A Joyful Practice

Quick Notes & Excerpts RE: Breathing, on Saint Crispin’s Day (the “missing” Saturday post) October 25, 2025

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 25^th. 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.

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“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 25^th, 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.

More 1.34, on 10.25 (the “missing” Wednesday post)

“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).

First Step: Breathe In, Second Step: Breathe Out

“‘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).

For Those Who Missed It: Third Step: Repeat the First & Second Steps

The practice begins ~5 minutes in….

“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.

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).

¹NOTE: Some scholars describe Saint Crispin and Saint Crispinian as twins; some simply as brothers; and some indicate that they were brothers in Spirit.

### “How Do You Know You’re Breathing?” ###