A Joyful Practice

A Quick Note & EXCERPT: “Who are you on the inside (outside)?” August 8, 2026

Peace, blessings, and hydration!!!

“Poetry and philosophy will become friends. (II. 140)
Philosophy is the highest poetry. (VI. 63)

Philosophy is no joke or talk. (III. 10)

Our philosophy does not depend upon any personality for its truth. (V. 207)”

— quoted from Pearls of Wisdom by Swami Vivekandanda (collected from speeches and writings, edited by The Ramakrishna Mission Institute of Culture)

Sometimes people forget, or never knew, that Yoga is a philosophy. It is, actually, one of six (6) Indian darshans (“views” or philosophies). As I’ve mentioned before (and highlighted in the 2020 post I am quoting here), the word philosophy comes to us from Greek, by way of Latin, Old French, and Middle English, from a word that means “love of wisdom”. It is the study of the fundamental nature of knowledge, thought, reality, and existence. It provides a way to think about and understand the world, the universe, and everything. As stated in Wikipedia, it “is the study of general and fundamental questions about existence, knowledge, values, reason, mind, and language.” The most basic question being, “Why?” – Which spirals out of some variation of even more existential questions.

Throughout the history of the world, people have come at these questions from different directions. In Sophie’s World: A Novel About the History of Philosophy we get “a survey course in ancient and modern philosophy (through the beginning of the 20th Century).”

Click on the excerpt title below for more.

Who are you on the inside (outside)?

“So now you must choose… Are you a child who has not yet become world-weary? Or are you a philosopher who will vow never to become so? To children, the world and everything in it is new, something that gives rise to astonishment. It is not like that for adults. Most adults accept the world as a matter of course. This is precisely where philosophers are a notable exception. A philosopher never gets quite used to the world. To him or her, the world continues to seem a bit unreasonable – bewildering, even enigmatic. Philosophers and small children thus have an important faculty in common. The only thing we require to be good philosophers is the faculty of wonder…”

— quoted from Sophie’s World: A Novel About the History of Philosophy by Jostein Gaarder (b. 1952)

Please join me today (Saturday, August 8^th) 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 me at myra           (at) ajoyfulpractice.com.

Saturday’s playlist is available on YouTube and Spotify. [Look for “04262020 Philosophy of Locks”]

Extreme heat can not only make people lethargic and unmotivated, it can also lead to extreme agitation and anxiety-based fear. We may find it hard to think, hard to feel (or process our feelings), and/or hard to control our impulses. If you are struggling in the US, help is available just by dialing 988.

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 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 need 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.

You’re Invited to Bend… & To Take The Deepest Breath You’ve Taken — On Retreat!

September 25 — 27, 2026

### “Who are you? I really want to know?” — The Who [written by Pete Townshend] ###