Blessings, light, love, and peace to everyone, everywhere! Many blessings to everyone and especially to anyone looking out for others in the name of friendship, peace, freedom, understanding, and wisdom.
May all of us together be safe and protected / May we be peaceful and happy.
“Violence is clearly destructive. It springs from fear, one of the fundamental afflictions. According to this sutra, the practice of non-violence requires us to arrest our violent tendencies by cultivating thoughts opposite to violence.”
— quoted from the commentary on Yoga Sūtra 2.33 from The Practice of the Yoga Sutra: Sadhana Pada by Pandit Rajmani Tigunait, PhD
“No, don’t give up I won’t give up ‘Cause there must be angels”
— quoted from the song “Angels” by Tom Walker (written by Emma Davidson-Dillon / James Eliot / Thomas Alexander Walker)
Please join me today (Wednesday, October 29th) at 4:30 PM or 7:15 PM for a yoga practice on Zoom. You can use the link from the “Class Schedules”calendar if you run into any problems checking into the class. You can request an audio recording of this practice via a comment below or (for a slightly faster reply) you can email myra(at) ajoyfulpractice.com.
Wednesday’s playlist is available on YouTube and Spotify. [Look for “10292022 Angels, Devils, Mischief, Cabbage”]
NOTE: This playlist has been updated in a way that may slightly change the timing when paired with previous practices (prior to 2023).
If you are thinking about suicide, worried about a friend or loved one, or would like emotional support, you can dial 988 (in the US) or call 1-800-273-TALK (8255)for the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline. You can also call this TALK line if you are struggling with addiction or involved in an abusive relationship. The Lifeline network is free, confidential, and available to all 24/7. YOU CAN TALK ABOUT ANYTHING.
White Flag is an app, which I have not yet researched, but which may be helpful if you need peer-to-peer (non-professional) support.
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.
Many blessings to everyone and especially to anyone cultivating friendship, peace, freedom, understanding, and wisdom.
Peace in / Peace out. Grace in / Grace out.
For Those Who Missed It: The followingwas originally posted in 2023 (and revised in 2024).Class details and links have been updated.
“If this symphony is misunderstood, and torn to shreds, I shall think it quite normal, and not at all surprising. It will not be the first time. But I myself absolutely believe it to be the best and especially the most sincere of all my works. I love it as I have never loved any single one of my other musical creations.”
— quoted from an 1893 letter from Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky to his nephew Vladimir “Bob” Davydov as posted in “Music History Monday: His Own Requiem?” by Robert Greenberg
How are you feeling today?
Perhaps you are feeling a lot. Perhaps you are feeling one emotion strongly — or a combination of strong emotions. Perhaps you are feeling so much that you are overwhelmed and feeling numb… as if you are feeling nothing.
No matter what you are feeling, take a moment to breathe into what you are feeling.
There is grace in that breath and the ability to breathe into what you are feeling.
Note, that I have not indicated or suggested that what you are feeling is positive, negative, or neutral; good, bad, or neutral. However, there’s a pretty good chance that you assigned a value to the idea of strong feelings, emotions. That’s what we do as humans. That’s one (really three… or six) of the reasons why sensations can be experienced in 108 different ways according to some Eastern philosophies.
PRACTICE NOTE: The 2024 practice focused more on breath and sensations/feelings/vibrations. Previous practices on this date have highlighted musicians born on this date (in 1969 and 1962) who really moved people and/or musical events that emotionally “shook” people. For example, Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky’s Symphony No. 6 in B minor, Op. 74, known as “The Passionate Symphony,” premiered today in 1893 (according to the Gregorian calendar) and Elvis Presley performed the first of two shows at the Pan Pacific Auditorium in Los Angeles, California, today in 1957.
Click on the excerpt title below to learn about some of the conspiracy theories related to Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky and his music.
“‘What’s your emotional power over women?’ demanded one obviously influenced female reporter.
‘Gosh…’ replied Elvis, whispering something inaudible into a mike provided for the occasion.”
— quoted from the 1957 article “Elvis Wiggles, Fans Scream at Pan-Pacific” by Wally George
Please join me today (Tuesday, October 28th) at 12:00 PM or 7:15 PM for a yoga practice on Zoom. You can use the link from the “Class Schedules” calendar if you run into any problems checking into in the class.You can request an audio recording of this practice via a comment below or by emailing myra(at) ajoyfulpractice.com.
Tuesday’s playlist is available on YouTube and Spotify. [Look for “10282020 Feeling Pathétique?”]
NOTE: The playlist primarily focuses on Tchaikovsky; but, I finally added some before/after music related to Elvis and some musicians born on this date.
If you are thinking about suicide, worried about a friend or loved one, or would like emotional support, you can dial 988 (in the US) or call 1-800-273-TALK (8255)for the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline. You can also call this TALK line if you are struggling with addiction or involved in an abusive relationship. The Lifeline network is free, confidential, and available to all 24/7. YOU CAN TALK ABOUT ANYTHING.
White Flag is an app, which I have not yet researched, but which may be helpful if you need peer-to-peer (non-professional) support.
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.
Many blessings to everyone and especially to anyone cultivating friendship, peace, freedom, understanding, and wisdom.
May everyone be healthy and strong; may everyone be peaceful and happy; and may everyone recognize their whole self.
For Those Who Missed It: The following was originally posted on October 27, 2024. One embedded link and a quote have been updated/added. The 2025 prompt question was, “What is giving you hope (even if it’s just a little bit of hope)?”You can request an audio recording of this practice or a previous practice via a comment below or (for a slightly faster reply) you can email myra (at) ajoyfulpractice.com.
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.
— quoted from the poem “Do not go gentle into that good night” by Dylan Thomas (b. 1914)
There are a lot of noteworthy things related to this date in history — including the fact that Laura Inter founded Brújula Intersexual (Intersex Compass), “a Mexican organization that works with intersex people, activists, and communities in Mexico, Latin America, and Spain”, today in 2013. All of the things, even the ones not mentioned in the practice and/or the excerpt below, are related to how we live our lives (i.e., how we spend our time) and how we interact with each other during the limited time that we have together.
The hope is that we can respect each other, be kind, and hold space for what each of us experiences on any given day.
“I took a deep breath and listened to the old bray of my heart: I am, I am, I am.”
or
“I took a deep breath and listened to the old brag of my heart: I am, I am, I am.”
— quoted from two different editions of The Bell Jar by Sylvia Plath (b. 1932)
There is no playlist for the Common Ground Meditation Center practices.
NOTE: Over the last few years, we have used four (4) different playlists on this date. The playlist we used in 2024 is available on YouTube and Spotify. [Look for “10272021 Another Appointment”]
“You and I are told increasingly we have to choose between a left or right. Well I’d like to suggest there is no such thing as a left or right. There’s only an up or down: [up] man’s old – old-aged dream, the ultimate in individual freedom consistent with law and order, or down to the ant heap of totalitarianism. And regardless of their sincerity, their humanitarian motives, those who would trade our freedom for security have embarked on this downward course.”
— quoted from the 1964 “A Time for Choosing” speech by Ronald Reagan
If you are thinking about suicide, worried about a friend or loved one, or would like emotional support, you can dial 988 (in the US) or call 1-800-273-TALK (8255)for the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline. You can also call this TALK line if you are struggling with addiction or involved in an abusive relationship. The Lifeline network is free, confidential, and available to all 24/7. YOU CAN TALK ABOUT ANYTHING.
White Flag is an app, which I have not yet researched, but which may be helpful if you need peer-to-peer (non-professional) support.
“And further, monks, as if a monk sees a body dead…, he then applies this perception to his own body thus: ‘Verily, also my own body is of the same nature; such it will become and will not escape it.’
Thus he lives contemplating the body in the body internally, or he lives contemplating the body in the body externally, or he lives contemplating the body in the body internally and externally. He lives contemplating origination-factors in the body, or he lives contemplating dissolution factors in the body, or he lives contemplating origination-and-dissolution-factors in the body. Or his mindfulness is established with the thought: ‘The body exists,’ to the extent necessary just for knowledge and mindfulness, and he lives detached, and clings to nothing in the world. Thus also, monks, a monk lives contemplating the body in the body.”
— quoted from Satipatthana Sutta (The Foundations of Mindfulness) translated by Nyanasatta Thera
Many blessings to everyone and especially to anyone cultivating friendship, peace, freedom, understanding, and wisdom on Intersex Awareness Day.
May everyone be healthy and strong; may everyone be peaceful and happy; and may everyone recognize their whole self.
For Those Who Missed It: The following was originally posted in 2024. Class details have been updated.
“[A monk] then applies this perception to his own body thus: ‘Verily, also my own body is of the same nature; such it will become and will not escape it.’
Thus he lives contemplating the body in the body internally, or he lives contemplating the body in the body externally, or he lives contemplating the body in the body internally and externally. He lives contemplating origination-factors in the body, or he lives contemplating dissolution factors in the body, or he lives contemplating origination-and-dissolution-factors in the body. Or his mindfulness is established with the thought: ‘The body exists,’ to the extent necessary just for knowledge and mindfulness, and he lives detached, and clings to nothing in the world. Thus also, monks, a monk lives contemplating the body in the body.”
— quoted from Satipatthana Sutta (The Foundations of Mindfulness) translated by Nyanasatta Thera
Prāņāyāma — the awareness of breath (and the extension of breath) — is a big part of the physical practice of yoga (haṭha yoga, regardless of the style or tradition). As we bring awareness to our breath, on and off the mat, we may start to notice the things that take our breath away. We can experience things that take our breath away because they are surprising and beautiful. We can experience things that take our breath away because they are surprising and terrifying. Then there are things that take our breath away because they are just surprising, unexpected….
We may rush to qualify them with some adjective or another and, in doing so, rush to some conclusion about what we need to do… when, really, we just need to breathe (that’s today’s first step); recognize what is (that’s today’s second step); and repeat the first two steps (that’s the third step).
CLICK ON THE EXCERPT TITLE BELOW FOR THE RELATED POST (& VIDEO).
According to experts, around 1.7% of the population is born with intersex traits – comparable to the number of people born with red hair.”
— quoted from the Amnesty International article “Its Intersex Awareness Day – here are 5 myths we need to shatter”
October 26th is Intersex Awareness Day, which highlights and raises awareness about human rights issues faced by intersex people. It also raises awareness around the fact that there are people — all around the world — who are born with one or more sex characteristics that “do not fit typical binary notions of male or female bodies.” According to the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, these characteristics include chromosome patterns, gonads, and/or genitalia.
While there may be just as many people in the world with red hair as there are people in the world with intersex traits, the latter are not as easy to spot. Estimates on how many people are born with intersex traits may vary (depending on the traits and/or conditions) from 3% to 0.0009%. Aside from the fact that I’m referencing statistics related to over 40 intersex conditions, the wide variation in estimates is related to the fact that some people are not initially identified (medically) as intersex. Additionally, some people may never be identified as intersex. Lack of diagnosis can be the result of something relatively small — like the fact that a baby’s chromosome patterns (and/or gonads) are not typically tested. However, lack of diagnosis can also be the result of something fairly major — like the fact that sex (and gender) are typically assigned at birth based on the external appearance of a baby’s genitals.
And, here’s the kicker: If a baby’s genitalia appears ambiguous (to a medical practitioner) and/or atypical, a common practice has been to surgically alter the genitalia. Sometimes, even a baby’s internal sex organs (gonads) will be altered. Again, these surgeries and medical treatments happen to babies, as well as to children and young adults, who are too young to consent and/or may not be informed about their options. Sometimes, even their parents are not informed!
Medical attitudes and practices related to people with intersex characteristics are changing, in part because of people like Morgan Holmes and Max Beck, who both participated in the first public demonstration of intersex people (and their allies) in North America, today in 1996. Dr. Holmes (a Canadian sociologist) and Mr. Beck (who died in of cancer in 2008) attended the American Academy of Pediatrics annual conference in Boston, Massachusetts, with the intention of delivering a presentation on the long-term outcomes of “fixing” intersex infants through cosmetic surgery. However, they were met with what they described as “hostility” and escorted out of the venue. They later returned, outside of the venue, to demonstrate and advocate for better medical awareness. In 2003/2004, Betsy Driver (who was mayor of Flemington, New Jersey, January 2, 2019 – January 3, 2023) and artist and activist Emi Koyama organized the first official Intersex Awareness Day on the anniversary of that first public protest. Since then, people like Morgan Carpenter and Laura Inter have advocated for self-determination, while also providing peer support and education for and about people who have intersex traits.
For the next two weeks — up until November 8th, which is Intersex Day of Remembrance (also known as Intersex Solidarity Day) — grassroots organizations around the world will host events related to intersex visibility. Some of these events will be celebrations and opportunities for networking. Some of these events will be moments of reflection and remembrance. Some of these events will be all about political action and advocacy. All of these events will be about putting an “end [to] shame, secrecy and unwanted genital cosmetic surgeries on intersex children.”
“The flag is comprised of a golden yellow field, with a purple circle emblem. The colours and circle don’t just avoid referencing gender stereotypes, like the colours pink and blue, they seek to completely avoid use of symbols that have anything to do with gender at all. Instead the circle is unbroken and unornamented, symbolising wholeness and completeness, and our potentialities. We are still fighting for bodily autonomy and genital integrity, and this symbolises the right to be who and how we want to be.”
— quoted from the creator statement entitled “The intersex flag” by Morgan Carpenter, PhD.
Please join me today (Sunday, October 26th) at 2:30 PM for a yoga practice on Zoom. You can use the link from the “Class Schedules”calendar if you run into any problems checking into the class. You can request an audio recording of this practice via a comment below or (for a slightly faster reply) you can email myra(at) ajoyfulpractice.com.
Sunday’s playlist is available on YouTube and Spotify. [Look for “10272020 Pranayama II”]
If you are thinking about suicide, worried about a friend or loved one, or would like emotional support, you can dial 988 (in the US) or call 1-800-273-TALK (8255)for the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline. You can also call this TALK line if you are struggling with addiction or involved in an abusive relationship. The Lifeline network is free, confidential, and available to all 24/7. YOU CAN TALK ABOUT ANYTHING.
White Flag is an app, which I have not yet researched, but which may be helpful if you need peer-to-peer (non-professional) support.
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.
Peace. wisdom, and knowledge to all, every day and especially on Saint Crispin’s Day!
This compilation of excerpts is the “missing” post for Saturday, October 25th.Note: I did not reference Anne Tyler’s biography (or other books) this year as I have in previous years. You can request an audio recording of this practice or a previous practice via a comment below or (for a slightly faster reply) you can email myra (at) ajoyfulpractice.com.
In the spirit of generosity (“dana”), the Zoom classes, recordings, and blog posts are freely given and freely received. If you are able to support these teachings, please do so as your heart moves you. (NOTE: You can donate even if you are “attending” a practice that is not designated as a “Common Ground Meditation Center” practice, or you can purchase class(es).
Donations are tax deductible; class purchases are not necessarily deductible.
“This story shall the good man teach his son;
And Crispine Crispian shall ne’er go by,
From this day to the ending of the world,
But we in it shall be remembred;”
— quoted from Act IV, Scene iii, of Henry V by William Shakespeare
Today, October 25th, is Saint Crispin’s Day, also known as the Feast Day of Saint Crispin — although, technically, it is the feast day of Saint Crispin and his twin brother1 Saint Crispinian. It is also the birthday of the the novelist, short story writer, and literary critic Anne Tyler (b. 1941).
Click on the excerpt title below for more about why we remember Saint Crispin Day.
“We few, we happy few, we band of brothers;
For he to-day that sheds his blood with me
Shall be my brother; be he ne’er so vile,
This day shall gentle his condition;”
— quoted from Act IV, Scene iii, of Henry V by William Shakespeare
The post excerpted above highlights the fact that we are all connected through breath and the act of breathing. One of the things highlighted in Anne Tyler’s Breathing Lessons is the fact that many people are not taught the importance of breathing… or even how to breathe.
Click on the excerpt title below for more about Anne Tyler, Breathing Lessons, and the practice of prāṇāyāma (the awareness and extension of breath).
“‘Breathing lessons – really,’ [Fiona] said, dropping to the floor with a thud. ‘Don’t they reckon I must know how to breathe by now?’”
— quoted from Breathing Lessons by Anne Tyler
“‘Oh honey, you’re just lucky they offer such things,’ Maggie told her…. ‘I mean you’re given all these lessons for the unimportant things–piano-playing, typing. You’re given years and years of lessons in how to balance equations, which Lord knows you will never have to do in normal life. But how about parenthood? Or marriage, either, come to think of it. Before you can drive a car you need a state-approved course of instruction, but driving a car is nothing, nothing, compared to living day in and day out with a husband and raising up a new human being.’”
— quoted from Breathing Lessons by Anne Tyler
Click on the excerpt title below for more about the the practice of prāṇāyāma (and commentary on the video below).
“Mindfulness of breathing takes the highest place among the various subjects of Buddhist meditation. It has been recommended and praised by the Enlightened One thus: ‘This concentration through mindfulness of breathing, when developed and practiced much, is both peaceful and sublime, it is an unadulterated blissful abiding, and it banishes at once and stills evil unprofitable thoughts as soon as they arise.’ Though of such a high order, the initial stages of this meditation are well within the reach of a beginner though he be only a lay student of the Buddha-Dhamma.”
— quoted from the commentary on the Satipatthana Sutta (The Foundations of Mindfulness) by Nyanasatta Thera
Saturday’s playlist is available on YouTube and Spotify. [Look for “10272020 Pranayama II”]
If you are thinking about suicide, worried about a friend or loved one, or would like emotional support, you can dial 988 (in the US) or call 1-800-273-TALK (8255)for the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline. You can also call this TALK line if you are struggling with addiction or involved in an abusive relationship. The Lifeline network is free, confidential, and available to all 24/7. YOU CAN TALK ABOUT ANYTHING.
White Flag is an app, which I have not yet researched, but which may be helpful if you need (non-professional) support.
1NOTE: Some scholars describe Saint Crispin and Saint Crispinian as twins; some simply as brothers; and some indicate that they were brothers in Spirit.
Please join me today (Saturday, October 25th) at 12:00 PM for a yoga practice on Zoom. You can use the link from the “Class Schedules”calendar if you run into any problems checking into the class. You can request an audio recording of this practice via a comment below or (for a slightly faster reply) you can email myra(at) ajoyfulpractice.com.
Saturday’s playlist is available on YouTube and Spotify. [Look for “10272020 Pranayama II”]
If you are thinking about suicide, worried about a friend or loved one, or would like emotional support, you can dial 988 (in the US) or call 1-800-273-TALK (8255)for the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline. You can also call this TALK line if you are struggling with addiction or involved in an abusive relationship. The Lifeline network is free, confidential, and available to all 24/7. YOU CAN TALK ABOUT ANYTHING.
White Flag is an app, which I have not yet researched, but which may be helpful if you need (non-professional) support.
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.)
Happy Diwali and Kali Puja! Happy Festival of the Twin Birthdays! Blessings, light, love, and peace to everyone, everywhere!
May you be healthy, wealthy, and wise!
This “missing” compilation post for Wednesday, October 22nd, features some new and previously posted content, plus related excerpts. Please note that linked excerpts direct you to posts that will include content related to a specific year and, therefore, may include references to different holidays/events. You can request an audio recording of this practice or a previous practice via a comment below or (for a slightly faster reply) you can email myra(at) ajoyfulpractice.com.
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.
“Yama said: ‘The goal which all the Vedas declare, which all austerities aim at and which men desire when they lead the life of continence, I will tell you briefly: it is Om.’”
— quoted from Katha Upanishad (Part I – Chapter II, Verse 15) translated by Swami Nikhilananda
Since Diwali, the Indian festival of lights, is a lunar calendar-based holiday, it falls at different times on the Gregorian calendar. In 2025, the fifth day of Diwali — which continues the focus on relationships, this time between siblings — overlaps the Festival of the Twin Birthdays (on the Baháʼí Faith calendar); the anniversary of the birth of Franz Listz (b. 1811)1; and a successful lightbulb moment (for Thomas Edison, in 1879).
Click on the excerpt title below for more about how the fifth day of Diwali shines light on siblings.
“Brighten our hearts, O my Lord, with the splendor of Thy knowledge, and illumine our sight with the light of such eyes as are fixed upon the horizon of Thy grace and the Dayspring of Thy glory.”
— quoted from “– XXXI –” in Prayers and Meditations by Bahá’u’lláh (Translated by Shoghi Effendi from the original Persian and Arabic)
As I mentioned earlier in the year, the Baháʼí Faith is a monotheistic faith that believes in the oneness of God and religion, as well as the oneness and nobility of humanity. The community believes that, historically, there has been a “progressive revelation of religious truth” which has been shared with the world through the voices of the prophets or Divine Messengers, known as “Manifestations of God” (which include “Braham, Krishna, Zoroaster, Moses, Buddha, Jesus Christ, Muhammad, and, in more recent times, the Báb and Bahá’u’lláh”). People within the faith are taught to honor the value of different religious and philosophical traditions as well as the value of education, especially in science (which is viewed by some faiths as being contrary to religion).
The Bahá’í calendar begins around the Vernal (Spring) Equinox in the Northern Hemisphere and has 19 months with 19 days — each named for one of the 19 names/manifestations/attributes of God. For example, “Knowledge” is the English translation for ‘Ilm, the current month of this solar calendar.2 The fact that light can represent knowledge is one of the reasons I find this year’s overlap with Diwali particularly auspicious.
This last two days of Diwali (2025) overlap two of the nine Bahá’í Holy Days: the birthdays of the twin founders of the faith. Known as the Festival of the Twin Birthdays (or the Twin Holy Birthdays), the birthdays of the the Báb and Bahá’u’lláh started at sunset on Tuesday night and continue through sunset on Thursday night. The birthdays are celebrated as one continuous 48-hour “day” — even though the two prophets were born two years apart.
Born in Shiraz, Iran, on October 20, 1819,3 the Báb founded the Babi faith (or Bábism), which evolved into the Bahá’í Faith. While there are still people who follow the original messianic tradition, most people within the Babi community converted to the Bahá’í Faith. The Báb is sometimes compared to John the Baptist, in that he is seen as the herald or messenger born to announce the importance of Bahá’u’lláh.
Recognized as the founder of the Bahá’í Faith, Bahá’u’lláh was actually born two years earlier than his religious predecessor, in Tehran, Iran, on November 12, 1817.4 He outlined the laws, practices, and holy days of the Bahá’í Faith in the Kitáb-i-Aqdas (the “Most Holy Book”) and later explained that the Twin Holy Birthdays were seen as one (by God) and that “… two great festivals have been joined into one, auguring a brilliant future.” These are work-free feast days full of joy and considered a celebration of the twin founders as well as of the unity of community.
“O peoples of the earth! Verily the resplendent Light of God hath appeared in your midst, invested with this unerring Book, that ye may be guided aright to the ways of peace and, by the leave of God, step out of the darkness into the light and onto this far-extended Path of Truth.”
— quoted from the Qayyúmu’l-Asmá’ (cf. Qur’án 5:15–18), as printed in Selections From the Writings of the Báb by the Báb (Compiled by the Research Department of the Universal House of Justice and translated by Habib Taherzadeh with the assistance of a Committee at the Bahá’í World Centre)
Click on the excerpt below for more about Thomas Edison’s 1879 “lightbulb moment”.
“However, the fact is that during the night season everyone perceiveth the light which he himself, according to his own capacity, giveth out, oblivious that at the break of day this light shall fade away and be reduced to utter nothingness before the dazzling splendor of the sun.
The light of the people of the world is their knowledge and utterance….”
— quoted from the Persian Bayán (VIII, 1.), as printed in Selections From the Writings of the Báb by the Báb (Compiled by the Research Department of the Universal House of Justice and translated by Habib Taherzadeh with the assistance of a Committee at the Bahá’í World Centre)
Wednesday’s playlist is available on YouTube andSpotify. [Look for “Diwali (Day 5) for 10222025”]
NOTES:
1My only commentary about Franz Listz was that his music and biography brought a little light to Anne Frank (and her family) during the darkness that was the Holocaust.
2Since it is a moveable feast, the Festival of the Twin Birthdays can fall a month earlier or later, during Mashíyyat (“Will”) or Qudrat (“Power”). Bahá’u’lláh originally indicated that if the festival coincided with a fast, the feast would take precedent.
3The birthdays of the Báb and Bahá’u’lláh occur on the first and second days of Muharram, the first month on the Islamic calendar.
4Prior to 2015, Baháʼí living in the Middle East celebrated the Twin Holy Birthdays according to the Islamic calendar (as noted above), while members of the community in other parts of the world used the Gregorian calendar dates.
Yoga Sūtra 1.36: viśokā vā jyotişmatī
— “Or [fixing the mind] on the inner state free of sorrow and infused with light, anchors the mind in stability and tranquility.”
If you are thinking about suicide, worried about a friend or loved one, or would like emotional support, you can dial 988 (in the US) or call 1-800-273-TALK (8255)for the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline. You can also call this TALK line if you are struggling with addiction or involved in an abusive relationship. The Lifeline network is free, confidential, and available to all 24/7. YOU CAN TALK ABOUT ANYTHING.
White Flag is an app, which I have not yet researched, but which may be helpful if you need peer-to-peer (non-professional) support.
Please join me today (Wednesday, October 22nd) at 4:30 PM or 7:15 PM for a yoga practice on Zoom. You can use the link from the “Class Schedules”calendar if you run into any problems checking into the class. You can request an audio recording of this practice via a comment below or (for a slightly faster reply) you can email myra(at) ajoyfulpractice.com.
Wednesday’s playlist is available on YouTube andSpotify. [Look for “Diwali (Day 5) for 10222025”]
If you are thinking about suicide, worried about a friend or loved one, or would like emotional support, you can dial 988 (in the US) or call 1-800-273-TALK (8255)for the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline. You can also call this TALK line if you are struggling with addiction or involved in an abusive relationship. The Lifeline network is free, confidential, and available to all 24/7. YOU CAN TALK ABOUT ANYTHING.
White Flag is an app, which I have not yet researched, but which may be helpful if you need peer-to-peer (non-professional) support.
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.
Happy Diwali and Kali Puja! Blessings, light, love, and peace to everyone, everywhere (and especially for those preparing to celebrate the Birth of the Báb !
“I go around your mind just as the sun[light] goes around heaven and earth
May you be the one loving me only, not another
may you not go away from me”
— Atharva Veda 6.8 (translated by Dr. R. L. Kashyap)
In addition to being the fourth day of Diwali, which is a day that shines light on love and devotion — especially between husbands and wives — October 21, 2025, is the anniversary of the birth of Alfred Nobel (b. 1833) and (may be) the anniversary of a successful moment in the life of Thomas Edison.
Click on the excerpt title below for more about the fourth day of Diwali.
“I have not failed 10,000 times. I have not failed once. I have succeeded in proving that those 10,000 ways will not work. When I have eliminated the ways that will not work, I will find the way that will work.”
— (attributed to) Thomas Edison
At some point, late on the evening of October 21st, or sometime in the wee early morning hours of October 22nd, 1879, Thomas Edison, age 32, tested what we now consider the first successful (commercially viable) electric light bulb.
Click on the excerpt title below to discover more about Thomas Edison and Dr. Alfred Nobel.
“If I have a thousand ideas and only one turns out to be good, I am satisfied.”
— Dr. Alfred Nobel
Please join me today (Tuesday, October 21st) at 12:00 PM or 7:15 PM for a yoga practice on Zoom. You can use the link from the “Class Schedules” calendar if you run into any problems checking into in the class.You can request an audio recording of this practice via a comment below or by emailing myra(at) ajoyfulpractice.com.
Tuesday’s playlist is available on YouTube and Spotify. [Look for “Diwali (Day 4) 2020”]
If you are struggling, thinking about suicide, worried about a friend or loved one, or would like emotional support, you can dial 988 (in the US) or call 1-800-273-TALK (8255)for the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline. You can also call this TALK line if you are struggling with addiction or involved in an abusive relationship. The Lifeline network is free, confidential, and available to all 24/7. YOU CAN TALK ABOUT ANYTHING.
White Flag is an app, which I have not yet researched, but which may be helpful if you need peer-to-peer (non-professional) support.
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.
Happy Diwali and Kali Puja! Blessings, light, love, and peace to everyone, everywhere on World Osteoporosis Day!
This post-practice post for Monday, October 20th, is a compilation post featuring some quick notes and excerpts. Please note that linked excerpts direct you to posts that will include content related to a specific year and, therefore, may include references to different holidays/events. The 2025 prompt question was, “How do you let your little light shine?”You can request an audio recording of this practice or a previous practice via a comment below or (for a slightly faster reply) you can email myra(at) ajoyfulpractice.com.
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.
“The light of the eyes makes the heart happy; good news fattens the bone.”
— Mishlei — Proverbs (15:30)
Monday, October 20, 2025 was the the third day — and, for some, the biggest day — of Diwali. In some areas, this celebration is also known as Kali Puja. Since the five-day celebration of Diwali is based on a lunar calendar, it falls at a slightly different on the Gregorian calendar each year. This year, the biggest celebrations fell on the same day as World Osteoporosis Day!
Click on the excerpt title below for more about the first three days of Diwali.
According to the International Osteoporosis Foundation, “osteoporosis remains severely underdiagnosed and undertreated—especially among those who have already sustained fragility fractures. Shockingly, up to 80% of patients with osteoporotic fractures receive no follow-up diagnosis or treatment. The consequences are devastating: chronic pain, disability, loss of independence, increased risk of future fractures, and premature death. Families, healthcare systems, and economies also shoulder the heavy burden of this neglect.” The 2025 theme highlights the fact that it is unacceptable for over 500 million people, worldwide, to live with a condition that is underdiagnosed, undertreated, and preventable.
Click on the excerpt title below for more about World Osteoporosis Day and how our practice helps our bones.
“Those who practice yoga say it is life changing. Those of us who are as flexible as a piece of lumbar are not so sure. I admire yoga’s rich history, more than five thousand years old, but I run into a few mental roadblocks in understanding concepts like grounding and spinal energy. In fact, I was sitting in my slumped-over and crooked version of the lotus position during a special yoga class taught by Bruce’s mentor Matthew Sanford, when Matthew said to a student, ‘Breathe into your spine for God’s sake!’ I had no idea what that meant. The student understood though, and he made proper adjustments. What was remarkable was that both teacher and student were in wheelchairs.”
— quoted from “24. Dis Ease Yoga” in When Know How This Ends: Living while Dying by Bruce H. Kramer with Cathy Wurzer
There is no playlist for the Common Ground Meditation Center practices.
NOTE: I reference the Gāyatrī Mantra and Atharva Veda (6.8) during this practice, both of which are on the playlist available on YouTube and Spotify. [Look for “Diwali (Day 3-4) 2022”]
If you are thinking about suicide, worried about a friend or loved one, or would like emotional support, you can dial 988 (in the US) or call 1-800-273-TALK (8255)for the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline. You can also call this TALK line if you are struggling with addiction or involved in an abusive relationship. The Lifeline network is free, confidential, and available to all 24/7. YOU CAN TALK ABOUT ANYTHING.
White Flag is an app, which I have not yet researched, but which may be helpful if you need (non-professional) support.
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A Joyful Practice 