Make a Commitment to Imagination (w/excerpts) April 2, 2025
Posted by ajoyfulpractice in 9-Day Challenge, Art, Books, Changing Perspectives, Faith, Healing Stories, Hope, Lent / Great Lent, Life, Music, Mysticism, One Hoop, Philosophy, Poetry, Religion, Wisdom, Women, Yoga.Tags: 988, Ananta Ripa Ajmera, Chaitra Navaratri, Hans Christian Andersen, International Children's Book Day, Janneke Ipenburg, Kushmanda, Laura Watkinson, Navaratri, Rian Visser, Season for Nonviolence
add a comment
Happy International Children’s Book Day! Many blessings to all! “Nine days and nine nights of blessings and happiness if you are celebrating Chaitra Navaratri!” Many blessings to those observing Lent & Great Lent!
Peace, ease, and commitment to all, throughout this “Season for Nonviolence” and all other seasons!
“Make pictures
for my poem,
and please feel free:
these words
belong to you
even though they came from me.”
— quoted from the 2025 International Children’s Book Day poem & message “The Language of Pictures” by Rian Visser (translated from Dutch by Laura Watkinson)
“[Kushmanda] also lives in our hearts. The fact that she is smiling reminds us that we too are our most creative when we are smiling and feeling positive, courageous (a quality of heart), and strong. The fact that this goddess, like Chandraghanta, rides a lion shows that the power of love is just as potent as the fire of transformation. It reminds us that the ability to love comes from inner strength. When we feel clouded by fear, anger, and grief, it can be difficult to imagine one day having the strength to love again. But Kushmanda is here to remind us that, no matter how brokenhearted we may feel at time, the power of love lives within us, and we can tap into it and become our creative best at any time.”
— quoted from the “Knowing Kushmanda” section of “Chapter 4 — The Art of Loving Your True Self” in The Way of the Goddess: Daily Rituals to Awaken Your Inner Warrior and Discover Your True Self by Ananta Ripa Ajmera
If you read a lot, you may learn more about your world (e.g., your culture and history), as well as about the world of other cultures. You may, for example, learn that Hinduism is not the only religion where the feminine aspects of the Divine are celebrated. It’s not even the only religion where an observation related to a woman, as the Divine, is associated with a period of nine days/nights. To my knowledge, however, Navaratri (“nine nights”) is unique in that it celebrates many different aspects of a single woman. Each night/day is associated with a different manifestation of Durga/Parvati, the mother goddess, and is part of nine-part story cycle/journey that ends with a demon-king being destroyed.
International Children’s Book Day is the anniversary of the birth of Hans Christian Andersen (b. 1805). This year’s celebration coincides with the fourth day of Chaitra Navaratri, which is dedicated to dedicated to the Goddess Kushmanda who, it is said, “created the world with her divine smile” — a smile that also powers the sun. She is recognized as Shakti (the creative force) and associated with good health (specifically with improving health), wealth, and strength. She is like the aspects of the Virgin Mary that are remembered on Candlemas.
Click on the excerpt titles below for other posts about International Children’s Book Day.
Consider the Environment that Holds Your Spirit, Again (mostly the blessings, music, & excerpt)
Please join me today (Wednesday, April 2nd) 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 “11142021 A Day for Children”]
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.
If you are a young person in crisis, feeling suicidal, or in need of a safe and judgement-free place to talk, you can also click here to contact the TrevorLifeline (which is staffed 24/7 with trained counselors).
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.)
### SING YOUR SONG & LET YOUR LIGHT SHINE! ###
FTWMI: Searching…. January 18, 2025
Posted by ajoyfulpractice in 9-Day Challenge, Art, Books, Healing Stories, Life, Love, Mathematics, Meditation, Movies, Music, One Hoop, Philosophy, Poetry, Vairagya, Wisdom, Writing, Yoga.Tags: 988, A. A. Milne, Alan Alexander Milne, Christopher Robin Milne, E. H. Shephard, Ernest Howard Shephard, H. G. Wells, John Donovan, Maurice Sendak, Robert Cormier, Zena Sutherland
add a comment
Many blessings to everyone, especially those observing Maha Kumbh Mela. May everyone breathe deeply and savor the richness of having your dreams come true!
May you know you are and be safe and protected / peaceful and happy / healthy and strong!
For Those Who Missed It: The following was originally posted in 2022 and 2023. Class details, links, and some formatting have been updated or added.
“As soon as Rabbit was out of sight, Pooh remembered that he had forgotten to ask who Small was, and whether he was the sort of friend-and-relation who settled on one’s nose, or the sort who got trodden on by mistake, and as it was Too Late Now, he thought he would begin the Hunt by looking for Piglet, and asking him what they were looking for before he looked for it.”
*
— quoted from “Chapter Three, In Which – A Search is Organdized, and Piglet Nearly Meets the Heffalump Again” in The House at Pooh Corner by Alan Alexander Milne, with decorations by Ernest Howard Shephard
Similar to The House at Pooh Corner (published in 1928), this post begins with an end note; but, let’s not call it that. Let’s call it a Side Note. See, when I’ve used quotes in class in the past, I don’t always cite chapter and verse. That’s not the point of the practice. However, now that I’m blogging more, recording classes, and posting a video or two, I feel that due diligence is required. Ergo, I make an effort to search for precise sources. It takes some time and effort, but the internet makes things easier than when I was doing such research in school and it’s super nice when I actually have hard copies (and/or paperback or electronic copies) of the source material. However, things can get complicated when something takes on a life of it’s own — outside of its original incarnation. This is even more true when that something is beloved… and the Walt Disney Company is involved.
Because sometimes people are quoting Disney productions, but citing the author.
“‘It means just going along, listening to all the things that you can’t hear and not bothering.’”
*
— Christopher Robin defining “Doing Nothing” to Winnie the Pooh in “Chapter Ten, In Which – Christopher Robin and Pooh Come to an Enchanted Place, and We Leave Them There” of The House at Pooh Corner by Alan Alexander Milne, with decorations by Ernest Howard Shephard
Many books begin with a prologue or an introduction, however, as I already mentioned The House at Pooh is different from most books. It begins with a “Contradiction”, which the author explained was the opposite of an “Introduction”. Some of us might think of it as an epilogue, which it was… and also wasn’t, because it was coming at the beginning of the book rather than at the end. But, it was the end of the series — that was never intended to be a series. Of course, the author, A. A. Milne, understood the differences and the nuances of the words; that’s why he picked the one’s he picked.
Born Alan Alexander Milne on January 18, 1882, the famous children’s book author was the youngest of three boys that grew up in a household dedicated to learning. His father, John Vine Milne, ran Henley House School, a private school for boys that famously boasted teachers like H. G. Wells (who taught science there for one year). A. A. Milne reportedly taught himself to read at age two; attended Westminster School in London and Trinity College in Cambridge. It was at the latter that he edited and wrote (with his brother Kenneth) for The Granta, the student magazine now known simply as Granta. It was also at Trinity that he decided to pursue writing as a career even though he was graduating with a degree in mathematics. He started working for the humor magazine Punch not long after he graduated.
Then World War I broke out and — even though Mr. Milne didn’t believe in war — he served as an officer for at least five years, first as a signaling operator and then (after recuperating from an illness that sent him home) as a writer of military propaganda. He finished his service as a lieutenant and started writing articles and books denouncing war. He also started writing plays and poetry, some which appeared in Punch magazine. He had married Dorothy “Daphne” de Sélincourt just before the war and, within a year of his discharge, they had their son, Christopher Robin.
Mr. Milne was in the habit of making up little verses for his son, including one called “Teddy Bear”, which appeared in Punch when Christopher Robin was three years old. About five years after their son was born, the Milnes bought and moved to their country home in East Sussex. The woods around their East Sussex home — as well as Christopher Robin, his toys, and the games they played — became the inspiration for more poems and, ultimately, the stories about Winnie the Pooh, Christopher Robin, and all their friends. Those stories, however, were little more than divertissements to A. A. Milne and he was a little astounded (and latter appalled) that those little entertainments were earning more accolades than for his plays, articles, and adult novels. Later, he was also concerned by how all the attention affected his still young son — who, it must be said, kind of hated the attention.
“Every child has his Pooh, but one would think it odd if every man still kept his Pooh to remind him of his childhood. But my Pooh is different, you say: he is the Pooh. No, this only makes him different to you. My toys were and are to me no more than yours were and are to you, not different to me. I do not love them more because they are known to children in Australia or Japan. Fame has nothing to do with love.”
*
— quoted from “12. The Toys” in The Enchanted Places by Christopher Milne
There are a lot of reasons why people still love the characters created by A. A. Milne, but why are Christopher Robin, Pooh, Piglet, Owl, Eyeore, Rabbit, Kanga, Roo, Tigger, the Heffalump, and (even) Small more beloved than any of his other characters? We can, of course, point to the loveliness of an ideal childhood and those lovely “decorations” by E. H. Shephard. Of course, there is also the fact that the books are all about friendship. Then, too, there is the fact that we all know people like all of the characters. In fact, if we take a moment to turn inward, we may even recognize ourselves as one of the characters. Finally, there is just so much wisdom in the books. Yes, we can say it is wisdom for children; however, the best advice we receive as children, serves us as adults.
The children’s poems and stories by A. A. Milne remind us to slow down, savor our “honey” and our friends, and to soak up the moment. There are stories that remind us to play a little (Pooh Sticks); keep in touch (even when we are physically far apart); that sometimes we need a little help from our friends (in order to get out of tight situations); and that there is something to be said for being in the present moment. In fact, I think of the poem “Halfway Down” as a meditation on the liminal, or “threshold” moment that is this present moment.
“Halfway Down” is the thirty-fifth poem in When We Were Very Young, first published in 1924. It appears just a few pages before the aforementioned “Teddy Bear” and has been turned into a song sung be people as different as Robin the Frog (Kermit’s nephew) and Amy Lee. The children’s book reviewer Zena Sutherland called the poem a “juvenile meditation” — which was a ringing endorsement from an expert on children’s literature who would go on to teach “Children’s Literature” and “Literature for Young Adults” at the University of Chicago Graduate Library School; serve on the committees that award the Newbery and Cadecutt Awards, as well as the Scott O’Dell Award for Historical Fiction; and highlight the emotional benefits of books by Maurice Sendak, John Donovan, and Robert Cormier. She was the expert, but in my humble opinion, it is a great meditation for anyone, regardless of age.
“I’m not at the bottom,
I’m not at the top;
So this is the stair
Where
I always
Stop.
*
Halfway up the stairs
Isn’t up
And isn’t down.
It isn’t in the nursery,
It isn’t in the town.
And all sorts of funny thoughts
Run round my head:”
*
— quoted (from halfway down) the poem “Halfway Down” by Alan Alexander Milne, with decorations by Ernest Howard Shephard
In some ways, The House at Pooh Corner was like that stair “halfway down the stairs”. It marked a transition. As A. A. Milne explained at the beginning, Christopher Robin and his friends needed no introductions — the readers already knew and loved them. What he also explained was that The House at Pooh Corner was a goodbye — he just didn’t tell his young readers why. And, in the end, maybe the why didn’t matter. Because…
“…they went off together. But wherever they go, and whatever happens to them on the way, in that enchanted place on the top of the Forest, a little boy and his Bear will always be playing.”
*
— quoted from “Chapter Ten, In Which – Christopher Robin and Pooh Come to an Enchanted Place, and We Leave Them There” of The House at Pooh Corner by Alan Alexander Milne, with decorations by Ernest Howard Shephard
Please join me today (Saturday, January 18th) 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 “08212021 An Afternoon of Just Knowing”]
Feel free to check out this 2016 post to discover someone who likes to explore enchanted places.
“Christopher Robin came down from the Forest to the bridge, feeling all sunny and careless, and just as if twice nineteen didn’t matter a bit, as it didn’t on such a happy afternoon, and he thought if he stood on the bottom rail of the bridge, and leant over, and watched the river slipping slowly away beneath him, then he would suddenly know everything there was to be known, and he would be able to tell Pooh, who wasn’t quite sure of it. But when he got to the bridge and saw all the animals there, then he knew that it wasn’t that kind of afternoon, but the other kind, when you wanted to do something.”
*
— quoted from “Chapter Six, In Which – Pooh Invents a New Game and Eeyore Joins In” of The House at Pooh Corner by Alan Alexander Milne, with decorations by Ernest Howard Shephard
Searching for Small and little things? (Part of the Nine Days series)
### “Rivers know this: there is no hurry. We shall get there some day.” ~ A. A. M. ###
EXCERPT: “The S-word” October 12, 2024
Posted by ajoyfulpractice in 9-Day Challenge, Bhakti, Buddhism, Changing Perspectives, Faith, Healing Stories, Hope, Life, Music, New Year, One Hoop, Pain, Philosophy, Religion, Suffering, Wisdom, Yoga, Yom Kippur.Tags: 988, Bernie Taupin, Dussehra, Elton John, High Holidays, Jack Kornfield, Navaratri, shabda, Sharada Navaratri, siddhis, Ten Days of Atonement, Ten Days of Awe, Yom Kippur
add a comment
Many blessings to everyone and especially to anyone observing Yom Kippur, Dussehra, and/or coming together with friendship, peace, freedom, understanding, and wisdom.
Stay safe! Live well! Hydrate and nourish your heart, body, and mind.
“Why can’t we talk it over?
Oh it seems to me
That sorry seems to be the hardest word”
— quoted from “Sorry Seems to Be the Hardest Word” by Sir Elton John and Bernie Taupin
CLICK ON THE EXCERPT TITLE FOR MORE!
FTWMI: The S-word
Please join me today (Saturday, October 12th) 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 “High Holidays: Sorry”]
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.
If you are a young person in crisis, feeling suicidal, or in need of a safe and judgement-free place to talk, you can also click here to contact the TrevorLifeline (which is staffed 24/7 with trained counselors).
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 YOUR NAME BE WRITTEN & SEALED IN THE BOOK OF LIFE ###
On Having More Good Time (mostly the music & blessings) October 9, 2024
Posted by ajoyfulpractice in "Impossible" People, 9-Day Challenge, Bhakti, Changing Perspectives, Faith, Healing Stories, Hope, Karma, Life, Music, New Year, One Hoop, Philosophy, Religion, Rosh Hashanah, Suffering, Tragedy, Wisdom, Women, Yoga, Yom Kippur.Tags: 988, Ecclesiastes, Gregorian calendar, High Holidays, Julian calendar, Kalaratri, Kohelet, Malala Yousafzai, Navaratri, Prague Astronomical Clock, Sharada Navaratri, Ten Days of Atonement, Ten Days of Awe, tov
add a comment
“Chag sameach!” (“Happy Festival!”) to everyone observing the High Holidays. “Nine days and nine nights of blessings and happiness if you are celebrating Sharada Navaratri!” Many blessings to everyone and especially to anyone coming together with friendship, peace, freedom, understanding, and wisdom.
Stay safe! Live well! Hydrate and nourish your heart, body, and mind.
“Everything has an appointed season, and there is a time for every matter under the heaven.”
— Kohelet — Ecclesiastes (3:1)
Please join me today (Wednesday, October 9th) 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 “10092024 High Holidays: Good Time”]
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.
If you are a young person in crisis, feeling suicidal, or in need of a safe and judgement-free place to talk, you can also click here to contact the TrevorLifeline (which is staffed 24/7 with trained counselors).
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.
Check out the “Class Schedules” calendar for upcoming classes.
### 
###
A Quick Note About Little Things (and some Big Stuff) [the post-practice Monday post] October 7, 2024
Posted by ajoyfulpractice in 9-Day Challenge, Art, Bhakti, Changing Perspectives, Faith, Healing Stories, Hope, Life, Loss, Mantra, Meditation, Mysticism, New Year, One Hoop, Pain, Peace, Philosophy, Religion, Rosh Hashanah, Suffering, Tragedy, Wisdom, Yoga, Yom Kippur.Tags: 988, Gregorian calendar, High Holidays, Julian calendar, Los Lobos, loving-kindness, lovingkindness, mantra, Monette Chilson, October 7, peace, Rabbi Yaakov Salomon, Richard W. Siebels, Skandamata, Skandamātā, Ten Days of Atonement, Ten Days of Awe
add a comment
“Chag sameach!” (“Happy Festival!”) to everyone observing the High Holidays. “Nine days and nine nights of blessings and happiness if you are celebrating Sharada Navaratri!” Many blessings to everyone and especially to anyone coming together with friendship, peace, freedom, understanding, and wisdom.
Stay safe! Live well! Hydrate and nourish your heart, body, and mind.
This is post-practice post related to the practice on Monday, October 7th. The 2024 prompt question was, “What is on your mind? This post contains passing references to terrorism. 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.
Check out the “Class Schedules” calendar for upcoming classes.
“Believe in what you’re doing”
— quoted from the song “A Matter of Time” by Los Lobos
Sometimes, when I talk about calendar reform and jokingly say, “Nothing happened today in 1582,” I imply — and sometimes explicitly state (jokingly) that no one was born, no one invented anything, and no did anything for the first time. Normally, I don’t say, although it is implied, that nothing tragic happened on this day in 1582. But, something horrific and tragic did happen a year ago today — and, in some ways, it continues to happen.
Unfortunately, there does not seem to be an end in sight. Nor, does it look like the hostages — or the people who have been displaced — are closer to being home. But, we can pray, we can hope, we can wish — and some people can even do the work — for peace; for homecomings; for relief; for healing. We can pray, hope, wish — and even do the work — to end terrorism.
“Restless hearts seek comfort in a wide variety of ways. They may seek it through eating, drugs or alcohol, shopping, unhealthy relationships, money, or power. But in the end, none of these things bring that peace—there is still a restlessness. Hearts that are not at peace are not sensitive to the sacredness of all life, to the horrible destruction of our beautiful Earth. They are not truly compassionate to the great needs of so many fellow human beings, not appalled by the cavernous gap between the haves and the have-nots.”
— quoted from the September 1, 2002, Friends Journal article “Mystical or Not at All” by Richard W. Siebels
My suggestions may seem like little things and may leave you feeling restless. But, sometimes, all we can do are the little things — and we should not take those things for granted. That is true when we are observing something from a distance and, also, when we are in the middle of it.
While I have not experienced the level of terror that people over there (and in other places around the world) are currently experiencing, I have been physically and verbally pushed around because of the color of my skin and the perception that I did not belong somewhere. In those moments, and in subsequent moments of fear, I focused on little things: What can I do, right here, right now, that makes a difference, that creates some modicum of peace? What can I do in this moment that makes a difference in future moments, that brings peace in some future moment?
Sometimes, the little thing that makes a difference is breathing “peace in” and breathing “peace out” — or breathing “love” in and “kindness” out. Sometimes, the little thing that makes a big difference is remembering your humanity and the humanity of the person who is perceived as different from you… even when someone similar to that person has attacked you.
I have had the luxury of doing these things, (in part) because I already had these little things in my practice. In fact, one of the times I focus on “little things” during the practice, is during the High Holidays.*
“The Jewish term for prayer, tefillah, does not denote the beseeching we often associate with prayer, rather it was a way of life, a means of communing—not communicating—with God. The spiritual aim of tefillah is to discern what is within oneself, to help us see who we are in God’s eyes.”
— quoted from the “Centering Prayer: Christian Meditation” section of “Chapter 3: Recovering Yoga” in Sophia Rising: Awakening Your Sacred Wisdom Through Yoga by Monette Chilson
I don’t mention every horrific and tragic thing that happens here or abroad; but, there are times when not mentioning something makes it the elephant in the room. For instance, this 1-year anniversary of the war/conflict over there, coincides with the the fifth day and night of Navaratri and the fifth day of the High Holidays. This particular day and night of Navaratri is dedicated to Skandamātā, a fierce mother as protector — who simultaneously holds her baby and a lotus flower, rides a lion, and keeps her eyes (especially her third eye) open for any and all danger. Also known as “The Goddess of Fire,” Skandamātā is believed to bless people with salvation, power, prosperity, and wisdom. Those people are actually doubly blessed, because in worshipping her, they also worship her son.
Parents (not just mothers), guardians, and other adults in the room — like teachers — have to simultaneously nurture and protect. There are times we also have to do that for ourselves. Finally, there are times when we need people in authority (i.e., elected officials) to simultaneously nurture and protect. These are big things, sometimes overwhelming things. Just as Skandamātā holds the beautiful lotus flower that grows out of the muck, we hold the world (and our own fates). Unlike Skandamātā; however, we do not have four arms, three eyes, and a lion. Sometimes we focus so much on doing one thing that we forget about doing the other; we lose perspective and fail to do the most important things.
“The key to getting the most out of any experience is preparation before the event. You cannot expect to leap from the shower to the shul and instantly feel holy. It just doesn’t work that way.”
— quoted from “Preparing for Rosh Hashana: The secret to an inspiring new year” by Rabbi Yaakov Salomon
*2024 Practice Notes — The “Little Things”:
- Make sure your legs are in a position that’s comfortable for low back and arms in a position that’s comfortable for neck and shoulders.
- Make sure you have a stable or steady; easy, comfortable, or joyful seat (or pose). (YS 2.46 – 2.48)
- Breathe deeply in and breathe deeply out.
- Remember your intention/purpose (or the intention/purpose of what you’re doing).
- Keep your spine long with a little baby back bend.
- Practice ahimsā (“non-violence” / “non-harming”). (YS 2.35)
- For a vinyāsa practice, match the movement to the breath. For all practices, notice the natural internal movement that happens as you breathe.
- Notice how stability in your lower body allows you to extend your upper body, which stretches out your lower body.
- Notice the “L” of your hands, especially when you have weight in your hands and arms. (In grade school you might have learned that one “L” on your forehead means loser, but if you put two “L”s together you have a shot at a goal; if you tip the ends out, you have a “W” – which means winner.)
Lifting the corners of your mouth up towards your ears, is usually one of the little things.
There is no playlist for the Common Ground Meditation Center practices.
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.
If you are a young person in crisis, feeling suicidal, or in need of a safe and judgement-free place to talk, you can also click here to contact the TrevorLifeline (which is staffed 24/7 with trained counselors).
### MAY YOUR NAME BE WRITTEN & SEALED IN THE BOOK OF LIFE (and May You Be Doubly Blessed) ###
How Much Longer…? [redux] (the “missing” Sunday post w/excerpts) October 7, 2024
Posted by ajoyfulpractice in 9-Day Challenge, Bhakti, Changing Perspectives, Faith, Healing Stories, Hope, Karma, Life, Music, Mysticism, New Year, One Hoop, Philosophy, Religion, Rosh Hashanah, Science, Wisdom, Yoga, Yom Kippur.Tags: 988, Ananta Ripa Ajmera, Bamboo, Gregorian calendar, High Holidays, Julian calendar, Kushmanda, Lubavitcher Rebbe, Navaratri, Rabbi Tzvi Freeman, Sharada Navaratri, Ten Days of Atonement, Ten Days of Awe, Time
add a comment
“Chag sameach!” (“Happy Festival!”) to everyone observing the High Holidays. “Nine days and nine nights of blessings and happiness if you are celebrating Sharada Navaratri!” Many blessings to everyone and especially to anyone coming together with friendship, peace, freedom, understanding, and wisdom.
Stay safe! Live well! Hydrate and nourish your heart, body, and mind.
This is the “missing” post for Sunday, October 6th. It includes some previously posted content. 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.
Check out the “Class Schedules” calendar for upcoming classes.
“Before you were formed in the womb, your days were numbered and set in place. They are the chapters of the lessons you came here to learn, the faces of the wisdom this world has to teach you, the gateways to the treasures this lifetime alone can bestow.”
— quoted from Hayom Yom, 17 Cheshvan; Naso 5837:6 (From the wisdom of the Lubavitcher Rebbe, of righteous memory, words and condensation by Rabbi Tzvi Freeman)
Time. It is such an arbitrary concept. I mean, we are passing the time every time we inhale; measuring time every time we exhale. However, our experience of time is often based on our perspective. For instance, how long a road trip — or a flight to the other side of the planet — is versus how long it feels can be different and how long it feels can be different if you are by a window, enjoying the view, versus if you really have to go to the bathroom when there’s no place to go. Similarly, if you are having a good time, that time feels different than if you are having a challenging time; just like time seems to move at a different pace when you are looking forward to something versus when you are dreading something — keeping in mind that the “something” in either case may never happen.
Now, you may be thinking that one’s subjective experience of time does not make the concept of time arbitrary. Well, yes and no. Yes, it is true that, as a society, we have agreed on ways we will measure time so that we all show up at the same time and/or do certain things at certain times. However, the systems established were, initially, based on one person’s (or one group of people’s) whims. In other words, arbitrary.
For example, when Papal-governed nations — Italy, Spain, Portugal, France, and places like the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth — switched from the Julian calendar to the Gregorian calendar in 1582, one of the motivating factors was to use a system of time named for a pope (in this case, Pope Gregory XIII) rather than a Roman emperor (i.e., Julius Caesar). Another factor was that the church wanted more consistency and control over when Easter (and other religious holidays) were celebrated as Catholicism spread beyond Rome.
Where there other factors? Sure. However, the idea for a standardized date for Easter dates back to the First Council of Nicaea (in 325 AD); the need for calendar reform — to produce a more astrologically accurate calendar — dates back to the 8th century; and calendar reform — to produce a more liturgically consistent calendar — was proposed as early as 1475 AD.
Click here for more about the calendar reform that led to the Gregorian calendar.
Because it is in such common use as a civil calendar (and, therefore, used by people who are not Christian), we don’t typically think of the Gregorian calendar as a religious calendar. However, it is not the only religious calendar used in modern times. Some Christians (and non-Christians) still use the Julian calendar. Others use solar, lunar, lunisolar (sometimes called solilunar) and/or seasonal calendars.
In fact, this time that (quote-unquote) “didn’t exist” as some people were switching over to the Gregorian calendar in 1582, is currently an auspicious time for people using the Hebrew calendar and for people using one the Hindu calendars. Sunday was both the fourth day of the High Holidays in Judaism and the fourth day (and night) of Navaratri. Even though the beliefs, rituals, and traditions are different, both of these sacred times is connected to creating a better future.
“A day enters, opens its doors, tells its story, and then returns above, never to visit again. Never—for no two days of your life will share the same wisdom.”
— quoted from Hayom Yom, 17 Cheshvan; Naso 5837:6 (From the wisdom of the Lubavitcher Rebbe, of righteous memory, words and condensation by Rabbi Tzvi Freeman)
The following excerpt is from a 2020 post:
So there’s this story. It’s an old story and you’ve probably heard it before. I am actually surprised that I was well into my adulthood before I heard it, but not surprised that the first time I heard the story it was in the context of Rosh Hashanah. It’s one of my favorite stories to tell and, this year, I will tell it something like this:
Like so many of us, there’s this person sitting or standing on the edge of a mountain of uncertainty. This year, for obvious reasons, feels different from other years. What feels the same for this person, however, is the frustration and fear that comes from looking back and realizing that they have the same doubts and fears, hopes and dreams that they had this time last year. Rather than feeling like they’ve taken steps forward, closer to their dreams, this person feels like they have stayed in the exact same place — or even that they have taken a few steps back. Everything seems meaningless and pointless and, frankly, they feel they have nothing to show for all the times when they’ve reflected, remembered, repented, and planned.
So, as the head of the year approaches, this person goes to their rabbi and explains that they’re having a hard time. Yes, they understand that everyone is having and hard time — doesn’t make it easier. And, yes, they understand that some folks have it harder — doesn’t make them feel better. Bottom line, they aren’t motivated to make a plan for a new year when they feel they have nothing to show for the old.
The rabbi listens, as rabbis do, and then asks the person: How long does it take for a giant bamboo tree to grow as tall as a building?
Of course, this person doesn’t know (and is a little annoyed that their rabbi chooses this time to ask what appears to be a rhetorical — or liturgical — question). So, the rabbi tells the story of a farmer who decides they want to grow a giant bamboo tree. It’s a good investment, because if the farmer can get a good clump of culms, they can sell the edible shoots and also sell some of the sheath for construction and weaving. The farmer does some research, figures out the best place to plant, obtains some rhizome with their roots intact, and plants the cutting in a hole that is large enough to hold the rhizome and the roots (but not any deeper than the root-ball).
Satisfied with their work, the farmer goes about their business, watering and fertilizing the newly planted areas as needed. They do this for a year…. And then a second year…. By the third year, some of the farmer’s neighbors are starting to crack jokes about the farmer and their empty plot of land. Because no one sees anything happening — except the farmer diligently watering and fertilizing the area for yet another year. Finally, in the fifth year, a new growth appears. Then, within six weeks, that fertile green sprout shoots up as tall as a building.
“So,” the rabbi asks the person in their office, “how long does it take a giant bamboo to grow as tall as a building?”
The person who came seeking advice frustratingly says, “Six weeks.”
“No,” the rabbi patiently explains, “it takes five years….. Growth takes patience and perseverance. Every drop of water makes a difference; every step you take makes an impact. You may not see the change right away, but growth is happening.”
CLICK HERE FOR MORE (including a video version of the bamboo story).
“[Kushmanda] also lives in our hearts. The fact that she is smiling reminds us that we too are our most creative when we are smiling and feeling positive, courageous (a quality of heart), and strong. The fact that this goddess, like Chandraghanta, rides a lion shows that the power of love is just as potent as the fire of transformation. It reminds us that the ability to love comes from inner strength. When we feel clouded by fear, anger, and grief, it can be difficult to imagine one day having the strength to love again. But Kushmanda is here to remind us that, no matter how brokenhearted we may feel at time, the power of love lives within us, and we can tap into it and become our creative best at any time.”
— quoted from the “Knowing Kushmanda” section of “Chapter 4 — The Art of Loving Your True Self” in The Way of the Goddess: Daily Rituals to Awaken Your Inner Warrior and Discover Your True Self by Ananta Ripa Ajmera
The following excerpt is from an earlier 2024 celebration of Navaratri:
Navaratri, the “nine nights” and days of celebration in the Hindu tradition, is different from the other celebrations, because it is a celebration that focuses on Durga, the divine mother, in various manifestations. The fourth day is dedicated to the Goddess Kushmanda who, it is said, “created the world with her divine smile” — a smile that also powers the sun. She is recognized as Shakti (the creative force) and associated with good health (specifically with improving health), wealth, and strength.
“Stay To change the past, there is no need to travel in a time machine. Everything can be done by remote control.
Here’s how it works: From beyond the continuum of time, its Creator looks at where your spaceship is heading right now. From that point, He creates all its trajectory—through the future and through the past.
Switch the direction your past is sending you. Soon enough, it becomes a different past.”
— quoted from “Maamar Padah B’Shalom 5738” (From the wisdom of the Lubavitcher Rebbe, of righteous memory, words and condensation by Rabbi Tzvi Freeman)
Sunday’s playlist is available on YouTube and Spotify. [Look for “High Holidays: How Much Longer…”]
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.
If you are a young person in crisis, feeling suicidal, or in need of a safe and judgement-free place to talk, you can also click here to contact the TrevorLifeline (which is staffed 24/7 with trained counselors).
### MAY YOUR NAME BE WRITTEN & SEALED IN THE BOOK OF LIFE (& MAY YOUR BAMBOO GROW) ###
How Much Longer…? [redux] (mostly the music) October 6, 2024
Posted by ajoyfulpractice in 9-Day Challenge, Bhakti, Changing Perspectives, Faith, Healing Stories, Hope, Karma, Life, Music, Mysticism, New Year, One Hoop, Religion, Rosh Hashanah, Wisdom, Yoga, Yom Kippur.Tags: 988, Bamboo, Gregorian calendar, High Holidays, Julian calendar, Kushmanda, Lubavitcher Rebbe, Navaratri, Rabbi Tzvi Freeman, Sharada Navaratri, Ten Days of Atonement, Ten Days of Awe, Time
add a comment
“Chag sameach!” (“Happy Festival!”) to everyone observing the High Holidays. “Nine days and nine nights of blessings and happiness if you are celebrating Sharada Navaratri!” Many blessings to everyone and especially to anyone coming together with friendship, peace, freedom, understanding, and wisdom.
Stay safe! Live well! Hydrate and nourish your heart, body, and mind.
“Stay To change the past, there is no need to travel in a time machine. Everything can be done by remote control.
Here’s how it works: From beyond the continuum of time, its Creator looks at where your spaceship is heading right now. From that point, He creates all its trajectory—through the future and through the past.
Switch the direction your past is sending you. Soon enough, it becomes a different past.”
— quoted from “Maamar Padah B’Shalom 5738” (From the wisdom of the Lubavitcher Rebbe, of righteous memory, words and condensation by Rabbi Tzvi Freeman)
Please join me for a 65-minute virtual yoga practice on Zoom today (Sunday, October 6th) 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 “High Holidays: How Much Longer…”]
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.
If you are a young person in crisis, feeling suicidal, or in need of a safe and judgement-free place to talk, you can also click here to contact the TrevorLifeline (which is staffed 24/7 with trained counselors).
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.
Check out the “Class Schedules” calendar for upcoming classes.
### ###
Getting Ready for A Possibility Party! (the “missing” Saturday post w/excerpt & links) October 5, 2024
Posted by ajoyfulpractice in 9-Day Challenge, Art, Bhakti, Changing Perspectives, Faith, Healing Stories, Hope, Karma, Life, Mysticism, New Year, One Hoop, Philosophy, Religion, Rosh Hashanah, Wisdom, Yoga, Yom Kippur.Tags: 988, Anodea Judith, chakra, chakras, Chandraghanta, High Holidays, Navaratri, Sharada Navaratri, Tchuvah, Teshuvah, Unetaneh Tokef, vinyasa, vinyasa krama
add a comment
“Chag sameach!” (“Happy Festival!”) to everyone observing the High Holidays. “Nine days and nine nights of blessings and happiness if you are celebrating Sharada Navaratri!” Many blessings to everyone and especially to anyone coming together with friendship, peace, freedom, understanding, and wisdom.
Stay safe! Live well! Hydrate and nourish your heart, body, and mind.
This is the “missing” post for Saturday, October 5th. It includes an excerpt and some previously posted content. 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.
Check out the “Class Schedules” calendar for upcoming classes.
“Through our experiences, each one of us builds a personal matrix of information within our minds. From the first glimpse of our mother’s face to our doctoral dissertations and beyond, we spend our lives trying to piece together some sense of order from what we see around us. Each bit of information we receive gets incorporated into that matrix, making it even more complex. As it grows more complex it tends to periodically ‘reorganize’ itself, finding higher levels of order which simplify its system…. allowing a new wholeness to be perceived. Enlightenment is a progressive understanding of ever greater wholeness.”
— quoted from the section entitled “Information” in “Chapter 8 – Chakra Seven: Thought” of Wheels of Life: A Users Guide to the Chakra System by Anodea Judith, Ph.D.
Whether we realize it or not, everything we do is the beginning of, and preparation for, the next thing we do. This is made apparent during the practice, when we bring awareness to the fact that the inhale is the beginning of, and preparation for, the exhale — and that the exhale is the beginning of, and preparation for, the exhale. It is also explicitly illustrated in a vinyasa practice, when we “place things in a special way” in order to match the movement to the breath and, also, when we use vinyasa krama to “place things in a special way, for a step-by-step progression.” What is not always as obvious is that what happens on the mat also happens off the mat.
Life happens — and is experienced — in a very special step-by-step progression, whether we realize it our not. This is true even when we change the way we count our days. Most babies roll over before they crawl, crawl before the walk, and walk before they run. Education builds on the knowledge we already have. An ideal career trajectory involves advancement and an expansion of skills and/or expertise. Psychological, spiritual, and religious development has also been mapped out. So, too, has energetic progression been described as we’ve moved through this year’s Saturday practices: beginning with the first chakra, our physical foundation, and where we begin in life and moving through various experiences until we reached this present moment and an awareness of our wholeness.
Recognizing where we come from, and how our past informs our present, helps us better understand how this present moment informs our future moments. We also gain a better understanding of why we think (and perceive things) the way we do and why we do the things we do. Ultimately, this knowledge can help us avoid making the same mistakes and plan for better days. In other words, this whole calendar year, we have been getting ready for a possibility party — and now it’s time to…
RSVP
— Acronym for Répondez s’il vous plaît [French for “Respond if you please”]
FOR MORE, CLICK ON THE EXCERPT TITLE ABOVE.
In addition to being the third day of the High Holidays (which started on Wednesday at sunset), Saturday was also the third day of Navaratri, the Hindu festival of “nine nights” celebrating divine feminine energy in various manifestations. The third manifestation of Durga, the divine mother, is Chandraghanta, whose name “one who has a half-moon shaped like a bell” comes from the image of the newly-wed Parvati. She is depicted as a combination of beauty, grace, and courage, with her third eye open — the result of all the (yoga) preparation performed by Her previous manifestation. That open third eye means that she is always ready to fight evil and demons. In fact, she is sometimes known as the “Goddess Who Fights Demons.”
Here “demons” can be a metaphor for anything that ails you physically, mentally, emotionally — even energetically, spiritually, and religiously. They can be challenges and hurdles that need to be over come. They can even be mistakes… sins… or vows (as we will refer to them in the coming days) that can be absolved or forgiven. In fact, the faithful of all the different religions believe that there are ways (and even special times) when mistakes, sins, and broken vows are turned away.
“But teshuvah and tefillah and tzedakah [repentance and prayer and righteous acts]
deflect the evil of the decree.”
— quoted from the poem “Unetaneh Tokef” (“Let Us Speak of the Awesomeness”)
Saturday’s playlist is available on YouTube and Spotify. [Look for “Rosh Hashanah 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.
If you are a young person in crisis, feeling suicidal, or in need of a safe and judgement-free place to talk, you can also click here to contact the TrevorLifeline (which is staffed 24/7 with trained counselors).
### MAY YOUR NAME BE WRITTEN & SEALED IN THE BOOK OF LIFE ###
Getting Ready for A Possibility Party! (mostly the music & blessings) October 5, 2024
Posted by ajoyfulpractice in 9-Day Challenge, Changing Perspectives, Hope, Life, New Year, One Hoop, Yoga.Tags: 988, Chandraghanta, High Holidays, Navaratri, Sharada Navaratri
add a comment
“Chag sameach!” (“Happy Festival!”) to everyone observing the High Holidays. “Nine days and nine nights of blessings and happiness if you are celebrating Sharada Navaratri!” Many blessings to everyone and especially to anyone coming together with friendship, peace, freedom, understanding, and wisdom.
Stay safe! Live well! Hydrate and nourish your heart, body, and mind.
RSVP
— Acronym for Répondez s’il vous plaît [French for “Respond if you please”]
Please join me today (Saturday, October 5th) 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 “Rosh Hashanah 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.
If you are a young person in crisis, feeling suicidal, or in need of a safe and judgement-free place to talk, you can also click here to contact the TrevorLifeline (which is staffed 24/7 with trained counselors).
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 YOUR NAME BE WRITTEN & SEALED IN THE BOOK OF LIFE ###
First Friday Night Special #48: An Invitation to “Reflecting, Remembering, Repenting, & Planting” (the “missing” invitation w/excerpt & links) October 4, 2024
Posted by ajoyfulpractice in 9-Day Challenge, Art, Bhakti, Books, Changing Perspectives, Dharma, Faith, Gratitude, Healing Stories, Hope, Karma, Life, Love, Meditation, Mysticism, New Year, One Hoop, Peace, Philosophy, Poetry, Religion, Rosh Hashanah, Suffering, Wisdom, Women, Yoga.Tags: 988, Ananta Ripa Ajmera, Brahmacharini, Brahmacharya, Gregorian calendar, High Holidays, Joan Borysenko, Julian calendar, liberation, Navaratri, Rabbi Binyomin Weisz, Restorative Yoga, Rosh Hashanah, Sharada Navaratri, Ten Days of Atonement, Ten Days of Awe, Unetaneh Tokef, Walt Whitman
add a comment
“L’Shana Tovah U’Metukah!” to everyone celebrating Rosh Hashanah and the High Holidays. “Nine days and nine nights of blessings and happiness if you are celebrating Sharada Navaratri!” Many blessings to everyone and especially to anyone cultivating friendship, peace, freedom, understanding, and wisdom.
Stay safe! Live well! Hydrate and nourish your heart, body, and mind.
This is the “missing” invitation for the “First Friday Night Special” on October 4th. It includes a related excerpt and some previously posted content. You can request an audio recording of this Restorative Yoga 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.
Check out the “Class Schedules” calendar for upcoming classes.
“Through the years I’ve written and taught extensively about ‘liminal time,’ that pregnant pause between what is no longer and what is not yet. Although liminal time is a known stage in all rites of passage, most people have never heard of it. Whether we’re talking about a pandemic, a war, a refugee crisis, or even a man or womanhood ritual, a graduation, or a new job far away from family and friends, the stages (though not the intensity) of a rite of passage are the same.”
— quoted from “Running the Gauntlet of the Unknown” by Joan Borysenko, PhD (posted at joanborysenko.com, April 1, 2020)
This is a liminal moment — a transitional or threshold moment, a doorway in between moments; like the pauses in between the inhale and the exhale. As I have mentioned before, we could say that about any moment in our lives; however, this is one of those Liminal moments that is being recognized as an auspicious time by several communities around the world. This is one of those moments full of ceremony, ritual, and tradition.
In addition to being a sacred time in several religious communities, this is also the anniversary of a liminal time. October 4, 1582, was the last day that Italy, Spain, Portugal, France, and places like the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth used the Julian calendar. In order to transition to the (new) Gregorian calendar, Papal-governed countries had to skip 10 days (October 5 — 14). It was almost as if they never existed and would never exist. Sure, they were just rebranded; but, this day, as well as those missing days (that pop up at different times in other countries), serve as a reminder that this present moment is the only one we are promised.
But, what if we were given the opportunity to “request” (or accept) and plan for more time?
“Who will be calm and who will be tormented?
Who will become poor and who will get rich?
Who will be made humble and who will be raised up?
But teshuvah and tefillah and tzedakah [repentance and prayer and righteous acts]
deflect the evil of the decree.”
— quoted from the poem “Unetaneh Tokef” (“Let Us Speak of the Awesomeness”)
For some, the opportunity to request (or accept) more time started at sunset on Wednesday, which marked the beginning of Rosh Hashanah in Jewish communities around the world (and in communities where people observe the commanded holidays outlined in Deuteronomy). Literally “the Head of the Year,” the beginning of this New Year is also the beginning of the High Holidays — known as the “Ten Days of Atonement” and the “Ten Days of Awe” — which culminate with Yom Kippur, “The Day of Atonement.” It is one of the holiest times of the year for some and is celebrated by people who might not typically go to services. Unlike a secular new year, it is more than a celebration — it is an observation: a time for reflection, remembrance, and repentance.
It is also a time when people “request” (or accept) and plan for more time.
Click on the excerpt title below for more (including a preview of the Saturday practice).
“While this may sound like an extreme–and even scary–story, I don’t see it as the tale of a goddess who gave up everything to marry a god. Instead, I understand it as the story of a Truth seeker who gave up all distractions to merge with the ultimate Truth.”
— quoted from the “Knowing BRAHMACHARINI” section of “Chapter 2: Channeling Your Energy — Channeling Your Energy (when you’re feeling excited) with Goddess Brahmacharini, the one who follows brahmacharya (the path of self-control)” in The Way of the Goddess: Daily Rituals To Awaken Your Inner Warrior And Discover Your True Self by Ananta Ripa Ajmera
Thursday was the beginning of Sharada Navaratri, the most celebrated of the four Navaratri festivals. Navaratri literally means “nine nights” and is a Hindu celebration of God / the Divine as a woman. Each day is dedicated to a different manifestation of Durga/Parvati and each manifestation marks a different point in Her journey. Friday, the second day, is dedicated to the Goddess Brahmacharini (“Unmarried One”), who is also Yogini. Both of her names highlight her path.
A yogini is a woman who practices yoga. Brahmacharini shares a root with the fourth yama (external “restraint” or universal commandment), brahmacharya, which can be translated as following in the steps of God or “chasing God” — or even that the devotee is riding in God’s “chariot.” All of these translations are associated with the life someone who is deeply invested in their religious and spiritual life. In art, Brahmacharini has all the symbols of an ascetic: bare feet, a mala (rosary) and a kamandalu (water pot). People consider her a symbol of bliss and calmness and pray to her for moksha (“liberation” from suffering), peace, and prosperity.
People also believe Brahmacharini can endow them with strong concentration and self-control. In fact, her story is full of the great challenges associated with the austerity she practices in order to achieve her goal of marriage. To me, she, herself, is liminal in that she is the embodiment of the auspicious moment between the goddess being identified as a daughter and the goddess being identified as a wife.
“The story of Brahmacharini and Shiva is not meant to be the story of a romantic relationship; Shiva is merely symbolic of the true Self. He is pure consciousness, the eternal soul, which we strive to merge with vis–à–vis the power of spiritual practice.”
— quoted from the “Knowing BRAHMACHARINI” section of “Chapter 2: Channeling Your Energy — Channeling Your Energy (when you’re feeling excited) with Goddess Brahmacharini, the one who follows brahmacharya (the path of self-control)” in The Way of the Goddess: Daily Rituals To Awaken Your Inner Warrior And Discover Your True Self by Ananta Ripa Ajmera
Each and every person on the planet (or a space station) “contain[s] multitudes” and experiences different seasons of life. At different stages in our lives, we are recognized in different ways. At different times in our lives we fulfill different roles. Each season and each role comes with different responsibilities and expectations, as well as with different skills, abilities, experiences, and powers.
Take a moment to recognize the path you are on; the journey that is your life; the season you are in; the roles you play; and the way you serve the world.
Take a moment to acknowledge that you can simultaneously experience excitement, anticipation, doubt, fear, hesitation, and joy every time you experience change.
Take a moment to do what you need to do to grieve and appreciate what is no longer and, also, to appreciate what is not yet — knowing that what is not yet is a possibility that could be or might never be.
Take a moment to remember that you and the things you do have meaning and are valuable.
Now, take a breath, exhale, and begin.
“So I draw courage and stand face-to-face with my limitations, without shrinking or running. I allow for honest remorse. Here is my place of Now….
Of course, acceptance does not mean becoming complacent. I still need to honestly evaluate my life and reflect on how I want to act differently this coming year. It also doesn’t preclude trying my best.
But at this very moment my state of ‘now’ is my truth.”
— quoted from an article entitled “Perfectly Imperfect: The Secret of the Shofar” (09/12/2020) by Rabbi Binyomin Weisz
CLICK HERE FOR THE ROSH HASHANA POST FROM WEDNESDAY!
The October First Friday Night Special features Restorative Yoga (with some gentle movement). It is accessible and open to all.
(NOTE: There will be a little bit of quiet space in this practice.)
Prop wise, this can be a kitchen sink practice. You can practice without props or use “studio” props and/or “householder” props. Example of Commercial 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. A water bottle can be used if a ball is not handy.
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.
Friday’s playlist is available on YouTube and Spotify.
NOTE: The playlist tracks are slightly different in length and duration.
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.
If you are a young person in crisis, feeling suicidal, or in need of a safe and judgement-free place to talk, you can also click here to contact the TrevorLifeline (which is staffed 24/7 with trained counselors).
A Joyful Practice 