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 (Wednesday, September 17th) 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 “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 an app, which I have not yet researched, but which may be helpful if you need peer-to-peer (non-professional) support.
In the spirit of generosity (“dana”), the Zoom classes, recordings, and blog posts are freely given and freely received. If you are able to support these teachings, please do so as your heart moves you. (NOTE: You can donate even if you are “attending” a practice that is not designated as a “Common Ground Meditation Center” practice, or you can purchase class(es).
Donations are tax deductible; class purchases are not necessarily deductible.
“…. For the Truth lies hidden everywhere, within every experience and in every object of the universe. Everything that happens to us, no matter how seemingly trivial, throughout the day, offers some tiny clue which could lead us toward wider spiritual knowledge and eventual liberation.”
— quoted from the commentary for Yoga Sūtra 2.18, in How to Know God: The Yoga Aphorisms of Patanjali, translated and with commentary by Swami Prabhavananda and Christopher Isherwood
Today is the anniversary of the birth of Hans Augusto Reyersbach (better known as H. A. Rey) (b. 1898).
CLICK ON THE EXCERPT TITLE ABOVE IF YOU ARE CURIOUS ABOUT THE PRACTICE.
“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
Please join me today (Tuesday, September 16th) 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 “07112020 An Introduction”]
NOTE: This is an instrumental playlist. Click on the excerpt title above for a puppy-related playlist (with lyrics & ~45 dogs)
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 an 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.
This post-practice compilation post is related to Monday, September 15th, and features some new and reposted content, as well as an excerpt.The 2025 prompt question was, “What is on your mind, on your heart, and how are you dealing with it?”You can request an audio recording of this practice or a previous practice via a comment below or (for a slightly faster reply) you can email myra(at) ajoyfulpractice.com.
In the spirit of generosity (“dana”), the Zoom classes, recordings, and blog posts are freely given and freely received. If you are able to support these teachings, please do so as your heart moves you. (NOTE: You can donate even if you are “attending” a practice that is not designated as a “Common Ground Meditation Center” practice, or you can purchase class(es).
Donations are tax deductible; class purchases are not necessarily deductible.
“11 When the world is filled with evil, Transform all mishaps into the path of bodhi.”
“16
Whatever you meet unexpectedly, join with meditation.”
— quoted from Always Maintain A Joyful Mind: And Other Lojong Teachings on Awakening Compassion and Fearlessness by Pema Chödrön
In Tibetan Buddhism, lojong (“mind training”) techniques are used to cultivate compassion and awaken the heart. These can be challenging endeavors on our best days — let alone on days when, as one of my yoga buddies very aptly stated tonight, “There’s a lot of heavy stuff going on right now.”
I find the second aphorism (quoted above) the easier of the two to engage; because, whether we realize it or not, we bring all of that heavy stuff onto the mat or cushion and, therefore, into the practice. The challenging part is what we do with it all once we are there — which takes us back to the first aphorism (above).
In our yoga practice, we might even practice a little svādhyāya (“self-study”), which is the fourth the niyama (internal “observation”) in the Yoga Philosophy. Sometimes, I suggest putting yourself in another (regular) person’s shoes. Classically, however, svādhyāya is practiced using sacred text and/or scripture and putting one’s self in the shoes of a sacred person — which many people around the world did today as they observed the Feast Day of Our Lady of Sorrows.
The Feast Day of Our Lady of Sorrows is a Marian feast day in the Roman Catholic tradition. Observed annually on September 15th, it is a day when people contemplate and reflect on the suffering of Mary as the mother of Jesus and the only person (as some Christian scholars note) who “remained completely faithful to Christ, from his birth to the Cross.” This type of (Marian) contemplation dates back to the Middle Ages and was extended to the entire Catholic Church by Pope Pius VII in 1814. The focus of this liturgical commemoration is on the length, as well as the depth, of Mary’s devotion and highlights the Seven Sorrows of Mary.
Perhaps, if we were to put ourselves in the shoes of a parent like Mary — facing the joys and sorrows that she faced — we would speak up as Victor Hugo did today in 1848.
For Those Who Missed It: The following was previously posted in 2024. (Although the excerpt has been revised.)
“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.”
There is no playlist for the Common Ground Meditation Center practices.
NOTE: If you are interested, you can click on the excerpt above for a related playlist.
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.
— quoted from The First Book of Samuel (or Shmuel I – I Samuel) 17:32 (NIV)
The following excerpt is from a 2022 post:
“Today, I offer you a story about David. It’s actually two stories… about the same David – even though it is simultaneously the same story about two different Davids… with a little side note about two additional Davids….
To clarify today’s offering(s), the first story and the first David is the one from the Bible, specifically the Hebrew Bible and the Christian Old Testament. You remember that David?
People love the story of that David, because it is the story of the underdog. When faced with the 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). He focused on what he could do (not on what he was ‘trying’ to do). His inner strength, courage, and wisdom were what he took into his reign as king. Yes, King David made mistakes – he was human; but his legacy is firmly established by the story of his victory against Goliath, his son Solomon (who is considered the ruler with the wisest heart in the history of the world), and the statue by Michelangelo.
This brings me to the ‘second’ David and the second story: the story of Michelangelo’s David.”
Click on the excerpt title below for the story about how Michelangelo’s commission, today in 1501, was “The Other Plan B.”
Please join me today (Saturday, September 13th) 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 “09132020 What Is Inside, II”]
If you are thinking about suicide, worried about a friend or loved one, or would like emotional support, you can dial 988 (in the US) or call 1-800-273-TALK (8255)for the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline. You can also call this TALK line if you are struggling with addiction or involved in an abusive relationship. The Lifeline network is free, confidential, and available to all 24/7. YOU CAN TALK ABOUT ANYTHING.
White Flag is an app, which I have not yet researched, but which may be helpful if you need (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.
“Today is a day like any other: twenty-four hours, a
little sunshine, a little rain.”
— quoted from the poem “Black Oaks” by Mary Oliver
How do you know you are sitting here (even if you are lying down), breathing here?
This is a variation of a question that keeps coming up in (what I’m calling) continuing education courses on mindfulness. I love this question, because it sharpens your awareness, your attentiveness.
Another thing that keeps popping up in these courses is the eloquence of Mary Oliver, in the form of the following quote:
“Ten times a day something happens to me like this — some strengthening throb of amazement — some good, sweet empathic ping and swell. This is the first, the wildest and the wisest thing I know: that the soul exists and is built entirely out of attentiveness.”
Lovely, right? And, it sounds like Mary Oliver, right?
There’s just one problem: Not a single person (or book) provides a source for this quote!
The lack of a source makes me wonder: Is this Mary Oliver? Or is this Molly Malone Cook?
For Those Who Missed It: A variation of the following was previously posted.
“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 (b. 01/05/1925) — definitely lived a “wild and precious life.” Around this time last year, my yoga buddy Julie sent me what she described as a “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 (Wednesday, September 10th) at 4:30 PM or 7:15 PM for a yoga practice on Zoom. You can use the link from the “Class Schedules”calendar if you run into any problems checking into the class. You can request an audio recording of this practice via a comment below or (for a slightly faster reply) you can email myra(at) ajoyfulpractice.com.
Wednesday’s playlist is available on YouTube and Spotify. [Look for “09012024 Deep Listening”]
NOTE: Check the first excerpt for the playlist used in prior to 2024.
If you are thinking about suicide, worried about a friend or loved one, or would like emotional support, you can dial 988 (in the US) or call 1-800-273-TALK (8255)for the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline. You can also call this TALK line if you are struggling with addiction or involved in an abusive relationship. The Lifeline network is free, confidential, and available to all 24/7. YOU CAN TALK ABOUT ANYTHING.
White Flag is an app, which I have not yet researched, but which may be helpful if you need peer-to-peer (non-professional) support.
In the spirit of generosity (“dana”), the Zoom classes, recordings, and blog posts are freely given and freely received. If you are able to support these teachings, please do so as your heart moves you. (NOTE: You can donate even if you are “attending” a practice that is not designated as a “Common Ground Meditation Center” practice, or you can purchase class(es).
Donations are tax deductible; class purchases are not necessarily deductible.
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.
“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.
Please join me today (Tuesday, September 9th) 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 “09092020 Tolstoy’s Theory”]
NOTE: The YouTube playlist includes a video in the before/after section is not available on Spotify. The Spotify playlist includes an instrumental version of the same song.
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 an 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 is the post-practice post related to Monday, September 8th.The 2025 prompt question was, “What is a book or story that left an impression on you (and do you think someone would be interested in it just from the cover?”You can request an audio recording of this practice or a previous practice via a comment below or (for a slightly faster reply) you can email myra (at) ajoyfulpractice.com.
In the spirit of generosity (“dana”), the Zoom classes, recordings, and blog posts are freely given and freely received. If you are able to support these teachings, please do so as your heart moves you. (NOTE: You can donate even if you are “attending” a practice that is not designated as a “Common Ground Meditation Center” practice, or you can purchase class(es).
Donations are tax deductible; class purchases are not necessarily deductible.
“‘“The History of the Devil,” by Daniel Defoe,—not quite the right book for a little girl,’ said Mr Riley. ‘How came it among your books, Mr Tulliver?’
Maggie looked hurt and discouraged, while her father said,—
‘Why, it’s one o’ the books I bought at Partridge’s sale. They was all bound alike,—it’s a good binding, you see,—and I thought they’d be all good books. There’s Jeremy Taylor’s ‘Holy Living and Dying’ among ’em. I read in it often of a Sunday’ (Mr Tulliver felt somehow a familiarity with that great writer, because his name was Jeremy); “and there’s a lot more of ’em,—sermons mostly, I think,—but they’ve all got the same covers, and I thought they were all o’ one sample, as you may say. But it seems one mustn’t judge by th’ outside. This is a puzzlin’ world.’”
— quoted from “Chapter III. Mr Riley Gives His Advice Concerning a School for Tom” in “Book First. Boy and Girl.” of The Mill on the Floss by George Eliot
You’ve probably heard the old adage about not judging a book by its cover. However, you may still do it. Previous experiences (and marketing people) may have taught you — or conditioned you to believe — that the stories that interest you will have certain things on the cover, while the stories that are not worth your time will have other things on the cover. Of course, as George Eliot’s Maggie eventually pointed out, it goes both ways.
Every once in a while, you may find yourself reading something that doesn’t interest you. No harm, no foul.
On the other hand, unless someone tells you otherwise, you may miss out on a great story.
But, what if you were one of the millions of people around the world who lack basic literacy skills? What if you didn’t read because you have an undiagnosed learning disability and it was exhausting? You might be thinking, “Well, now there’s Audible and other technology that can read for you.” Sure, but even that requires a certain amount of access and digital literacy, which millions of people are also lacking.
Additionally, as our reliance on technology increases, proficiency can decrease. For example, I can verify the spelling and meaning of a word, because I know where to start. I also know how to verify if an image (and the accompanying information) is real and accurate, slightly altered, or completely fabricated. I can do those things (and more), because I can read.
But, some people can’t.
“‘Well,’ said Mr Riley, in an admonitory, patronizing tone as he patted Maggie on the head, ‘I advise you to put by the ‘History of the Devil,’ and read some prettier book. Have you no prettier books?’”
— quoted from “Chapter III. Mr Riley Gives His Advice Concerning a School for Tom” in “Book First. Boy and Girl.” of The Mill on the Floss by George Eliot
According to UNESCO, “… at least 739 million youth and adults worldwide still lack basic literacy skills in 2024. At the same time, 4 in 10 children are not reaching minimum proficiency in reading, and 272 million children and adolescents were out of school in 2023.” And, while you may think that’s a THEM problem, it’s actually an (all of) US problem.
In 1967, UNESCO designated today, September 8th, as International Literacy Day (ILD). It is a day that highlights “the critical importance of literacy for creating more literate, just, peaceful, and sustainable society.”
The 2025 ILD theme is “Promoting literacy in the digital era.”
CLICK ON THE EXCERPT TITLE BELOW
FOR MORE ABOUT THE INSIDE
(& TO DISCOVER WHY THESE POSTS ARE SO PINK)!
“‘Oh, yes,’ said Maggie, reviving a little in the desire to vindicate the variety of her reading. ‘I know the reading in this book isn’t pretty; but I like the pictures, and I make stories to the pictures out of my own head, you know. But I’ve got “Æsop’s Fables,” and a book about Kangaroos and things, and the “Pilgrim’s Progress….”’
‘Ah, a beautiful book,’ said Mr Riley; ‘you can’t read a better.’
‘Well, but there’s a great deal about the Devil in that,’ said Maggie, triumphantly, ‘and I’ll show you the picture of him in his true shape, as he fought with Christian.’”
— quoted from “Chapter III. Mr Riley Gives His Advice Concerning a School for Tom” in “Book First. Boy and Girl.” of The Mill on the Floss by George Eliot
There is no playlist for the Common Ground Meditation Center practices.
NOTE: If you are interested, you can click on the excerpt above for a related playlist.
If you are thinking about suicide, worried about a friend or loved one, or would like emotional support, you can dial 988 (in the US) or call 1-800-273-TALK (8255)for the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline. You can also call this TALK line if you are struggling with addiction or involved in an abusive relationship. The Lifeline network is free, confidential, and available to all 24/7. YOU CAN TALK ABOUT ANYTHING.
White Flag is an app, which I have not yet researched, but which may be helpful if you need peer-to-peer (non-professional) support.
Many blessings to everyone and especially to anyone working to strengthen and cultivate a mighty good heart.
Stay safe! Hydrate and nourish your heart, body, and mind.
For Those Who Missed It: The following was originally posted in 2024. The excerpt has been updated here (and on the original). Class details; some syntax; and links (including links to a remixed playlist) have been added/updated.
“The human heart yearns for peace and love and freedom. Peace heals, elevates, and invigorates the spirit. Peace represents the health of humanity.”
— Dr. Michael DeBakey (b. 1908), quoted from “Quotable Quotes: The Human Heart and Peace” in Azerbaijan International Magazine (6.3) Autumn 1998
Dr. Michael DeBakey, who was born in Lake Charles, Louisiana, today in 1908, was an internationally renowned heart specialist. He knew a thing or two about hearts and about health. If we take his words and face value — and then take a look around — we might conclude that there are places that are obviously unhealthy. Then, there are places where the metaphorical heart that is our society has been engaging in behavior we know is not good, healthy, or wise. Finally, there are the places that look like the very young and super athletic person who collapses because no one noticed the hole or the block in their heart.
As I mentioned during yesterday’s practice, sometimes we need a professional (like Dr. DeBakey). However, needing the help of a professional does not mean that we don’t also take care of ourselves — which is what I invite you to do during each and every practice.
CLICK ON THE EXCERPT TITLE BELOW FOR A LITTLE MORE.
“The place to improve the world is first in one’s own heart and head and hands, and then work outward from there.”
— quoted from Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance: An Inquiry into Values by Robert Pirsig
Please join me today (Sunday, September 7th) at 2:30 PM for a yoga practice on Zoom. You can use the link from the “Class Schedules”calendar if you run into any problems checking into 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.
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 to maintain friendship, peace, freedom, understanding, and wisdom — especially when it gets hot (inside and outside).
Stay safe! Hydrate and nourish your heart, body, and mind.
“It occurred to me that maybe I was the odd one on the subject, but that was disposed of too. Most touring cyclists know how to keep their machines tuned. Car owners usually won’t touch the engine, but every town of any size at all has a garage with expensive lifts, special tools and diagnostic equipment that the average owner can’t afford. And a car engine is more complex and inaccessible than a cycle engine so there’s more sense to this. But for John’s cycle, a BMW R60, I’ll bet there’s not a mechanic between here and Salt Lake City. If his points or plugs burn out, he’s done for. I know he doesn’t have a set of spare points with him. He doesn’t know what points are. If it quits on him in western South Dakota or Montana I don’t know what he’s going to do.”
— quoted from Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance: An Inquiry into Values by Robert Pirsig
Since today is the anniversary of the birth of Robert Pirsig (b. 1928), we play and maintain and sit — which, in this context, is all the same.
“The real cycle you’re working on is a cycle called yourself. The machine that appears to be ‘out there’ and the person that appears to be ‘in here’ are not two separate things. They grow toward Quality or fall away from Quality together.”
— quoted from Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance: An Inquiry into Values by Robert Pirsig
Please join me today (Saturday, September 6th) at 12:00 PM for a yoga practice on Zoom. You can use the link from the “Class Schedules”calendar if you run into any problems checking into the class. You can request an audio recording of this practice via a comment below or (for a slightly faster reply) you can email myra(at) ajoyfulpractice.com.
Saturday’s playlist is available on YouTube and Spotify. [Look for “09062020 The Art of Moving Meditation”]
If you are thinking about suicide, worried about a friend or loved one, or would like emotional support, you can dial 988 (in the US) or call 1-800-273-TALK (8255)for the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline. You can also call this TALK line if you are struggling with addiction or involved in an abusive relationship. The Lifeline network is free, confidential, and available to all 24/7. YOU CAN TALK ABOUT ANYTHING.
White Flag is an app, which I have not yet researched, but which may be helpful if you need (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.)
“The place to improve the world is first in one’s own heart and head and hands, and then work outward from there.”
— quoted from Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance: An Inquiry into Values by Robert Pirsig
### BREATHE: You need air in your tires and wind in your sails. ###
“Get yourself out of whatever cage you find yourself.”
— John Cage
Most people do not fit into a single box. As Walt Whitman said, “[We] contain multitudes.” And, yet, our minds like categories and boxes. We use them to make sense of the world; to feel a sense of control and safety; and we are constantly — and sometimes unconsciously or subconsciously — judging, categorizing, and putting others (and ourselves) in boxes. These boxes can easily become cages; but they are still just metaphors. They are nothing. Of course, the artist and composer John Cage said, “Every moment is an echo of nothing.”
Born today in 1912, John Cage said, was a student of Buddhism, which (like Yoga) considers our boxes and cages as maya (“illusion”). Yoga highlights the fact that, although we may find ourselves trapped in habitual behaviors, we forget (or never learned) that we can change our habits. We just have to do the new thing again and again… and again.
“If something is boring after 2 minutes, try it for 4. If still boring, then 8. Then 16. Then 38. Eventually one discovers that it is not boring at all.”
Please join me tonight, Friday, September 5, 2025, 7:15 PM – 8:20 PM (CST) for “How to Get Out of Your Cage”. 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.
(NOTE: There will be a little bit of quiet space in this practice.)
Friday’s playlist is available onYouTube and Spotify. [Look for “09052025 How to Get Out of Your Cage”]
(FAIR WARNING: The volume on these tracks is not as jarring as the regular one, but still a little dynamic. I love this music, however, I know some folks hate it; so, feel free to start with Track #7; “randomly” pick another list; or…practice in “silence.”)
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 will also be handy.
Extreme heat (and a lot of changes) can not only make people lethargic and unmotivated, they can also lead to extreme agitation and anxiety-based fear. We may find it hard to think, hard to feel (or process our feelings), and/or hard to control our impulses. If you are struggling in the US, help is available just by dialing 988.
If you are thinking about suicide, worried about a friend or loved one, or would like emotional support, you can dial 988 (in the US) or call 1-800-273-TALK (8255)for the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline. You can also call this TALK line if you are struggling with addiction or involved in an abusive relationship. The Lifeline network is free, confidential, and available to all 24/7. YOU CAN TALK ABOUT ANYTHING.
White Flag is an app, which I have not yet researched, but which may be helpful if you need peer-to-peer (non-professional) support.
In the spirit of generosity (“dana”), the Zoom classes, recordings, and blog posts are freely given and freely received. If you are able to support these teachings, please do so as your heart moves you. (NOTE: You can donate even if you are “attending” a practice that is not designated as a “Common Ground Meditation Center” practice, or you can purchase class(es).
Donations are tax deductible; class purchases are not necessarily deductible.
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A Joyful Practice 