Many blessings to everyone and especially to anyone making memories full of peace, freedom, and wisdom (inside and outside).
“We are able to find everything in our memory, which is like a dispensary or chemical laboratory in which chance steers our hand sometimes to a soothing drug and sometimes to a dangerous poison.”
— quoted from The Captive, Volume 5 of Remembrance of Things Past (or In Search of Lost Time) by Marcel Proust
It is super ironic that I have a hard time remembering that today (July 10th) is the anniversary of the birth of the French author Valentin Louis Georges Eugène Marcel Proust, who was born today in 1871 (in Auteuil, Paris, France). This lapse in memory is not new. In fact, I could weave in a little Yoga Philosophy — see Yoga Sūtras 1.6, 1.11, 4.9, and maybe 1.43 — and tell you a long and funny story about the origins of this gap in my mind. However, my long story wouldn’t be nearly as long as the Marcel Proust’s most well-known tome: À la recherche du temps perdu. Known in English as Remembrance of Things Past or In Search of Lost Time, it is 1,267,069 words and was printed in 7 volumes over 14 years (1913-1927). At the time of its publication, it was the longest novel every written. Today, I believe it ranks as the 6th longest novel. (Although that ranking annoyingly places it behind The Blah Story by Nigel Tomm, which includes pages with just one word: Blah.)
Marcel Proust wrote all about the origins of our memories and how we recollect things, at will and involuntarily. In doing so, pointed out that we have fool hearted memories, whimsical memories, and memories that have gaps. That is just part of being human. We have faulty memories. Strong emotions (and preconceived notions) can sharpen our awareness of certain things, causing us to forget things, remember things in the wrong order, and/or misremember things all together. Another thing that can create faulty memories is the way we learn about things — especially things about which we (or our teachers) have strong emotions. Throw in a situation none of us were around to witness and watch the sparks fly.
“We will now discuss in a little more detail the struggle for existence…. I should premise that I use the term Struggle for Existence in a large and metaphorical sense, including dependence of one being on another, and including (which is more important) not only the life of the individual, but success in leaving progeny.”
— from On the Origin of Species by Means of Natural Selection, or the Preservation of Favoured Races in the Struggle for Life by Charles Darwin (pub. 1859)
Today in 1925, The State of Tennessee v. John Thomas Scopes, better known as “The Scopes Monkey Trial,” kicked off in Dayton Tennessee. Click the excerpt title below for more.
“It has often and confidently been asserted, that man’s origin can never be known: but ignorance more frequently begets confidence than does knowledge: it is those who know little, and not those who know much, who so positively assert that this or that problem will never be solved by science.”
— from The Descent of Man, and Selection in Relation to Sex by Charles Darwin (pub. 1871)
Please join me today (Wednesday, July 10th) 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 “07102024 ‘Scoping’ Memories”]
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 celebrating Ivana-Kupala, saints, and/or cultivating a heart full of peace, freedom, and wisdom (inside and outside).
“Wie ich Dich liebe, Du meine Sonne, ich kann mit Worten Dir’s nicht sagen. Nur meine Sehnsucht kann ich Dir klagen und meine Liebe, meine Wonne!”
In which way I love you, my sunbeam, I cannot tell you with words. Only my longing, my love and my bliss can I with anguish declare.”
— German and English lyrics of a love poem (to Alma Mahler-Werfel) associated with the final movement of “Symphony No. 5” composed (and written) by Gustav Mahler (b. 07/07/1860)
Born today in 1860, the composer Gustav Mahler expressed his love for his wife Alma with poems and music, like the Adagietto (“little Adagio”) movement in “Symphony No. 5.” In a similar situation, others might give the gift of chocolate… or bread, both of which we are celebrating today.
CLICK ON THE EXCERPT TITLE BELOW FOR MORE (including a fun video).
Please join me for a 65-minute virtual yoga practice on Zoom today (Sunday, July 7th) 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 “07072024 Bread & Chocolate (with Mahler)”]
Music Note: This playlist is a remix (of a remix) with more “Chocolat” and more Mahler.
Weather Update: As many of you know, there is a hurricane (or possibly a tropical storm) heading my way. We have already lost power twice, but I am crossing my fingers and toes that we have smooth sailing during this practice. If you typically attend Sundays on Zoom, I will send you a back-up recording (just in case).
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 a heart full of peace, freedom, and wisdom (inside and outside).
“The problems we face today, violent conflicts, destruction of nature, poverty, hunger, and so on, are human-created problems which can be resolved through human effort, understanding and the development of a sense of brotherhood and sisterhood. We need to cultivate a universal responsibility for one another and the planet we share. Although I have found my own Buddhist religion helpful in generating love and compassion, even for those we consider our enemies, I am convinced that everyone can develop a good heart and a sense of universal responsibility with or without religion.”
— quoted from the 1989 Nobel Peace Prize Acceptance Speech by Tenzin Gyatso, the 14th Dalai Lama (December 10, 1989)
Today is the Dalai Lama’s 89th birthday and, even as he recovers from knee surgery here in the United States, he is focused on suhrit-prapti (“the ability to cultivate a good heart; obtain friends”), which is one of the siddhis (“abilities”) described as “unique to being human” in Yoga and Sāmkhya. In the aforementioned philosophies, as well as in Buddhism, lessons of the heart are also lessons of the mind. In fact, the entirety of the Yoga Sūtras could be considered mind trainingtechniques.
As I mentioned in 2020, the Dalai Lama celebrated his 85th birthday by giving “A Short Teaching on Mind Training” to a group in Taiwan. (He was in India.) He focused his dharma talk on the end of Geshé Langri Tangpa’s Eight Verses for Training the Mind. In Tibetan Buddhism, lojong are “mind training” techniques to prepare a practitioner for a variety of loving-kindness and compassion practices. They are aphorisms designed to cultivate bodhicitta (the awakened of enlightened mind/intellect). The most common lojong practices in the West are approximately 59 statements found in a 12th century text by Chekawa Yeshe Dorje. Geshé Chekawa based his instruction on the teachings of Geshé Langri Tangpa (which is whole story unto itself). While the Dalai Lama focused on the end of the text in 2020, he has previously taught and written about the entire text — and in particular, the eight verses.
“In all my deeds may I probe into my mind,
And as soon as mental and emotional afflictions arise-
As they endanger myself and others-
May I strongly confront them and avert them.”
— Verse 3 from Eight Verses for Training the Mind by Geshé Langri Tangpa
Please join me today (Saturday, July 6th) 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 “07062021 HHDL Big Day”]
“The whole world naturally seeks peace, and peace is rooted in having a good heart.”
“I believe we can combine our traditional [Tibetan] understanding of the mind and modern science to show how to cultivate love and compassion and achieve peace of mind. We all want to be happy and fundamental to that is having a good heart.”
— quoted from the speech to the 8th World Parliamentarians Convention on Tibet (in Washington, D. C., June 22-23, 2022) by Tenzin Gyatso, the 14th Dalai Lama
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.
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 planting seeds for peace, freedom, and wisdom (inside and outside).
For Those Who Missed It: This following was originally posted in 2023 as a “missing” post for July 5, 2023 (and also for 2022). It includes playlists for both sets of practices, some slight revisions, and some additional context related to the First Friday Night Special #45: “Seats for a ‘Rigid Body.’”You can request an audio recording of either practice via a comment below or (for a slightly faster reply) you can email me at 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.
“Every body continues in its state of rest, or uniform motion in a right line, unless compelled to change that state by forces impressed upon it.”
— “Law 1” quoted from “Axioms, or Laws of Motion” in Philosophiæ Naturalis Principia Mathematica by Sir Isaac Newton
NOTE: Some editions use the term “straight line.”
Take a moment to relax, maybe place your hand(s) on your belly, and observe what happens if nothing gets in the way. Notice how your tension-free belly rises and falls as the breath enters and leaves the body. Notice how the “force” of the breath, which is a symbol of our life and a symbol of our spirit, is an agent of change — physically, mentally, emotionally, and even energetically.
You can use your breath, forcefully, to break up and/or release tension. Similarly, lengthening the breath and observing the breath (all of which can be described as prāņāyāma) change things when we are practicing on the mat. The way we breathe and the awareness of our breath can also be an agent of change off the mat. We just have to pay attention and stay focused to things that are naturally occurring.
However, paying attention, staying focused, and even breathing deeply in and breathing deeply out can be challenging in certain situations… especially situations involving challenging people… rigid bodies, if you will.
“I most gladly embrace your proposal of a private correspondence. What’s done before many witnesses is seldom without some further concerns than that for truth; but what passes between friends in private, usually deserves the name of consultation rather than contention; and so I hope it will prove between you and me….
But in the mean time, you defer too much to my ability in searching into this subject. What Descartes did was a good step. You have added much several ways, and especially in considering the colours of thin plates. If I have seen farther, it is by standing on the shoulders of giants.”
— quoted from a letter marked “Cambridge, February 5, 1675-76” from Sir Isaac Newton to Dr. Robert Hooke, as published in Memoirs of the Life, Writings, and Discoveries of Sir Isaac Newton by David Brewster
Sir Isaac Newton was just a 43-year old “natural philosopher” when he published the first edition of his Philosophiæ Naturalis Principia Mathematica (Mathematical Principles of Natural Philosophy) today in 1687. The treatise included definitions of terms, his laws of motion, and a law of universal gravitation. It was partially based on Sir Isaac Newton’s own observations of the natural world and partially based on the theories, definitions, and observations of others. Those others, which Sir Isaac Newton referred to as “giants,” included Galileo Galilei and Johannes Kepler — whose laws of planetary motion were themselves modifications of the observations and heliocentric theory of Nicolaus Copernicus, yet another giant.
All of the aforementioned natural philosophers — or scientists, as we now call people who study matter and the mechanics of matter in space and time (i.e., physics) — started with phenomena that was naturally occurring; could be observe in nature; and could be duplicated on some level. Then they went deeper… or farther, depending on your perspective. For Sir Isaac Newton, going deeper and farther meant having discussions with some his peers and even with some people who were skeptical of his work. He even had an ongoing correspondence with one of his master teachers and precious jewels — someone we might refer to as a “rigid body.”
An object at rest remains at rest, and object in motion remains in motion (at the same speed and in the same direction, unless acted upon by an unbalanced force).
The acceleration of an object is dependent upon two variables – the net force acting upon the object and the mass of the object.
For every action there is an equal and opposite reaction.
— Sir Isaac Newton’s Laws of Motion
In physics, a “rigid body” (or “rigid object”) is a solid collection of matter that (a) does not change in size or shape or (b) changes at such a miniscule level that it is not perceptible. In quantum mechanics, the focus is on a collection of points — which, on a very rudimentary level, takes us back to the original definition. Focusing on a collection of points means highlighting a consistent distance between points that allows for the external appearance of stillness. In Albert Einstein’s theory of special relativity, nothing is absolutely rigid and, therefore, something is only considered “rigid” if it is not moving at the speed of light. This latter understanding means that the issue of something (or someone) being rigid becomes an issue of perception (and relativity).
Just like with the laws of motion — and, in particular with “The Law of Inertia” (i.e., the first law), the idea of a “rigid body” is physical science that can be observed on and off the mat. We can observe it in the way we move — physically, mentally, emotionally, and even energetically. We can observe it in the way holding a pose is perceived as “stillness,” even though there is movement and change. If we just go a little deeper, we start to notice cause-and-effect and how the laws of motion are also the laws of karma. For example, if we do something nice for someone, they can do something equally nice for someone else. When we really pay attention, we start to notice the the ways things (and people) change over time — even when they appear not to change.
“Every relationship you develop, from casual to intimate, helps you become more conscious. No union is without spiritual value.”
— quoted from “Morning Visual Meditation” (Chakra 2) by Caroline Myss
According to Eastern philosophies, like Yoga and Buddhism, everything is an opportunity for practice. In fact, the Yoga Sūtras include many reminders that everything is an opportunity to learn more about ourselves, about our true nature, and about the universe. Yoga Sūtra 2.18 specifically states that everything is an opportunity to liberate ourselves. Additionally, more than one Yoga teacher has made the connection between stiff minds and stiff bodies, as well as to how being too mechanical in our practice can lead to stagnation in the practice. This is basically the first law of motion (and a little bit of the third)
So, what do we do when we interact with someone who seems resistant to change and/or to seeing things from different perspectives?
We could view them as master teachers, precious jewels, and/or rigid bodies.
Master teachers give us a master classes in ourselves. Precious jewels — like a grain of sand or salt in the shell of an oyster, clam, or other shelled mollusks — can be that irritating source of something we eventually view as valuable. It’s all a matter of perspective. One way to cultivate this perspective is by viewing another person as our reflection. If we are interacting with someone who appears to be “hooked,” we might recognize that we are (possibly) also “hooked” — which is the first step in getting “unhooked.”Similarly, if we feel like we are banging our head up against a brick wall and start seeing someone as a “rigid body,” we might ask ourselves: What/where is the change we are not perceiving?
Remember, according to Albert Einstein’s theory of relativity, nothing is absolutely rigid. Ergo, change is always happening… somewhere.
It is happening inside the mind-body of people we may consider rigid; it is also happening inside of our own mind-body. We are not responsible for the change that is happening (or not happening) inside of someone else. However, when we notice the possibility of change inside of ourselves, the question then becomes, do you resist the change or embrace the change? Answering that question does not mean that we give up on our ideas or conform to the way someone else thinks. No, it means going deeper and farther… like Sir Isaac Newton.
“‘But this I immediately discovered in him,’ adds [Dr. Henry Pemberton*], still further, ‘which at once both surprised and charmed me. Neither his extreme great age, nor his universal reputation had rendered him stiff in opinion, or in any degree elated. Of this I had occasion to have almost daily experience. The remarks I continually sent him by letters on his Principia, were received with the utmost goodness. These were so far from being anyways displeasing to him, that, on the contrary, it occasioned him to speak many kind things of me to my friends, and to honour me with a public testimony of his good opinion.’ A modesty, openness, and generosity, peculiar to the noble and comprehensive spirit of Newton. ‘Full of wisdom and perfect in beauty,’ yet not lifted up by pride nor corrupted by ambition. None, however, knew so well as himself the stupendousness of his discoveries in comparison with all that had been previously achieved; and none realized so thoroughly as himself the littleness thereof in comparison with the vast region still unexplored.”
— quoted from “Life of Sir Isaac Newton” by N. W. Chittenden, as published in Newton’s Principia: The Mathematical Principles of Natural Philosophy; To which is added, Newton’s System of the World by Isaac Newton, translated into English by Andrew Motte (first American edition; New York: published [1848] Daniel Adee, c1846)
*NOTE: Dr. Henry Pemberton edited the third edition of the Philosophiæ Naturalis Principia Mathematica (Mathematical Principles of Natural Philosophy).
Up until the twentieth century (and the publication of Albert Einstein’s theory of relativity), the Philosophiæ Naturalis Principia Mathematica (Mathematical Principles of Natural Philosophy) was the starting point for many scientist as they observed and explored the natural movement of the world. In many ways, that first edition was also Sir Isaac Newton’s starting point.
After sharing his ideas and theories, Sir Isaac Newton went back, reviewed his work, and published a second edition of the Philosophiæ Naturalis Principia Mathematica (Mathematical Principles of Natural Philosophy), with annotation and corrections, in 1713. He published a third edition in 1726. Eventually, he was recognized as one of the world’s greatest mathematicians and physicists and his Principia became the foundation for classical mechanics — one of the cornerstones of modern physics.
Eventually, Sir Isaac Newton became one of the “giants.”
“A short time before his death he uttered this memorable sentiment: ‘I do not know what I may appear to the world; but to myself I seem to have been only like a boy playing on the sea-shore, and diverting myself in now and then finding a smoother pebble or a prettier shell than ordinary, while the great ocean of truth lay all undiscovered before me.’ How few ever reach the shore even, much less find ‘a smoother pebble or a prettier shell!’”
— quoted from “Life of Sir Isaac Newton” by N. W. Chittenden, as published in Newton’s Principia: The Mathematical Principles of Natural Philosophy; To which is added, Newton’s System of the World by Isaac Newton, translated into English by Andrew Motte (first American edition; New York: published [1848] Daniel Adee, c1846)
The July First Friday Night Special features a Restorative practice (** with a chair, table, or bench**). It is accessible and open to all.
Prop wise, as noted above, I recommend using a chair, table, or bench for this practice. It can also be a kitchen sink practice. You can practice without props or you can use “studio” and/or “householder” props. Example of “Studio” props: 1 – 2 blankets, 2 – 3 blocks, a bolster, a strap, and an eye pillow. Example of “Householder” props: 1 – 2 blankets or bath towels, 2 – 3 books (similar in size), 2 standard pillows (or 1 body pillow), a belt/tie/sash, and a face towel.
You may want extra layers (as your body may cool down during this practice).
Friday’s playlist is available onYouTube and Spotify. [Look for “07052024 Seats for a ‘Rigid Body’”]
NOTE: The first tracks are slightly different in length and duration on each platform. I set the practice to the YouTube track. Additionally, the YouTube playlist includes an extra video.
EXTRA MUSIC NOTES:
The playlist for Wednesday, July 5, 2023, is available on YouTube and Spotify. [Look for “10202020 Pratyahara”]
Happy 4th (for those who are celebrating). Many blessings to all!!
For Those Who Missed It: The following summary was originally posted in 2023. Some formatting and extra excerpts have been updated/added.
“Perhaps the sentiments contained in the following pages are not yet sufficiently fashionable to procure them general favor; a long habit of not thinking a thing wrong, gives it a superficial appearance of being right, and raises at first a formidable outcry in defense of custom. But the tumult soon subsides. Time makes more converts than reason.”
— quoted from the “Introduction” to Common Sense, signed by the “Author” (Thomas Paine, known as “The Father of the American Revolution”) and dated “Philadelphia, February 14, 1776
The following excerpt is from a 2020 post:
“On Wednesday, July 3, 1776, the future President of the United States, John Adams, wrote two letters to his wife Abigail. In one of the letters he theorized about the pros (like Canada being included in the declaration) and cons (like still having to deal with ‘The Hopes of Reconciliation, which were fondly entertained by Multitudes of honest well meaning tho weak and mistaken People…’) of making the declaration earlier. He then wrote, ‘The Second Day of July 1776, will be the most memorable Epocha, in the History of America.
I am apt to believe that it will be celebrated, by succeeding Generations, as the great anniversary Festival. It ought to be commemorated, as the Day of Deliverance by solemn Acts of Devotion to God Almighty. It ought to be solemnized with Pomp and Parade, with Shews, Games, Sports, Guns, Bells, Bonfires and Illuminations from one End of this Continent to the other from this Time forward forever more.’
Meanwhile, Caesar Rodney rested and, on Thursday, July 4, 1776, he wrote a letter to his younger brother Thomas indicating, ‘I arrived in Congress (tho detained by thunder and rain) time enough to give my voice in the matter of independence… We have now got through the whole of the declaration and ordered it to be printed so that you will soon have the pleasure of seeing it.’ He, like a good majority of the signers, would sign the finalized “Declaration of Independence” on August 4th – although others would sign all the way up until November.”
No Zoom practice today, but you can checkout the playlist that is available on YouTube and Spotify. [Look for “4th of July 2020”]
NOTE: The playlists are slightly different, but mostly with regard to the before/after class music. The biggest difference is that the videos below do not appear on Spotify.
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.
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.
It’s National CROWN Day (unofficially, of course)! Many blessings to everyone and especially to anyone cultivating peace, freedom, and wisdom (inside and outside).
For Those Who Missed It: The following was originally posted in 2022. Class details, the playlist (plus some formatting), and a video have been updated/changed or added.
“… so he said to put an end to all misunderstanding: ‘We parted on bad terms.’
The Manageress seemed to construe this as excellent news.
‘So then you’re free?’ she said.
‘Yes, I’m free,’ said Karl, and nothing seemed more worthless than his freedom.”
— quoted from “FIVE / The Hotel Occidental” in the unfinished novel Amerika by Franz Kafka
In some ways, we are living in a realistic, surreal world, not unlike the worlds created by Franz Kafka, who was born today in 1883. Like Kafka’s characters, we find ourselves transformed and/or in oddly transformational situations where we are forced to confront things that just don’t make sense. Of course, in order for things to make sense, we need context… reference points… history. In fact, in a letter to Oskar Pollak (dated 27 January 1904), Kafka advocated reading books that shake us awake. This was a follow-up to an earlier letter (dated 8 November 1903, translated by Frederick R. Karl), in which Kafka wrote, “We are as forlorn as children lost in the woods. When you stand in front of me and look at me, what do you know of the griefs that are in me and what do I know of yours? And if I were to cast myself down before you and weep and tell you, what more would you know about me than you know about Hell when someone tells you it is hot and dreadful? For that reason alone we human beings ought to stand before one another as reverently, as reflectively, as lovingly, as we would before the entrance to Hell.”
Today in 1776, John Adams wrote a letter to his wife Abigail about how (and why) the “Second Day of July 1776” would be remembered and celebrated for all times.
Today in 1863, the Army of the Potomac forces, led by Major General George Meade, defeated Confederate General Robert E. Lee’s Army of Northern Virginia during the third Battle of Gettysburg. The Battle of Gettysburg (July 1-3, 1863) was the bloodiest battle of the Civil War and its conclusion not only halted the confederacy’s invasion of northern territories, it also marked the beginning of the end of the Civil War (but not the end of the battle for long-promised freedom).
Today in 2019, in America’s ongoing effort to make our ideals make sense (as a reality rather than a theory), the CROWN (Create a Respectful and Open Workplace for Natural Hair) Act (SB188) was signed into law under California’s Fair Employment and Housing Act (of 1959) and the California Education Code. As I noted last year: “New Jersey and New York adopted similar versions of the bill and other states, including South Carolina, are following suit. But, those laws don’t protect people in all over the country and they don’t apply outside of the country.” You can click the previous link for the history and/or click here for more (con)text(ure).
Please join me today (Wednesday, July 3rd) 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 “07032024 More Freedom(s)”]
NOTE: This playlist is a remixed (and is different from what we used in previous years). It is still slightly different on each platform, but mostly with regard to the before/after class music. The biggest difference is that certain contextual videos (including the one below) do not appear on Spotify.
“Who is free? The free must certainly be beyond cause and effect. If you say that the idea of freedom is a delusion, I shall say that the idea of bondage is also a delusion. Two facts come into our consciousness, and stand or fall with each other. These are our notions of bondage and freedom. If we want to go through a wall, and our head bumps against that wall, we see we are limited by that wall. At the same time we find a willpower, and think we can direct our will everywhere. At every step these contradictory ideas come to us. We have to believe that we are free, yet at every moment we find we are not free. If one idea is a delusion, the other is also a delusion, and if one is true, the other also is true, because both stand upon the same basis — consciousness. The Yogi says, both are true; that we are bound so far as intelligence goes, that we are free so far as the soul is concerned. It is the real nature of man, the soul, the Purusha, which is beyond all law of causation. Its freedom is percolating through layers of matter in various forms, intelligence, mind, etc. It is its light which is shining through all.”
— quoted from the commentary on Yoga Sūtra 2.20 from Raja Yoga by Swami Vivekananda
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.
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 peace, freedom, and wisdom (inside and outside).
“There is a story that the king of the gods, Indra, once became a pig, wallowing in mire; he had a she-pig and a lot of baby pigs, and was very happy. Then some gods saw his plight, and came to him, and told him, ‘You are the king of the gods, you have all the gods under your command. Why are you here?’ But Indra said, ‘Never mind; I am all right here; I do not care for heaven, while I have this sow and these little pigs.’ The poor gods were at their wits’ end….”
“Thus is it with us all in this Mâyâ, this dream world, where it is all misery, weeping and crying, where a few golden balls are rolled, and the world scrambles after them. You were never bound by laws, nature never had a bond for you. That is what the Yogi tells you. Have patience to learn it. And the Yogi shows how, by junction with nature, and identifying itself with the mind and the world, the Purusha thinks itself miserable. Then the Yogi goes on to show you that the way out is through experience. You have to get all this experience, but finish it quickly. We have placed ourselves in this net, and will have to get out. We have got ourselves caught in the trap, and we will have to work out our freedom. So get this experience of husbands, and wives, and friends, and little loves; you will get through them safely if you never forget what you really are. Never forget this is only a momentary state, and that we have to pass through it. Experience is the one great teacher — experience of pleasure and pain — but know it is only experience. It leads, step by step, to that state where all things become small, and the Purusha so great that the whole universe seems as a drop in the ocean and falls off by its own nothingness. We have to go through different experiences, but let us never forget the ideal.”
— quoted from the commentary on Yoga Sūtra 2.18 from Raja Yoga by Swami Vivekananda
In their commentary to Yoga Sūtras 2.17 – 2.18, Swami Prabhavananda and Christopher Isherwood referenced the story above and indicated that it was “Patañjali’s answer to the pig-people; to those who want to stay wallowing in their mire.” For the record, we are all in the mud and the mire and we all have the opportunity to “work out our freedom…. We [just] have to go through different experiences, but let us never forget the ideal.”
In addition to being the Tuesday in 1776 when Caesar Rodney cast his vote for independence, today is also the anniversary of the birth Thurgood Marshall (b. 1908) — a man who spent his entire life fighting for freedom — and the day then-President Lyndon B. Johnson signed the Civil Rights Act of 1964 into law. It is also the day John Adams expected us to celebrate!
The excerpts below are related to July 2nd and are continuations of the ongoing saga about freedom, liberty, and independence in the United States of America.
“As I believe the voice of my constituents and all sensible and honest men is in favor of independence, and as my own judgment concurs with them, I give my vote for independence.”
— Caesar Rodney, Delaware delegate to the Second Continental Congress, July 2, 1776
Please join me today (Tuesday, July 2nd) 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 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 “07012020 Caesar Rodney’s Ride”]
“None of us got where we are solely by pulling ourselves up by our bootstraps. We got here because somebody – a parent, a teacher, an Ivy League crony or a few nuns – bent down and helped us pick up our boots.”
— Supreme Court Justice (and former NAACP chief counsel) Thurgood Marshall referencing his SCOTUS successor in a Newsweek interview (dated October 28, 1991)
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.
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 peace, freedom, and wisdom (inside and outside).
This is a post-practice post related to the practice on Monday, July 1st.The 2024 prompt question was, “What’s on your mind?”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.
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 object of experience is composed of the three gunas—the principles of illumination (sattva), activity (rajas) and inertia (tamas). From these, the whole universe has evolved together with the instruments of knowledge—such as the mind, senses, etc.—and the objects perceived—such as the physical elements. The universe exists in order that the experiencer may experience it, and thus become liberated.”
“The last sentence of this aphorism is one of the most important in the entire book.”
— translation and commentary quoted from How To Know God: The Yoga Aphorisms of Patanjali translated and with commentary by Swami Prabhavananda and Christopher Isherwood
According to Yoga Sutra 2.18, everything in the known world has two purposes: fulfillment and freedom. Sometimes, the translation is related to liberation and/or enlightenment. It all goes hand-in-hand, which means that what’s on your mind can bring you closer to freedom, liberation, independence. Especially when you put your thoughts into action. That is as true today and it was true in July 1776 and 1839.
“Brothers, we have done that which we purposed, our hands are now clean for we have Striven to regain the precious heritage we received from our fathers.”
— Sengbe Pieh (also known as Joseph Cinqué or Joseph Cinquez) as quoted on the lithograph by Isaac Sheffield, commissioned by The New York Sun (published on August 31, 1839, erroneously credited to “James Sheffield”)
There is no playlist for the Common Ground Meditation Center practices.
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.
“This is about empowerment. This is about all of us coming together and empowering anybody that’s under the sound of my voice, talking about this. This is about empowerment to each and everyone of you. Ok? That’s the energy I want in this moment. We’re doing this together. I’m teaching you and then we’re teaching ‘the children.’ Ok? We’re all ‘the children.’ Ok? Right. So, it’s about hope. It’s hopeful. And I know there’s not a lot to be hopeful about; so we’re counteracting that on purpose. Ok? That’s what this is about.”
— quoted from the official video for the song “Children” by Billy Porter
I came into this PRIDE weekend chasing rainbows… and questions. Some of my questions were about rainbows (and yes, I am still working on that post). Then there were questions I kept hearing from others — some from inside the LGBTQIA+ community and some from outside the community.
The first questions are about the origins of PRIDE and why the celebration happens in June. And, well, there’s a post for that (and you can click on the titles below for that post and a dated-related post about the origins of the species).
Then there were questions about whether or not we still need PRIDE. While, I have posted a little about that (including in the post excerpted below), nothing highlights the need for and purpose of PRIDE like current events, such as the murder of Liara Tsai, a 35-year old transgender woman who loved music.
“Is it on your grandmother’s or grandfather’s side that you are descended from an ape?”
— Bishop Samuel Wilberforce to Thomas Henry Huxley (reportedly), June 30, 1860
“I asserted – and I repeat – that a man has no reason to be ashamed of having an ape for his grandfather. If there were an ancestor whom I should feel shame in recalling it would rather be a man – a man of restless and versatile intellect – who, not content with an equivocal success in his own sphere of activity, plunges into scientific questions with which he has no real acquaintance, only to obscure them with aimless rhetoric, and distract the attention of his hearers from the real point at issue by eloquent digressions and skilled appeals to religious prejudice.”
— Thomas Henry Huxley to Bishop Samuel Wilberforce (reportedly), June 30, 1860 (from Life and Letters of Thomas Henry Huxley, by his Son Leonard Huxley by Leonard Huxley (Volume I)
Please join mefor a 65-minutevirtual yoga practiceon Zoom today(Sunday, June 30th)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 recordingof this practicevia a comment belowor by emailing myra(at) ajoyfulpractice.com.
Sunday’s playlist is available on YouTube and Spotify. [Look for “06302024 PRIDE, redux”]
NOTE: The Spotify playlist includes an extra interlude track (since the message above is not part of the studio recording). The YouTube playlist includes additional videos, including the one below.
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.
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 Pride!Many blessings toeveryone and especiallyto anyone celebratingthe Apodosis of Pentecost,Pride, and/or embracing peace,freedom,and wisdom(inside andoutside).
Please join me today(Saturday, June 29nd)at 12:00 PMfor a yogapractice 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 belowor (for a slightly faster reply)you can email myra(at) ajoyfulpractice.com.
Saturday’s playlist is available on YouTube and Spotify. [Look for “06252023 PRIDE”]
NOTE: The Spotify playlist includes an extra interlude track (since the message from the playlist is not part of the studio recording).
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.
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.
A Joyful Practice 