A Quick Note & EXCERPT: “Caught In The Middle” November 10, 2024

Many blessings to everyone and especially to looking for friendship, peace, freedom, understanding, and wisdom.

Stay safe! Hydrate and nourish your heart, body, and mind. CONTINUE TO BREATHE!

“You are not only responsible for what you say, but also for what you do not say.”

— Martin Luther (b. 1483)

There is often a contradiction between what someone thinks they will do in a situation and what they actually do in that situation. Sometimes this is because our ideals don’t line up with our actual actions (i.e., thoughts, words, and deeds). Sometimes it is because the situation is much messier than what we imagined. That messiness can come from our own hearts and minds — and it can also come from the hearts and minds of others.

For a lot of people, things are messy right now. You might find — even if things are [quote-unquote] going your way — that your sympathetic nervous system is kicking in and that you want to fight, flee, or freeze (collapse). Take a moment to breathe and come back to (a variation of) the “formula” I have mentioned over the last few days

• What are you seeing/hearing? 

• What are you thinking?

• What are you feeling?

• What do you want?

• What can you do?

It is in this moment, this liminal or threshold moment, that we choose how we untangle this double bind of Catch-22 situation.

CLICK ON THE EXCERPT TITLE BELOW FOR A RELATED POST.

For Those Who Missed It: Caught In The Middle

“‘The enemy,’ retorted Yossarian with weighted precision, ‘is anybody who’s going to get you killed, no matter which side he’s on, and that includes Colonel Cathcart. And don’t you forget that, because the longer you remember it, the longer you might live.’”

— quoted from Catch-22 (Chapter 12) by Joseph Heller (pub. 1961)

Please join me for a 65-minute virtual yoga practice on Zoom today (Sunday, November 10^th) at 2:30 PM. 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 by emailing myra (at) ajoyfulpractice.com.

Sunday’s playlist is available on YouTube and Spotify. [Look for “05252022 Pratyahara II”]

NOTE: In previous years, we used a different pratyahara playlist. Click on the excerpt title above if you want to use that playlist instead.

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 a new 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.

### “Everything that is done in the world is done by hope.” (ML) ###