“Ramaḍān Mubarak, Blessed Ramaḍān!” to anyone observing the holy month of Ramaḍān. Many blessings also to all, and especially to those celebrating and/or observing the Baháʼí 19-Day Fast, Great Lent, and/or Lent!
Peace, ease, and openness to all, throughout this “Season for Nonviolence” and all other seasons!
“Openness means keeping our minds and hearts available for new experiences, ideas, and relationships. It means working to move beyond the boundaries of the familiar, in particular the walls that can be erected by tribe and tradition.
Openness and curiosity are two of the primary conditions for discovery. Openness feels risky, because it means venturing onto unfamiliar ground, but can also be full of unexpected delights….
…When we are open, we notice that life is constantly presenting us with new information and opportunities for growth. (Wisdom Commons)”
— quoted from the “Reflection” section of the “Day 41 ~ March 11 ~ Openness” page for the “Season for Nonviolence,” provided by the Mahatma Gandhi Canadian Foundation for World Peace
On a scale of 1 to 10, how would you rate your openness? Maybe your rating depends on the situation. For instance, are you more open to new ideas and new experiences that resemble what you already know? Or, are you pretty open to anything new?
Are you open to other people’s experiences when their experiences lead them to opinions that are vastly different from your own?
Are you open to your dreams, goals, and desires, showing up in a way different than you envisioned (based on your previous experiences)?
In a way, I asked a variation of that last question on Monday, when I asked people how they dealt with setbacks. In a way, all of these questions paly out in Lorraine Hansberry’s A Raisin in the Sun, which premiered on Broadway, at the Ethel Barrymore Theatre, today in 1959.
“Baldwin: It is hard for me to talk about Lorraine in a way because I loved her. She was like my baby sister, in a way. I can’t think of her without a certain amount of pain….
…Lorraine, who was very vivid, very young, very curious, very courageous, very honest. ”
— quoted from the “The Black Scholar” in Conversations with James Baldwin, edited by Fred L. Standley and Louis H. Pratt
Please join me today (Wednesday, March 11th) 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 in the class.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 “05192021 Being in The Middle”]
NOTE: The before/after music includes different artists performing Sam Cooke’s “A Change is Gonna Come” (with an intro I don’t think I had ever heard): on YouTube it’s Jennifer Hudson; on Spotify it’s Aretha Franklin.
If you are thinking about suicide, worried about a friend or loved one, or would like emotional support, you can dial 988 (in the US) or call 1-800-273-TALK (8255)for the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline. You can also call this TALK line if you are struggling with addiction or involved in an abusive relationship. The Lifeline network is free, confidential, and available to all 24/7. YOU CAN TALK ABOUT ANYTHING.
White Flag is an app, which I have not yet researched, but which may be helpful if you need peer-to-peer (non-professional) support.
In the spirit of generosity (“dana”), the Zoom classes, recordings, and blog posts are freely given and freely received. If you are able to support these teachings, please do so as your heart moves you. (NOTE: You can donate even if you are “attending” a practice that is not designated as a “Common Ground Meditation Center” practice, or you can purchase class(es).
Donations are tax deductible; class purchases are not necessarily deductible.
“Ramaḍān Mubarak, Blessed Ramaḍān!” to anyone observing the holy month of Ramaḍān. Many blessings to all, and especially to those celebrating and/or observing Lent, Great Lent, and/or the Baháʼí 19-Day Fast.
Peace, ease, and unity to all, throughout this “Season for Nonviolence” and all other seasons!
“Each of these moments is an invitation to further inquiry: looking deeper, zooming out, or in. Opening possibilities for a new way of being.”
— quoted from the prelude to The Creative Act: A Way of Being by Rick Rubin (b. 1963)
“We’re making something with our hearts and souls, and then we’re sharing it with the world. And if people like it, it’s great, and if they don’t, we wouldn’t change it, because we’ve made it with our hearts and souls, and it’s true. It’s a true thing we’re doing.”
— Rick Rubin, quoted from an NPR, All Things Considered interview with Rachel Martin entitled “Rick Rubin on taking communion with Johnny Cash and not rushing creativity” (December 10, 2023)
Please join me today (Tuesday, March 10th) at 12:00 PM or 7:15 PM for a yoga practice on Zoom. You can use the link from the “Class Schedules” calendar if you run into any problems checking into in the class. You can request an audio recording of this practice via a comment below or by emailing myra(at) ajoyfulpractice.com.
Tuesday’s playlist is available on YouTube and Spotify. [Look for “03102021 Songs for the DJ’s Adventure”]
If you are thinking about suicide, worried about a friend or loved one, or would like emotional support, you can dial 988 (in the US) or call 1-800-273-TALK (8255)for the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline. You can also call this TALK line if you are struggling with addiction or involved in an abusive relationship. The Lifeline network is free, confidential, and available to all 24/7. YOU CAN TALK ABOUT ANYTHING.
White Flag is an app, which I have not yet researched, but which may be helpful if you need peer-to-peer (non-professional) support.
In the spirit of generosity (“dana”), the Zoom classes, recordings, and blog posts are freely given and freely received. If you are able to support these teachings, please do so as your heart moves you. (NOTE: You can donate even if you are “attending” a practice that is not designated as a “Common Ground Meditation Center” practice, or you can purchase class(es).
Donations are tax deductible; class purchases are not necessarily deductible.
“Ramaḍān Mubarak, Blessed Ramaḍān!” to anyone observing the holy month of Ramaḍān. Many blessings also to all, and especially to those who were celebrating and/or observing the Baháʼí 19-Day Fast, Great Lent, and/or Lent on International Women’s Day and every day!
Peace, ease, and kindness to all, throughout this “Season for Nonviolence” and all other seasons!
NOTE: The following post contains some new and previously posted content.
“You weren’t born to be mistreated And you weren’t born to misguided You were born to be loved You were born to be loved”
— quoted from the song “Born to Be Loved” by Lucinda Williams
Every part of you deserves love and appreciation. Sometimes, however, we take ourselves (or parts of ourselves) for granted and need a moment to very deliberately and intentionally give thanks. So, here’s a variation of the body scan I’ve used in practices on March 8th for a little over a decade. After you review each part, take a moment to pause — close your eyes if that is comfortable for you — and breath into each part of yourself. After a few moments of awareness about how your body feels and how you feel about your body, continue to the next part.
THE BODY SCAN
There is a portion of your body that supports you all day, every day. Even when that part doesn’t work exactly as you would like or as others are able, it still keeps you grounded. Breathe awareness into this part of your body and give thanks.
There is a portion of your body that is related to creativity and pleasure that you might enjoy and indulge — but/and about which you may feel some shame and embarrassment. Breathe awareness into this part of your body and give thanks.
There is a portion of your body that is vital to your survival — even though you may want it to be smaller (and/or appear stronger). Breathe awareness into this part of your body and give thanks.
There is a portion of your body that already holds all your joys and burdens — and you still expect it to do the heavy lifting. Breathe awareness into this part of your body and give thanks.
There is a part of your body that you may take for granted and is easily overextended — but/and you don’t really think about it unless something is wrong. Breathe awareness into this part of your body and give thanks.
There is a part of your body that gets a lot of attention (from others) — but/and may need some assistance to serve you. Breathe awareness into this part of your body and give thanks.
There is another part of your body that gets a lot of attention (from yourself and others) — but/and you may change it a lot. Breathe awareness into this part of your body and give thanks.
Now, go back and consider that every description matches at least one woman in your life. One or more may even describe you! Just think about the women who support you 24/7, 365 days a year. Think about the woman who created you and the women whose creativity inspires you. Think about the woman/women who play a part in your day-to-day survival. Think about the women with whom you share your joys, your grief, and your fears. Think about the women you (may) take for granted and those who speak up for you (and may be a little overextended in all the things they do). Think about the beautiful women who share their points of view and truths with you. Think about all the beautiful women in your life.
Now, breathe and give thanks for all of them!
“It’s more than strength
It’s more than physical
It’s more than faith
It’s more than biblical”
— quoted from the song “Woman” by Mickey Guyton (written by Victor Franco, Mickey Guyton, Kameron Traviss Glasper, Taylor Monet Parks, Oliver Robin Frid)
International Women’s Day is an opportunity to celebrate women and also to bring awareness to the disparities and inequities often faced by women around the world. Possibly the earliest “Women’s Day” was organized in New York by the Socialist Party of America on Sunday, February 28, 1909. An annual, international event on a specific “special day” (i.e., the last Sunday of February) was proposed in 1910, during the International Socialist Women’s Conference (in Copenhagen); however, no date was actually set. Additionally, some people (in places like the United States) thought the idea was too closely aligned with socialism. On Sunday, March 8, 1914, there was an event in Germany that focused on women’s suffrage (and coincided with an suffragists march in London). However, these events were still pretty independent of each other until the beginning of the Russian Revolution: March 8, 1917 (on the Gregorian calendar) / February 23, 1917 (on the Julian calendar).
“[Mickey] Guyton said in a statement: ‘I loved the idea of writing a song that celebrates the power women have. Throughout history and even today, women have taken pain, setbacks, and doubt, and they turn that into inner strength, and they persevere to achieve incredible things.’ Guyton also shared the story behind the song: ‘The idea actually came from Tayla (Parx). At the time there was so much going on online about what defined a woman, and there was so many interpretations and the whole internet was ablaze, and we thought it was so important to release a song called “Woman” on International Women’s Day.’”
— quoted from the WRNS: Your Country 95.1 article entitled “Mickey Guyton shares the official video for ‘Woman’” by Kathy Hutchins
After World War I, the Russian Empire was plagued by food shortages and a lack of representation (under tsarist autocracy). On Thursday, March 8, 1917, women who were standing in bread lines in Petrograd (which was then the capital of the Russian Empire) were joined by women who worked as textile workers and disgruntled soldiers in a demonstration demanding “bread and peace”. After eight days of protests and strikes — which included some violent conflicts — Tsar Nicholas II abdicated the throne and women were granted the right to vote. While this did not end the The Russian Revolution (which was a combination of the February Revolution and the October Revolution in 1917), it did highlight the power of women coming together and was recognized by Bolsheviks like Vladimir Lenin. Women’s Day was celebrated in the communist circles around the world throughout the early 20th century and became an official “non-working public holiday” in the Union of the Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR) in 1965. It was first celebrated by the United Nations in 1975, and received an official designation from the United Nations General Assembly in 1977.
“The research is compelling: sexism hurts everyone. Societies that have more women participating in the labor market are more prosperous. Corporations that have more women in senior leadership roles produce better bottom line results. Peace negotiations with more women sitting at the table result in less conflict and fewer deaths. In families where gender stereotypes are dismantled (with mothers going to work and fathers sharing more of the traditional women’s work at home), sons grow up more self-reliant and daughters are more likely to attain senior managerial roles.”
— quoted from the May 6, 2017 Forbes article entitled “Be Bold For Change: Tackling Sexism Head On This International Women’s Day” by Margie Warrell, Ph.D.
While women’s suffrage was one of the big focuses during the first Women’s Day celebrations, International Women’s Day observations now also focus on workplace accessibility, education (which is sometimes restricted by gender), reproductive health issues, and raising awareness about violence and abuse against women. Pay equity is also a primary focus around the world — especially as more and more women participate in the labor force — and highlights the pay gap between genders and, also between women of different ethnicities.
“Give to Gain”, the 2026 theme, “emphasizes the power of reciprocity and support.” It is inspired by the fact that, “When people, organizations, and communities give generously, opportunities and support for women increase. Giving is not a subtraction, it’s intentional multiplication. When women thrive, we all rise.”
The United Nations 2026 theme, “Rights. Justice. Action.”, highlights the fact that “Women and girls are living without full legal protection.” According to the UN, women and girls, worldwide, have 64% of the legal rights granted to men and, in almost 70% of the surveyed countries, “women face more barriers accessing justice than men. ” This inequality is experienced in all facets of life, including bodily autonomy, marriage inequality, and equal pay.
When comparing [previous year’s] United States earnings statistics of all people in the labor force (full time, part time, year round, and seasonal), women make an average of 76 cents for every dollar earned by their white, non-Hispanic male counterparts. The pay gap is around (81 cents for every dollar) when only comparing full time, year round workers. This means that, on average, it would take a woman until March 26, 2026, to earn the same amount that her white, non-Hispanic male counterpart made in 2025. This is one day later than last year’s equal pay day!*
While it is a little shocking to think that it could take a woman in the United States three extra months to earn the same thing that a man (doing the same work) did in a calendar year, March 26th is the earliest“Equal Pay Day” (in 2025). When the earnings statistics are broken down by ethnicity (or other factors*), the wage gaps become even more startling.
April 9th — AANHPI (Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander) Women’s Equal Pay Day
August 6th — Mom’s Equal Pay Day (for women who work outside the home),
June 17th — LGBTQIA+ Equal Pay Awareness Day (which is not directly tied to statistics, since they are not available)
July 21st — Black Women’s Equal Pay Day
September 15th — NHPI (Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander) Women’s Equal Pay Day
October 8th — Latina Women’s Equal Pay Day
October 20th — Disabled Women’s Equal Pay Day
November 19th — Native Women’s Equal Pay Day
*NOTE: While the 2026 Equal Pay Day is one day later than 2025, some of the other gaps are several days later and, in the case of moms, months later (which is why the list is out of order).
Of course, the elephant in the room, is that many women work inside the home — 24/7, 365 days a year — and stay-at-home moms do not typically receive a paycheck. Neither do they always receive the same recognition as stay-at-home dads. Yet, they are an invaluable part of society — just like women who start businesses and/or work in other people’s companies. Additionally, women (on average) spend more time as the unpaid caregiver of children and adult family members — even when they and their spouse or partner both work outside the home.
International Women’s Day is about giving these women, and all other women, their flowers. It is also about teaching the children of the world, regardless of their sex or gender, that we all sing a woman’s song and, therefore, we all benefit in a society that respects women.
“When Kings fall to their knees
They sing a woman’s song
When birds scream in the trees
They sing a woman’s song
The sunrise in the east
Sings a woman’s song
Every heart that beats
Sings a woman’s song”
— quoted from the song “Song of Women” by The HU, featuring Lizzy Hale of Halestorm (written by Elizabeth Hale, Dashdondog Bayarmagnai, Enkhsaikhan Batjargal, Galbadrakh Tsendbaatar, Temuulen Naranbaatar, Nyamjanstan Galsanjamts)
Please join me today (Sunday, March 8th) at 2:30 PM for a yoga practice on Zoom. You can use the link from the “Class Schedules” calendar if you run into any problems checking into in 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 “03082025 Women’s Day, redux”]
NOTE: Both playlists highlight women, as performers and as composers and songwriters. The Spotify playlist includes some silent tracks (for timing). The YouTube playlist has about 43 additional songs by women. Enjoy!
“A man dies when he refuses to stand up for that which is right. A man dies when he refuses to stand up for justice. A man dies when he refuses to take a stand for that which is true.”
— quoted from the March 8, 1965 sermon, at Brown Chapel A.M.E. Church (in Selma, Alabama) by Rev. Martin Luther King, Jr.
“The most disrespected woman in America, is the black woman. The most un-protected person in America is the black woman. The most neglected person in America, is the black woman.”
— quoted from the May 5, 1962 speech (at the funeral Ronald Stokes) by Malcom X
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.
“Ramaḍān Mubarak, Blessed Ramaḍān!” to anyone observing the holy month of Ramaḍān. Many blessings to all, and especially to those celebrating and/or observing Lent, Great Lent, the Remembrance of the Dead (Parents’ Saturday), and/or the Baháʼí 19-Day Fast.
Peace, ease, and graciousness to all, throughout this “Season for Nonviolence” and all other seasons!
“‘Rosa Parks inspired us to get in trouble. And I’ve been getting in trouble ever since,’ said [U. S. Representative John] Lewis. ‘She inspired us to find a way, to get in the way, to get in what I call good trouble, necessary trouble.’”
— quoted from “Remembering John Lewis: The Power of ‘Good Trouble’” (July 19, 2020) by Carla D. Hayden (14th Librarian of Congress)
Please join me today (Saturday, March 7th) 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 “03072021 Sunday Bloody Sunday Alabama”]
“Do not fall back upon the thought that those whom you hate deserve to be hated. I do not know whether anybody deserves to be hated, but I do know that hatred of those whom we believe to be evil is not what will redeem mankind. The only thing that will redeem mankind is co-operation, and the first step towards co-operation lies in the hearts of individuals.”
— quoted from “Chapter VI. Scientific Technique and the Future” in Human Society In Ethics And Politics by Bertrand Russell
If you are thinking about suicide, worried about a friend or loved one, or would like emotional support, you can dial 988 (in the US) or call 1-800-273-TALK (8255)for the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline. You can also call this TALK line if you are struggling with addiction or involved in an abusive relationship. The Lifeline network is free, confidential, and available to all 24/7. YOU CAN TALK ABOUT ANYTHING.
White Flag is an app, which I have not yet researched, but which may be helpful if you need peer-to-peer (non-professional) support.
In the spirit of generosity (“dana”), the Zoom classes, recordings, and blog posts are freely given and freely received. If you are able to support these teachings, please do so as your heart moves you. (NOTE: You can donate even if you are “attending” a practice that is not designated as a “Common Ground Meditation Center” practice, or you can purchase class(es).
Donations are tax deductible; class purchases are not necessarily deductible.
“Ramaḍān Mubarak, Blessed Ramaḍān!” to anyone observing the holy month of Ramaḍān. Many blessings to all, and especially to those celebrating and/or observing Lent, Great Lent, the Baháʼí 19-Day Fast, and/or Shushan Purim.
Peace, ease, and love to all, throughout this “Season for Nonviolence” and all other seasons!
“‘It is extremely difficult for a person in a physical form to really understand the formless. Ordinary people identify themselves with their own physical body and cannot help but conceptualize God as also being in some sort of body. To deeply love the formless God one must be free from one’s own body consciousness, and this state is attainable by many.
‘But keep in mind, Arjuna, that worshiping Divinity in a form will help for only a while.’”
— Krishna, speaking to Arjuna (12:5) of The Bhagavad Gita: A Walkthrough for Westerners by Jack Hawley
Please join me today (Wednesday, March 4th) 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 in the class.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.
“‘… I know this may seem impossible, but as I said, the ‘impossible’ can be made possible through regular practice (abhyasa yoga)’”
— Krishna, speaking to Arjuna (12:9) of The Bhagavad Gita: A Walkthrough for Westerners by Jack Hawley
If you are thinking about suicide, worried about a friend or loved one, or would like emotional support, you can dial 988 (in the US) or call 1-800-273-TALK (8255)for the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline. You can also call this TALK line if you are struggling with addiction or involved in an abusive relationship. The Lifeline network is free, confidential, and available to all 24/7. YOU CAN TALK ABOUT ANYTHING.
White Flag is an app, which I have not yet researched, but which may be helpful if you need peer-to-peer (non-professional) support.
In the spirit of generosity (“dana”), the Zoom classes, recordings, and blog posts are freely given and freely received. If you are able to support these teachings, please do so as your heart moves you. (NOTE: You can donate even if you are “attending” a practice that is not designated as a “Common Ground Meditation Center” practice, or you can purchase class(es).
Donations are tax deductible; class purchases are not necessarily deductible.
“‘Knowledge is better than mere performance of rituals. Meditation is better than knowledge. Abandoning the fruits of one’s acts (tyaga), is better than meditation. Why? Because peace immediately follows the giving up of expectations.’”
— Krishna, speaking to Arjuna (12:12) of The Bhagavad Gita: A Walkthrough for Westerners by Jack Hawley
Happy Purim! “Happy Lantern Festival!” “Ramaḍān Mubarak, Blessed Ramaḍān!” to anyone observing the holy month of Ramaḍān. Many blessings to all, and especially to those celebrating and/or observing Lent, Great Lent, the Baháʼí 19-Day Fast, and/or the Feast Day of St. Katharine on World Hearing Day.
Peace, ease, and acknowledgement to all, throughout this “Season for Nonviolence” and all other seasons!
Please join me today (Tuesday, March 3rd) at 12:00 PM or 7:15 PM for a yoga practice on Zoom. You can use the link from the “Class Schedules” calendar if you run into any problems checking into in the class.You can request an audio recording of this practice via a comment below or by emailing myra(at) ajoyfulpractice.com.
Tuesday’s playlist is available on YouTube and Spotify. [Look for “Purim 2022”]
If you are thinking about suicide, worried about a friend or loved one, or would like emotional support, you can dial 988 (in the US) or call 1-800-273-TALK (8255)for the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline. You can also call this TALK line if you are struggling with addiction or involved in an abusive relationship. The Lifeline network is free, confidential, and available to all 24/7. YOU CAN TALK ABOUT ANYTHING.
White Flag is an app, which I have not yet researched, but which may be helpful if you need 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.
“Ramaḍān Mubarak, Blessed Ramaḍān!” to anyone observing the holy month of Ramaḍān. “Happy Spring Festival!” Many blessings to all, and especially to those celebrating and/or observing Lent, Great Lent, St. David’s Day, and/or the Festival of Ayyám-i-Há (and getting ready for the Baháʼí 19-Day Fast) on March 1st.
Peace, ease, and praising to all, throughout this “Season for Nonviolence” and all other seasons!
Please join me today (Sunday, March 1st) at 2:30 PM for a yoga practice on Zoom. You can use the link from the “Class Schedules” calendar if you run into any problems checking into in 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 “02282021 Lofty and Rare Days”]
If you are thinking about suicide, worried about a friend or loved one, or would like emotional support, you can dial 988 (in the US) or call 1-800-273-TALK (8255)for the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline. You can also call this TALK line if you are struggling with addiction or involved in an abusive relationship. The Lifeline network is free, confidential, and available to all 24/7. YOU CAN TALK ABOUT ANYTHING.
White Flag is an app, which I have not yet researched, but which may be helpful if you need peer-to-peer (non-professional) support.
In the spirit of generosity (“dana”), the Zoom classes, recordings, and blog posts are freely given and freely received. If you are able to support these teachings, please do so as your heart moves you. (NOTE: You can donate even if you are “attending” a practice that is not designated as a “Common Ground Meditati Center” practice, or you can purchase class(es).
Donations are tax deductible; class purchases are not necessarily deductible.
“Happy (Hokkien) New Year!” “Happy Spring Festival!” “Ramadān Mubarak, Blessed Ramaḍān!” to everyone observing the holy month of Ramaḍān. Many blessings to all, and especially to those observing Lent and Great Lent and/or celebrating the Jade Emperor’s Birthday and/or the Festival of Ayyám-i-Há.
Peace, ease, and generosity to all, throughout this “Season for Nonviolence” and all other seasons!
Please join me today (Wednesday, February 25th) 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 in the class.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 “Lunar New Year Day 9 2022”]
If you are thinking about suicide, worried about a friend or loved one, or would like emotional support, you can dial 988 (in the US) or call 1-800-273-TALK (8255)for the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline. You can also call this TALK line if you are struggling with addiction or involved in an abusive relationship. The Lifeline network is free, confidential, and available to all 24/7. YOU CAN TALK ABOUT ANYTHING.
White Flag is an app, which I have not yet researched, but which may be helpful if you need 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 New Year!” to those who are celebrating! “Ramadān Mubarak, Blessed Ramaḍān!” to anyone observing the holy month of Ramaḍān. Many blessings to all, and especially to those observing and/or celebrating Lent and/or Cheesefare Week (in preparation for Great Lent)!
Peace, ease, and self-forgiveness to all, throughout this “Season for Nonviolence” and all other seasons!
“If my work is to be functional to the group (or to the village, as it were) then it must bear witness and identify danger as well as possible havens from danger; it must identify that which is useful from the past and that which ought to be discarded; it must make it possible to prepare for the present and live it out; and it must do that not by avoiding problems and contradictions but by examining them; it should not even attempt to solve social problems but it should certainly try to clarify them.”
— quoted from the essay “The Writer Before the Page” in “Part II God’s Language” of The Source of Self-Regard: Selected Essays, Speeches, and Meditations by Toni Morrison (b. 1931)
Please join me today (Wednesday, February 18th) 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 in the class.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 “One Other One for Ash Wednesday, Day 2, & Ramadan 2026”]
*NOTE: The YouTube playlist includes an extra “relaxation” track that is not (yet) available on Spotify.
“The quality of light by which we scrutinize our lives has direct bearing upon the product which we live, and upon the changes which we hope to bring about through those lives. It is within this light that we form those ideas by which we pursue our magic and make it realized. This is poetry as illumination, for it is through poetry that we give name to those ideas which are, until the poem, nameless and formless-about to be birthed, but already felt. That distillation of experience from which true poetry springs births thought as dream births concept, as feeling births idea, as knowledge births (precedes) understanding.”
— quoted from the essay “Poetry is Not a Luxury” in Sister Outsider: Essays and Speeches by Audre Lorde (b. 1934)
If you are thinking about suicide, worried about a friend or loved one, or would like emotional support, you can dial 988 (in the US) or call 1-800-273-TALK (8255)for the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline. You can also call this TALK line if you are struggling with addiction or involved in an abusive relationship. The Lifeline network is free, confidential, and available to all 24/7. YOU CAN TALK ABOUT ANYTHING.
White Flag is an app, which I have not yet researched, but which may be helpful if you need peer-to-peer (non-professional) support.
In the spirit of generosity (“dana”), the Zoom classes, recordings, and blog posts are freely given and freely received. If you are able to support these teachings, please do so as your heart moves you. (NOTE: You can donate even if you are “attending” a practice that is not designated as a “Common Ground Meditation Center” practice, or you can purchase class(es).
Donations are tax deductible; class purchases are not necessarily deductible.
“Happy Carnival!” to those who are celebrating! Many blessings to everyone, everywhere!!
Peace, ease, and contemplation throughout this “Season for Nonviolence” and all other seasons!!!
This is the “missing” (and backdated) post-practice post for Monday, February 9th (with excerpts).In addition to the new content and excerpts, it includes some re-purposed content. The 2026 prompt question was, “What is something moving around in your mind (& heart) that may move you to change?”You can request an audio recording of this practice or a previous practice via a comment below or (for a slightly faster reply) you can email myra(at) ajoyfulpractice.com.
In the spirit of generosity (“dana”), the Zoom classes, recordings, and blog posts are freely given and freely received. If you are able to support these teachings, please do so as your heart moves you. (NOTE: You can donate even if you are “attending” a practice that is not designated as a “Common Ground Meditation Center” practice, or you can purchase class(es).
Donations are tax deductible; class purchases are not necessarily deductible.
“Contemplation has long had an important role in spiritual practice. We’re encouraged to bring a wise and loving attention to our experience, gently investigating the nature of what’s happening in each moment with a sense of care and interest. For example, when we contemplate the dynamic nature of experience, we’re not trying to convince ourselves intellectually that things change; we’re actually softening into our direct experience and noticing that this breath arises and passes away. This sensation appears and dissolves. This emotion feels sticky or solid. We discern what thoughts seems useful and what thought do not seem useful.”
— quoted from a December 20, 2025, message to the Common Ground Meditation Center sangha by Shelly Graf
In addition to being one of the Co-Guiding Teachers at Common Ground Meditation Center, Shelly Graf has a background in clinical social work. I bring this up because it explains a little exchange we had during an informal meeting over tapas. This conversation happened years ago and, for the life of me, I don’t remember the subject of the meeting. However, in a passing moment, Shelly Graf taught me something about contemplation that has stuck with me to this day: It’s not just thinking.
“Contemplation”, which was the “Season for Nonviolence” principle for February 9th (2026), comes in a variety of different flavors. It can be sitting with a concept (like contemplation, peace, ease, lovingkindness, etc.) and/or it can be the kind of contemplation Saint Ignatius of Loyola outlined in The Spiritual Exercises — which is similar to svādhyāya (“self-study”), the fourth niyama (internal “observation”) in the Yoga Philosophy, and which involves putting yourself in another person’s shoes/circumstances. However, no matter the form of contemplation, engaging in a contemplative practice can be transformative (i.e., bring about change).
And this is what Shelly pointed out to me all those years ago. In certain paradigms, contemplation is directly related to change.
“So where does change come from? And how do we recognize it when it happens?”
— Forest Whitaker, as “Happiness”, in the movie The Air I Breathe by Jieho Lee and Bob DeRosa
According to the Transtheoretical Model (TTM) developed by psychologists James O. Prochaska and Carlo DiClemente (et al) in 1977, there are six stages of change: precontemplation, contemplation, preparation, action, maintenance, and termination. You can think of them as: “not ready”, “ready”, “get set”, “go”, “pace yourself”, and “the finish line”. In the conversation with Shelly, I referenced “contemplating” something when, in fact, I was in the precontemplation stage — meaning, I hadn’t really gotten to a point where I was seriously considering making a change.
The TTM stages are just one (of five) of the model’s components (which include processes of change, levels of change, self-efficacy, and decisional balance). The overall model also includes what motivates (or triggers) change in behavior, as well as what may be a barrier to change, and what supports or hinders change. Research has shown that these stages are applicable in a lot of different situations where people want/need to change their behavior, including smoking (which I believe was the original research); weight management; stress management; depression; and adherence to prescription drug protocols.
Some TTM research has also been conducted around how people commute and how people could be encouraged to reduce their reliance on single occupant motor vehicles (especially those powered by fossil fuels). While some of the transportation research focused on “pre-action” and “action” (versus the six stages) — and some defined the processes in different ways than the TTM — it is interesting to note how using this model (and these stages) on an individual level can be applied to social change.
“The only thing that I could say, in defense of my being on the [City] Council, is an old stupid woman who wasn‘t satisfied with those persons that were running to fill the unexpired term left on the Council in this district. I think that that‘s a slogan that I‘ve carried with me – If I don’t like what the other fellow‘s doing, I get up and do it myself.”
— Mrs. Juanita Jewel Craft (b. 1902), quoted from The Black Women Oral History Project, Schlesinger Library on the History of Women in America, at the Radcliffe Institute for Advanced Study at Harvard University (interview conducted by Mrs. Dorothy R. Robinson (on 01/20/1977)
Born in Round Rock, Texas on February 9, 1902, Juanita Jewel Craft (née Shanks) contemplated change… and then got others to contemplate change.
“I am going to venture that the man who sat on the ground in his tipi meditating on life and its meaning, accepting the kinship of all creatures and acknowledging unity with the universe of things was infusing into his being the true essence of civilization.”
— quoted from the “What the Indian Means to America” in Land of the Spotted Eagle by Luther Standing Bear
There is no playlist for the Common Ground Meditation Center practices.
*NOTE: Since there are several moveable feasts around this time of year, the second excerpt includes references to events that did not take place on February 9, 2026. It also features a playlist that I low-key referenced during this practice.
“A nimble mind can accept that it’s like this right now. We can notice how it feels to relate through a softer relationship with appreciation for the dance of experience arising in relationship to all things. We’re intimately contemplating the truth of the teachings through our own direct, embodied observation. And here we find the agency to learn and grow as we go along.”
— quoted from a December 20, 2025, message to the Common Ground Meditation Center sangha by Shelly Graf
If you are thinking about suicide, worried about a friend or loved one, or would like emotional support, you can dial 988 (in the US) or call 1-800-273-TALK (8255)for the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline. You can also call this TALK line if you are struggling with addiction or involved in an abusive relationship. The Lifeline network is free, confidential, and available to all 24/7. YOU CAN TALK ABOUT ANYTHING.
White Flag is an app, which I have not yet researched, but which may be helpful if you need peer-to-peer (non-professional) support.
###
A Joyful Practice 