A Little Time for Little Things (the “missing” Saturday post) September 23, 2023

Happy Equinox and many blessings, to everyone and especially those celebrating Ganesh Chaturthi!! “Chag sameach!” to those observing the High Holidays. 

This is a “missing” post for Saturday, September 23^rd. NOTE: Some information has previously been posted in a (slightly) different context. You can request an audio recording of either practice via a comment below or (for a slightly faster reply) you can email myra (at) ajoyfulpractice.com.

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“Because there’s a lot of work out there
Everything will be fine
And I’ll send for you baby
Just a matter of time”

— quoted from the song “A Matter of Time” by Los Lobos 

Do you ever wish for a little more time?

Or, for similar reasons, do you ever wish certain things didn’t take up so much of your daylight hours?

There are certain times of year — like at the beginning of a new year and/or the beginning of a new season — when I think about this quite a bit. When observations related to a new year overlap with a change in the astronomical seasons, I do more than think about how I actually spend my time. I also start considering what I could do with more time — even if the actual time is only a little more.

This year, the eighth day of the High Holidays (and the fifth day of Ganesh Chaturthi) overlapped the Autumnal Equinox in the Northern Hemisphere on Saturday, September 23^rd. Along with Winter Solstice, Vernal (or Spring) Equinox, and Summer Solstice, the Autumnal Equinox is one of four noteworthy (and marked) dates that are, theoretically, produced because of the angle of the Earth as it rotates around the sun. I say, “theoretically,” because the terms solstice and equinox refer to phenomena that don’t happen exactly as they are described.

While most people know that the sun does not, literally, “stand still” on the solstices, we still like to think that everyone around the world has equal amounts of day and night on the equinoxes — and that these appreciable moments in time are actually that: appreciable and notable. The truth, however, is that there is no sudden/automatic change in how much light and how much darkness we get. It’s not a dimmer switch. Additionally, we can notice changes much earlier than indicated by the celestial calendar. Furthermore, no one is really getting 12 hours of daylight and 12 hours of night on the actual equinox.

We perceive daylight long after the sun has moved below the horizon and, therefore, daytime is longer at latitudes above the equator than below. Here in Houston, I got 12 hours and 7 minutes (as did people in the Twin Cities; Cairo, Egypt; and Shanghai, China). On the flip side, someone in Anchorage, Alaska got 12 hours and 10 minutes (as did people in Helsinki, Finland). Even at the equator, a true 12-hour split doesn’t happen on the equinox: It happens on the equilux (“equal light”), which this year falls between September 25^th and October 17^th, depending on how close you are to the equator. The closer you are to the equator, the later the date.

So, for a few more days (or weeks) we all have more daylight than usual.

How could you spend your time?

“And then we spoke about Rosh Hashana… finally.

People always talk about making big changes – New Year resolutions.

‘I want to lose 50 pounds.’

‘I want to finish the entire Talmud.’

‘I’m going to spend 90 minutes of quality time with my daughter every night.’

It doesn’t work. It never does. And if it does, it peters out. You have no choice. You must start small.”

— quoted from “Preparing for Rosh Hashana: The secret to an inspiring new year” by Rabbi Yaakov Salomon

If you are anything like me, there’s a good chance that when you decide you want to do something (or stop doing something), you want one of those handy-dandy “time slips” — not because you don’t want to do the work, but because once you make up your mind you’re ready for the change. However, we can’t snap our fingers and “skip to the good part.” We do not have a magical, fantastical (theoretically possibly) way of skipping ahead. Even if we did, it wouldn’t be advisable, because we wouldn’t (necessarily) be ready on every level. Just because some part of our mind is ready, doesn’t mean our whole being is ready. We get ready during the time that we’re taking the steps to make something happen (or to make something stop happening).

Those steps — even when they are little baby steps — make a big difference.

The following excerpt was originally posted in 2021. Due to the sequences, the order of the “little things” is different each year. The order below is the 2021 order. Some embedded links connect outside of this blog.

“The key to getting the most out of any experience is preparation before the event. You cannot expect to leap from the shower to the shul and instantly feel holy. It just doesn’t work that way.”

— quoted from “Preparing for Rosh Hashana: The secret to an inspiring new year” by Rabbi Yaakov Salomon

Just as you can’t jump up off the coach and run a marathon, without some training, Rabbi Yaakov Salomon once pointed out that the desire for a deep spiritual connection requires some preparation. The means he mentioned included introspection, meditation, and prayer — all methods also mentioned in other traditions, including in Indian philosophies like yoga. A lot of people, however, aren’t familiar with all 8-limbs of the Yoga Philosophy; they just know about the two limbs that form the postural practice: āsana and prāņāyāma. But, just practicing those two little things can take you deeper into the overall practice and help cultivate big connections.

In many ways, hatha yoga (the physical practice of yoga, regardless of the style or tradition) is all about little things and about bringing awareness to the little things. The way we sit or stand determines how we breathe; the way we breathe in different positions determines how we feel. When we bring our awareness to how we feel we can go deeper into the pose as well as into ourselves. It all starts with little things. Little things, like how we place our hands or engage our core, can make the difference between going deeper into a pose and deeper into ourselves versus getting injured.

Although, sometimes we learn a lot about ourselves from getting injured; but that’s another story for another day.

Using the practice to notice little things can give us insight into why we think the way we think and do (and say) the things we do (and say) — on and off the mat. It can also help us bring awareness to how little things get us ready for the big things. For instance, next time you’re on the mat, give yourself the opportunity to notice these “little things” – one at a time and then all together:

1. Make sure your legs are in a position that’s comfortable for your low back and that your arms are in a position that’s comfortable for neck and shoulders.
2. Breathe deeply in and breathe deeply out.
3. Notice the “L” of your hands, especially when you have weight in your hands and arms. (In grade school you might have learned that one “L” on your forehead means loser, but if you put two “L”s together you have a shot at a goal; if you tip the ends out, you have a “W” — which means winner.)
4. For a vinyāsa practice, match the movement to the breath. For all practices, notice the natural internal movement that happens as you breathe.
5. Press your shoulders down and squeeze the tips of your shoulder blades together. Notice how the engagement in the back body affects the front of the body.
6. Engage the inside (starting at your feet and engage your core by squeezing into your midline).
7. Focus on something that’s not moving so that your mind-body stays present. Remember, where your eyes go, your mind goes; where your mind goes, your body goes — especially in a balancing pose.
8. SMILE!
9. Notice what happens when you put it all together.
10. Change your perspective and look at things in a slightly different way. (If you are working on a peak and/or advanced pose, practice a pose that looks and feels similar and, therefore, may require similar engagement.)
11. Don’t panic! Be present and trust your practice in this moment.

This practice also featured the personal story from Rabbi Yaakov Salomon. It’s a story about little things and is a great reminder that while we may not always notice the little things until they become the big things, the little things matter. In fact, every little thing we feel, think, say, and do is the possibility of a big thing we’re in the habit of feeling, thinking, saying, or doing.

“Believe in what you’re doing”

— quoted from the song “A Matter of Time” by Los Lobos

Saturday’s playlist is available on YouTube and Spotify. [Look for “High Holidays: Little Things”]

### MAY YOUR NAME BE WRITTEN AND SEALED IN THE BOOK OF LIFE & MAY YOU HAVE FEW OBSTACLES ###