WARNING: There are no explicit details in this post, but there are references that may trigger trauma.
“Quedé viva para contarles la historia.” [“I stayed alive to tell the story.”]
— Dedé Mirabal, author of Vivas en su Jardín
“Since the outbreak of COVID-19, emerging data and reports from those on the front lines, have shown that all types of violence against women and girls, particularly domestic violence, has intensified.
This is the Shadow Pandemic growing amidst the COVID-19 crisis and we need a global collective effort to stop it. As COVID-19 cases continue to strain health services, essential services, such as domestic violence shelters and helplines, have reached capacity. More needs to be done to prioritize addressing violence against women in COVID-19 response and recovery efforts.”
— quoted from the United Nations website for International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women (2020 #OrangetheWorld)
There’s nothing pretty about violence — and statistics about violence against women are particularly ugly. 1 in 3 women, worldwide experience physical or sexual violence. Prior to 2020, about 243 million women and girls (ages 15 – 49) reported experiencing sexual and/or physical abuse by an intimate partner within a 12-month period. That number has gone up during the COVID-19 pandemic and, in some countries, hotline and emergency calls regarding domestic abuse increased to 5 times the average numbers. The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) considers violence against women and girls (VAWG) a human rights violation — in fact, they consider it “one of the most widespread, persistent and devastating human violations in our world today.”
To combat this violence (and the accompanying stigma) that can manifest physically, sexually, and psychological – and that happens to people around the world regardless of education, socioeconomic status, race, ethnicity, age, health, or nationality — UNESCO designated November 25th as the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women. The 2020 theme is “Orange the World: Fund, Respond, Prevent, Collect!” and focuses on “amplifying the call for global action to bridge funding gaps, ensure essential services for survivors of violence during the pandemic, [prevention measures,] and collection of data that can improve life-saving services for women and girls.” Today’s observation kicks off “16 Days of Activism against Gender-Based Violence” which culminates with International Human Rights Day on December 10th.
“For the purposes of this Declaration, the term “violence against women” means any act of gender-based violence that results in, or is likely to result in, physical, sexual or psychological harm or suffering to women, including threats of such acts, coercion or arbitrary deprivation of liberty, whether occurring in public or in private life.”
— “Article 1” of the Declaration on the Elimination of Violence Against Women, issued by the United Nations General Assembly, December 20, 1993
When UNESCO started observing the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women in 1999, November 25th wasn’t randomly selected because it was 16 days before International Human Rights Day. Today was specifically selected to honor the lives and legacy of the Mirabal sisters (Las Hermanas Mirabal), three of whom were assassinated today in 1960.
Patria Mercedes Mirabal Reyes, Bélgica “Dedé” Adela Mirabal Reyes, María Argentina Minerva Mirabal Reyes (known as Minerva), and Antonia María Teresa Mirabal Reyes (known as María Teresa) were married, Catholic-educated young mothers who had been raised in a middle-class household in the Dominican Republic. Three of the sisters (Patria, Minerva, and María Teresa) were also college educated professionals who actively and publicly opposed the dictator Rafael Trujillo (known as El Jefe), who’s fascist regime lasted 31 years.
“We cannot allow our children to grow up in this corrupt and tyrannical regime. We have to fight against it, and I am willing to give up everything, even my life if necessary”
— Patria Mirabal Reyes
The sisters became known as Las Mariposas (“The Butterflies”) and they (and their husbands) were often harassed and even incarcerated because of their activism. There were many activists who spoke out against the dictator before the sisters — including organizers of the “Movement of the Fourteenth of June” and the sisters’ own uncle. But part of the reason the sisters (and their husbands) may have been targeted was because Minerva had turned down Trujillo’s sexual advances when she was in her early 20’s.
International attention on their plight may have saved Minerva and María Teresa from being tortured during their last incarceration — and definitely led to them being released. Their high profile, however, did not secure the release of their husbands. It also did not save them. As they returned from a visit to the prison where two of their husbands were being held, Patria, Minerva, María Teresa, and their driver Rufino de la Cruz were stopped by people associated with Trujillo’s regime (including members of his secret police force). There was an attempt to make their murders look like a car accident, but evidence to the contrary was very obvious.
Dedé, the surviving sister lived to the age of 88. She was also the only one of the sisters who did not go to college and the only one who did not publicly participate in the resistance. She was a “traditional” homemaker who also took care of the family business. After her sisters were murdered, she continued to take care of their children and started the Mirabal Sisters Foundation. She also turned the home they last lived in together into a museum and wrote a book, Vivas en su Jardín, as she saw that her legacy was to preserve herstory.
“Perhaps what we have most near is death, but that idea does not frighten me. We shall continue to fight for that which is just.”
— María Teresa Mirabel Reyes
“If they kill me, I’ll reach my arms out from the tomb and I’ll be stronger.”
— Minerva Mirabel Reyes
If you see a building or landmark being “oranged” in the next few days, it is a reminder of campaign against gender-based violence and a reminder of the importance of everyone coming together to promote a violence-free world. Curious about why the color for International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women is orange. I thought maybe it would be tied to the symbol of the butterfly, but I could only find a UNESCO site that says “The color orange symbolizes a bright future, free of violence. It also serves as a means of demonstrating your solidarity in eliminating all forms of violence and…. As a show of solidarity, the UNESCO globe will be illuminated orange.”
Of course, the reason I was curious about the color choice is because in yoga and Áyurveda, as they come to us from India, orange is associated with the second chakra — which is the energetic center of our relationships. From the yoga perspective, our mind-bodies are a microcosm representing the macrocosm that is the world. So, from the yoga perspective, physical, mental, emotional, energetic, and spiritual healing begins on the inside and if we want to truly “orange” the world, we must find a way to physically, emotionally, and energetically honor a sacred truth.
“Sacred Truth: Honor one another. Every relationship you develop, from casual to intimate, helps you become more conscious. No union is without spiritual value.”
— from “Morning Visual Meditation” by Caroline Myss
Please join me today (Wednesday, November 25th) at 4:30 PM or 7:15 PM for a yoga practice on Zoom. Use the link from the “Class Schedules” calendar if you run into any problems checking into the class. You will need to register for the 7:15 PM class if you have not already done so. Give yourself extra time to log in if you have not upgraded to Zoom 5.0. You can request an audio recording of this practice via a comment below or by emailing myra (at) ajoyfulpractice.com.
Wednesday’s playlist is available on YouTube and Spotify. [Look for “Mother’s Day 2020”]
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.)
“Article 2
Violence against women shall be understood to encompass, but not be limited to, the following:
(a) Physical, sexual and psychological violence occurring in the family, including battering, sexual abuse of female children in the household, dowry-related violence, marital rape, female genital mutilation and other traditional practices harmful to women, non-spousal violence and violence related to exploitation;
(b) Physical, sexual and psychological violence occurring within the general community, including rape, sexual abuse, sexual harassment and intimidation at work, in educational institutions and elsewhere, trafficking in women and forced prostitution;
(c) Physical, sexual and psychological violence perpetrated or condoned by the State, wherever it occurs.
Article 3
Women are entitled to the equal enjoyment and protection of all human rights and fundamental freedoms in the political, economic, social, cultural, civil or any other field. These rights include, inter alia:
(a) The right to life;
(b) The right to equality;
(c) The right to liberty and security of person;
(d) The right to equal protection under the law;
(e) The right to be free from all forms of discrimination;
(f) The right to the highest standard attainable of physical and mental health;
(g) The right to just and favourable conditions of work;
(h) The right not to be subjected to torture, or other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment.”
— quoted from the Declaration on the Elimination of Violence Against Women, issued by the United Nations General Assembly, December 20, 1993
“There is grandeur in this view of life, with its several powers, having been originally breathed into a few forms or into one; and that, whilst this planet has gone cycling on according to the fixed law of gravity, from so simple a beginning endless forms most beautiful and most wonderful have been, and are being, evolved.”
– 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
The idea of evolution didn’t start with Charles Darwin. No, even the Greek philosopher Aristotle (384–322 BC) referenced earlier ideas (that predated him) and contemplated an internal purpose (related to survival). Aristotle believed that this “internal purposiveness” existed in all living beings and could be passed down through generations. So, if the idea existed before Darwin’s On the Origin of Species (or, more completely, On the Origin of Species by Means of Natural Selection, or the Preservation of Favoured Races in the Struggle for Life) was published today in 1859, why did Darwin’s work create such an uproar?
To get to the origins of Origins – or at least the controversy, chaos, and uproar around it, let’s go back to 1852, when Herbert Spencer, an English philosopher, biologist, anthropologist, and sociologist used the German term “entwicklungsgeschichte” (“development history”), which had previously been used in relation to embryos and single cell organisms, to explain cosmic and biological changes in societies. Spencer would later write an essay coining the phrase “theory of evolution” – in relation to Darwin’s work, but in the same year (1852) that Spencer wrote about cultures having “development history” he also wrote an essay called “The Philosophy of Style” in which he promoted writing “to so present ideas that they may be apprehended with the least possible mental effort.” In other words, Spencer advocated writing to make the meaning plain and accessible.
I can’t say for sure how much Darwin himself was influenced by Spencer, but it is very clear that Darwin wrote On the Origin of Species for non-specialists. In other words, he wrote it for the masses. And, as it was easily understood (and written by a then esteemed scientist), it became wildly discussed – in the parlors and in the public.
The first big public debate occurred on June 30, 1860 during the British Science Association’s annual meeting at Oxford University. Another big, public spectacle – the so-called “Scopes Monkey Trial – started July 10, 1925, in Dayton, Tennessee (USA) after substitute teacher John Thomas Scopes was accused of violating Tennessee’s “Butler Act” by teaching evolution during a high school biology class. Tennessee teachers were required, by law, to not teach evolution or deny Intelligent Design (ID) – even though the required text book had a chapter on evolution. By most accounts, Scopes skipped the chapter, but still provided an opportunity to challenge the Act.
While Tennessee’s “Butler Act” was rescinded September 1, 1967, there have been similar legal and pedagogical debates in the United States as recently as 2005 and 2007 (hello, Kansas – where evolution is still officially “an unproven theory”).
“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 metoday (Tuesday, November 24th) at 12 Noon or 7:15 PMfor a virtual yoga practice on Zoom, where we will see how the practice “evolves.” Use the link from the “Class Schedules” calendar if you run into any problems checking into the class. Give yourself extra time to log in if you have not upgraded to Zoom 5.0. You can request an audio recording of this practice via a comment below.
Tuesday’s playlist is available on YouTube and Spotify. [Look for the “Hays Code” playlist dated March 31.]
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.)
“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)
“We never know which lives we influence, or when, or why. Not until the future eats the present, anyway. We know when it’s too late.”
– quoted from 11/22/63 by Stephen King
Life changes in a moment…in a heartbeat, in a breath. Sometimes we don’t even notice the change until it is coupled with a bunch of other changes. Every once in a while, however, something makes us pause, stop in our tracks, breathe, reflect. Sometimes we pause because of something breathtakingly beautiful. Other times, our breath is taken by something heartbreakingly tragic.
Today in 1963 was a Friday, and a little girl missed her first sleepover. Had she been any other 5-year old girl, nobody would have cared or even noticed, but the reason this little girl missed her first sleepover is the same reason high school, college, and professional football games were cancelled or postponed. It was the same reason people all over the world were glued to the radios and televisions. Today in 1963, a wife lost her husband; three children (that five-year old girl, her almost three-year old brother, and her yet to be born brother) lost their father; and the whole world paused, stopped, as a Nation lost – and then gained – a leader meant to usher in a new era of civil rights and environmental conservation.
Today in 1963, at 12:30 PM (Central Standard Time), President John Fitzgerald Kennedy was assassinated as his motorcade drove down Dealey Plaza in Dallas, Texas. Governor of Texas John Connally – who was riding in the motorcade with his wife Nellie, President Kennedy, First Lady Jacqueline Kennedy, and two members of the United States Secret Service – was seriously wounded. A bystander was also injured by a ricochet.
“We did not ask for this room or this music. We were invited in. Therefore, because the dark surrounds us, let us turn our faces to the light. Let us endure hardship to be grateful for plenty. We have been given pain to be astounded by joy. We have been given life to deny death. We did not ask for this room or this music. But because we are here, let us dance.”
– a poem by Stephen King and Bridget Carpenter, featured in the miniseries 11.22.63
President Kennedy was not a perfect man, but he remains a key figure in American history and, for many, a symbol of democracy and “American” ideals. He was the first Catholic president; the youngest person to be elected president; and the sixteenth U. S. Senator to serve as president – one of three people who moved directly from the Senate floor to the Oval Office. He was also the fourth sitting United States President to be assassinated (by gunshot, although one could argue that Presidents James Garfield and William McKinley could have survived with better medical attention). Many people saw President Kennedy’s assassination as a moment when Americans lost their (collective) innocence and many felt his death as a personal loss, as if they had lost a member of their family or a dear friend.
Whichever way you see it (or him), President Kennedy’s death was the middle and the beginning of a cascade of events that, arguably, changed history. It also started the domino effect on conspiracy theories that persist to this day. Many people have wondered what would have happened if he had not been assassinated. As he was beginning to campaign for a second term, people have theorized what the country would have been like if he had run and won – or even had an opportunity to deliver either of the speeches he had written for events scheduled on November 22, 1963.
“For this country is moving and it must not stop. It cannot stop. For this is a time for courage and a time for challenge. Neither conformity nor complacency will do. Neither the fanatics nor the faint-hearted are needed. And our duty as a party is not to our party alone, but to the Nation, and, indeed, to all mankind. Our duty is not merely the preservation of political power but the preservation of peace and freedom.
So let us not be petty when our cause is so great. Let us not quarrel amongst ourselves when our Nation’s future is at stake. Let us stand together with renewed confidence in our cause–united in our heritage of the past and our hopes for the future – and determined that this land we love shall lead all mankind into new frontiers of peace and abundance.”
– quoted from a speech President John F. Kennedy had planned to deliver to the Texas Democratic State Committee in Austin, Texas, in the evening, on November 22, 1963
Historians and political scientists have likewise contemplated what would have happened to the country if his brother Bobby, who served as Attorney General and as a U. S. Senator, and/or Martin Luther King, Jr. had not been assassinated. After considerably research, Stephen King wrote a novel about a man who goes back in time with the intention of preventing JFK’s assassination. Of course, as is always the case when dealing with chaos theory, things are not as simple as changing one thing and moving forward.
There is always an inner ripple and an outer ripple; there is always a sticky domino; there is always a butterfly – and, in the case of 11/22/63 (which was turned into the television miniseries 11.22.63), history pushes back. We may not like how life unfolds, collapses, and converges, but we must sometimes consider the words of Namagiriamma Krishnamacharya, who said, “Maybe this situation has happened for a reason. A reason that will unfold later.”
“My friends and fellow citizens: I cite these facts and figures to make it clear that America today is stronger than ever before. Our adversaries have not abandoned their ambitions, our dangers have not diminished, our vigilance cannot be relaxed. But now we have the military, the scientific, and the economic strength to do whatever must be done for the preservation and promotion of freedom.
That strength will never be used in pursuit of aggressive ambitions – it will always be used in pursuit of peace. It will never be used to promote provocations – it will always be used to promote the peaceful settlement of disputes.
We in this country, in this generation, are – by destiny rather than choice – the watchmen on the walls of world freedom. We ask, therefore, that we may be worthy of our power and responsibility, that we may exercise our strength with wisdom and restraint, and that we may achieve in our time and for all time the ancient vision of ‘peace on earth, good will toward men.’ That must always be our goal, and the righteousness of our cause must always underlie our strength. For as was written long ago: ‘except the Lord keep the city, the watchman waketh but in vain.’”
– quoted from a speech President John F. Kennedy had planned to deliver at the Trade Mart in Dallas, Texas, in the afternoon, on November 22, 1963
Please join me for a 65-minute virtual yoga practice on Zoom today (Sunday, November 22nd) at 2:30 PM. I am in the process of updating the links from the “Class Schedules” calendar; however, the Meeting IDs in the calendar are the same and are correct. PLEASE NOTE: Zoom 5.0 is in effect. If you have not upgraded, you will need to give yourself extra time to log into Zoom. You can always request an audio recording of this practice (or any practice) via email or a comment below.
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.)
“Dear Mr. President
Thank you for walking yesterday – behind Jack. You did not have to do that – I am sure many people forbid you take such a risk – but you did it anyway.
Thank you for your letters to my children. What those letters will mean to them letter – you can imagine. The touching thing is, they have always loved you so much, they were most moved to have a letter from you now….
But you were Jack’s right arm – I always thought the greatest act of a gentlemen that I had seen on this earth – was how you – the Majority Leader when he came to the Senate as just another little freshman who looked up to you and took orders from you, could then serve as Vice President to a man who had served under you and been taught by you….
But of course [Jack’s ship pictures] are there only waiting for you to ask for them if the walls look too bare. I thought you would want to put things from Texas in it – I pictured some gleaming longhorns – I hope you put them somewhere –
It mustn’t be very much help to you your first day in office – to hear children on the lawn at recess. It is just one more example of your kindness that you let them stay – I promise – they will soon be gone –
Thank you Mr. President
Respectfully
Jackie”
– excerpts from a short letter to President Lyndon B. Johnson, written by First Lady Jacqueline Kennedy, dated “November 26 Tuesday” (the day after JFK’s funeral)
“All I have I would have given gladly not to be standing here today.
The greatest leader of our time has been struck down by the foulest deed of our time. Today, John Fitzgerald Kennedy lives on in the immortal words and works that he left behind. He lives on in the mind and memories of mankind. He lives on in the hearts of his countrymen. No words are sad enough to express our sense of loss. No words are strong enough to express our determination to continue the forward thrust of America that he began….
We will carry on the fight against poverty, and misery, and disease, and ignorance, in other lands and in our own. We will serve all the nation, not one section or one sector, or one group, but all Americans.
These are the United States: A united people with a united purpose.”
– quoted from the “Let Us Continue” speech delivered to Congress and the public by President Lyndon B. Johnson, November 27, 1963
### “Life turns on a dime” again and again (11/22/63, SK) ###
Yesterday I took a moment, on the blog and in class, to talk about āsana (“seat”) and how we practice poses. But, taking a look back at some of the origins of the poses, is not the same as looking at the origins of the practice or how the practice came to those of us in the modern world – especially the western world. I mean, think about it, how did we come to practice elements a thousands of years old philosophy that the Buddha didn’t think was practical enough for householders?
According to Hinduism, Shiva is the same as God (whatever that means to you in this moment) and creator of the universe. However, in the Yoga Philosophy, Shiva is Adiyogi — the first yogi — and creator of yoga, who experienced enlightenment/stillness through movement. The story of how he came to teach what he learned is very similar to the story of the Buddha and his first students. Also, similar is the idea that the first students or adepts were ascetics or renunciates. But, I have heard that the Buddha, having studied Yoga, decided it wasn’t practical (enough) for householders and proceeded to outline a (very similar) path that anyone could practice, regardless of their station or creed. I would argue, that Yoga was (already) the path the Buddha was seeking, but I can’t argue with the fact that it wasn’t being practiced by every day people — or even, really, by women.
The perception and reality of who practiced the physical elements of Yoga changed in part because of a teacher named Sri Yogeshwara Ramamohana Brahmachari. Sri Brahmachari was married and had three children, but he taught in a remote cave at the base of Mount Kailash, a mountain sacred in Hinduism, Buddhism, Jainism, and Bön (a major Tibetan religion). His students would spend years studying with him and, as was the tradition, repay him with a gurudakshinā at the end of their studies. This traditional form of payment could be a monetary donation or the fulfillment of task(s). In the case of one student, Tirumalai Krishnamacharya, the repayment for seven and a half years of intensive instruction was three-fold: look for a lost sacred text written on palm leaves; get married and have a family; teach yoga.
“Maybe this situation has happened for a reason. A reason that will unfold later.”
— Namagiriamma, Sr. Krishnamacharya’s wife
Born today in 1888, Sri T. Krishnamacharya not only found, translated, and transcribed the lost Yoga Korunta, which is believed to be the basis of Ashtanga Vinyasa Yoga, he also married, raised children, and spent most of his adult life teaching some of the most influential yoga teachers in history. Known as the “Father of Modern Yoga”, Sri Krishnamacharya was a scholar of Sanskrit, Ayurveda, and all 6 of the major Indian philosophies (Sankhya, Yoga, Nyaya, Vaisheshika, Mimamsa and Vedanta). He said, “Practice without right knowledge of theory is blind” and that practicing in such a way leads to “mindfully [doing] a wrong practice.”
Indra Devi, the first Western woman to study yoga and and one of the first Westerners to be instructed to teach. She practiced and taught until the end of her days (at the age of 102), and towards the end of her life practiced 5 poses a day.
T. K. V. Desikachar, Sri Krishnamacharya’s son and one of the primary caretakers of Krishnamacharya’s legacy.
B. K. S. Iyengar, Sri Krishnamacharya’s brother-in-law, who was a sickly child and became known for a prop-heavy, alignment-focused therapeutic yoga practice.
Pattabhi Jois, who started practicing when he was a very active 12-year old and became known for the very vigorous Ashtanga Vinyasa.
A. G. Mohan, another of the caretakers of Sri Krishnamacharya’s legacy, he was once caught rolling his eyes during a lesson about “32 variations of headstand.” The then 85-year old Sri Krishnamacharya proceeded to school his young pupil.
Srivatsa Ramaswami, studied with Sri Krishnamacharya for 33 years and is a teacher of vinyasa krama (the art of sequencing).
Please join me today (Wednesday, November 18th) at 4:30 PM or 7:15 PM for a yoga practice on Zoom. Use the link from the “Class Schedules” calendar if you run into any problems checking into the class. You will need to register for the 7:15 PM class if you have not already done so. Give yourself extra time to log in if you have not upgraded to Zoom 5.0. You can request an audio recording of this practice via a comment below or by emailing myra (at) ajoyfulpractice.com.
Wednesday’s playlist is available on YouTube and Spotify. [Look for 07112020 An Introduction”]
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.)
“Yoga is awareness, a type of knowing. Yoga will end in awareness. Yoga is arresting the fluctuations of the mind as said in the Yoga Sutras (of Patanjali): citta vritti nirodha. When the mind is without any movement, maybe for a quarter of an hour, or even a quarter of a minute, you will realize that yoga is of the nature of infinite awareness, infinite knowing. There is no other object there.”
— Sri T. Krishnamacharya at 100, in an interview with A. G. Mohan
[“Happy Diwali!” to anyone celebrating! May you be healthy, wealthy, and wise!]
[The 75-minute Common Ground Meditation Center practice, in the spirit of generosity (“dana”), is freely given and freely received. 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 Monday’s practice via a comment below or (for a slightly faster reply) you can email me at myra (at) ajoyfulpractice.com.
“Yama said: ‘The good is one thing; the pleasant, another. Both of these, serving different needs, bind a man. It goes well with him who, of the two, takes the good; but he who chooses the pleasant misses the end.’
‘Both the good and the pleasant present themselves to a man. The calm soul examines them well and discriminates. Yea, he prefers the good to the pleasant; but the fool chooses the pleasant out of greed and avarice.’”
— quoted from Katha Upanishad (Part I – Chapter II, Verses 1-2) translated by Swami Nikhilananda
The final day of Diwali, the 5-day festival of light celebrated throughout India, Southeast Asia, and the diaspora, is a day devoted to siblings — specifically the bond between sisters and brothers. Sisters, who celebrate today in this way, may give a puja (“offering” and prayers) on behalf of their brothers — that their brothers may enjoy a long, healthy, and happy life — and then will host a dinner in honor of their brothers. But, it’s not just a matter of creating a feast with their brothers’ favorite food. No, in some traditions, a sister will hand feed their brothers. (Yet another tradition when people will have to be creative in order to observe this year.)
I have two brothers, with whom I have very different relationships, and while I never wish either of them harm, it is sometimes a lot easier to wish the best for the one that is my favorite. (To be fair, my favorite is also my other brother’s favorite sibling). But, having “a favorite” kind of flies in the face of much of Yoga and Buddhist philosophy. It creates and perpetuates suffering. While others with siblings might say, “Yeah, but it’s human,” my relationships with my brothers makes me wonder how this final day of Diwali became associated with siblings. What, after all, do brothers and sisters have to do with light symbolically overcoming anything?
“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
There are actually a couple of different brother-sister stories associated with this final day of Diwali. One, in particular, resonates with me because the brother and sister have a difference in opinion that causes a great deal of strife. While I can’t really relate to the subject of their argument, I can definitely relate to the feeling of being at odds with one’s brother.
According to the legends, Yami (also known as Yamuna) and Yama are twins, born to Sūrya (the Sun) and his wife Sandhya. If, like me, you’re familiar with another set of twins in Indian mythology — Nara and Nārāyaņa, who are identical except that one is in a physical-corporal body and one is in a spiritual-energetic body — then you might be expecting a twist. Of course, in the case of Yami and Yama the twist is a doozy. You see, in the 10th hymn in the 10th book of the Rigveda the twins have a falling out because Yami wants to marry her brother, but Yama points out that not only is incest forbidden — there are health-related reasons behind it being forbidden.
Health and well-being are underlying elements throughout Diwali. Part of the focus on health comes from the fact that Lakşmī, the goddess of joy, prosperity, and wealth, is also the goddess of fertility. More importantly, however, she shares a birthday — the first day of Diwali — with Dhanvantari, the god of medicine (Aryuveda). In my mind, the fact that they both rise from the churning of the primordial “Ocean of Milk” on Dhanteras makes them energetic siblings (at the very least).
“Within the Waters – Soma thus hath told me-dwell all balms that heal, And Agni, he who blesseth all. O Waters, teem with medicine to keep my body safe from harm, So that I long may see the Sun. Whatever sin is found in me, whatever evil I have wrought, If I have lied or falsely sworn, Waters, remove it far from me. The Waters I this day have sought, and to their moisture have we come: O Agni, rich in milk, come thou, and with thy splendour cover me.”
— quoted from Rigveda (Book 10, Hymn 9. 6-9) translated by Ralph T. H. Griffith
Remember, also, that Yama is “Death” and appears in an earlier Diwali story about a young prince and his very clever wife. Even though “Death” is conquered in that story — and even though 2020 is a year where I can’t blame anyone for vilifying death — Yama is not always portrayed as evil incarnate. Everything changes, everything ends. The problem is not the end — as it is also a beginning; the problem is how we deal with the end of something. How we let go of something that isn’t going our way or ends before we are ready for it to end.
According to the legend, Yama is the first mortal to die and so becomes the ruler of death (as well as dharma, South, and the underworld). His twin, Yami, does not handle his death well. In fact, she seems to be on a never ending downward spiral of grief, because (to her) her brother (and the love of her life) just died. At this point in the story, night (darkness) is created so that Yami can experience the passage of time and, therefore, the healing that comes from the passage of time.
“Yes I understand That every life must end As we sit alone I know someday we must go
Oh, I’m a lucky man To count on both hands The ones I love Some folks just have one Yeah, others they got none
Stay with me Let’s just breathe”
— quoted from “Just Breathe” by Pearl Jam
There is no playlist for the Common Ground practices.
2024 UPDATE: There is a 2023 playlist available on YouTube and Spotify. [Look for “Diwali (Day 5) 2023”]
“‘The knowing Self is not born; It does not die. It has not sprung from anything; nothing has sprung from It. Birthless, eternal, everlasting and ancient, It is not killed when the body is killed.’
‘Atman, smaller than the small, greater than the great, is hidden in the hearts of all living creatures. A man who is free from desires beholds the majesty of the Self through tranquility of the senses and the mind and becomes free from grief.’”
— quoted from Katha Upanishad (Part I – Chapter II, Verses 18 & 20) translated by Swami Nikhilananda
11/02/2024 Updated with 2023 playlist, revised formatting, and tags/categories.
[“Happy Diwali!” to anyone celebrating! May you be healthy, wealthy, and wise!]
“Embrace me completely
just as a creeper completely embraces a tree
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 India and Southeast Asia, Diwali (the 5-day festival of lights) is celebrated by a very diverse group of people. The diversity is not only religious and spiritual — as it is a tradition for Hindus, Jains, Sikhs, and Newar Buddhists. There are many other sociocultural differences. So, as you can imagine, there are lots of different ways that people tell the story of light overcoming darkness, good overcoming evil; life overcoming death, wisdom overcoming fear; love overcoming hate; hope overcoming despair, and knowledge overcoming ignorance.
For instance, in some rural parts of north, west, and central India, the fourth day of Diwali is a day when people observe Govardhan puja, an offering to honor the legend of Krishna saving the cowherds and farmers from the rain and floods by lifting Mount Govardhan. People build miniature-sized mountains out of cow dung and also “build” mountains of food and mountains of sweets. There is also thanksgiving, especially around the purchase of staples, like salt, which are considered essentials to life.
“with my mind I attract you
just as a bird on the ground beats its wings to go up
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)
The main day of Diwali, yesterday, is often associated with the part of the epic poem the Rāmāyaņa when Rāma, his bride Sītā, and his brother Lakshmana returned home after 14 years in exile. According to the legend, their homecoming was met with brightly lit candles, lamps, and fireworks. The homecoming and the light festivities marked the end of the darkness that represented the jealousy which led to the trio’s exile and Sītā’s kidnapping during the exile, as well as the doubt and fear felt by some of the characters that appear throughout the poem. The lights symbolize the couples love, devotion, and faith in each other; Lakshmana and Hanuman’s devotion to Rāma; and their victory over those who tried to defeat them.
Ergo, for a good majority, this fourth day shines a light on love, relationships, and devotion — especially between husbands and wives. In some areas, husbands give their wives gifts and other areas parents treat their newlywed children to a feast (which also involves gifts).
In addition to telling those aforementioned parts of the Rāmāyaņa, people will also celebrate the story of the defeat of the evil King Bali. Sometimes the story is related to a husband and wife (Shiva and Pārvatī) playing a game of dice on a board with twelve squares and thirty pieces. Every element of the story is symbolic — including the fact that it is a “strip” version of the game, during which the husband ceremoniously looses all his clothes.
One of my favorite husband-wife Diwali stories is actually associated with the first day; but I also tell it on this day. It is the story of a clever wife who used light (and all the properties of light) to “defeat” Death (Yama, in the form of a snake) when he arrived on the fourth night of her marriage in order to take away her new husband, the prince. The legend always reminds me of Scheherazade, in that the wife in the Diwali story also spends the night telling stories and singing songs in order to extend life.
“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)
Please join me for a 65-minute virtual yoga practice on Zoom today (Sunday, November 15th) at 2:30 PM.I am in the process of updating the links from the “Class Schedules” calendar; however, the Meeting IDs in the calendar are the same and are correct. PLEASE NOTE: Zoom 5.0 is in effect. If you have not upgraded, you will need to give yourself extra time to log into Zoom. You can always request an audio recording of this practice (or any practice) via email or a comment below.
Today’s playlist is available on YouTube and Spotify. [Look for “Diwali (Day 4) 2020”]
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.)
Do you ever find yourself in a double bind, on or off the mat? My guess (and hope) is that if you find yourself in a double bind on the mat then it was deliberate, intentional, and mindful. Examples of double binds on the mat are Garudāsana (“Eagle’s Pose”, where the legs and arms are intertwined) and Gomukhāsana (“Cow Face Pose”, where the legs are crossed in front and the arms are bound in back). You make your way into those poses with awareness and intention — and, just as importantly, you can see your way out, mindfully and intentionally. What happens, however, when you find yourself in a double binds off the mat?
Anthropologically speaking, a double bind is “an emotionally distressing dilemma in communication in which an individual (or group) receives two or more conflicting messages, and one message negates the other.” First used in the mid-50’s by “The Bateson Project” anthropologists Gregory Bateson, Donald deAvila Jackson, Jay Haley, John H. Weakland, and Bill Fry, a double bind scenario often involves intentional manipulation and gas lighting on the part of a “respected” authority figure; is repeated behavior; and is done in such a way that the person being abused (or groomed) may not see or be able to articulate the inherent conflict. That last part is key, because it is not enough for there to be a contradiction; the definition of the term relies on how the communication and behavior are imposed and on the “subject(s)” inability to define the exact nature of the indiscretion.
A classic example of a double bind is someone (possibly a parent or partner) saying that they love the “subject(s)”, but then physically harming, verbally abusing, and/or withdrawing affection from the “subject(s)”. Another example of a double bind might be found in organized religions that teach about unconditional love, but then continually enforce limits and conditions to that love. While it might be hard for a regular parishioner in a small church to see the dichotomy and contradiction, especially when it is taught as part of theology, reformers like Martin Luther constantly found themselves in the middle of the double bind.
“Unless I am convicted by Scripture and plain reason, I do not accept the authority of popes and councils – for they have contradicted each other – my conscience is captive to the Word of God. I cannot and will not recant anything, for to go against conscience is neither right nor safe. Here I stand, I can do no other, so help me God. Amen.”
— Martin Luther, in 1517, when told to recant his views
Born today in 1483, Martin Luther was a German theologian responsible for beginning the Protestant Reformation in 16th Century Europe and for inspiring Lutherism. He wrote the “Disputation of Martin Luther on the Power and Efficacy of Indulgences” in response to the excesses of Pope Leo X and the Catholic Church, which engaged in the practice of forgiving penance for sins in exchange for monetary donations. Referred to as “95 Theses”, Luther’s 1517 document caused people all over Europe to start questioning the actions of the pope and, eventually, led to the creation of the Lutheran Church. Luther’s main teachings were that the Bible is the central religious authority in Christianity and that faith — not deeds — leads to salvation.
Which, when you think about, it can lead to a tricky Catch-22, whereby some people think they can do whatever they want to do — even when it contradicts the teachings in the Bible — as long as they have faith. Part of why I consider this a Catch-22 is because if one truly had faith, they would follow the teachings.
“You are not only responsible for what you say, but also for what you do not say.”
— Martin Luther
Like a double bind, a Catch-22 involves a foundation of contradiction. Of course, most people, when they think of Catch-22s, think about Joseph Heller’s novel, published today in 1961. The novel is set at the height of World War II (specifically 1942 – 1944), but continually references elements from the 1950’s — which, combined with the circular and overlapping of linear and non-linear narration, reinforced the idea that the novel was political commentary on current (as well as historical) events. The novel includes “heroes” who commit truly atrocious crimes against humanity and the only offers physical depiction of “the enemies” when “they” are working with one of “us.”
The title refers to a military exemption clause that Captain John Yossarian, a U. S. Army Air Forces B-52 bombardier, ultimate thinks may not actually exist, because he notices that people of authority use the clause in multiple situations. As absurd as it may sound, the power, he realizes, is in the belief.
“There was only one catch and that was Catch-22, which specified that a concern for one’s own safety in the face of dangers that were real and immediate was the process of a rational mind. Orr was crazy and could be grounded. All he had to do was ask; and as soon as he did, he would no longer be crazy and would have to fly more missions. Orr would be crazy to fly more missions and sane if he didn’t, but if he was sane, he had to fly them. If he flew them, he was crazy and didn’t have to; but if he didn’t want to, he was sane and had to. Yossarian was moved very deeply by the absolute simplicity of this clause of Catch-22 and let out a respectful whistle. ‘That’s some catch, that Catch-22,’ he observed. ‘It’s the best there is,’ Doc Daneeka agreed.”
— quoted from Catch-22 (Chapter 5) by Joseph Heller
Please join metoday (Tuesday, November 10th) at 12 Noon or 7:15 PMfor a virtual yoga practice on Zoom, where we will do what we do. Use the link from the “Class Schedules” calendar if you run into any problems checking into the class. Give yourself extra time to log in if you have not upgraded to Zoom 5.0. You can request an audio recording of this practice via a comment below.
Tuesday’s playlist is available on YouTube and Spotify. [Look for “10202020 Pratyahara”]
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 enemy,’ retorted Yossarian with weighted precision, ‘is anybody who’s going to get you killed, no matter which side he’s on, and that includes Colonel Cathcart. And don’t you forget that, because the longer you remember it, the longer you might live.’”
— quoted from Catch-22 (Chapter 12) by Joseph Heller
If you are thinking about suicide, worried about a friend or loved one, or would like emotional support, you can call 1-800-273-TALK (8255). You can also call the 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.
11/10/20204: Revised formatting and some syntax.
### “Everything that is done in the world is done by hope.” (ML) ###
[The 75-minute Common Ground Meditation Center practice, in the spirit of generosity (“dana”), is freely given and freely received. 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 Monday’s practice via a comment below or (for a slightly faster reply) you can email me at myra (at) ajoyfulpractice.com.
“Fate is what you are given. Destiny is what you make of it.”
– original source unknown
Let’s talk about the difference between fate and destiny. Often, especially in (American) English, we use the words interchangeably, and without distinction. We sometimes do this even if we know “destiny” shares etymological roots with “destination” and “fate” is rooted in the mythology of the three goddess, sisters, or witches (depending on the depiction) who weave (or stir) together the circumstances of one’s life. Either way you look at it, both are related to cause and effect – something we pay attention to in the Eastern philosophies like Yoga and Buddhism.
The concept of will, or determination, is one of the challenges that comes up when discussing fate and destiny; because, our understanding of the concepts may involve a level of predestination. One way to distinguish the two concepts, and the role predestination plays, is to think of fate as the present moment – which has been determined by all the previous moments – and destiny as a possible future moment – which will be determined by fate (i.e., this present moment and all the previous moments). If we look at it this way, we can’t change our fate, but we can change our destiny.
Yes, yes, it might be possible to present and argue the reverse, but I think that way gets really muddled. I’d rather go back to the “seat” of the words. Fate comes to the English from Latin, by way of Italian and Middle English, from a phrase that means “that which has been spoken.” Destiny comes through Old French and Middle English, from the Latin meaning “make firm, establish.” So, again, fate is what has happened and destiny is what we make happen. As an example, step back to Saturday with me and let’s revisit Philoctetes from The Cure at Troy: A Version of Sophocles’ Philoctetes.
“Human beings suffer. They torture one another They get hurt and they get hard. No poem or play or song Can fully right a wrong Inflicted and endured.
History says, Don’t hope On this side of the grave, But then, once in a lifetime The longed-for tidal wave Of justice can rise up And hope and history rhyme.”
– The Greek Chorus in The Cure at Troy: A Version of Sophocles’ Philoctetes by Seamus Heaney
Remember that Philoctetes was a great archer who had a magical bow. According to Sophocles accounting of events, the bow was a thank you gift from Heracles, the divine protector of mankind and patron of gymnasiums, whose funeral pyre could only be lit by the great archer. So, by using his skills to light the pyre, Philoctetes has the means to (eventually) assist Odysseus in winning the Trojan War by mortally wounding Paris with a poisoned arrow. Those circumstances, along with the fact that he is bitten by a poisonous snake, make up Philoctetes’ fate. His destiny could be to die of his wounds on the island where his colleagues abandoned him – because they couldn’t stand the sound of his belly aching – or he could go to Troy, win the war, and have his snake wound healed.
Now, keep in mind that like all the other characters, the fate and destiny of Philoctetes are tied up with the fate and destiny of Paris who, once wounded, could have been healed if he hadn’t pissed off and abandoned his first wife. (Alas, poor, pitiful Paris, he thought his destiny was power, rather than the love of a “good woman,” and let that thirst for power be his dharma or guiding principle.)
“Fate is your karma. Destiny is your dharma.”
– Livnam Kaur
Some people think the power of fate and destiny can reside not only in our actions, but also in a date. Take today, for instance: November 9th. In Germany it is known as Schicksalstag – “Destiny Day” or “Fateful Day” – because of all the historical events that happened today and shaped the history of Germany. IT’s kind of wild, when you think about it. But, also, when you start to go deeper into the events, you start to realize that some (but not all) of the events were planned because people believed in the power of the day.
In talking about the events of today throughout German history, most people start with 1848 and the execution of the democratic politician, poet, and publisher Robert Blum. One of the leaders of the National Assembly of 1848 and a prominent figure during the Vienna revolts, Blum was arrested after the Vienna revolts and argued in vain that his role as a deputy from the German Diet should protect him from execution. Instead, his death was used as an example and a method for crushing the subsequent revolution in Germany in the spring of 1849.
Fast forward 70 years, to 1918, and Emperor Wilhelm II was dethroned by his chancellor, Max von Baden, and socialist and social democratic politicians proclaimed the beginning of the “Free” German Republic. As a side note, Albert Einstein was named winner of the 1921 Nobel Prize in Physics today in 1922.
In 1923, the failed “Beer Hall Putsch” marked the initial emergence and downfall of the Nazi Party. Even though the march officially failed it was the beginning of Adolf Hitler’s rise to power, and during the Nazi regime it was considered a national holiday honoring the Nazis who died today in 1923. As a side note, German Crown Prince Wilhelm (son of the ousted Emperor) chose this day to return out of exile.
Another example of people using previous events to infuse their actions with the power of the day’s history tragically, and horrifically, happened today in 1938: Kristallnacht (“Night of Glass”). The Nazis symbolically chose this night to begin destroying synagogues and Jewish properties. More than 400 Jewish people died and, after this demonstration of far-reaching anti-Semitism, the Nazi’s arrested approximately 30,000 people on November 10th, many of whom would ultimately die in concentration camps.
“Two thousand years ago, the proudest boast was ‘civis romanus sum’ [‘I am a Roman citizen’]. Today, in the world of freedom, the proudest boast is ‘Ich bin ein Berliner!’ … All free men, wherever they may live, are citizens of Berlin, and therefore, as a free man, I take pride in the words ‘Ich bin ein Berliner!’”
– U. S. President John Kennedy, speaking to the public in West Berlin, June 26, 1963
“Every stone bears witness to the moral bankruptcy of the society it encloses.”
– English Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher as quoted in the New York Times article “Mrs. Thatcher Visits the Berlin Wall” by John Tagliabue (published Oct. 30, 1982)
One of the outcomes of the World War II was the division of Germany and, ultimately, the construction of the Berlin Wall. However, today in 1989 marked the beginning of the fall of the Berlin Wall and the end of German separation. In many ways, this event can be seen as an accident. I mean, it wasn’t like anyone planned it to happen today. Yes, people, including Presidents John F. Kennedy and Ronald Reagan, had called for the end of the Wall. Furthermore, musicians like David Bowie (1987), Bruce Springsteen (1988), and David Hasselhoff (1989) boldly played songs about freedom in concerts near the Wall – and, in Hasselhoff’s case, over the Wall! There was also the announced intention (by the East German government) to change policy. But the changes were intended for a different day.
“We come to Berlin, we American presidents, because it’s our duty to speak, in this place, of freedom. But I must confess, we’re drawn here by other things as well: by the feeling of history in this city, more than 500 years older than our own nation; by the beauty of the Grunewald and the Tiergarten; most of all, by your courage and determination. Perhaps the composer Paul Lincke understood something about American presidents. You see, like so many presidents before me, I come here today because wherever I go, whatever I do: Ich hab noch einen Koffer in Berlin. [I still have a suitcase in Berlin…..]”
There is one sign the Soviets can make that would be unmistakable, that would advance dramatically the cause of freedom and peace. General Secretary Gorbachev, if you seek peace, if you seek prosperity for the Soviet Union and eastern Europe, if you seek liberalization, come here to this gate. Mr. Gorbachev, open this gate. Mr. Gorbachev, tear down this Wall!”
– U. S. President Ronald Reagan, speaking to the public at Brandenburg Gate, June 12, 1987
When the policy changes were announced by Günter Schabowski, an official of the Socialist Unity Party of Germany (SED), during a press conference on November 9th, he hadn’t actually been briefed about the details. Based on the wording of the announcement he had been given, when asked when the policy changes would go into effect, he said, “As far as I know… effective immediately, without delay.” That wasn’t actually true, but, the metaphorical wrecking ball was swinging. In answering follow up questions, and in subsequent interviews that day, Schabowski “confirmed” that the decrease in travel restrictions applied to every part of the Wall and to travel in every direction – including into West Berlin. Naturally, people started showing up at the Wall demanding to be let through and, by 11:30 PM, at least two gates were open.
On the flip side, I would not be surprised if the German drug company BioNtech intentionally chose today to announce that their COVID-19 vaccine, developed with Pfizer, is 90% effective. I wouldn’t be surprised at all if someone thought drawing on the power of the day would give people more hope than a basic announcement on any other day. After all, the announcement today, means the end of the world’s suffering isn’t just fate, it’s destiny.
“Call miracle self-healing, The utter self-revealing Double-take of feeling. If there’s fire on the mountain And lightening and storm And a god speaks from the sky
That means someone is hearing The outcry and the birth-cry Of new life at its term. It means once in a lifetime That justice can rise up And hope and history rhyme.”
– The Greek Chorus in The Cure at Troy: A Version of Sophocles’ Philoctetes by Seamus Heaney
There is no playlist for the Common Ground practices. (But, if there were, it would definitely include some Bruce….)
“I’m not here for or against any government. I’ve come to play rock ‘n’ roll for you in the hope that one day all the barriers will be torn down”
– Bruce Springsteen, speaking German in East Berlin, before playing “Chimes of Freedom” with the E Street Band, during the “Rocking the Wall” concert, July 19, 1988
### dóchas / dúchas // història / esperança // histoire / espoir // historio / espero ###
“We repeat, there is nothing that we can do but love, and dear God – please enlarge our hearts to love each other, to love our neighbor, to love our enemy as well as our friend.”
– quoted from “Love Is The Measure” printed in The Catholic Worker (June 1946, 2) by Dorothy Day (b. today 1897)
Maybe it’s just me; but have you noticed that this year (in particular) there seems to be more awareness around the fact that there’s a “wrong” way to ask someone how they are doing? Don’t get me wrong – I think we all appreciate when someone cares enough to ask about our overall well-being (and then sticks around to listen). And anyone who is over the age of five knows that there are levels of “Fine” and “OK” that either hold a wealth of subtext or a complete lack of context.
Earlier this year, after the world watched George Floyd being killed, there were articles (like this one) about how to check in with POC – in particular, Black people – and I had more than one people say to me, “I’m not going to ask how you’re doing, because….” To some, especially my white male friends, I explained that if they would ask me how I was doing at any other time in our kinship (anthropologically speaking), they could ask me during a time when pretty much everyone in the world was horrified, terrified, exhausted, angry, and sad.
That said; I appreciated the awareness that the question (and the opportunity to ask it) were not simple and perfunctory. Similarly, I appreciated the friends, especially my close white friends, who might have done some soul searching before calling me, but were also quite aware of the fact that they could call me, “should” call me, and ask, “How are you today?” Simple as that – with no other explanations or apologies needed. I also loved that before one of my Tuesday night Zoom classes, when we were all checking in (and basically saying, we were doing “OK”), someone called out the fact that none of us was really doing “OK.” Because while checking in with each other, and ourselves, is important, being honest about how we’re doing in any given moment is also important to our overall well-being.
“And there are Father Zossima’s unforgettable words in The Brothers Karamazov – ‘Love in practice is a harsh and dreadful thing compared to love in dreams.’ What does the modern world know of love, with its divorces, with its light touching of the surface of love. It has never reached down into the depths, to the misery and pain and glory of love which endures to death and beyond it. We have not yet begun to learn about love. Now is the time to begin, to start afresh, to use this divine weapon.’”
– quoted from “Love Is The Measure” printed in The Catholic Worker (June 1946, 2) by Dorothy Day (b. today 1897)
This morning I came across an article entitled “6 Questions to Ask Instead of ‘How Are You?’, According to Therapists.” And, I’ll be honest, when I first saw the headline; I wasn’t going to open it. But once I did, I realized how fortunate I am to have people in my life who ask questions like, “But how are you, really, really?” (Which is not on the list, by the way.) I also noticed that the 6 ways reference can actually lead to dialogue and honesty – and that those are two parts of “sharing and caring” that can also lead to improved physical, mental, and emotional well-being.
In an earlier Movember post, I mentioned information on the (US) Movember website that always strikes me as off – but also oddly accurate: “70% of men say their friends can rely on them for support, but only 48% say that they rely on their friends.” I feel like this year, with everything that’s been going on, there might be more people checking in with each other, but not really, really checking in with each other. Which brings me to Alec (and Brendan Maher)
Brendan Maher is a “Mo Bro” and the Global Director of Mental Health and Suicide Prevention, Movember. If you go to the (US) Movember Foundation’s “Men’s Health – Mental Health and Suicide Prevention” website you will find a picture of Mr. Maher. He’s smiling gently, and looks like the kind of guy you could talk to about almost anything. At first, I thought he was “Alec.” It turns out, however, that ALEC is actually an acronym for four simple steps a person can take when checking on someone who is going through a hard time:
Ask
Listen
Encourage Action
Check (Back) In
If you check out the website for more details about ALEC (a model developed by “R U OK?”) and you compare it to the six questions referenced in the aforementioned Huffington Post article, you will find that each and every one of us can be Alec… and Alec’s friend. Each and every one of us has the ability to identify and (help) eliminate three-fold sorrow. It’s one of six our “super” human powers after all!
One of the reasons why checking in about how someone is feeling in the present moment, is that things change and the way we feel changes – physically, mentally, emotionally, and energetic/spiritually – moment to moment. As the world changes around us, it’s OK – more than OK – to be happy about certain things while simultaneously angry and frustrated (sometimes about the same things). We can simultaneously hold gratitude and sadness about a lost loved one – gratitude that they were in our lives and sadness that they are no longer with us on physical plane. We can be confused about which way to go moving forward, while also very confident about our desire not to go backwards.
One thing it is important to remember is that we embody all of the sensations, thoughts, and emotions we experience. So, as we are checking in with each other, be sure to check in with your own self. The physical practice of yoga (hatha yoga, regardless of the style or tradition) is a great opportunity to tune in and tune up. Also, take some time – maybe while you walk or sit or write – to ask yourself, “How YOU Doin’?”
“What’s happening now is impacting us all in different ways. Sometimes it’s hard to know what to do, where to start or what to say. As we push through this together, we hope we can empower people to connect with others who are struggling and find the help they need now.”
– Brendan Maher, Global Director of Mental Health and Suicide Prevention, Movember
Please join me for a 65-minute virtual yoga practice on Zoom today (Sunday, Movember 8th) at 2:30 PM. I am in the process of updating the links from the “Class Schedules” calendar; however, the Meeting IDs in the calendar are the same and are correct. PLEASE NOTE: Zoom 5.0 is in effect. If you have not upgraded, you will need to give yourself extra time to log into Zoom. You can always request an audio recording of this practice (or any practice) via email or a comment below.
Today’s playlist is available on YouTube and Spotify. [“Look for Movember 3rd 2020”]
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.)
“What we would like to do is change the world–make it a little simpler for people to feed, clothe and shelter themselves as God intended them to do. And to a certain extent, by fighting for better conditions, by crying out unceasingly for the rights of the workers, of the poor, of the destitute–the rights of the worthy and the unworthy poor in other words, we can to a certain extent change the world; we can work for the oasis, the little cell of joy and peace in a harried world. We can throw our pebble in the pond and be confident that its ever widening circle will reach around the world. We can give away an onion.”
– quoted from “Love Is The Measure” printed in The Catholic Worker (June 1946, 2) by Dorothy Day (b. today 1897)
If you are thinking about suicide, worried about a friend or loved one, or would like emotional support, you can call 1-800-273-TALK (8255). You can also call the 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.
[My apologies for not sorting out today’s technical difficulties in time to post before the class. I believe I’ve worked some of it out so that tomorrow is better.
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“History says, Don’t hope On this side of the grave, But then, once in a lifetime The longed-for tidal wave Of justice can rise up And hope and history rhyme.”
– The Greek Chorus in The Cure at Troy by Seamus Heaney
Like some of you – and like the Irish poet, playwright, translator, and 1995 Nobel Laureate in Literature Seamus Heaney – I like to know the origins of things. We can call them the beginnings, the foundations, the roots… But, for the sake of today’s practice, let’s call them the seats of words.
As some of you know, I’ve studied bits and pieces of a variety of languages, including a little Irish Gaelic years and years and years ago. However, my teacher Sean was from Galway (nowhere near the province of Ulster) and I can’t honestly say that I ever had anything close to the wealth of knowledge and vocabulary contained inside of his self’s own head (meaning the brain of either Sean or Seamus Heaney). So, I have to give credit to Darach Ó Séaghdha for pointing out that in Ulster Irish (which has more common threads with several Scottish dialects than what I learned), the words “hope” and “trust” can be translated to dóchas “(pronounced duh, hass…),” while the word for “heritage” or ancestral claim (i.e., history) is dúchas “(pronounced doo, hass….).” Even if you only speak one language and can’t tell an Irish accent from an Australian accent (or a Brooklyn accent from a New Orleans accent), you can see how the words of the Greek Chorus in Heaney’s play The Cure At Troy (a translation of Philoctetes by Sophocles) rhyme… in Ulster Irish.
dóchas / dúchas / dúchas / dóchas
But, in English… not so much.
True story, as if they are in a twisted version of the Buddha’s poisoned arrow parable, the Greek Chorus in the play is giving advice to an archer (Philoctetes) who has been bitten by a poisoned snake. Philoctetes must decide if he will use his skill (not to mention his magic bow) to help Odysseus win the Trojan War – or if he’s going to continue suffering, caterwauling, and blaming other people for his state. Just like the person in the Buddha’s story, Philoctetes is firmly established in his pain, suffering, and righteous indignation. Included in his deliberations, however, is the knowledge that he will be healed if he goes to Troy. The message from the Greek Chorus is clear: When you are given the means and opportunity to do something that will make a difference, do it!
“I do not pretend to understand the moral universe. The arc is a long one. My eye reaches but little ways. I cannot calculate the curve and complete the figure by experience of sight. I can divine it by conscience. And from what I see I am sure it bends toward justice.”
– quoted from an 1853 sermon by Theodore Parker
Seamus Heaney’s translation includes allusion to political problems around 1990 and is often quoted by politicians and other leaders faced with troubling times. It’s a reminder that, to paraphrase Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. (who was paraphrasing Theodore Parker), we have to do something to keep the arc of the moral universe bending towards justice.
Similarly, U2’s song “Peace on Earth,” which includes a reference to the Greek Chorus message, is a reminder of what happens when we do nothing – or do the wrong thing. The song is about a bombing that took place August 15, 1998 in Omagh, Northern Ireland (in Ulster province). The bombing injured 220 people and killed 29 (including children – some of whom are mentioned in the song, a couple of Spanish tourists, and a 30-year old woman, Avril Monaghan, who was pregnant with twins). Part of the reason Bono sings, “But hope and history won’t rhyme” is because of what people didn’t do when given the chance. Despite telephone warnings intended to alert officials about the bombing – with the appropriate code words for authentication, cause that’s a thing they did/do in Northern Ireland – no one took immediate action. Even worse, once officials did start evacuating, people were moved toward the assault area rather than away from it.
Yoga Sūtra 2.46: sthirasukham āsanam
– “Cultivate a steady [or stable], easy [comfortable or joyful] seat [or pose].”
If the last few years (not to mention thousands of years of world history) have taught us nothing, it’s that we have to be careful where we stand. This is true politically, socially, religiously, and spiritually; because our support of something (or someone) can create divisiveness or can be healing. Note, in this case I’m not talking about whether the thing (or person) itself creates suffering or healing – that’s a different philosophical conversation. (See one of my posts on āvidya, “ignorance.”) No, what I’m talking about here is that the way we carry ourselves, and the way we move through the world, provides both the means and the opportunity for healing or suffering – or, as Patanjali puts it, fulfillment and freedom.
This is also true physically. On and off the mat, how we sit – or stand or lie down or kneel or walk or talk or think – contributes to whether or not thoughts, words, and deeds create suffering or alleviate suffering. We can do “poses” all day, every day, and for every moment of our lives – but that, in and of itself, does not guarantee that we find peace and freedom from suffering. Getting on the mat regularly does not necessarily mean we are engaged in a healing practice. To access that healing, which the sūtras tells us is already in us, requires effort. To this point, Patanjali’s instruction on the fourth limb of the Yoga Philosophy, āsana, is succinct and points to continuous action. We don’t just plop into a position and find peace and joy, or even some of the healing benefits described in sacred and modern text. No, we have to “cultivate” – which is an ongoing experience.
“We are living in a body imbued with vast potential, and yet our mental faculty is so dull and dense that we are only dimly aware of its internal dynamics.
We have become disconnected from our body’s intrinsic intelligence. This dims our recognition of our inherent beauty, charm, vigor and vitality, and healing power, and eventually blocks their flow completely. As a result, our ability to be happy with what we are and what we have, our ability to embrace all and exclude none, our ability to cultivate and retain a robust and energetic body, and our ability to heal ourselves and each other plummet. This disconnection also disrupts the incessant flow of information among the body’s various systems and organs, and so they begin to function chaotically. This is how we become unhealthy and succumb to disease.”
– commentary on Yoga Sūtra 2.46 from The Practice of the Yoga Sūtra: Sadhana Pada by Pandit Rajmani Tigunait, PhD
The Spanish Infanta Maria Teresa (also known as Marie-Thérèse) was born heir to the Spanish and Portugal throne, Archduchess of Austria, a member of the Spanish branch of the House of Habsburg, and would eventually (by marriage) become Queen of France. Before you get the idea that she lived an easy life in the lap of luxury, I will point out that 5 of her six (known) children died before she did, she endured a lot a suffering during her lifetime, and she died a painful death. She is, however, an example of someone who, once given the means and opportunity to make a difference, had to adapt to changes in order to continue making a difference.
Her marriage to her double first cousin, Louis XIV (also known as “The Sun King” and “Louis the Great”), was stipulated as part of the “Peace of the Pyrenees,” which was signed today, November 7th, in 1659, Isle of Pheasants. The peace treaty ended 24 years of warfare between France and Spain and was part of the 30 Years War, which started as a religious conflict between Catholic and Protestants (similar to the situation in Northern Ireland). Unfortunately, neither the marriage nor the treaty was perfect.
Perhaps it wasn’t much of a hardship for Maria Teresa at first, since the 21-year old royals were supposedly in love. However, about a year into their marriage, Louis was clearly cheating. Yet, the marriage was still considered “necessary” to the treaty. In fact, previously, talks had stalled because Maria Teresa was (at one time) first in line to the Spanish throne. When she renounced her claim to the Spanish throne, and her younger brother was born, she was suppose to receive a settlement – which was never paid, and led to another war.
The treaty fixed a new border between France and Spain at the Pyrenees; but, it also gave most of Catalonia and any “villages” north of the Pyrenees to France. Spain got everything else north of the border and also kept Llívia (because it was considered a “town” not a “village”). In exchange for Spain’s loss of territory, France agreed to stop supporting Portugal and also renounced its claim to the county of Barcelona. The treaty also gave Dunkirk to England, which sold it to France.
Overall, the Treaty of the Pyrenees, combined with the “Peace of Westphalia” provided stability to France and a significant period of peace throughout Europe. That did not mean, however, that there was no “internal” conflict. For example, some of the people directly affected by the treaty, the Catalans, were excluded from the negotiations and lost the autonomy they might have had with Spain. Some of the ensuing culture conflicts continue to this day – and the Catalan language was not recognized as “valid” until 2007.
“A diseased body demands constant attention – we busy ourselves caring for it and have no time or energy to enjoy living in it. But as soon as we restore our connection with our body, our inner balance and harmony return. We become healthier, and we have ample time and energy to discover the purpose of having a human birth.
Restoring the natural connection with our body and reestablishing inner balance and harmony begin with the practice of asana.”
– commentary on Yoga Sūtra 2.46 from The Practice of the Yoga Sūtra: Sadhana Pada by Pandit Rajmani Tigunait, PhD
A Joyful Practice 