see April 18th)

A Preview of the April 19th Practice (see “A Poetry Practice” link above for an actual preview)

‘plus tôt’

### OM OM AUM ###

Another Midnight Ride Down the Mental Highway (give or take 12 hours) April 18, 2020

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“Listen, my children, and you shall hear

Of the midnight ride of Paul Revere,

On the eighteenth of April, in Seventy-Five:

Hardly a man is now alive

Who remembers that famous day and year.”

**– from Paul Revere’s Ride by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow**

“Listen, my children, and you shall hear…something very familiar.”

– the beginning of class on April 18^th (starting ~2012)

The story of today, April 18^th, is immortalized in a poem – which is a great reminder that, despite everything that has happened (and is happening) April is still Poetry Month and a poem is a wonderful way to tell a story. It is not, necessarily, the first way most people think of telling a story. After all, in this modern era we tend to equate the telling of a story with prose. Yet, if you go a little deeper you will find that there was a time when every good story was told in meter and rhyme.

(Did you see/hear what I did there?)

As I mentioned yesterday, the thing about a good story – regardless of the manner in which it’s told – is that it leaves an impression. Bits of it stick. How many times have you found yourself remembering a message or a situation from a story even when you don’t remember the title, the author’s name, or (sometimes) even the name of the main character? Something sticks. And, when the story is told well and with strong imagery, like that used in Longfellow’s poem, we believe what we are told. When the story is repeated, throughout our life time, certain things are reinforced…even when they are wrong. Authors, after all, are sometimes more focused on telling the story than on telling the truth.

Don’t get me wrong, Longfellow’s poem is a great poem: it’s dramatic, it’s visual; it sounds and feels like you’re riding with Revere; there’s a little bit of suspense (even when you know what happens); and – most importantly – it’s memorable. At least, some parts are memorable. Some parts stick. But, now that I’ve planted the seed of doubt about what is fact and what is fiction, how can you be sure if the parts that stick are the true parts? And what happens – specifically what suffering happens – when we believe something that is not true?

The nice (and I think cool) part about what I teach – and even the way I teach it – is that yoga is simultaneously embodied and experiential. Each person is encouraged to see if what the teacher (or anyone else) says is true. Adding the story just makes the experience richer. It’s another layer of contemplation (as Saint Ignatius would say) or another level of svādyayā (“self-study,” as Patanjali would say). You can’t necessarily go through your day doing Warrior and balancing poses whenever you need to tap into your strength, courage, wisdom, and balance. You can, at any time, however, tap into the story – and, if you practice yoga with the story, you now have an embodied experience. So, when you tap into the story, your muscle memory kicks in and you tap into your body.

At least, that has been my experience.

The tricky part about what I teach and the way I teach it is that a lot of Eastern philosophy (like yoga and Buddhism) focus on unpacking the stories we/our minds spin and finding the grounded/centered space where we are not constantly creating more illusion (i.e., more story). There’s a fine balance there; because even the aspect of non-attachment that is no-story is a story.

Yes, I know, it’s a bit of a quagmire and we are running concentric circles around it and into it. But that feeling of running around and around until you wind up running into the boggy land, where the ground slips out from under you, is the very nature of philosophy – and, can be, the very nature of life. Maybe that exact aspect of the human experience is why no-story/non-attachment is a story millennia of people have found eases or eliminates suffering.

Yoga Sutra 2.15: pariņāmatāpasamskāraduhkhairguņavŗttivirodhācca duhkhameva sarvam vivekinah

– “The wise person sees everything (all worldly experiences) inevitably results in pain, suffering, and sorrow, because everything is subject to change, distress, karmic impressions (samskaras), and natural opposition of characteristics.”

Yoga Sutra 2.16: heyam duhkhamanāgatam

– “The pain (suffering) that has not yet come can be avoided or discarded.”

There are different ways to look at Yoga Sutra 2.16, which will be our focus today (Saturday, April 18^th). One way to look at this is to consider something I say often in class: What happens to us/our hearts in the past informs this present moment; how we engage our hearts (what happens to us) in this moment informs the future moments.

This is a basic way of looking at the law of karma. You don’t have to believe in past lives to see the validity of this. You can just think back to what you ate or drank (or didn’t eat or drink) two days ago and notice the effect that has on you today. Now, consider how the way you feel today (based on the decisions you made two days ago) and how the way you are feeling today informs what you eat or drink (or don’t eat or drink) and how that is going to affect you over the next two days. That’s still the law of karma.

Getting back to how this connects to today’s sutra, consider that you can’t go back and change what you ate or drank (or didn’t eat or drink) two days ago or how it has affected you. If, however, you are “the wise person” who is tuned into how you feel and is able to consider the cause-and-effect of how you feel, then you may be able to make a decision today that keeps you from continuing to suffer over the next two days.

Now, consider the wider implications of that lesson.

In Longfellow’s poem, Paul Revere warns the colonists about how the British are approaching so that they are prepared to avoid/end their colonial suffering. As you move through your practice, or even through your day, consider the sensation/information that warns you about the possibility of future pain and suffering. What if you consider (as YS 2.15 suggests) that everything will invariably lead to pain and suffering? As you consider cause-and-effect, consider how you make decisions in this moment and how they will affect your next moments.

I mentioned earlier that poetry “is not, necessarily, the first way most people think of telling a story.” Yet, a song is simply harmony added to the melody that is the poem. Please join me today (Saturday, April 18^th) at 12 Noon, for a virtual yoga practice on Zoom, featuring songs inspired by the events of “the eighteenth of April, in (Seventeen) Seventy-Five.” Some of the new Zoom security protocols are definitely kicking in; so, please use the link from the “Class Schedules” calendar if you run into any problems. Saturday’s playlist is ONLY available on YouTube. (Too many songs from my list were not available on Spotify.)

If you are following the Orthodox Christian calendar and would like a recording of last week’s classes, please comment or email me.

If you are interested in combining a physical practice (yoga or weightlifting) with the Counting of the Omer, you can purchase a copy of Marcus J. Freed’s The Kabbalh Sutras: 49 Steps to Enlightenment.

Kiss My Asana is starting next Saturday, April 25^th!!!

As I mentioned in yesterday’s post, part of my offering to support Mind Body Solutions this year will be to tell seven special stories, your stories! Check out yesterday’s post and then you can either email me or comment below.

Tell me your Kiss My Asana story!

A Musical Preview (scroll down to see March 18th)

30 Poses in 30 Days (scroll down to see April 17th)

A Preview of the April 17th Practice (see “A Poetry Practice” link above for an actual preview)

### AABBA ABABCCDDD AABBACCDD ABBCABC ###

The Power of A Story April 17, 2020

Posted by ajoyfulpractice in Uncategorized.
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“The discrepancy between faith and the facts is greater than is generally assumed. The art of biography is more difficult than is generally supposed.”

– Brother Juniper in The Bridge of San Luis Rey by Thornton Wilder (b. 4/17/1897)

A funny thing happened on the way to the studio as I was getting ready for a virtual class the other day. A Psychology Today article about “Meditative Story” popped up in my news queue and I couldn’t click on the link fast enough. Created by WaitWhat co-founders Deron Triff and June Cohen, in partnership with Ariana Huffington’s behavior change tech company Thrive Global, “Meditative Story” is hosted by “meditation guide” Rohan Gunatillake and features “an original musical score that rivals the best in filmmaking.” Intrigued? So was I. And, it turns out it is exactly what it sounds like:

“Meditative Story was created to help people find an alternative way into mindfulness through story that has nothing to do with the traditional world of meditation. By taking what typically occurs on a cushion and introducing that same wisdom and that same state of mind, through mesmerizing narratives—interspersed with meditation “prompts” and breathtaking music—we’re seeing the kind of response from our listeners that speaks to a breakthrough in the world of mindfulness practice. Something very special is happening.”

Sound familiar?

It did to me – and I had a lot of mixed feelings about it.

For over a decade, I’ve combined storytelling, music, and meditation in classes around Minneapolis. For over a decade, people have said they haven’t experienced a class like the classes I teach. And, during that same period of time, I’ve told people I’m not the only one who teaches like this. What I don’t always explain is that storytelling, wisdom, and mindfulness have a reach history that goes back millennia. You just have to go deeper.

Take a moment to consider the source of what you consider to be deep wisdom. Depending on your personal history and culture, any number of names might come up for you, including (but not limited to): Patanjali, Buddha, Lao Tzu, Confucius, the authors of the Torah and Talmud, Jesus, Mohammad, Saint Paul, the Desert Fathers and Mothers, Julian of Norwich, Saint Teresa of Avila, Guru Nanak, Saint Ignatious of Loyala, Joseph Smith, and Bahá’u’lláh (just to name a few).

All storytellers; and those names cover quite a few sacred texts. One text whose title is particular telling is Upanishad. The Upanishads are actually a collection of texts full of stories, in the Hindu tradition, that explain and explore the Vedas (more sacred texts). They are classic existential texts on mindfulness, God, and everything in between. The Sanskrit word “Upanishad” literally means “sit down by,” but is often translated as “sitting near devotedly.”

Think back to those names of ancient storytellers, even the ones I neglected to mention, and you will start to realize that every story you’ve ever heard or read is just a written down account of what a teacher told their students/disciples when said students/disciples were sitting near their teacher devotedly. In fact, many Buddhists texts start with the words, “I have heard….”

What stands the test of time, what gets passed down through the ages, is the story.

Meditative Story is backed by a lot of heavy hitters, a lot of money, and a significant amount of research. But, after “seven months, 28 episodes, and more than three million downloads” they have “proven” what we already know: stories make a difference.

Kiss My Asana is all about making a difference.

So, for Kiss My Asana 2020, I am planning to tell you seven stories. I’ve got years (and years) worth of stories. What I would like to do, however, is tell your favorite story.

You can submit a story by emailing me or sending me a comment below. It can be a favorite story you’ve heard me tell. It can be your favorite story to read or hear. It can even be a personal story – over the years many of you have shared bits of your personal history with me and it has left an impression. Pretty please, could I tell one of those stories? You know…the one about your mom, or the friend you met at the Y, or that time you realized you had a calling, or the spouse you met at the Y. You can include a pose or a song that you think would represents some part of the story and off we will go.

What’s your Kiss My Asana story?

A Musical Preview (scroll down to see March 17th)

A Preview of the April 17th Practice

“The test of an adventure is that when you’re in the middle of it, you say to yourself, ‘Oh, now I’ve got myself into an awful mess; I wish I were sitting quietly at home.’ And the sign that something’s wrong with you is when you sit quietly at home wishing you were out have lots of adventure.”

– Thornton Wilder, author of one of my favorite books and one of my favorite plays

“Both Sides of the Story”

### LOVE ALWAYS WINS ###

The Cost of Freedom April 16, 2020

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“Find the cost of freedom
Buried in the ground
Mother Earth will swallow you
Lay your body down.”

– “Find the Cost of Freedom” by Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young

Most people, I think, would agree that freedom is priceless. I mean, at least, I think we can all agree about that when we are talking about our own freedom. Things get a little twisted when we are talking about someone else’s freedom. How much do we value the freedom – or even the life – of someone we perceive as different from us? How much do we value the freedom – or even the life – of someone with whom we disagree about even the meaning of freedom?

What happens if you have to put a price freedom? What happens if you actually have to quantify the value of life, liberty, freedom (which is, ultimately, the pursuit of happiness)?

Did that last question take you back to the Constitution and the founders of the United States? Let’s really go back, get the full context, shall we?

“We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.”

– excerpt from the Declaration of Independence as presented by the Committee of Five and approved and signed by the Second Continental Congress, 1776

Yes, yes; it’s inspiring and lovely – and I do love the sentiment: those are words to live and lead by. And yet…. And yet…. Here’s one of the interesting and twisted things about all that: The founders of the United States, who created a country based on those highly virtuous concepts outlined in the Declaration of Independence, did so while simultaneously creating a country (that same country) that systematically declared women and certain people of color to not only not be equal, but to also not be entitled to the very rights which they said were “endowed by their Creator.” These men, for the Committee of Five and the signers of the Constitution were all men (so far as I know), were willing to fight in order to secure their freedom from Great Britain. Furthermore, they believed, as Caesar Rodney (the Gentleman from Delaware) famously put it when he cast his vote for independence, “As I believe the voice of my constituents and of all sensible and honest men is in favor of independence, my judgment concurs with them; I vote for independence.” In other words, they believed they represented the voice of the People (i.e., other men) who were willing to lay down their lives for freedom: that was the cost of freedom.

“The one who brought his offering on the first day was Nahshon the son of Amminadab of the tribe of Judah. And his offering was one silver bowl weighing one hundred and thirty [shekels], one silver sprinkling basin [weighing] seventy shekels according to the holy shekel, both filled with fine flour mixed with olive oil for a meal offering. One spoon [weighing] ten [shekels] of gold filled with incense. One young bull, one ram and one lamb in its first year for a burnt offering. One young he goat for a sin offering. And for the peace offering: two oxen, five rams, five he goats, five lambs in their first year; this was the offering of Nahshon the son of Amminadab.”

– Bamidbar / Numbers 7:12 – 7:17

In the Hebrew Bible / the Christian Old Testament, G-d not only gave Moses instructions for how to deal with Pharaoh, but also instructions on how the Jewish people were to deal with the last days of the plague (in particular during the final plague); how to travel and camp; how to take a census (or accounting of the men); how to establish leadership; and how to build and dedicate a temple. G-d also instructed Moses that each Tribe of Israel was required to make a sacrifice, or offering, as a way to give thanks and offer devotion. In other words, according to what they were able and how many were in their tribe, each leader paid the cost of freedom.

Today in 1862, nearly nine months before the Emancipation Proclamation went into effect, President Abraham Lincoln signed the District of Columbia Compensated Emancipation Act. The act essentially ended slavery in the capital city (although it did not apply to fugitive slaves who had escaped from Maryland) and set aside over $100,100,000 as compensation for the 3,185 people who were freed.

That was the cost of freedom: over $1 million, plus an additional $100,000, for approximately 3,185 people.

But, let’s not get the facts twisted. The compensation was primarily for the slave owners who were “losing their property.” President Lincoln appointed a 3-person Emancipation Commission, which met 5 days a week, for months on end, in order to review 966 petitions and dole out compensation accordingly. Petitions included the name, age, sex, and “particular description” of the slave in question and were made on behalf of black, as well as white, “slave owners.” Yes, that is correct. At the time, certain places within the Union – like the District of Columbia – were home to freedmen who had purchased their family members so that they too could be free. (I started to put purchased in quotes, but the reality is people paid to be free.) This act did not apply to any Confederate slaver owners or anyone who had aided the Confederacy’s (lost) cause. Furthermore, it made it a felony to “kidnap” or in any way re-enslave a freed person or former slave.

The Compensated Emancipation Act paid Union slave-owners $300 per freed slave and paid former slaves a resettlement or “emigrant” fee – not to exceed $100 each – if they chose to relocate to places like Haiti and Liberia. It established payment for the commissioners ($200,000 each); a clerk ($200 per month plus an occasional 25 cent processing fee); and paid a marshal “such fees as are allowed by law for similar services performed by him in the Circuit Court of the District of Columbia.” It also stated, “that the Secretary of the Treasury shall cause all other reasonable expenses of said commission to be audited and allowed, and that said compensation, fees, and expenses shall be paid from the Treasury of the United States.” In July of 1862, an amendment was added which allowed former slaves to petition for compensation (on their own behalf) if their former masters had not already done so. The amendment did something even the Declaration of Independence and the original Act didn’t do: it gave equal weight and consideration to petitioners – regardless of their color or the color of the person who might challenge their petition.

Similar compensation was proposed, but never implanted in the rest of the United States. Today (Thursday, April 16^th), is Emancipation Day in the District of Columbia. It is a public holiday in the country’s capital city and yet, outside of D. C., most people don’t think twice about Emancipation Day – unless it falls on a Saturday or Sunday and thereby delays the official federal tax day.

So, there are three examples of the cost of freedom. What’s the cost of your freedom? What, for that matter, does it mean to you to be free? And, what are you doing with your freedom – even when your movement/freedom has been restricted by the quarantine and social distancing?

While you’re considering that… please consider Kissing My Asana (starting April 25^th).

Are you considering it?

30 Poses in 30 Days (scroll down to see April 16th)

A Musical Preview (scroll down to see March 16th)

A Preview of the April 16th Practice

### FEEL FREE, BE FREE ###

Ah, Freedom! (Passover and 42) April 15, 2020

Posted by ajoyfulpractice in Uncategorized.
Tags: 42, Jackie Robinson, Nahshon
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Don’t forget, A Little Yin… & A Lotta Yang presents “Lung Health and How We Cope Right Now (viewing COVID-19 through Traditional Chinese Medicine and YIN Yoga).” This is a special live event on YouTube (not my channel) starting at 3 PM CST. Details and link below.

“Thank you, God,
Look how misery has ended for us.
The rain has fallen,
The corn has grown,
All the children that were hungry are going to eat.
Let’s dance the Congo,
Let’s dance the Petro,
God said in Heaven
That misery has ended for us.”

– “Merci Bon Dieu” by Frantz Casseus, sung by Harry Belafonte

Can you imagine being the first to taste freedom?

I mean, it’s easy to think that there would be such overwhelming relief, gratitude, and joy. And maybe there was. But, there would also be trepidation. There might also be hesitation. There might be a little doubt that you know what to do or how to act. There might be some concern about the others who would follow you.

Can you imagine the first who knows the fear of having that freedom taken away? Can you imagine the attitude of the person who is first?

During last night’s class, I mentioned that Nahshon was the first to step into the turbulent waves of the Red Sea as the Jewish people were fleeing Egypt (and slavery) during the events commemorated in Passover. Nahshon is like Aaron in that, if your knowledge of Passover comes from a Hollywood movie or only from a random Christian sermon on the events, you may not have ever heard of him. You might even think that I made him up – or, given my background in theatre, that he is a compilation of people. But, if you go a little deeper into the story, there is quite a bit of information about this young man, who is often overlooked.

“The Lord spoke to Moses in the Sinai Desert, in the Tent of Meeting on the first day of the second month, in the second year after the exodus from the land of Egypt, saying. Take the sum of all the congregation of the children of Israel, by families following their fathers’ houses; a head count of every male according to the number of their names. From twenty years old and upwards, all who are fit to go out to the army in Israel, you shall count them by their legions you and Aaron. With you there shall be a man from each tribe, one who is head of his father’s house. These are the names of the men who shall stand with you; for Reuben, Elitzur the son of Shedeur. For Simeon, Shelumiel the son of Zurishaddai. For Judah, Nahshon the son of Amminadab.”

– Bamidbar / Numbers 1:1 – 1:7

Nahshon (or Naashon, in the King James version) appears by name in a number of places in the Bible, including The Book of Ruth and First Chronicles (specifically 2:11). If you go to the beginning of First Chronicles and follow the names, you will see he was a descendent of Adam, by way of Judah. He was also Aaron’s brother-in-law; was designated by Moses, at the behest of G-d, as a prince and military commander of the Tribe of Judah; and ultimately was the ancestor of King David, King Solomon, and all the kings of the Kingdom of Judah in the 10^th and 9^th century BCE. (He is also mentioned in the Christian New Testament, Matthew 1:4 and Luke 3:33, as an ancestor of Jesus.) According to the census instructions G-d gives Moses in “The Book of Numbers,” Nahshon was at least 20 years old during exodus. He not only “travels” first, he is also the first to make an offering to G-d once they are delivered and the tabernacle is established (N 7:12-17).

“Of the tribe of Judah, their descendants according to their families, according to their fathers’ houses; the number of individual names of every male from twenty years old and upward, all who were fit to go out to the army. Those counted from the tribe of Judah: 74,600.”

– Bamidbar / Numbers 1:26 – 1:27

In the Christian context, we think of the story of Passover starting in “The Book of Exodus” – and this makes sense if you think of it purely in the sense of this one story, the story of exodus, of a mass of people leaving. If you spend a year studying Torah, the Jewish Bible, than the story of exodus comes to you in the weekly portion called “Shemot,” which means “names” – as the book actually starts with a list of names of people, and their descendants, who came into Egypt. The story actually starts with a little background about the people and how they became slaves in Egypt.

The writers of the Bible are fond of names. There are plenty of books that begin with this person begetting that person and that person begetting this person. It’s easy to skim over these sections; it’s easy to overlook their importance. Consider, however, that it is important to know one’s context. One could argue that there is nothing more important than knowing who you are and where you come from. It’s important to remember that our actions are a reflection of from whence we come. Yet identity is something that is often lost in mass tragedy like slavery. If you don’t know who you are, it is easy to get lost and forget your purpose.

Sometimes, when people are lost, they need a new beginning, a touchstone, someone to lead the way and inspire. April 15^th is a day when the baseball community, as well as the African-American community, celebrates a young man who led the way – a man who was first to taste the bitter and the sweet that comes with a new experience of freedom. Today, (Tuesday, April 15^th) is Jackie Robinson Day. So, let’s play ball – or do a little yoga that’s good for people who play unilateral sports like baseball.

Please join me for class today (Wednesday, April 15^th) at 4:30 PM or at 7:15 PM on Zoom. Some of the new Zoom security protocols are definitely kicking in; so, please use the link from the “Class Schedules” calendar if you run into any problems. If you have not done so, you will need to register for the 7:15 practice. Wednesday’s playlist is available on YouTube and Spotify.

If you are following the Orthodox Christian calendar and would like a recording of last week’s classes, please comment or email me.

A LITTLE YIN… & A LOTTA YANG

Please join me and a special guest for “Lung Health and How We Cope Right Now (viewing COVID-19 through Traditional Chinese Medicine and YIN Yoga),” a discussion on the importance of the lungs in our overall wellbeing as well as how to just friggin’ cope right now. The conversation will include a brief overview of Traditional Chinese Medicine and YIN Yoga, as well as a brief Q&A followed by a little YIN Yoga.

If you are struggling with your physical or mental health, if you’ve always been curious about “alternative” medicine, and/or if you are missing your yoga practice, this special one hour event is for you. Please join us on YouTube, TODAY, Wednesday, April 15th, 3:00 PM to 4:00 PM.

Also, mark your calendar for April 25^th – the beginning of Kiss My Asana!

Speaking of Kiss My Asana…

Are you going to be the first one Kissing My Asana?

30 Poses in 30 Days (scroll down to see April 15th)

A Musical Preview (scroll down to see March 15th)

A Preview of the April 15th Practice

### AMEN, AŞĘ, SELAH ###

Envisioning Freedom, on a Tuesday April 14, 2020

Posted by ajoyfulpractice in "Impossible" People, Abhyasa, Books, Changing Perspectives, Faith, Healing Stories, Health, Hope, Life, Meditation, Music, Mysticism, Passover, Peace, Philosophy, Religion, Suffering, Traditional Chinese Medicine, Vairagya, Wisdom, Writing, Yin Yoga, Yoga.
Tags: Ashtavakra Gita, Christine Grisham, Covid, Exodus, Frantz Casseus, Harry Belafonte, KISS MY ASANA, Matthew Sanford, Mind Body Solutions, Pandit Rajmani Tigunait, Rod Stryker, Saint Ignatius of Loyola, Shemot, Vyasa
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“’Speak to the entire community of Israel, saying, “On the tenth of this month, let each one take a lamb for each parental home, a lamb for each household. But if the household is too small for a lamb, then he and his neighbor who is nearest to his house shall take [one] according to the number of people, each one according to one’s ability to eat, shall you be counted for the lamb.”’”

– Shemot / Exodus 12:3-4

“’And this is how you shall eat it: your loins girded, your shoes on your feet, and your staff in your hand; and you shall eat it in haste it is a Passover sacrifice to the Lord.’”

– Shemot / Exodus 12:11

Every year, as we approach the end of Passover, I think about the first Passover Seder. What would that have been like? How would have felt to celebrate freedom? How would it have felt to give thanks to G-d for that freedom? Charlie Harary points out that while it is natural to think the first Passover Seder occurred a year after exodus, it actually happened the night before exodus. That’s right: G-d commanded the Jewish people to celebrate their freedom and give thanks for being delivered out of Egypt before they were even free – even before they knew their freedom was guaranteed.

Can you imagine doing that? Can you imagine how it would feel? Can you imagine the faith it would take to sit in the middle of your suffering, in the middle of your family and friends as they suffer, and give thanks for what’s to come?

There is a history of this kind of observation in the Hebrew Bible. Remember, in Exodus, Deuteronomy and Leviticus, the instructions for Sukkot are to celebrate what will be given – not what has been given. On a certain level, the High Holidays falls into this paradigm; as the 10 Days of Awe / 10 Days of Atonement are a period of reflection, but also a period of looking forward.

“If one thinks of onself as free, one is free, and if one thinks of oneself as bound, one is bound. Here this saying is true, ‘Thinking makes it so.’”

– Ashtavakra Gita 1:11

It seems completely backwards to the modern mind. Today we think we need to Have something, in order to Do something, in order to Be what or who we want to be. However, Harary, as well as Neale Donald Walsh in Conversations with God, point out that the Old Testament formula – the formula for success in the time of Moses – was very different. Instead of Have + Do = Be, Harary and Walsh say that the formula was Be + Do = Have. So, if we want to have certain experiences, certain relationships, and certain things in our lives, we have to conduct ourselves as the person that has the experiences, relationships, and things we want in our lives.

“This formula is infallible. There is no wish that has been fulfilled, nor any wish that has been denied, that does not adhere to the principle of the Creation Equation. Every time that you got what you wanted, your desire for it plus the energy you invested in achieving it were greater than the forces that resisted you having it. Each time they weren’t greater, you didn’t get what you wanted.”

– Rod Styker in The Four Desires: Creating a Life of Purpose, Happiness, Prosperity, and Freedom

Think about it for a moment. One of the things with which people struggle at times is what to Do in a situation. Other times, we don’t struggle. We know exactly what to do and everything falls into place. Successfully achieving our goals still takes effort, it still takes work. But, sometimes, we know exactly what steps to take. How do we know? Because we’re in the mindset of the person who is going to do the work, we take that first step.

In The Four Desires, Rod Stryker codifies a similar formula for success, which he calls “The Creation Equation:” I_s+ I_v> I_k= P. Here, the intensity (or energy) of desire (I_s) combined with the intensity (or energy) put into achieving the goal (I_v), must be greater than the resistance to achieving the goal (I_k), in order for the goal to be achieved (P). It’s easy, straightforward, and makes perfect sense. The problem is that we don’t always realize how much resistance we have to overcome – or that a large bulk of resistance comes from not believing in our ability to achieve success; and/or, in others not believing that we can achieve our success. When we spend a lot of time focused on what we don’t have, we don’t do. When we wake up each morning knowing who we are (BE); we get to work, (DO)ing what we need; so that at the end of the day we HAVE what we need and want.

But, going back to that first Passover Seder for a moment, consider that there is also a contemplative history of imagining one’s self in a certain situation and considering how we would feel or act in that situation. In the Roman Catholic tradition, contemplation is imagining one’s self in the situations of the Gospels. This type of contemplation, along with discernment (noticing the interior movements of the heart), is a big piece of Saint Ignatius of Loyala’s “Spiritual Exercises.” Another example of contemplation in the Christian tradition is moving through the Stations of the Cross. In the 8-limbed philosophy of yoga, one of the niyamas (“internal observations”) is svādyāya (“self study” or “self reflection”). Svādyāya includes noticing how we physically, mentally, and emotionally react or respond to sacred text, music, or situations.

“The study of scripture is another way of putting the principle of self-study into practice…. Elaborating on the concept of svādyāya, Vyasa emphasizes that only those texts that embody indisputable knowledge showing us the path to ultimate freedom are an essential component of self-study. In other words, svādyāya entails the study of spiritual texts that are authentic, contain experiential knowledge, and are infused with the energy to guide us on the path of inner freedom.”

– commentary on Yoga Sutra 2:1 in The Practice of the Yoga Sutra: Sadhana Pada by Pandit Rajmani Tigunait

If you’re interested in practicing a little svādyāya, by “attending” the first Passover Seder, please join me for class today (Tuesday, April 14^th) at 12 Noon or at 7:15 PM on Zoom. Some of the new Zoom security protocols are definitely kicking in; so, please use the link from the “Class Schedules” calendar if you run into any problems. Tuesday’s playlist is available on YouTube and Spotify.

If you are following the Orthodox Christian calendar and would like a recording of last week’s classes, please comment or email me.

A LITTLE YIN… & A LOTTA YANG

For more ways you can offer yourself “small gestures of care, affection and prayer,” please join me and a special guest for “Lung Health and How We Cope Right Now (viewing COVID-19 through Traditional Chinese Medicine and YIN Yoga),” a discussion on the importance of the lungs in our overall wellbeing as well as how to just friggin’ cope right now. The conversation will include a brief overview of Traditional Chinese Medicine and YIN Yoga, as well as a brief Q&A followed by a little YIN Yoga.

Also, mark your calendar for April 25^th – the beginning of Kiss My Asana!

Speaking of Kiss My Asana…

Can you imagine Kissing My Asana?

30 Poses in 30 Days (scroll down to see April 14th)

A Musical Preview (scroll down to see March 14th)

A Preview of the April 14th Practice

“Thank you, God,
Look how misery has ended for us.
The rain has fallen,
The corn has grown,
All the children that were hungry are going to eat.
Let’s dance the Congo,
Let’s dance the Petro,
God said in Heaven
That misery has ended for us.”

– “Merci Bon Dieu” by Frantz Casseus, sung by Harry Belafonte

### AMEN, SELAH ###

So Much Suffering, on a Monday the 13th April 13, 2020

Posted by ajoyfulpractice in 7-Day Challenge, Bhakti, Books, Buddhism, Changing Perspectives, Depression, Dharma, Donate, Faith, Gratitude, Healing Stories, Health, Hope, Japa-Ajapa, Karma Yoga, Lent / Great Lent, Life, Loss, Love, Meditation, Music, Mysticism, One Hoop, Pain, Passover, Peace, Philosophy, Poetry, Religion, Suffering, Traditional Chinese Medicine, Tragedy, Wisdom, Women, Writing.
Tags: Beresh't, Bhagavad Gita, Buddha, Common Ground Meditation Center, Exodus, Genesis, Iyov, Job, KISS MY ASANA, Moses, Mumford and Sons, Passover, Shemot, Siddhartha, Suffering, Timshel, yoga, yoga sutras
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“First and foremost, we believe creation of the world, G-d created a world in which he wanted the human being to actually be able to do something – that is to say, to exercise free will, to be like G-d, meaning to be a creator, not to be lab rats…. He wants us to have a relationship with Him. But to have a relationship with G-d requires that I have an exercise of my free will…. Free will means an environment in which not necessarily do I always have pleasure when I make the right decisions and not necessarily does someone always suffer when they make the wrong decision. Free will is having real power to create stuff. Free will is having real power to alleviate suffering.”

– Rabbi Mordechai Becher, in vlog explaining one of several reasons why suffering exists

If you look back over this last week of blog posts, you will see a lot of different takes on suffering. So much suffering, in the midst of so much that is holy. I could point back to any number of quotes from this week’s post, any number of quotes from various traditions and belief systems. But, just focus on something simple…a simple list, the Four Noble Truths from Buddhism:

Suffering exists
Suffering is caused by attachment, clinging, craving
There is an end to suffering
The Noble Eight-fold Path is the way to end suffering

In the Passover story, Moses has similar experiences and a similar journey as Prince Siddhartha has in relation to Buddhism. (Both also have parallels to Arjuna’s experience at the center of the battlefield during The Bhagavad Gita.) There are some obvious differences, but let’s focus on the similarities for a moment. Both were raised in wealthy households, lived lives of privilege, experienced the suffering of others, and – instead of turning away, as some would do – both took the opportunity to alleviate themselves and others from suffering.

According to an oft quoted proverb, G-d is in the details – or, in the detail. And, it turns out, that the element of G-d is one of the big differences between the two stories. Another big difference is that while both heroes were raised in wealth, Moses was born a slave – and knew his connection to the Jewish people, people who were suffering. Prince Siddhartha, who becomes the Buddha (or “Enlightened One”) was 29 years old when he left the palace gates and saw suffering for the first time. At 35, when he became enlightened, the Buddha codified the 4 Noble Truths and began teaching. He died at the age of 80. This all happened in India, during the 6^th Century (~563) BCE.

On the other hand, Moses was born into suffering during the 14^th Century (placing Exodus between 1446 – 1406) BCE. Not only are the Jewish people, his people, enslaved when he is born, but because Pharaoh declared that all baby boys should be killed, Moses was born during greater than normal suffering. Theoretically, he always knew some amount of suffering existed. He was 40 years old when he had to flee his home after stepping in to protect a Jewish man was being beaten; he was 80 when G-d in the form of the burning bush commanded him to return to Egypt and speak to Pharaoh about freeing the Jewish people; and, subsequently, when he received the Torah, G-d’s truth for his people. He was 120 when he died.

Yoga Sutra 1.5: vŗttayah pañcatayyah klişțāklişțāh

– “The tendencies that cause the mind to fluctuate (or rotate) are fivefold, and are either afflicting or non-afflicting.”

Yoga Sutra 2.3: Avidyāmitārāgadveşābhiniveśāh kleśāh

– “Ignorance (or lack of knowledge), false sense of identity, attachment (rooted in pleasure), aversion (attachment rooted in pain), and fear of death or loss are the afflictions.”

In the Yoga Sutras Patanjali outlined how the mind works and how to work the mind. The mind, he explained, has a tendency to wander, move around, and get caught up in those fluctuations. Those fluctuations are either afflicted or not afflicted – meaning some thoughts bring us pain/suffering and others alleviate or don’t cause pain/suffering. He goes on to describe how to afflicted thoughts cause nine obstacles, which lead to five conditions (or states of suffering). Eventually, he describes exactly what he means by “afflicted thoughts.” Throughout these first two chapters of the text, he gives examples on how to overcome the afflicted thoughts; on how to alleviate the suffering they cause; and on how to overcome the obstacles and painful states of suffering. His recommendation: Various forms of meditation.

One technique Patanjali suggests (YS 1.33) is to offer loving-kindness/friendliness to those who are happy, compassion to those who are sad, happiness to those who are virtuous, and indifference to those who are non-virtuous. (Metta meditation is a great way to start this practice.) Knowing, however, that everyone can’t just drop into a deep seated meditation, Patanjali offers physical techniques to prepare the mind-body for meditation; this is the physical practice.

I find the yoga philosophy particularly practical. But then again, I tell my own stories.

Historically speaking, Patanjali was in India compiling the Yoga Sutras, which outlines the philosophy of yoga, during the Buddha’s lifetime. I have heard, that at some point in his life, the Buddha was aware of yoga – but that doesn’t mean he was aware of the yoga sutras, simply that he was aware of the lifestyle and the codes of that lifestyle. Perhaps he even had a physical practice. The Buddha, however, did not think the yoga philosophy was practical enough. In theory, this explains some of the parallels between yoga and Buddhism. It also may help explain why there are so many lists in Buddhism and why the Buddha taught in stories.

I have no knowledge of (and no reason to believe that) Moses knew anything about yoga, the yoga philosophy, or the sutras. However, he can be considered a “desert brother” or Jewish mystic for much of his adult life – meaning that he undoubtedly engaged in prayer, meditation, and contemplation. Even if he didn’t attribute certain aspects of the body to the aspects of the Divine that are found on the Tree of Life, and even if he didn’t physically move his body with the intention of connecting with G-d, Moses spent much of his adult life as a shepherd. As a shepherd, moving around the hills with his ship, Moses connected with nature and with G-d, which is the ultimate dream of some philosophers and truth seekers.

“Then Job stood up, and rent his robe and tore his hair; then he fell to the ground and prostrated himself. And he said, ‘From my mother’s womb, I emerged naked, and I will return there naked. The Lord gave and the Lord took; may the name of the Lord be blessed.'”

– Job, upon learning that how much he’s lost in a single moment (Iyov / Job 1.20-21)

Moses probably didn’t know the story of the Buddha. He would have, however, known the story of Job. The Book of Job takes place around the 6^th Century BCE – the same time as Prince Siddhartha’s evolution into the Buddha. It is the story of a man who endures great suffering. From Job’s perspective, there is a point when it could even be considered pointless suffering. But only to a point, because eventually Job’s suffering is alleviated and the way in which he endures the suffering is rewarded.

Job clings to his faith, believes that G-d is always with him. Moses, as I mentioned in yesterday’s post, is told by the burning bush that G-d will always be with him and with the Jewish people. So the lesson is, “[we] are not alone in this. / As brothers [and sisters] we will stand and we’ll hold your hand.”

Sometimes, when I sing-along to the Mumford and Sons’ Timshel (even when I embellish the lyrics, see above) I don’t point out that the title of the song does not translate to “you are not alone in this.” There is a reference in John Steinbeck’s East of Eden that refers back to Beresh’t / Genesis 4:7 and the story of Cain and Abel. Steinbeck translates G-d’s words to Cain as “thou mayest.” In reality, if you’re going to use Steinbeck’s reference, it’s “thou mayest rule;” but it is sometimes translated as “you can rule/master” or “you will rule /master” and the object of this command or explanation is “sin.” As in: You can (or will, or mayest) rule (or overcome, or master) Sin.

I’m not going to get into the various understandings and meanings of sin. Suffice to say, anything one would categorize as a sin can also categorized as an affliction and therefore something which causes suffering. The key part here is that many translations of “timshel” reinforce the concept of free will. We choose how we deal with suffering. Even when we don’t realize we are choosing, our choice can alleviate or increase our suffering.

The Buddha’s parables about the second arrow and the poisoned arrow brilliantly illustrate how this works. So too, do the stories of Cain and Able, Job, and Moses and the Jewish people during Exodus. Even the story of the Passion of the Christ – the story of Jesus and his last week of life – illustrates this same principle.

Yesterday, I finished class by quoting Pope Francis’s Easter vigil homily. Even though this week marks the end of Passover and takes us into Vaisakhi (in the Sikh tradition) and Ridvan (in the Hindu tradition), this is also the Holy Week or Passion Week in the Orthodox Christian traditions and so I’m going to end with that same bit of the Easter vigil homily.

“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.”

– Homily of His Holiness Pope Francis, Easter Vigil, Holy Saturday, 11 April 2020

If you are interested and available, please join me for the virtual Common Ground Meditation Center yoga practice on Zoom, today (Monday, April 13^th), 5:30 PM – 6:45 PM. Some of the new Zoom security protocols are definitely kicking in; so, please use the link from the “Class Schedules”calendar if you run into any problems. There is no music for this practice.

If you are following the Orthodox Christian calendar and would like a recording of last week’s classes, please comment or email me.

A LITTLE YIN… & A LOTTA YANG

Also, mark your calendar for April 25^th – the beginning of Kiss My Asana!

Speaking of Kiss My Asana…

Kissing My Asana is definitely a small gesture of care, affection, and prayer!

30 Poses in 30 Days (scroll down to see April 13th)

A Musical Preview (scroll down to see March 13th)

A Preview of the April 13th Practice

### AMEN, SELAH ###

Down the Rabbit Hole, on April 12th April 12, 2020

Posted by ajoyfulpractice in 7-Day Challenge, Abhyasa, Art, Bhakti, Books, Buddhism, Changing Perspectives, Depression, Donate, Faith, Fitness, Gratitude, Healing Stories, Health, Hope, Karma Yoga, Lent / Great Lent, Life, Loss, Love, Meditation, Music, Mysticism, One Hoop, Pain, Passover, Peace, Philosophy, Poetry, Religion, Science, Suffering, Traditional Chinese Medicine, Vairagya, Wisdom, Writing.
Tags: asana, Bhagavad Gita, COVID-19, Easter, Erwin Schrödinger, Eugene Wigner, Exodus, John 3:16, KISS MY ASANA, Palm Sunday, Passover, quantum mechanics, Sarah Kendzior, Shemot, yin tang, Yin Yoga, yoga
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PLEASE NOTE: This post involves a theoretical discussion on non-COVID related death.”

“People ask me how I find hope. I answer that I don’t believe in hope, and I don’t believe in hopelessness. I believe in compassion and pragmatism, in doing what is right for its own sake. Hope can be lethal when you are fighting an autocracy because hope is inextricable from time. An enduring strategy of autocrats is to simply run out the clock.”

– from Hiding in Plain Sight by Sarah Kendzior

“As spring is nature’s season of hope, so Easter is the Church’s season of hope. Hope is an active virtue. It’s more than wishful thinking….. My hope in the Resurrection is not an idle hope like wishing for good weather but an active hope. It requires something on my part – work. Salvation is a gift from God for which I hope, but Saint Paul told the Philippians to ‘work out your salvation with fear and trembling’ (2:12). My hope in the resurrection and eternal life in heaven requires work on my part.”

– from A Year of Daily Offerings by Rev. James Kubicki

Serendipitously, I received two texts from the same Austin suburb last night. One was from a friend, sharing the quote above. The other was from my brother, asking why people were celebrating the same thing at different times. The quote sharpened my focus. The question brings me to you.

Even though he didn’t ask the question in an all encompassing way, I am going to answer his question here in a broader sense, and in a pretty basic way. On Sunday, April 12^th, Western Christians are celebrating Easter, Orthodox Christians are celebrating Palm Sunday (the Sunday before Easter), the Jewish community is observing Passover and there are some people in the world celebrating both Easter (or Palm Sunday) and Passover. When you consider that this observations and celebrations are occurring all over the world – and keep in mind different time zone – it can get really confusing. Hence my brothers question.

As you remember, Passover is a commemoration of the Exodus story, which is the story of the Jewish people being freed from slavery in Egypt. The Jewish liturgical calendar is lunar-based and therefore Passover happens at a slightly different time each year on the Gregorian (i.e., secular) calendar. According to all four canonical Gospels of the New Testament, Jesus spent the last week of his life preparing for Passover (and what he knew was coming in terms of the Crucifixion and Resurrection). Three of the four indicate that what Christians (and artists) refer to as the “Last Supper” was actually a Passover Seder – so we are back to a lunar calendar, although it’s a different lunar calendar. Orthodox Christians operate under the old-school Julian calendar, so now we have a third timeline.

Just to add a little spice to the mix, consider that, dogmatically speaking, the concept of a Messiah originates within Judaism and includes specific qualifications for how the Messiah would be identified. According to the Christian paradigm, Jesus meets the qualifications. According to most Jews, he does not. Most modern Christians focus exclusively on the New Testament and observe holy times accordingly. Some Christians, however, also follow the observations commanded in Deuteronomy and Leviticus.

Got it? Be honest. If you need a scorecard, I’m happy to provide one – especially since I’m about to go down the (metaphorical) rabbit hole.

Whenever I think about Easter, the waiting that happens on the Saturday between Good Friday and Easter, and the moment when the rock is rolled away to reveal the empty tomb, I think of one thing: Wigner’s friend taking care of Schrödinger’s Cat.

For those of you not familiar with physicist Erwin Schrödinger’s thought experiment (or paradox), it goes like this. The (imaginary) cat is closed up in a box with an unstable radioactive element that has a 50-50 chance of killing the cat before the box is opened. According to quantum mechanics, there is a moment when the cat is simultaneously alive and dead. This is called superposition and it could be considered the scientific equivalent of non-duality. When the box is opened, revealing the state of the cat, the superposition collapses into a single reality. (There is also the possibility that opening the box changes the percentage, but that’s a whole different tunnel.)

Physicist Eugene Wigner took things a bit farther by adding a friend. According to the Wigner’s thought experiment, instead of doing the experiment, the scientist leaves it all in the hands of a friend and waits for a report. Now, there is the superposition inside of the box and there is a separate superposition inside the lab, which means the wave (or superposition) collapses into a single reality when the box is opened (creating reality as the friend knows it) and collapses again when the (imaginary) friend reports to the scientist (establishing the original scientist’s reality). Let’s not even get into what happens if the friend opens the box and leaves the lab without reporting back to the original scientist, but has a certain expectation – i.e., understanding of reality – about what the scientist will find in the lab. Through it all, the cat exists (and ceases to exist) within its own reality. It never experiences the superposition others experience. It just is.

That state of being, existing, takes us back to Passover, and eventually to the Resurrection of Jesus.

“’And know also, Arjuna, that as the Divinity in all creatures and all nature, I am birthless and deathless. And yet, from time to time I manifest Myself in worldly form and live what seems an earthly life. I may appear human but that is only my “mya” (power of illusion), because in truth I am beyond humankind; I just consort with nature, which is Mine.’”

– The Bhagavid Gita: A Walkthrough for Westerners (4:6), by Jack Hawley

“And He said, ‘For I will be with you, and this is the sign for you that it was I Who sent you. When you take the people out of Egypt, you will worship God on this mountain.’”

– Shemot / Exodus 3:12

“God said to Moses, ‘Ehyeh asher ehyeh (I will be what I will be),’ and He said, ‘So shall you say to the children of Israel, “Ehyeh (I will be) has sent me to you.’””

– Shemot / Exodus 3:14

In the Exodus story, the Jewish people are slaves in Egypt and G-d commands Moses to go to Pharaoh and demand they be released. Moses takes his brother Aaron along and then, when their show of power doesn’t convince Pharaoh of the authority of G-d, everyone is subject to nine plagues: blood, frogs, lice, wild beasts in the streets, pestilence, boils, hail, locusts, and day(s) of darkness. Remember it’s not only Pharaoh and the Egyptians who suffer. The Jews, who are already suffering the hardship of slavery, also have to endure these additional hardships. On the evening of the tenth plague, the death of the first born male child, the Jewish families are told they are to smear lambs blood on their doors – so their households will be passed over. They are also commanded to celebrate and give thanks for their freedom – even though they are still slaves.

Yes, it is a little mind boggling, but what passes as the first Passover Seder happens in Egypt and during a time of slavery. Considering Pharaoh had changed his mind before, they had no way of knowing (with any certainty) that they would be freed immediately after the tenth plague. See where this is going? In that moment, the Jewish people are simultaneously free and not free.

Furthermore, Rabbi David Fohrman, quoting Shlomo Yitzchaki, the medieval French rabbi known as Rashi, points out that when G-d initial speaks to Moses and Moses asks for G-d’s identity, Moses is told three times that the One who speaks is the One who will be with Moses and the Jewish people always. Regardless of what they are experiencing, Rashi explains, G-d will be with them. This is the very definition of compassion, which literally means “to suffer with.”

“’Whenever goodness and “dharma” (right action) weaken and evil grows stronger, I make Myself a body. I do this to uplift and transform society, reestablish the balance of goodness over wickedness, explain the sublime plan and purpose of life, and serve as the model for others to follow. I come age after age in times of spiritual and moral crisis for this purpose.’”

– The Bhagavid Gita: A Walkthrough for Westerners (4:7-8), by Jack Hawley

Jesus (during his time), and future Christians, are kind of in the same boat. In the last week of his life, he is betrayed, crucified, dead, buried, and resurrected – and he simultaneously is not. However, most of that is semantics. What is critical is the dead/buried, and resurrected part. In those moments, even right after the tomb is opened and there is some confusion about what has happened, Jesus is essentially Schrödinger’s Cat – and Christians, as well as non-believers, are either the original scientist or the friend.

Yet, when everything is said and done (stay with me here), this is all head stuff. What people are observing, commemorating, and/or celebrating right now, isn’t really about the head. Faith never is. It’s all about the heart. It’s all about love. Specifically, in these examples, it all comes back to G-d’s love expressed as compassion.

“For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.”

– John 3:16 (NIV)

“’Strange? Yes. It is difficult for most people to comprehend that the Supreme Divinity is actually moving about in human form. But for those few who dare to learn the secret that is I, Divinity, who is the Operator within them, their own Self, My coming in human form is a rare opportunity to free themselves from the erroneous belief that they are their bodies.’”

– The Bhagavid Gita: A Walkthrough for Westerners (4:9), by Jack Hawley

Please join me today (April 12^th) for my first every Easter Sunday service/practice, 2:30 PM – 3:35 PM, on Zoom. Some of the new security protocols are definitely kicking in so, please use the link from the “Class Schedules” calendar if you run into any problems. The playlist is available on YouTube and Spotify.

If you are following the Orthodox Christian calendar and would like a recording of last week’s classes, please comment or email me.

A LITTLE YIN… & A LOTTA YANG

For more ways you can practice pragmatism and self-compassion, please join me and a special guest for “Lung Health and How We Cope Right Now ((viewing COVID-19 through Traditional Chinese Medicine and YIN Yoga),” a discussion on the importance of the lungs in our overall wellbeing as well as how to just friggin’ cope right now. The conversation will include a brief overview of Traditional Chinese Medicine and YIN Yoga, as well as a brief Q&A followed by a little YIN Yoga.

Also, mark your calendar for April 25^th – the beginning of Kiss My Asana!

Speaking of Kiss My Asana…

Kissing My Asana is pragmatic and compassionate!

30 Poses in 30 Days (scroll down to see April 12th)

A Musical Preview (scroll down to see March 12th)

A Preview of the April 12th Practice

AMEN, SELAH ###

The Virtue of Patience April 11, 2020

Posted by ajoyfulpractice in 7-Day Challenge, Abhyasa, Books, Buddhism, Changing Perspectives, Depression, Dharma, Donate, Faith, Fitness, Food, Gratitude, Healing Stories, Health, Hope, Japa, Japa-Ajapa, Karma Yoga, Lent / Great Lent, Life, Loss, Mala, Meditation, One Hoop, Pain, Passover, Peace, Philosophy, Poetry, Religion, Science, Suffering, Traditional Chinese Medicine, Tragedy, Vairagya, Wisdom, Writing, Yoga.
Tags: COVID-19, hatha yoga, KISS MY ASANA, Lazarus Saturday, Life, neuroscience, Passover, psychiatry, serotonin, yoga
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PATI [Latin, “suffer” > Late Latin, passio > Old French …> Middle English, PASSION]

PATI [Latin, “suffer”> Latin, patientia, “suffering”> Old French…> Middle English, PATIENCE]

– Etymology (the origin and meaning history) of the words “passion” and “patience”

Ask almost anyone, their family, and their friends if the original person is patient and you will often receive very divergent answers. There are people who cultivate patience, people who practice patience, and people who seem naturally patient. Then there’s everyone else. Or so it seems. The truth, when it comes to patience can be a little more nuanced than a single answer. It turns out we have different definitions / understandings of patience. Furthermore, our ability to be patient has as much (maybe more) to do with our situation (not to mention our neurobiology and perspective) than with our personality or habits.

Serotonin is a naturally produced chemical in the brain that sustains healthy brain and nerve function. Although it is a neurotransmitter, which helps relay signals in the brain, 90% of a person’s serotonin supply is found in the digestive track and in blood platelets. Too much or too little can affect our brain function (especially memory and learning), our overall mood, sexual desire and function, appetite, sleep, temperature regulation, and (on a certain level) engagement with the world. Too much or too little serotonin can adversely affect our cardiovascular system, muscles, endocrine system, and digestive system.

Studies indicate that next time you’re “hangry,” instead of blaming the person (or situation) pushing your buttons, you could blame your serotonin levels. You could also, however, consider your expectations.

In a 2018 Psychology Today article, Christopher Bergland described McDonald’s struggling with the “patience effect” when drive-thru customers didn’t realize their longer wait time was resulting in a higher quality burger. He also pointed out how Heinz struggled with people being irritated by how long it took ketchup to come out of an old-fashioned glass bottle back in the 70’s. Neither company changed their process. Instead, both companies overcame their issues with ad campaigns that changed customers’ expectations and, in the process, customers’ patience.

“Mice in a lab aren’t much different than humans waiting at the drive-thru or for ketchup to dispense from an old glass bottle. In a recent experiment, researchers pinpointed the role that serotonin plays in “the patience effect” depending on the confidence a mouse has that it’s worth waiting a few extra seconds for a delayed food reward…. the researchers found that stimulating serotonin production made the mice willing to wait for a food reward if they knew there was at least a 75% chance of being fed after waiting a maximum of 10 seconds. When the odds of receiving the food reward slipped below this threshold, serotonin failed to increase patience. ‘The patience effect only works when the mouse thinks there is a high probability of reward,’ [ Dr. Katsuhiko] Miyazaki said in a statement.

The main takeaway from this research is that the link between serotonin levels and subsequent behavior appears to be highly dependent on a mouse’s subjective confidence in an expected outcome.”

– Christopher Bergland, a world-class endurance athlete, coach, author, and political activist

Much of what’s happening in the world right now results in experiences that feel like our serotonin levels are out of whack. And that’s not a coincidence – especially when you consider the role emotional and social support play in maintaining healthy serotonin levels. To add insult to injury, unlike the people in the drive-thru, the people with the old-fashioned ketchup bottle, or the mice, we have no real expectations of when our patience will be rewarded. So, frustration – and suffering – increases.

Once again, we are caught in a feedback loop; because, studies show negative thought patterns, hostility, and irritability result in decreased health (including serotonin levels), which in turn causes us to experience an increase in negative thoughts, hostility, and irritability. There is hope, however.

Dr. Simon N Young, in 2007 Journal of Psychiatry and Neuroscience article reviewing neuroscience research, pointed out “alterations in thought, either self-induced or due to psychotherapy, can alter brain metabolism” and hypothesized that it could also increase serotonin levels, He also highlighted the fact that exposure to sunlight (even on a cloudy day) and bright lights can increase serotonin levels. Finally, he pointed to a third and fourth “strategy” for increasing serotonin levels: exercise and diet.

Four ways, right here, that you can do today!

cultivate positive thoughts (maybe through meditation, hint, hint);
step into the bright lights, baby;
exercise (yoga, anyone?);
and be mindful of what you eat.

If you’re available, please join me today (Saturday, April 11^th), Noon – 1:30 PM for a live yoga practice on Zoom. The “04112020 LSPW” playlist is available on YouTube and Spotify. My only request is that you let go of some expectations.

If you are following the Orthodox Christian calendar and would like a recording of last week’s classes, please comment or email me.

Meanwhile, regular loving-kindness meditation can improve your mood (hint, hint below). This type of Metta Meditation was part of my daily commute prior to the pandemic. Part I gives you a little background and a partially guided meditation. Part II (coming soon) includes guided meditation for the cardinal and intercardinal directions. These meditations were recorded in the Spring of 2019.

Also, mark your calendar for April 25^th – the beginning of Kiss My Asana – and a special YIN Yoga event this Wednesday, April 15^th, at 3:00 PM

Speaking of Kiss My Asana…

Pucker Up and Kiss My Asana!

To give you some ideas, consider that in past years my KMA offerings have included donation-based classes and (sometimes) daily postings. “Flashback” to one of my previous offerings dated April 11th (or thereabouts):

30 Poses in 30 Days (scroll down to see April 11th)

A Musical Preview (scroll down to see March 11th)

A Preview of the April 11th Practice

### BE WELL ###

Something Good…On Friday April 10, 2020

Posted by ajoyfulpractice in 7-Day Challenge, Abhyasa, Baha'i, Bhakti, Books, Buddhism, Changing Perspectives, Confessions, Depression, Dharma, Donate, Faith, Gratitude, Healing Stories, Health, Hope, Japa, Japa-Ajapa, Karma Yoga, Lent / Great Lent, Life, Loss, Love, Mala, Mantra, Meditation, Minneapolis, Minnesota, Music, Mysticism, One Hoop, Pain, Passover, Peace, Philosophy, Religion, Suffering, Sukkot, Traditional Chinese Medicine, Twin Cities, Vairagya, Wisdom, Writing.
Tags: Good Friday, KISS MY ASANA, Lent / Great Lent, loving-kindness, meditation, Metta, Passover, Religion, Yin Yoga
4 comments

“You ain’t got no kind of feeling inside
I got something that will sho’ ’nuff set your stuff on fire
You refuse to put anything before your pride
What I got will knock all your pride aside”

– “Tell Me Something Good” by Chaka Khan and Rufus

For the first time in 11 years, I am not teaching on Good Friday. For the first time in 11 years, I am teaching on Easter. It’s a little surreal and bittersweet. Because, while I know some people appreciate a yoga practice that essentially mirrors the Via Dolorosa and walks through the Stations of the Cross; I also know it’s a little much for some folks. Every year, someone asks me if I’m going to do the Good Friday theme and, every year, someone thanks me and says that it’s meaningful, which is good.

Most people think of the word “good” in the modern context, as something that as desired, approved, right, pleasing, and welcome. Non-Christians have a hard time understanding why the day associated with the trial, persecution, crucifixion, and death of Jesus would be considered good. It becomes more obvious when you go a little deeper.

In the Old Testament time, the time in which Jesus lived, saying something was “good” meant that something was meaningful, it had a purpose. In the Christian tradition, Jesus is recognized as the Messiah, the Christ, the one who heralds and ushers in an era of peace and salvation. He serves his purpose, because he lives, suffers, is crucified, dies, is buried, and rises – in order for sins to be forgiven. There is no passion, no crucifixion, no death, no burial, nor resurrection, however, without the betrayal. Implying that the betrayal and Judas, by extension, are good, because they are meaningful (and have a purpose) is one of the things that gets me into trouble.

“And God saw that it was good.”

– Words that appear 7 times in the Creation Story found in Bereish’t /Genesis

Every year, with the exception of last year, someone complains to the YMCA management about one of my Passion Week classes. It doesn’t matter that the complaint often comes up in a class where I’ve also told the Passover story. It doesn’t matter that throughout the year, I talk about a variety of religions and religious observations. It’s always Passion Week that causes someone to say that what I teach and the why I teach are not appropriate.

Keep in mind, people will sometimes tell me that I made them uncomfortable (or even touched them) because of something that was personal only to them. Yoga can be very healing, but in the process it can bring up a lot of trauma. Religion, specifically religious fanaticism, has caused a lot of harm in the history of the world; so it is not surprising that some folks would be upset to hear me talking about a religious practice during a yoga practice – especially if they are not familiar with the history and original intention of the philosophy. On the religious front, though, the complaint always goes through management and it always involves Christianity and Passion Week. The irony is not lost on me that these classes were always at the Young Men’s Christian Association.

“That they all may be one. (John 17:21)”

– YMCA motto adopted, along with the “Paris Basis,” by international delegates at the First World Conference of the YMCA, 1855

I would like to think that I’ve become a little wiser and a little more conscious as a teacher. I definitely appreciate feedback and take it into consideration. That said, I still teach the themes I teach. I still teach with the understanding that everyone doesn’t believe what I believe. I still teach with the understanding that even when I teach from a historical, philosophical, and conceptual perspective, some people will think I am of a certain faith and have a religious agenda.

I hate breaking it to y’all, but I’m neither Jewish, Christian, Muslim, Buddhist, Sikh, Baha’i, Daoist, Hindu, Wiccan, Pagan, nor any number of things you might have considered. But, I do have an agenda.

“Yoga” means union. Throughout the 8-Limb philosophy there is a recognition of and belief in something Divine – G-d. Whatever that means to you at this moment, it is simultaneously that and not that (neti, neti). The end goal of the philosophy is sometimes referred to as “union with the Divine.” That, however, does not mean – or does not only mean – union with an anthropomorphic being. It does, however, mean a state of awareness and existence that understands how everything and everyone is connected. Being connected, working together, that is yoga. Being intentional about our thoughts, words, and deeds, because what we think, say, and do affects everything and everyone around us, that is part of the practice. As a yogi, that’s my agenda: yoga.

“We talk of becoming one with God and many seekers are looking to reach higher spiritual levels, but first we must unify the different parts of ourselves. To see that we are complex beings, often with apparent internal contradictions, but this too is also a form of oneness. Understanding the Divine begins by first understanding ourselves.”

– from the introduction to The Kabbalah Sutras: 49 Steps to Enlightenment, by Marcus J. Freed

While I am not teaching on Good Friday this year, I am teaching on what is considered Lazarus Saturday in the Orthodox Christian traditions and this Sunday (which is Easter in the Roman Catholic and Western Christian traditions and Palm Sunday in the Orthodox Christian traditions). I’m not sure how things will work on Sunday. I haven’t even decided how I will hold space for the practice. But, I would love for you to join me on Zoom, Saturday (12:00 PM – 1:30 PM) and/or Sunday (2:30 PM – 3:35 PM). Playlists will be available on YouTube and Spotify.

If you are following the Orthodox Christian calendar and would like a recording of last week’s classes, please comment or email me.

Meanwhile, I offer you a little taste of my personal practice (see meditation below) and a little peek at what’s to come (see Kiss My Asana “flashbacks” below). Stay tuned for a special YIN Yoga event this Wednesday, April 15^th, at 3:00 PM

METTA MEDITATION (with relationships):

Prior to the quarantine, Metta Meditation was part of my daily commute. Part I gives you a little background and a partially guided meditation. Part II (coming soon) includes guided meditation for the cardinal and intercardinal directions. These meditations were recorded in the Spring of 2019.

KISS MY ASANA YOGATHON:

I know you wanna Kiss My Asana!

30 Poses in 30 Days (scroll down to see April 10th)

A Musical Preview (scroll down to see March 10th)