Many blessings to everyone and especially to anyone communicating friendship, peace, freedom, understanding, and wisdom during International Day of Sign Languages / International Week of the Deaf and during Banned Books Week.
Stay safe! Live well! Hydrate and nourish your heart, body, and mind.
This is a post-practice post related to the practice on Monday, September 23rd. Some embedded links may direct you outside of WordPress.The 2024 prompt question was, “What is on your mind? This post references and contains a quote from a banned book.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.
“There must be something in books, things we can’t imagine, to make a woman stay in a burning house, there must be something there. You don’t stay for nothing.”
— quoted from Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury
This post begins with a cautionary tale, because I wasn’t paying enough attention. When a teacher suggested something that I hadn’t practice in a while, I paused and considered whether it was a good fit for me (which is what I always encourage people to do). Then I decided to give it a go. However, my body very quickly pointed out that some part of what I was doing was not a good idea (at least, not for me in that moment). I was paying just enough attention to realize something was off (and to back off a little), but not enough attention to realize I needed to stop (completely). So, I kept going… and ended up completely out of alignment.
Being out of alignment can cause a lot of pain and suffering. It takes time to reset. If you don’t know how to reset yourself and/or cannot do it on your own, it takes time and money. This is true when we are talking about an individual and they’re mind-body and it is also true when we are talking about a group of people, a whole country of people, or even the whole world. Each and every one of us is part of whole, just like each part of our mind-body is part of our mind-body. Sometimes we get ourselves out of whack (or never really worked in the ideal way), because we aren’t paying attention to the needs and desires of different parts of us and sometimes it happens because aren’t paying enough attention.
Of course, in order to pay attention, we have to understand how and why things are being communicated. This is a challenge when it comes to minds and bodies, because they communicate with sensation, that’s the information. When it comes to other people, part of paying attention includes recognizing that not everyone speaks the same language.
We also have to remember that not everyone has the same perspective or tells the story in the same way.
Today, September 23rd, is International Day of Sign Languages (IDSL) and the beginning of International Week of Deaf People (IWDP). While IWDP is celebrated during the last full week of September (and therefore the dates shift a little), IDSL is held annually on the anniversary of the day, in 1951, when the World Federation of the Deaf (WFD) was established in Rome, Italy, during the first World Deaf Conference. That first conference was organized by Ente Nazionale Sordomuti (ENS), the Italian Deaf Association, and attended by representatives from 25 countries. Now, WFD is an international non-profit and non-governmental organization of deaf associations from 133 countries. It promotes the human rights of deaf people worldwide and works with the United Nations (UN) General Assembly and UN agencies like the World Health Organization (WHO).
Each day of IWDP has a different focus. As mentioned above, the 2024 theme for International Day of Sign Languages is “Sign Up for Sign Language Rights” and highlights efforts for “better implementation of the [Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities] CRPD at the national level through the linguistic human rights of deaf people in view of the 20th anniversary of the CRPD in 2026.” According to WFD, you can “Sign up for Sign Language rights by working with your local and national associations to announce the achievement of a concrete goal for deaf communities today.” You could also learn more about sign languages (see excerpt below) and (maybe) learn one of those languages.
“You hold the word in hand
and offer the palm of friendship;
of frontiers where men of speech lend lip-
service to brotherhood, you pass, unhampered
by sounds that drown the meaning, or by fear
of the foreign-word-locked fetter;
oh, better
the word in hand than a thousand
spilled from the mouth upon the hearless ear.”
— quoted from the poem “To A Deaf Child” by Dorothy Miles
Clicking on the excerpt title above, will take you to a previous Monday post that features the story of Dorothy “Dot” Miles (née Squire), a Welsh poet, polyglot, and activist in the Deaf community. Her story is fascinating on a lot of different levels and is also a reminder that, at some point, we all deal with some form of disability. Her story (and the post) also highlights the importance of knowing each others stories. Unfortunately, some stories are harder and harder to access — not because they aren’t being told, but because someone, somewhere, objects to them being told.
On any given day, someone, somewhere, is attempting to ban a book.
In addition to being International Day of Sign Languages (IDSL) and the beginning of International Week of Deaf People (IWDP), today was also the second day of Banned Books Week (September 22–28, 2024). According to the American Library Association’s Office for Intellectual Freedom (OIF) data based on challenges to “unique titles surged 65% in 2023 compared to 2022 numbers, reaching the highest level ever documented by [the American Library Association (ALA)].” Additionally, “[the] number of titles targeted for censorship at public libraries increased by 92% over the previous year, accounting for about 46% of all book challenges in 2023; school libraries saw an 11% increase over 2022 numbers.”
During the first eight months of 2024, the OIF tracked challenges to 1,128 unique titles — which is slightly less than the challenges to unique titles during the same period in 2023, but more than the number during the same period in 2020. Keep in mind that everyone (including people and organizations challenging books and library materials and service) had a lot on their minds during 2020 and that a title is counted in a separate bucket after the initial challenge (i.e., it is no longer “unique”). Statistics also indicate that material “representing the voices and lived experiences of LGBTQIA+ and BIPOC individuals made up 47% of those targeted in censorship attempts.”
Since the OIF tracks challenges via reports from library professionals and news stories published in the United States, the ALA warns that not all challenges are reported and, therefore, they only provide a snapshot of censorship. That snapshot (as they call it) includes an annual “Top 10 Most Challenged Books,” which lists the titles and authors, number of challenges for each book, the reasons why each book has been challenged, and a “Book Résumé” link to Unite Against Book Bands. Each book résumé page includes a brief description of the book; a link to report a challenge; and a link to a pdf with a more detailed synopsis, recommended age range(s), reviews, awards, and information about title-related censorship.
“Additionally, instances of soft censorship, where books are purchased but placed in restricted areas, not used in library displays, or otherwise hidden or kept off limits due to fear of challenges illustrate the impact of organized censorship campaigns on students’ and readers’ freedom to read. In some circumstances, books have been preemptively excluded from library collections, taken off the shelves before they are banned, or not purchased for library collections in the first place.”
— quoted from the “Book Ban Data” page on the American Library Association website
If you check out the Top 10 list, you might find some things objectionable. You might find subjects that don’t interest you and/or books that don’t want to read. To which, I would respectfully say, then don’t read them. You might also find subjects and/or books that don’t want to read your children to read — and, as a parent, you have the right to say that you don’t want to read your children to read something. However, since the 2024 Banned Books Week theme is “Freed Between the Lines” — which is described as “an observance of the freedom we find in the pages of books and the need to defend that freedom from censorship” — and as many people in the United States look at censorship as a First Amendment issue, allow me to point out three things:
If you consider this a First Amendment issue (related any and all aspects of the First Amendment), then others are entitled to the same rights as you and vice versa.
Parents have the right and the responsibility to do what they think is best for their children; however, to actually do what is best, parents must consider the ramifications of their decisions. In other words, just as you might consider how the presence of something affects children, consider how the absence might affect them.
The titles and services being challenged reflect the stories of people whose experiences may be different from yours. If you are a member of a majority group and you are objecting to someone else’s story, ask yourself why.
Actually, anyone can benefit from asking themselves why they object to someone else’s story.
I have.
In fact, I have with a book on the Top 10 list.
Book #6 on the latest list, with 62 challenges, is a book I actively avoided reading up until my last year of college. By “actively avoided,” I mean that I read everything by the author that I could get my hands on — except this one particular book. Keep in mind that I had read other books (even other books by this author) that included the same topics for which this book is often challenged. But this book, The Bluest Eye by Toni Morrison, hit a little too close to home. It didn’t hit close to home because I had experienced the horrific and tragic abuse that one person inflicted on Pecola Breedlove — thankfully, I have not personally had those experiences. No, I avoided the book, because I knew it would make me take a closer look at myself and the world in which we live.
Who is to say what would have happened if I had read the book at an earlier age and/or if I had read it outside of school? What I can say is that reading the book ultimately gave me a better understanding of the world and why people (myself included) sometimes think the things we think, say the things we say, and do the things we do.
Taking a deeper look at ourselves as a world, as a country, and/or as a person is not always easy. In fact, it can be really hard, challenging, and messy. It can require the assistance of others. However, sometimes doing the hard, challenging, and messy stuff is what we need to do in order to end the pain and suffering that comes from being out of alignment.
“And all of our beauty, which was hers first and which she gave us. All of us—all who knew her—felt so wholesome after we cleaned ourselves on her. We were so beautiful when we stood astride her ugliness. Her simplicity decorated us, her guilt sanctified us, her pain made us glow with health, her awkwardness made us think we had a sense of humor. Her inarticulateness made us believe we were eloquent. Her poverty kept us generous. Even her waking dreams we used—to silence our own nightmares…. We hones our egos on her, padded our characters with her frailty, and yawned in the fantasy of our strength.
And fantasy it was, for we were not strong, only aggressive; we were not free, merely licensed; we were not compassionate, we were polite; not good, but well behaved. We courted death in order to call ourselves brave, and hid like thieves from life. We substituted good grammar for intellect; we switched habits to simulate maturity; we rearranged lies and called it truth….”
— quoted from The Bluest Eye by Toni Morrison
There is no playlist for the Common Ground Meditation Center practices.
“as you. Go in and in and turn away from nothing that you find.”
— quoted from the poem “Go In and In” by Danna Faulds
If you are struggling, 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.
Many blessings to everyone and especially to anyone celebrating a Marian feast day (or Batman Day) and/or living a life of friendship, peace, freedom, understanding, and wisdom.
Stay safe! Live well! Hydrate and nourish your heart, body, and mind.
“Remember that life’s length is not measured by its hours and days, but by that which we have done therein. A useless life is short if it lasts a century. There are greater and better things in us all, if we would find them out. There will always be in this world—wrongs. No wrong is really successful. The day will come when light and truth and the just and the good shall be victorious and wrong as evil will be no more forever.”
— Walter Breuning (b. 09/21/1896), during his 113th birthday celebration in 2009
Please join me today (Saturday, September 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 “09212022 More Songs for Today’s Adventure”]
“We did not ask for this room or this music. We were invited in. Therefore, because the dark surrounds us, let us turn our faces to the light. Let us endure hardship to be grateful for plenty. We have been given pain to be astounded by joy. We have been given life to deny death. We did not ask for this room or this music. But because we are here, let us dance.”
— a poem by Bridget Carpenter and Stephen King (b. 09/21/1947), featured in the miniseries 11.22.63
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 curious about how we can have friendship, peace, freedom, understanding, and wisdom.
Stay safe! Hydrate and nourish your heart, body, and mind.
“The voice of my ground crew comes crackling through my headset, asking for my impressions. they want me to say something for posterity. I find it surprisingly hard to do. Hostile. That’s the only word I can find at first. Space is neither comfortable nor a comforting place. Starkly beautiful, yes. Spectacular, definitely. But not in the least reassuring. it is infinite and harsh. I can offer no poetry. I have only one thought: the mission—my survival.”
— quoted from the “Prologue” of Come Up and Get Me: An Autobiography of Colonel Joe Kittinger by Joe Kittinger and Craig Ryan
Please join me today (Wednesday, September 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 “09182024 Joe (& Rosie)’s Goal”]
“All our training is focused on solving the particular problems of survival.”
— quoted from the “Prologue” of Come Up and Get Me: An Autobiography of Colonel Joe Kittinger by Joe Kittinger and Craig Ryan
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.
“A [Russian] restriction forbid any balloon to rise higher than 200 feet. In most parts of the world, we’re required to maintain a minimum altitude of 1,000 feet when flying over populated areas, so this restriction was welcome as far as we were concerned. There’s nothing more exhilarating than sailing along at rooftop level.
The weather was perfect for the next six days, and we flew every one of them. Sherry bought a two-gallon jug of jawbreakers and bubblegum and tossed candy out to the kids wherever we landed….”
“In the space of two hours, we gave tethered balloon rides to around one hundred kids [in Gorky Park]. I kept expecting the KGB to show up and shut our little circus down—or worse.”
— quoted from Come Up and Get Me: An Autobiography of Colonel Joe Kittinger by Joe Kittinger and Craig Ryan
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 curious about how we can have friendship, peace, freedom, understanding, and wisdom (on Constitution Day in the U. S.).
Stay safe! Hydrate and nourish your heart, body, and mind.
“And so we must be careful, when focusing on the events which took place in Philadelphia two centuries ago, that we not overlook the momentous events which followed, and thereby lose our proper sense of perspective. Otherwise, the odds are that for many Americans the bicentennial celebration will be little more than a blind pilgrimage to the shrine of the original document now stored in a vault in the National Archives. If we seek, instead, a sensitive understanding of the Constitution’s inherent defects, and its promising evolution through 200 years of history, the celebration of the “Miracle at Philadelphia” Bowen, Miracle at Philadelphia: The Story of the Constitutional Convention May to September 1787 (Boston 1966), will, in my view, be a far more meaningful and humbling experience. We will see that the true miracle was not the birth of the Constitution, but its life, a life nurtured through two turbulent centuries of our own making, and a life embodying much good fortune that was not.
Thus, in this bicentennial year, we may not all participate in the festivities with flag-waving fervor. Some may more quietly commemorate the suffering, struggle, and sacrifice that has triumphed over much of what was wrong with the original document, and observe the anniversary with hopes not realized and promises not fulfilled. I plan to celebrate the bicentennial of the Constitution as a living document, including the Bill of Rights and the other amendments protecting individual freedoms and human rights.”
— quoted from the conclusion to the speech given by Supreme Court Justice (and former NAACP chief counsel) Thurgood Marshall at The Annual Seminar of the San Francisco Patent and Trademark Law Association, Maui, Hawaii May 6, 1987
Please join me today (Tuesday, September 17th) at 12:00 PM or 7:15 PM for a yoga practice on Zoom. You can use the link from the “Class Schedules” calendar if you run into any problems checking into the class.You can request an audio recording of this practice via a comment below or by emailing myra(at) ajoyfulpractice.com.
Tuesday’s playlist is available on YouTube and Spotify. [Look for “07012020 Caesar Rodney’s Ride”]
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 curious about how we can have friendship, peace, freedom, understanding, and wisdom.
Stay safe! Hydrate and nourish your heart, body, and mind.
FTWMI: The following post-practice post related to the practice on Monday, September 16th was originally posted in 2020 (and slightly revised and excerpted in 2023). This version includes additional revisions. The 2024 prompt question was, “What piques your curiosity?”You can request an audio recording of either 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.
— “Yoga (‘union’) is the mastery of the fluctuations of the mind.”
Yoga Sūtra 1.3: tadā draştuh svarūpe’vasthānam
—“[When the fluctuations of the mind are mastered] the Seer abides/rests in their own true nature.”
Take a seat, get comfortable, and do that 90-second thing. Or, sit for 5, 15, 20, or 30 moments. Watch your breath and get curious. Bring awareness to your awareness, notice what you notice. There is so much, after all, to notice. We can smell things and taste things; we can feel different textures and sensations on our skin (and even on the inside of our body); we can see and hear — even with our eyes closed; and every sensation, every bit of information has the possibility of conjuring up a thought or memory that brings more sensation, more information.
It is also true that the more you sit — even for short periods of time — the more there is the possibility that your mind will stop bouncing around like wild horses, elephants, little puppies, or curious monkeys. The more stillness and quiet you can cultivate in your mind, the more there is the possibility of insight, of seeing things in a special way — and seeing what is constant.
“After the day is gone we shall go out, breathe deeply, and look up – and there the stars will be, unchanged, unchangeable.”
— quoted from The Stars: A New Way to See Them by H. A. Rey
However, there is also the possibility that the mind will keep bopping around looking for something on which it can focus and then — like a dog who’s spotted a squirrel — rushing off in another direction. In fact, the longer we practice the more we understand that our mind — just like a little puppy or a curious monkey — is designed to explore and play. Furthermore, the more we practice, the more we understand the merit of playing and exploring our mind.
“Now run along and play, but don’t get into trouble.’ George promised to be good. But it is easy for little monkeys to forget.”
— quoted from Curious George by Margaret and H. A. Rey
Hans Augusto Reyersbach, better known as H. A. Rey, was the author of The Stars: A New Way to See Them and the co-author of children’s books featuring Curious George and The Man in the Yellow Hat. Born today in 1898, he and his wife Margaret (born Margarete Elisabeth Waldstein, on May 16, 1906) were German Jews who originally met in their hometown of Hamburg. Margaret, who H. A. originally remembered as the kid sister who slid down banisters, ended up in Brazil specifically because she was escaping the Nazi’s rise of power in Germany. H. A. also fled to Brazil and the couple reconnected in Rio de Janeiro.
It was in Brazil that H. A. changed his last name to Rey and Margarete changed her first name to Margaret. They married in Brazil and took a honeymoon cruise to Europe before settling in Paris, France. During the cruise, their pet marmoset monkeys died. These pets may have been the beginning of the idea that became George; because, when they settled in France, they began creating the drawings and stories that would become “Curious George and Friends.”
George, however, did not start off as “George.” Like the Reys, he went through a series of name changes, starting with “Fifi” and “Zozo.” He also has different names in different translations, including (but not limited to) Jordi (in Catalan), Peter Pedal (in Danish), Coco (in German), Golgol (in Galacian), and Nicke Nyfiken (in Swedish). I am particular fond of “Peter Pedal,” because it makes me think of how Curious George, and his creators, escaped the Nazis.
It is a back story that is as much of an adventure as the Curious George stories themselves.
“It seems ridiculous to be thinking about children’s books. [But] life goes on, the editors edit, the artists draw, even during wartime.”
— H. A. Rey
In 1939, the now married Reys wrote and illustrated a book called Rafi and the 9 Monkeys. From the beginning it was an equal collaboration; however, only H. A.’s name appeared on the original publications. Rafi was a giraffe whose friends and family had been captured and placed in a zoo. She made friends with a family of nine monkeys — the most prominent of whom would become “George.” (As a side note, Rafi would become “Raffi” when the book was published in the United Kingdom and “Cecily” when it was published in the United States.)
By the time the war broke out, the Reys had been contracted to publish a book featuring the gregarious monkey and were working on other books as well. However, in June of 1940, the couple decided to put everything on hold and flee from the Nazi invasion. H. A. built two bicycles and, taking little more than the drawings and manuscript for “Fifi,” they headed south. Their four-month journey eventually landed them in New York City, where the first Curious George book was published (in 1941).
One of the things that aided their escape was the fact that they were officially Brazilian citizens. Another thing that helped them was “Fifi.” At one point in their escape, an official suspected them of being German spies (because they were Jewish people with German accents and Brazilian visas). The official let them go when he searched their belongings and found nothing more than a children’s story.
“George can do what kids can’t do. He can paint a room from the inside. He can hang from a kite in the sky. He can let the animals out of their pens on the farm. He can do all these naughty things that kids would like to do.”
— Margaret Rey
“Curious George does exactly what he’s supposed to do for his age and development (and species)! By nature and by name, he is curious. He explores his world fully and completely. This is his job as a young, continually developing little person, er, monkey. This is why my kids love the show–they relate so well to George’s genuinely curious nature and all of the honest (and funny) mistakes that ensue. But what I find most refreshing about ‘Curious George’ is The Man in the Yellow Hat.
The Man in the Yellow Hat never punishes George for his mistakes. He is more concerned with solving the problem. The man helps George put things away, fix things that broke, apologize to people who were involved in any indiscretions, and generally restore order.”
— quoted from “Why I Like Curious George” posted on the blog Parenting From Scratch by Kelly Bartlett
There is no playlist for the Common Ground Meditation Center practices.
The 2020 playlist is available on YouTube and Spotify. [Look for “07112020 An Introduction.”]
A theme-related playlist is also available on YouTube and Spotify. [Look for “09042021 Experiencing the Mind”]
If you are struggling, 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.
Many blessings to everyone and especially to anyone observing the Feast Day of Our Lady of Sorrows and/or responding to life’s challenges with with friendship, peace, freedom, understanding, and wisdom.
Stay safe! Hydrate and nourish your heart, body, and mind.
“Gentlemen, there are three things which belong to God and which do not belong to man: the irrevocable, the irreparable, the indissoluble. Woe to man if he introduces them into his laws! (Movement.) Sooner or later they cause society to bend under their weight, they disturb the necessary balance of laws and customs, they deprive human justice of its proportions; and then this happens, think about it, gentlemen, that the law terrifies the conscience. (Sensation.)”
— quoted from Victor Hugo’s address to the French Constituent (General) Assembly, September 15, 1848
Live long enough and you will find yourself in a situation that is simultaneously beautiful and… well, icky. You will meet someone who is not who they presented themselves to be. You will find yourself needing to break a habit that once served you; because it is no longer useful — or, in fact, because you finally realize that it never really served you.
I liken these moments to finding a beautiful lotus… only to realize you are standing in the muck from which it grew. Or, we can compare them to the poison pill that heals. Or, we can see them as being on a bough that gives us a beautiful view of the landscape… just as the bough breaks.
In these moments, we can appreciate the beauty and also acknowledge the muck. We can use the amount that heals and also be mindful of the danger. Or, we can be like the bird….
“Be like the bird, who Pausing in his flight On limb too slight Feels it give way beneath him Yet sings Knowing he has wings.”
Please join me for a 65-minute virtual yoga practice on Zoom today (Sunday, September 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 “09152020 Can You Respond Like the Bird?”]
If you are struggling, 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.
May you be safe and protected. May you be healthy and strong. May you be peaceful and happy.
“They shall grow not old, as we that are left grow old; Age shall not weary them, nor the years condemn. At the going down of the sun and in the morning We will remember them.”
— from “Ode of Remembrance” taken from “For the Fallen” by Laurence Binyon
Please join me today (Wednesday, September 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 “09/11”]
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 getting rooted in friendship, peace, freedom, understanding, and wisdom.
Stay safe! Hydrate and nourish your heart, body, and mind.
“Tell me, what is it you plan to do
with your one wild and precious life?”
— quoted from the poem “The Summer Day” by Mary Oliver
Born today in 1935, Mary Oliver (along with her love and life partner Molly Malone Cook) definitely lived a “wild and precious life.” Recently, my yoga buddy Julie sent me what she described as “mobster/Mary Oliver parody.” The text made me smile. What made me giggle was thinking, “ Well, if we’re being honest, Mary Oliver was kinda gangsta; she was all about that life.”
CLICK ON THE FIRST (slightly ironic) EXCERPT TITLE BELOW FOR MORE ABOUT MARY OLIVER.
Click on the second excerpt title below for a 2018 eulogy dedicated to one of my other favorite “wild and precious” people born today!
“You do not have to be good
You do not have to walk on your knees
for a hundred miles through the desert repenting.
You only have to let the soft animal of your body
love what it loves.”
— quoted from the poem “Wild Geese” by Mary Oliver
Please join me today (Tuesday, September 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 “09012024 Deep Listening”]
NOTE: Check the first excerpt for the playlist used in previous years.
If you are thinking about suicide, worried about a friend or loved one, or would like emotional support, you can dial 988 (in the US) or call 1-800-273-TALK (8255)for the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline. You can also call this TALK line if you are struggling with addiction or involved in an abusive relationship. The Lifeline network is free, confidential, and available to all 24/7. YOU CAN TALK ABOUT ANYTHING.
White Flag is a new app, which I have not yet researched, but which may be helpful if you need peer-to-peer (non-professional) support.
In the spirit of generosity (“dana”), the Zoom classes, recordings, and blog posts are freely given and freely received. If you are able to support these teachings, please do so as your heart moves you. (NOTE: You can donate even if you are “attending” a practice that is not designated as a “Common Ground Meditation Center” practice, or you can purchase class(es).
Donations are tax deductible; class purchases are not necessarily deductible.
Many blessings to everyone and especially to anyone planting and nourishing the seeds of friendship, peace, freedom, understanding, and wisdom.
Stay safe! Hydrate and nourish your heart, body, and mind.
This is the post-practice post related to the practice on Monday, September 9th. The 2024 prompt question was, “Is there a question on your mind?”You can request an audio recording of either 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.
“It once occurred to a certain king that if he always knew the right time to begin everything; if he knew who were the right people to listen to, and whom to avoid; and, above all, if he always knew what was the most important thing to do, he would never fail in anything he might undertake.”
— quoted from the short story “The Three Questions” (originally published in the short story collection What Men Live By) by Leo Tolstoy (b. 09/08/1828, according to the Gregorian calendar), translated by Louise and Aylmer Maude
CLICK ON THE EXCERPT TITLE BELOW FOR MORE ABOUT LEO TOLSTOY.
There is no playlist for the Common Ground Meditation Center practices.
The 2020 playlist is available on YouTube and Spotify. [Look for “09092020 Tolstoy’s Theory”]
NOTE: The penultimate track is different in the before/after music on each platform.
If you are struggling, 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.
Happy International Literacy Day! Happy Star Trek Day! Many blessings to everyone and especially to anyone carving out space for a mighty good heart, friendship, peace, freedom, understanding, and wisdom.
Stay safe! Hydrate and nourish your heart, body, and mind.
This “missing” post for Sunday, September 8th. is a slightly revised (and expanded) version of a 2020 post. Some statistics and links (including the language-related Star Trek link at the very end) have been updated or added. One embedded link directs to a site outside of this blog. 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.
“If you judge people, you have no time to love them.”
— Mother Teresa, quoted from “10. Judge Not” in Spiritual Gems from Mother Teresa by Gwen Costello
I was watching an interesting video in September of 2020 (see link at end of post). Some parts were awkward and clumsy. Then, there were times when some of the participants felt bad about themselves (and, as an empathetic viewer I felt bad for them). The parts where people felt bad about themselves were some of the parts that were awkward and handled in a slightly clumsy way. However, the participants felt bad for themselves because the topic of the video is a sore spot for many people, especially women in America: weight and appearance. The video was interesting and good — in that it was meaningful — because it was yet another reminder that there is more going on with a person (and their health) than what we see on the outside.
“True beauty is knowing who you are and what you want and never apologizing for it.”
— 2006 quote attributed to P!nk (born Alecia Beth Moore, today in 1979)
Michelangelo’s David was unveiled in Florence, Italy today (September 8th) in 1504. At various times throughout history, the marble statue has represented the epitome of the male form. What captivates people, however, is not just the beauty of Michelangelo’s masterpiece. People love the story of David; the story of the underdog. When faced with towering figure of Goliath, David used his inner resources. He drew from the experience he had as a shepherd (rather than being preoccupied by the experience he didn’t have as a soldier) and he focused on what he could do (not on what he was “trying” to do).
Once he became king, he again drew on his inner strength, courage, and wisdom. Yes, King David made mistakes — he was human; but, he is remembered because of his wins, not his losses. Those wins became his legacy, which is represented by the statue, the story, and his son Solomon (who is considered the ruler with the wisest heart in the history of the world).
Similarly, the 26-year old Michelangelo di Lodovico Buonarroti Simoni was a bit of the underdog when he was selected to work on the statue of David. His contemporaries would eventually call him Il Divino (“The Divine One”), because of his ability to bring inanimate objects to life and to create terribilitá (a sense of awesomeness or emotional intensity). However, he was not the first choice — or the second choice — when the statue was first commissioned by the Overseers of the Office of Works of the Florence Cathedral (the Operai). Granted, one reason he wasn’t on the short list was that he wasn’t born when the series of Old Testament statues were first commissioned; but, that’s beside the point.
The point I’m getting to is that neither David nor Michelangelo were Plan A. They weren’t even Plan B. Yet, they both had the possibility of greatness inside of them.
“Every block of stone has a statue inside it and it is the task of the sculptor to discover it.”
— quote attributed to Michelangelo
Take a moment to consider Michelangelo, the sculptor, staring at a chunk of marble. To the outside observer, the marble was nothing — or, more specifically, a very expensive and “badly blocked out” hunk of marble. But, the artist saw inside… and got to work.
To someone who is not an artist, the artist’s process may seem magical and impossible. If we were to undertake such a task, without knowing what to look for and what steps to take, the process would be frustrating. The final effort might even be embarrassing. But, even though it takes effort and sometimes it’s harder for some than for others, the artist who is literate in their craft thinks nothing of the process: this is just what they know (or think) they can do.
“I saw the angel in the marble and carved until I set him free.”
— quote attributed to Michelangelo
What an artist does can be very similar to you reading this post (or even me writing this post). Yes, it takes effort and energy; however, if you have the knowledge — if you are a literate adult (who learned how to read as a child and don’t have a learning disability) — you don’t think back to the struggle of the learning process every time you read or write. You just do what you know how to do. Even though the yoga philosophy defines this exchange of words and meaning as one of the “powers unique to being human,” we don’t always think of it as being anything more than a tool. Or something that is part of our landscape… like the rocks on the ground before David picked them up. Or, like the chisel and the hunk of marble before Michelangelo went to work.
But, what about the hundreds of millions of people worldwide who are functionally illiterate? To those people who lack the basic reading and writing skills to manage daily living and employment tasks, my blog posts can be like Goliath. (I know, I know: Even when you are literate, these blog posts can sometimes be like Goliath — but then, you are David and you have what it takes to conquer!)
Quick Facts: In 2020, approximately 775 million young people and adults (aged 15+) lacked basic literacy and numeracy skills. Between 2015 and 2023, literacy rates have increased 2%; however, an estimated 754 million people are currently considered functionally illiterate.
While we can celebrate the fact that literacy rates are increasing all over the world — and that some of the biggest increases are on the continent of Africa, where literacy rose 5% between 2015 and 2022 — population is also increasing in some places (which means, unfortunately, that the number of people who lack basic literacy and numeracy skills on the continent of Africa rose from 193 million to 217 million).
“Without language, one cannot talk to people and understand them; one cannot share their hopes and aspirations, grasp their history, appreciate their poetry, or savour their songs. I again realized that we were not different people with separate languages; we were one people with different tongues.”
— quoted from Long Walk to Freedom: The Autobiography of Nelson Mandela by Nelson Mandela
There are huge financial costs to being illiterate (an estimated $1.19 trillion (USD) globally), but there are other extreme costs. Illiteracy limits possibilities. It decreases employment opportunities, increases chances for poor health and the inclination toward crime. There is an emotional toll, in that it can lead to depression, anger, frustration, and embarrassment. Illiteracy is often associated with poverty; however, location, age, and disability are also factors. The millions of people who are forcibly displaced face challenges of literacy and digital divides*; only 30% of young people living in crisis-affected areas are literate; children and adolescents with disabilities are 42% less likely to have foundational literacy skills; and (as of 2022) only 10% of elderly women in some sub-Saharan African countries are literate. Which brings us to the fact that there is also a gender component: 63% of the people who are illiterate are also women. (That’s down 1% from 2020; but, that’s still 475 million people!)
According to the United Nations Educational Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), if all women completed primary education, there would be 66 percent fewer maternal deaths. This is one of the reasons UNESCO focuses on educating girls and women. This is also one of the reasons why, in 1965, the United Nations designated today, September 8th, as International Literacy Day.
The 2024 Theme for International Literacy Day is “Promoting multilingual education: Literacy for mutual understanding and peace” and highlights the fact that the world is becoming more and more multilingual and more and more people are interacting with people who speak different languages. In fact, there are approximately 7,000 living languages (unevenly) spread out over 200 countries and “[over] half of the world’s population is bilingual, using at least two languages or dialects daily.” All of that is exciting! What is not exciting is that 40% of those who are bilingual lack access to education in a language they speak or understand.
“David said to Saul, ‘Let no one lose heart….’”
— quoted from 1 Samuel – The Old Testament (17:32 NIV)
It can be a little daunting to look at some of these numbers related to literacy. It can also be frustrating to think about the fact that, according to UNESCO, 250 million children are out of school; 31 million forcibly displaced young people are learning in a language other than their first language; and that “57% of the 102 countries that responded to a UNESCO survey spent less than 4% of their national education budget on adult literacy and education.” Furthermore, you might feel like throwing your hands up if you live in a country (like the United States) where some people are working to ban books and restrict education. But, rather than giving up, let’s celebrate literacy… and books!
This year’s global celebration of International Literacy Day will be held September 9th – 10th, in Yaoundé, Cameroon. This is a time to promote awareness of illiteracy and cultivate compassion around this human rights struggle. It’s also an opportunity to buy a book for a public school or a library in a developing country, a rural area, or an impoverished area (even here in the United States). It’s also a great opportunity to buy a book for a friend or a loved one — maybe a banned book, maybe even a book that tells you not to judge “the book” by its cover.
“As a mother of two who is deeply invested in education and in representation for all races and sexual identities, P!nk wanted to give away banned books to highlight the spike in book bans in Florida and across the country documented by PEN America.
‘Books have held a special joy for me from the time I was a child, and that’s why I am unwilling to stand by and watch while books are banned by schools,’ P!nk said. ‘It’s especially hateful to see authorities take aim at books about race and racism and against LGBTQ authors and those of color. We have made so many strides toward equality in this country and no one should want to see this progress reversed. This is why I am supporting PEN America in its work and why I agree with them: no more banned books.’”
— quoted from the November 13, 2023 PEN America press release titled, “Global Pop Icon P!nk Teams Up with PEN America to Give Away 2,000 Banned Books at Florida Concerts: The Giveaway Highlights the Unprecedented Rise in Book Bans in the United States”
*NOTE: Technology makes it easier for people to access stories and (sometimes) facilitates communication between people who speak different languages. However, as referenced above, there is a digital divide. Additionally, some of that technology requires a certain level of literacy. Finally, if someone is not in the habit of reading — and/or if they find reading frustrating, they may not look for other ways to access stories.
Sunday’s playlist is available on YouTube and Spotify. [Look for “09082020 What Is Inside”]
NOTE: Track #11 on Spotify is longer than the corresponding track on YouTube. I neglected to give people the opportunity to fast forward during the 2024 practice (but the silence is obvious).
If you are struggling, 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.
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A Joyful Practice 