Happy Winter(and Summer) Solstice! Happy Holidays! Many blessings to everyone and especially to anyone cultivating kindness, friendship, peace, freedom, understanding, gratitude, and wisdom (no matter how much you struggle).
May you be safe and protected / May you be peaceful and happy / May you be healthy and strong! May you be nourished!
For Those Who Missed It: The following was original posted in 2020. Some date-related content, class details, and formatting have been added or updated. Some links will direct you to sites outside of this blog.
“One of his longtime students, Patricia Miller, who now teaches in Washington, D.C., recalls him leading a meditation by offering alternatives. He instructed students to close their eyes and observe the space between the brows, and then said, ‘Think of God. If not God, the sun. If not the sun, your parents.’ Krishnamacharya set only one condition, explains Miller: ‘That we acknowledge a power greater than ourselves.’”
— quoted from the Yoga Journal article entitled “Krishnamacharya’s Legacy” by Fernando Pagés Ruiz
There is a great power in the sun and great power in harnessing the sun’s power. Even before high school students used a magnifying glass to boil water or start a fire and long before people attached solar panels to their homes and businesses, people worshiped and honored the sun — and figured out ways to use the sun’s power. And long before Sri T. Krishnamacharya told his students to meditate on the sun or showed them how to “salute the sun”, people around the world told stories about the sun. For instance, in ancient Māori mythology and other Polynesian traditions, a clever and precocious young man named Māui figured out a way to quite literally harness the sun. With the help of his siblings (and sometimes using his sister’s hair), he lassos the sun and slows it down in order to give humankind more daylight to work, find food, and eat.
The indigenous people of islands in Central and South Pacific Ocean are not the only people with stories about the significance of the Sun. In fact, many cultures consider the Sun to be a god or goddess who flies through the sky at regular intervals. Their stories speak of an anthropomorphized deity who heals people and provides them with sustenance. Sometimes, he is depicted as part bird (e.g., the ancient Egyptians’ Ra); sometimes he has a winged chariot (e.g., the ancient Greeks’ Helios and the Hindus’ Sūrya); sometimes he has both bird characteristics and a horse with wings (e.g., Turkish sun god Koyash); sometimes he was a former human with noble qualities (e.g., the Aztec’s Nanāhuātzin); and sometimes, as I mentioned before, he is she — like Sól (or Sunna) in the Old Norse tradition and the goddess Amaterasu in Japan’s Shinto religion. Although these different cultures portray the Sun as more powerful than mere mortals, in most myths, the Earth (and its inhabitants) are still the center of the Universe.
“This invocation, these our words may Heaven and Earth, and Indra and the Waters and the Maruts [storm deities] hear. Ne’er may we suffer want in presence of the Sun, and, living happy lives, may we attain old age.
Cheerful in spirit, evermore, and keen of sight, with store of children, free from sickness and from sin,
Long-living, may we look, O Sūrya, upon thee uprising day by day, thou great as Mitra is! Sūrya, may we live long and look upon thee still, thee, O Far-seeing One, bringing the glorious light,”
— quoted from “Hymn XXXVII. Sūrya” (verses 6-8) in the Rig Veda (translated by Ralph T. H. Griffith)
Today, we know that the Earth revolves around the Sun and that it does so while also tilted and revolving around its own axis. This tilt, the way the Earth revolves around its own center, and the way it orbits the Sun results in the amount of daylight (and nighttime) we have at various times of the year as well as the change in temperature related to different seasons throughout the year. More often than not, we do not notice the gradual changes between dawn (“morning twilight”), daylight, dusk (“evening twilight”) and night. And, let’s not even get into whether or not we even know to notice the difference between the degrees of civil, nautical, and astronomical twilights — which are based on the position of the Sun (in nautical terms) or the Sun’s geometric center in relation to the horizon. More often than not, we notice what might be considered the end of these transitions — i.e., the quality of dawn, daylight, dusk, and night.
In the same way that we barely register the gradual changes during a 24-hour period, we may not always notice the gradual changes between seasons. Four times a year, there is a moment where the Earth is tilted and turned in a way we can perceive and have learned to understand. We know these four times as Winter Solstice, Vernal (or Spring) Equinox, Summer Solstice, and Autumnal (or Fall) Equinox.
The word “equinox” comes from the Latin meaning “equal night” and marks the point, twice a year, when the Sun is directly over the equator (or you can think of it as the equator being closest to the sun). It marks the beginning of astronomical Spring and Fall. It is often explained as the time when everyone in the world has the same amount of daylight and nighttime, but that’s not exactly true. It’s more precise to say that we have equal amounts of day and night on the “Equilux” (which is a word derived from the Latin meaning “equal light”), but people don’t necessarily know that’s actually a thing. Unlike the equinox, which happens at the same time for everyone, the equilux is based on latitude and happens a few days before or after the equinox (depending on the season and where you are in the world).
“He will not see me stopping here
To watch his woods fill up with snow.
My little horse must think it queer
To stop without a farmhouse near
Between the woods and frozen lake
The darkest evening of the year.”
— quoted from the poem “Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening” by Robert Frost
The word “solstice” comes from the Latin words meaning “sun” and “to stand still”. The solstice marks the moment, twice a year, when one hemisphere is tilted toward the Sun while the other is tilted away and it appears as if the Sun is hovering over one of the poles — thus creating the longest day (and the longest night) of the year. In the Northern Hemisphere today is Winter Solstice. It’s our shortest day and longest night, but it also marks the moment when we begin to perceive longer days (i.e., more daylight).
Throughout history, cultures all around the world have celebrated the Sun during this darkest (and longest) night. Specifically, people celebrate the Sun returning to their land and give thanks for the benefits of having sunlight. Traditional celebrations include the use of candlelight, bonfires, and Yule Logs. Some people will “sweep away” the old year and as they might during the other big season changes, some people mark this transition by practicing Sūrya Namaskar (“Salutes to the Sun”) 108 times.
There are different types of “Sun Salutations”, but it is traditional viewed as a series of twelve poses and, therefore, a practice of six (inhale-exhale) breaths. The movement mimics the body’s natural tendencies to extend, or lift up to the sun, on the inhale — which is the solar breath — and get closer to the earth on the exhale — which is the lunar breath. It is a mālā (“ring” or “garland”) meditation practice involving ajapa-japa (“not thinking-repeat” or explained as “repeat-remember”), similar to a reciting, chanting, or praying with a rosary or beads. In fact, there are chants and prayers which are sometimes used along with the movement. Not coincidentally, 108 corresponds with the way people use mala beads and the old fashioned rosaries — which had beads to recite 10 decades (10×10) plus 8 beads (for mistakes) (and the cross as the guru bead).
“According to the Surya Siddhanta, an ancient Indian astronomical work, the sunlight moves at a speed of 2,202 yojanas in 0.5 nimisha. One yojana is nine miles. 2,202 yojanas amount to 19,818 miles. One nimisha is equal to 16/75 of a second. Half a nimisha amounts to 8/75 of a second, which is 0.106666 seconds. A speed of 19,818 miles in 0.10666 seconds equals 185,793 miles per second. This is approximately in line with the modern calculations, according to which the speed of light is 186,282 miles per second. Modern science has arrived at this number with great difficulty and all kinds of instruments, while a few thousand years ago, they got this number by simple observation of how the human system and the solar system function together.”
— quoted from a talk about during a “Mahabharat – Saga Nonpareil” event by Sadhguru (Jaggi Vasudev)
There are a ton of reasons why 108 is considered auspicious, and these reasons come from a lot of different traditions and disciplines — not all of which are religious, spiritual, or metaphysical. The number 108 pops up in mathematics, geometry, physical science, and even baseball! Astronomically speaking, the sun’s diameter is just a little more than 108 times the diameter of the earth’s diameter and the average distance between the earth and the sun is almost 108 times the sun’s diameter. Additionally, the average distance between the moon and the earth just a little more than 108 times the moon’s diameter. Consider that evidence shows the sun’s diameter has increased (over centuries) and the moon’s diameter has decreased (also over centuries) — which means that there was a time when the ratios were presumed to be exactly 108. If the math is throwing you off, just remember that 108 is why the sun and moon appear to be similar in size (even though the sun is about 400 times bigger, and further away from us, than the moon).
Speaking of the way we perceive those gigantic objects in the sky, [the December 2020 solstice] overlapped with “The Great Conjunction” or “meeting” of Jupiter and Saturn. People watched the two planets coming together over [several] nights. Shortly after sunset (that Monday night) the two largest planets in the solar system appeared to merge. This happens about every 20 years, but [in 2020] they were the closest they have been in the last 800 years. People referred to the appearance as “The Christmas Star” or “The Star of Bethlehem” and they won’t be that close again until 2080.
“To be a star, you must shine your own light, follow your path, and don’t worry about the darkness, for that is when the stars shine brightest.”
— Source unverified
Please join me today (Saturday, December 21st) 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 “12222020 Winter Holidays”]
If you are thinking about suicide, worried about a friend or loved one, or would like emotional support, you can dial 988 (in the US) or call 1-800-273-TALK (8255)for the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline. You can also call this TALK line if you are struggling with addiction or involved in an abusive relationship. The Lifeline network is free, confidential, and available to all 24/7. YOU CAN TALK ABOUT ANYTHING.
White Flag is a new app, which I have not yet researched, but which may be helpful if you need peer-to-peer (non-professional) support.
In the spirit of generosity (“dana”), the Zoom classes, recordings, and blog posts are freely given and freely received. If you are able to support these teachings, please do so as your heart moves you. (NOTE: You can donate even if you are “attending” a practice that is not designated as a “Common Ground Meditation Center” practice, or you can purchase class(es).
Donations are tax deductible; class purchases are not necessarily deductible.
Happy Holidays! Many blessings to everyone and especially to anyone cultivating kindness, friendship, peace, freedom, understanding, gratitude, and wisdom (no matter how much you struggle).
May you be safe and protected / May you be peaceful and happy / May you be healthy and strong! May you be nourished!
“25 And Jacob was left alone, and a man wrestled with him until the break of dawn.
26 When he saw that he could not prevail against him, he touched the socket of his hip, and the socket of Jacob’s hip became dislocated as he wrestled with him.”
— quoted from Bereshit – Genesis 32
Please join me today (Wednesday, December 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 the class. You can request an audio recording of this practice via a comment below or (for a slightly faster reply) you can email myra(at) ajoyfulpractice.com.
Wednesday’s playlist is available on YouTube and Spotify. [Look for “12182022 Wrestling Jacob, Steve”]
“4 In the womb, he seized his brother’s heel, and with his strength he strove with an angel.
5 He strove with an angel and prevailed….”
— quoted from Hoshea – Hosea 12
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.)
“Feliĉan Zamenhof-tagon!” “Feliĉan Feriojn!” (“Happy Zamenhoff Day!” “Happy Holidays!”) Many blessings to everyone and especially to anyone sustaining kindness, friendship, peace, freedom, understanding, gratitude, and wisdom.
May you be safe and protected / May you be peaceful and happy / May you be healthy and strong! May you be nourished!
For Those Who Missed It: The following was originally posted in 2021. Some formatting, links, and class details have been updated or added.
“La okulisto skribis post noktmezo. Kiam la homa gefrataro pacos? Kia mistera manko, kia lezo duonblindigas? Kiu ĝin kuracos? Kaj kion povas fari unuopa malriĉa homo por homar’ miopa?”
“The ophthalmologist wrote after midnight. When will the human brotherhood be at peace? What a mysterious lack, what an injury half blind? Who will cure it? And what can be done individually poor man for myopic humanity?”
— quoted (in Esperanto and English) from the poem “La Okulisto” (“The Ophthalmologist”) in Eroj (Items) by Marjorie Boulton
What does culture mean to you? Specifically, what does your culture mean to you? And, when I speak of “your culture,” do you think of how you identify yourself or how others identify you (even if certain things don’t apply to you)? Do you think of something specific and personal to you or something related to the dominant culture around you? Of course, it could be all of the above — because, let’s be real, most of us live bi-cultural (or multi-cultural) lives. Most of us exist in a place where cultures overlap. We move in and out of corporate and other institutional cultures — including school and religious cultures – as well as the cultures of our people and our nations or states.
But, again, what do I mean by culture?
Modern dictionaries include the following definitions (for the noun):
the arts and other manifestations of human intellectual achievement regarded collectively.
the customs, arts, social institutions, and achievements of a particular nation, people, or other social group.
the cultivation of bacteria, tissue cells, etc. in an artificial medium containing nutrients.
the cultivation of plants.
Noah Webster’s (intentionally American) 1828 dictionary focuses on the word as it’s related to agriculture and physical labor, with the second definition highlighting that it can be “The application of labor or other means to improve good qualities in, or growth; as the culture of the mind; the culture of virtue.”
So, culture could be work intended to improve what it means to be a good human. Got it. Except…it still doesn’t completely answer the question. It also doesn’t explain why “culture” seems to create so much conflict.
“La okulisto verkis kaj parolis, tradukis, organizis. Kaj la skvamoj de kelkaj okulparoj jam forfalis, la antaŭjuĝoj, timoj kaj malamoj.”
“The ophthalmologist wrote and spoke, translated, organized. And the scales [of] some eyes have already fallen off, the prejudices, fears and hatreds.”
— quoted (in Esperanto and English) from the poem “La Okulisto” (“The Ophthalmologist”) in Eroj (Items) by Marjorie Boulton
When most people think about “culture,” they think about behavior. They think about rituals, traditions, laws, expectations, and belief systems. They think about celebrations and the way people mark milestones. They think about clothes, music, and food. All the things that might seem strange to an outsider (or even an insider who has forgotten, or never learned, the underlying meanings of their customs). Focusing on that sense of strangeness can become a form avidyā (“ignorance”) that leads to suffering.
When we focus on the strangeness of something (or someone) we sometimes miss the things we have in common. When we miss our commonalities, we may all miss out on the opportunity to appreciate what makes us unique. That’s one of the reasons it’s so important to share experiences. Shared experiences can become part of our culture and part of our cultural understanding. For instance, when we break bread with people — especially people we view as (culturally) different from us — we gain some awareness and appreciation of the things we have in common. As David Chang has pointed out in his Netflix series Ugly Delicious, every culture has some kind of dumpling… stir fry… casserole (even if they call it hot dish). People from different cultures may even use similar spices, just in different ways. Or, maybe we just call the spice something different.
Which brings me to one aspect of culture that I left out: language (and how we think, based on the language we use).
Many of the world’s languages share roots. However, those shared roots are not on the mind of the average person when they encounter a language that is foreign to them. If someone doesn’t speak a certain language, they may not take the time to figure out what they can understand based on what they know about their own language. They may not consider that their brain actually has the ability to glean some meaning, based on context, because it’s been cultured (i.e., cultivated). In doing so, they may miss out on the opportunity to make a friend or clear up a misunderstanding.
“Tio, kio malamas vin, ne faru al via ulo. Tio estas la tuta Torao; la resto estas la klarigo. Nun iru studi.”
“That which is hateful to you, do not do to your fellow. That is the whole Torah; the rest is the explanation. Now go and study.”
— quoted from the story of Hillel the Elder “[teaching] the meaning of the whole Torah while standing on one foot,” in Esperanto and in English
Because it is Zamenhof-tagon (Zamenhoff Day), mi deziras al vi pacon en Esperanto. (I wish you peace in Esperanto.)
Born December 15, 1859, in a part of the Russian Empire that is now Poland, Dr. L. L. Zamenhof was a Polish-Jewish ophthalmologist and polyglot. He was born into a Lithuanian-Jewish family that spoke Russian and Yiddish, but his father taught German and French — so he learned those languages, as well as Polish, at a young age. Eventually, he would also master German; have a good understanding of Latin, Hebrew, French, and Belarusian; and basic knowledge of Greek, English, Italian, Lithuanian, and Aramaic. At some point, he also studied Volapük, a constructed language created by Johann Martin Schleyer (a German Catholic priest).
The diverse population in his hometown and his love of language exposed Dr. Zamenhof to different cultures and also to the schisms (and wars) that developed between cultures. He imagined what the world would be like without conflict, especially conflict that arose from misunderstandings that he saw were the result of miscommunication. He thought that if people could more easily understand each other they would have a better chance of avoiding and/or resolving conflict. In 1873, while he was still a schoolboy, the future eye doctor started developing Esperanto, a constructed language that he called “Lingvo internacia” (“international language”).
Dr. Zamenhof continued his work even as he studied medicine and began working as a doctor. Eventually, he self-published his work (with a little help from his then future father-in-law) under the pseudonym “Doktoro Esperanto” or Doctor Hopeful. He continued to write and translate grammar books in various languages, including Esperanto, and also to look for solutions to oppression and nationalism. He explored various religions and social movements — he even wrote about humanitarianism or humanism (“homaranismo” in Esperanto), based on the teachings of Hillel the Elder. But, he kept coming back to the concept of language as a unifier.
Promoting the language and the idea behind the language would be Dr. Zamenhof’s legacy — a legacy that lived on through his wife (Klara) and their children. Even though the Zamenhof children, as adults, were killed during the Holocaust, along with millions of others, the language lived on. There are currently at least a thousand native speakers of Esperanto, worldwide, and millions who have some working knowledge of the language.
Ni ne estas tiel naivaj, kiel pensas pri ni kelkaj personoj; ni ne kredas, ke neŭtrala fundamento faros el la homoj anĝelojn; ni scias tre bone, ke la homoj malbonaj ankaŭ poste restos malbonaj; sed ni kredas, ke komunikiĝado kaj konatiĝado sur neŭtrala fundamento forigos almenaŭ la grandan amason de tiuj bestaĵoj kaj krimoj, kiuj estas kaŭzataj ne de malbona volo, sed simple de sinnekonado kaj de devigata sinaltrudado.”
“We are not as naive as some people think of us; we do not believe that a neutral foundation will make men angels; we know very well that bad people will stay bad even later; but we believe that communication and acquaintance based on a neutral basis will remove at least the great mass of those beasts and crimes which are caused not by ill will, but simply by [misunderstandings and forced coercion.]”
— quoted from a speech by Dr. L. L. Zamenhof to the Second World Congress of Esperanto, August 27, 1906
Please join me for a 65-minute virtual yoga practice on Zoom today (Sunday, December 15th) at 2:30 PM.Use the link from the “Class Schedules” calendar if you run into any problems checking into the class. You can request an audio recording of this practice via a comment below or by emailing myra(at) ajoyfulpractice.com.
Sunday’s playlist is available on YouTube and Spotify. [Look for “12152021 Feliĉan Zamenhof-tagon!”]
Esperanto music can be found in a lot of different genres, including folk music, rap, reggae, rock, rap, and orchestral music. This playlist features music by David Gaines, an American classical composer and Esperantist. He has served on the advisory board of the Esperantic Studies Foundation; is the Honorary President of the Music Esperanto League; and “won First Prize at the 1995 World Esperanto Association’s Belartaj Konkursoj (competitions in the field of Belles lettres).” His work incorporates Esperanto poetry and the quest for peace.
If you are thinking about suicide, worried about a friend or loved one, or would like emotional support, you can dial 988 (in the US) or call 1-800-273-TALK (8255)for the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline. You can also call this TALK line if you are struggling with addiction or involved in an abusive relationship. The Lifeline network is free, confidential, and available to all 24/7. YOU CAN TALK ABOUT ANYTHING.
White Flag is a new app, which I have not yet researched, but which may be helpful if you need peer-to-peer (non-professional) support.
In the spirit of generosity (“dana”), the Zoom classes, recordings, and blog posts are freely given and freely received. If you are able to support these teachings, please do so as your heart moves you. (NOTE: You can donate even if you are “attending” a practice that is not designated as a “Common Ground Meditation Center” practice, or you can purchase class(es).
Donations are tax deductible; class purchases are not necessarily deductible.
Many blessings to everyone and especially to anyone sustaining kindness, friendship, peace, freedom, understanding, gratitude, and wisdom.
May you be safe and protected / May you be peaceful and happy / May you be healthy and strong! May you be nourished!
“Throw the baby out with the bathwater (or more accurately das Kind mit dem Bade ausschütten) is a German proverb that dates to 1512. It was first recorded by Thomas Murner in his satire Narrenbbeschwörung (Appeal to Fools), in which he uses it as a chapter title. Murner uses the phrase several times in his chapter and the original manuscript even has a woodcut of a woman tossing a baby out with the wastewater.”
— quoted from Word Myths: Debunking Linguistic Urban Legends by David Wilton
B. K. S. Iynegar was born today in 1918, in Pune, India. Click on the excerpt title below for a related post (which includes a popular word myth).
Please join me today (Saturday, December 14th) 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 “04192020 Noticing Things”]
NOTE: These are double playlists. You can start with Track #1, Track #11, or Track #12
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.
Since I pulled out all my gear to deal with winter in Minnesota at the beginning of this year…
I Decided to Gear Up Again for Another New Year!
For a limited time only, I will be back in the Twin Cities. In-person practices (also available on Zoom) will be held at various locations Wednesday, January 1st until Wednesday, January 8th — with an Open House on Friday, January 10th.
In the spirit of generosity (“dana”), the Zoom classes, recordings, and blog posts are freely given and freely received. If you are able to support these teachings, please do so as your heart moves you. (NOTE: You can donate even if you are “attending” a practice that is not designated as a “Common Ground Meditation Center” practice, or you can purchase class(es). Donations are tax deductible; class purchases are not necessarily deductible.)
Many blessings to everyone and especially to anyone sustaining kindness, friendship, peace, freedom, understanding, gratitude, and wisdom on International Mountain Day!
May you be safe and protected / May you be peaceful and happy / May you be healthy and strong! May you be nourished!
“Over centuries, mountain communities have developed solutions to adapt to their harsh environments, deal with climate change, reduce poverty and protect or restore biodiversity.
This International Mountain Day 2024 (IMD 2024) focuses precisely on the capacity and needs of its people through a triple approach: ‘Mountain solutions for a sustainable future – innovation, adaptation and youth.’”
— quoted from “Mountain solutions for a sustainable future – innovation, adaptation and youth” on the United Nations site for International Mountain Day
Please join me today (Wednesday, December 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 the class. You can request an audio recording of this practice via a comment below or (for a slightly faster reply) you can email myra(at) ajoyfulpractice.com.
Wednesday’s playlist is available on YouTube and Spotify. [Look for “12112021 Tadā! Tāḍa!”]
“Tāḍa means a mountain. Sama means upright, straight, unmoved, Sthiti is standing still, steadiness. Tāḍāsana therefore implies a pose where one stands firm and erect as a mountain. This is the basic standing pose.”
— quoted from Light on Yoga (Yoga Dipika) by B. K. S. Iyengar, Forward by Yehudi Menuhin
If you are thinking about suicide, worried about a friend or loved one, or would like emotional support, you can dial 988 (in the US) or call 1-800-273-TALK (8255)for the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline. You can also call this TALK line if you are struggling with addiction or involved in an abusive relationship. The Lifeline network is free, confidential, and available to all 24/7. YOU CAN TALK ABOUT ANYTHING.
White Flag is a new app, which I have not yet researched, but which may be helpful if you need peer-to-peer (non-professional) support.
In the spirit of generosity (“dana”), the Zoom classes, recordings, and blog posts are freely given and freely received. If you are able to support these teachings, please do so as your heart moves you. (NOTE: You can donate even if you are “attending” a practice that is not designated as a “Common Ground Meditation Center” practice, or you can purchase class(es). Donations are tax deductible; class purchases are not necessarily deductible.)
Many blessings to everyone and especially to anyone working for a future full of kindness, friendship, peace, freedom, understanding, gratitude, and wisdom on International Human Rights Day, the final of the “16 Days of Activism against Gender-Based Violence”.
May you be safe and protected / May you be peaceful and happy / May you be healthy and strong!
“Crumbling is not an instant’s Act
A fundamental pause
Dilapidation’s processes
Are organized Decays —”
— quoted from the poem “Crumbling is not an instant’s Act (1010)” by Emily Dickinson (b. 12/10/1830)
“There lies before us, if we choose, continual progress in happiness, knowledge, and wisdom. Shall we, instead, choose death, because we cannot forget our quarrels? We appeal, as human beings, to human beings: Remember your humanity, and forget the rest. If you can do so, the way lies open to a new Paradise; if you cannot, there lies before you the risk of universal death.”
— quoted in the 2024 Nobel Peace Prize Acceptance Speech delivered by Jørgen Watne Frydnes, Chair of the Norwegian Nobel Committee, from “The Russell-Einstein Manifesto” by Bertrand Russell and Albert Einstein, signed by Max Born, Percy W. Bridgman, Albert Einstein, Leopold Infeld, Frederic Joliot-Curie, Herman J. Muller, Linus Pauling, Cecil F. Powell, Joseph Rotblat, Bertrand Russell, Hideki Yukawa (issued 9 July 1955)
Please join me today (Tuesday, December 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 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 “12102022 Call Me Al or Emily”]
If you are thinking about suicide, worried about a friend or loved one, or would like emotional support, you can dial 988 (in the US) or call 1-800-273-TALK (8255)for the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline. You can also call this TALK line if you are struggling with addiction or involved in an abusive relationship. The Lifeline network is free, confidential, and available to all 24/7. YOU CAN TALK ABOUT ANYTHING.
White Flag is a new app, which I have not yet researched, but which may be helpful if you need peer-to-peer (non-professional) support.
In the spirit of generosity (“dana”), the Zoom classes, recordings, and blog posts are freely given and freely received. If you are able to support these teachings, please do so as your heart moves you. (NOTE: You can donate even if you are “attending” a practice that is not designated as a “Common Ground Meditation Center” practice, or you can purchase class(es). Donations are tax deductible; class purchases are not necessarily deductible.)
Many blessings to everyone and especially to anyone cultivating healing, kindness, friendship, peace, freedom, understanding, gratitude, and wisdom on one of the “16 Days of Activism against Gender-Based Violence”.
May you be safe and protected / May you be peaceful and happy / May you be healthy and strong!
“I was beginning to see then what I have learned now. It’s not forgetting that heals. It’s remembering.”
— quoted from Bloodroot by Amy Greene
Today is the anniversary of the 1941 attack on Pearl Harbor.
Please join me today (Saturday, December 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 “12/7 and Healing 2021”]
If you are thinking about suicide, worried about a friend or loved one, or would like emotional support, you can dial 988 (in the US) or call 1-800-273-TALK (8255)for the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline. You can also call this TALK line if you are struggling with addiction or involved in an abusive relationship. The Lifeline network is free, confidential, and available to all 24/7. YOU CAN TALK ABOUT ANYTHING.
White Flag is a new app, which I have not yet researched, but which may be helpful if you need peer-to-peer (non-professional) support.
In the spirit of generosity (“dana”), the Zoom classes, recordings, and blog posts are freely given and freely received. If you are able to support these teachings, please do so as your heart moves you. (NOTE: You can donate even if you are “attending” a practice that is not designated as a “Common Ground Meditation Center” practice, or you can purchase class(es).
Donations are tax deductible; class purchases are not necessarily deductible.
Many blessings to everyone and especially to anyone appreciating kindness, friendship, peace, freedom, understanding, gratitude, and wisdom on the National Day of Remembrance and Action on Violence Against Women / “White Ribbon Day” (in Canada), one of the “16 Days of Activism against Gender-Based Violence”.
NOTE: This post references a violent act, but does not go into explicit details.
May you be safe and protected / May you be peaceful and happy / May you be healthy and strong!
“At the last session of Congress a proposed amendment of the Constitution abolishing slavery throughout the United States passed the Senate, but failed for lack of the requisite two-thirds vote in the House of Representatives. Although the present is the same Congress and nearly the same members, and without questioning the wisdom or patriotism of those who stood in opposition, I venture to recommend the reconsideration and passage of the measure at the present session. Of course the abstract question is not changed; but an intervening election shows almost certainly that the next Congress will pass the measure if this does not. Hence there is only a question of time as to when the proposed amendment will go to the States for their action. And as it is to so go at all events, may we not agree that the sooner the better?”
— quoted from State of the Union 1864, delivered to the United States Congress by President Abraham Lincoln (on 12/6/1864)
Yoga means union and, every time we step on the mat, we have the opportunity to check in with the state of that union. In the United States, we typically think of Presidents giving a State of the Union address towards the beginning of their term and towards the beginning of the year. However, on December 6, 1864, then-President Abraham Lincoln gave a State of the Union address in which he urged Congress and the States to take action “the sooner the better” on an amendment to abolish slavery. He proceeded to very actively, more actively than had previously been witnessed in other presidencies, work towards securing the votes needed to pass and ratify what would become the 13th Amendment — which was, in fact, ratified exactly one year later, on December 6, 1865.
In addition to those U. S. anniversaries (which are related to efforts to end a violent period of history), December 6th is one of the “16 Days of Activism against Gender-Based Violence”. It is also the anniversary of mass gender-based violence that occurred in Canada. Fourteen women were murdered, while an additional ten women and four men were injured by someone who said he was against feminism. In the aftermath of the 1989 Montreal Massacre, many people took stock of the state of Canada’s union. While some say that the media (in particular) arrived at the wrong conclusions, Canada recognizes this day as the National Day of Remembrance and Action on Violence Against Women / “White Ribbon Day”.
“The National Day of Remembrance and Action on Violence Against Women is about remembering those who have experienced gender-based violence and those who we have lost to it. It is also a time to take action. Achieving a Canada free from gender-based violence requires everyone living in this country to educate themselves and their families and communities on gender-based violence, centre the voices of survivors in our actions and speak up against harmful behaviours.”
— quoted from the National Day of Remembrance and Action on Violence Against Women statement by the Government of Canada
Please join me tonight (Friday, December 6, 2024), 7:15 PM – 8:20 PM (CST) for an opportunity to “Reflect, Remember, & Act for a Peaceful Union” 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.
This Yin Yoga practice is accessible and open to all.
Prop wise, this is a kitchen sink practice. You can practice without props or you can use “studio” and/or “householder” props. Example of “Studio” props: 1 – 2 blankets, 2 – 3 blocks, a bolster, a strap, and an eye pillow. Example of “Householder” props: 1 – 2 blankets or bath towels, 2 – 3 books (similar in size), 2 standard pillows (or 1 body pillow), a belt/tie/sash, and a face towel.
You may want extra layers (as your body may cool down during this practice). Having a wall, chair, sofa, or coffee table may be handy for this practice.
NOTE: Start with track 1 or 6. Either option leads to a variation of a song that some view as liberating.
If you are thinking about suicide, worried about a friend or loved one, or would like emotional support, you can dial 988 (in the US) or call 1-800-273-TALK (8255)for the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline. You can also call this TALK line if you are struggling with addiction or involved in an abusive relationship. The Lifeline network is free, confidential, and available to all 24/7. YOU CAN TALK ABOUT ANYTHING.
White Flag is a new app, which I have not yet researched, but which may be helpful if you need peer-to-peer (non-professional) support.
In the spirit of generosity (“dana”), the Zoom classes, recordings, and blog posts are freely given and freely received. If you are able to support these teachings, please do so as your heart moves you. (NOTE: You can donate even if you are “attending” a practice that is not designated as a “Common Ground Meditation Center” practice, or you can purchase class(es).
Donations are tax deductible; class purchases are not necessarily deductible.
Many blessings to everyone and especially to anyone developing kindness, friendship, peace, freedom, understanding, and wisdom on International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women & Roses Revolution Day.
May you be safe and protected / May you be peaceful and happy / May you be healthy and strong!
This is a post-practice compilation post for Monday, November 25th. It contains new, updated content mixed with a post from 2020. WARNING: There are no explicit details in this post, but there are references that may trigger trauma.The 2024 prompt question was, “What moment of kindness have you recently experienced?” You can request an audio recording of this practice via a comment below or (for a slightly faster reply) you can email myra(at) ajoyfulpractice.com.
In the spirit of generosity (“dana”), the Zoom classes, recordings, and blog posts are freely given and freely received. If you are able to support these teachings, please do so as your heart moves you. (NOTE: You can donate even if you are “attending” a practice that is not designated as a “Common Ground Meditation Center” practice, or you can purchase class(es).
Donations are tax deductible; class purchases are not necessarily deductible.
“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. That works out to about 736 million women around the world experiencing physical and/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 went up during the COVID-19 pandemic and, in some countries, hotline and emergency calls regarding domestic abuse increased to 5 times the average numbers.
Globally, cases of gender-based violence have also gone up because of widespread use of the internet and social media — with 16% to 58% of women (especially for Generation Z and Millennial women) experiencing technology-facilitated gender-based violence. Gender-based violence has also escalated in recent years because of various geopolitical conflicts and wars. In fact, 70% of women in conflict, war, and humanitarian crisis, experience gender-based violence. In 2023, at least 51,100 women who experienced gender-based violence were murdered by partners and/or family members. 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.”
“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
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. In 2011, extra significance was added to this date when people started also observing Roses Revolution Day, which brings awareness to the international movement against obstetric violence (i.e., abuse during childbirth). According to the World Health Organization (WHO), “Every woman has the right to the highest attainable standard of health, which includes the right to dignified, respectful health care… [but] many women experience disrespectful and abusive treatment during childbirth in facilities worldwide. Such treatment not only violates the rights of women to respectful care, but can also threaten their rights to life, health, bodily integrity, and freedom from discrimination.”
The 2020 theme for the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women was “Orange the World: Fund, Respond, Prevent, Collect!” and focused 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.”
The 2024 theme is “Every 10 Minutes, a woman is killed. #NoExcuse. UNiTE to End Violence against Women” and highlights the fact that “a woman was killed every 10 minutes [in 2023].”(See statistics above.) Today’s observation kicks off “16 Days of Activism against Gender-Based Violence” which culminates with International Human Rights Day on December 10th.
“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
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.
“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
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 last home they lived in together into a museum and wrote a book, Vivas en su Jardín, as she saw that her legacy was to preserve herstory.
“If they kill me, I’ll reach my arms out from the tomb and I’ll be stronger.”
— Minerva Mirabel Reyes
If you see roses in front of a delivery room or hospital, over the next few days, they may have been placed there by someone who suffered varying forms of physical or psychological violence — or they may have been placed there by someone whose family member died as a result of obstetric violence. If you see a building or landmark being “oranged” in the next few days, it is a reminder of the 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; however, 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
There is no playlist for the Common Ground Meditation Center practices.
The 2020 playlist is available on YouTube and Spotify. [Look for “Mother’s Day 2020”]
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.
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
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A Joyful Practice 