A Rest for Those Riding, Fighting, and Working for Freedom – An Invitation July 1, 2023

Posted by ajoyfulpractice in "Impossible" People, Art, Books, Buddhism, Changing Perspectives, Dharma, Gratitude, Healing Stories, Hope, Life, Music, Pain, Peace, Philosophy, Suffering, Tragedy, Vairagya, Wisdom, Yoga.
Tags: avidya, avidyā, Caesar Rodney, Declaration of Independence, Frank B. Lord, freedom, independence, Isaac Sheffield, John Quincy Adams, Joseph Cinqué, Joseph Cinquez, liberty, Pandit Rajmani Tigunait, SCOTUS, Sengbe Pieh, Supreme Court, Yoga Sutra 1.31
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Many blessings to everyone!

This is an extra post for July 1^st, specifically related to the 2022 practice.

“The vast range of experiences life offers falls into two main categories: desirable and undesirable. The nine obstacles described in the previous sutra rob the body of vitality, strength, stamina, and agility, and the mind of clarity and peace. The absence of these obstacles is the ground for joy.”

– quoted from the commentary on Yoga Sūtra 1.31 from The Secret of the Yoga Sutra: Samadhi Pada by Pandit Rajmani Tigunait, PhD

In Eastern philosophies, like Yoga and Buddhism, freedom, independence, and liberty are directly related to suffering and bondage. That is to say, there is a focus on how we free ourselves of dysfunctional/afflicted thought patterns – like avidyā (“ignorance” or “nescience”) – and what happens when we are free of those root causes of suffering. Therefore, I am always talking about freedom – even when I never mention the word. This is especially true in June and July, when there is a certain amount of hyperawareness with regard to freedom, independence, and liberty.

Still, it is super surreal to have so many people focused on celebrating freedom, independence, and liberty while so many people are simultaneously focused on taking away freedom, independence, and liberty. What makes it even more surreal is that there are also people fighting to preserve (and even extend) the freedom, independence, and liberty that was declared back in 1776.

July 1776.

Normally, July 1^st is a day when my focus is on the work/effort to declare independence, secure freedom, and preserve liberty. I think about how Caesar Rodney, a Delaware delegate of the American Continental Congress and Brigadier General of Delaware Militia (just to name a few of his roles), rode two days – across muddy roads, rickety bridges, slippery cobblestones, and swollen streams; enduring extreme heat, dust, and thunderstorms; all while suffering from asthma and wearing a face mask to cover his cancer-ravage jaw – just to represent his constituents and to “vote for independence” on July 2, 1776. And, I know, he wasn’t specifically riding for me (or people like me), but that’s not the point. The point is that he did what he did for liberty, for freedom, for independence.

Sometimes, I fast forward and mention the efforts of Sengbe Pieh (also known as Joseph Cinqué) and the other enslaved Mende, West Africans who revolted on the slave ship La Amistad sometime around July 1, 1839. I might also mention how John Quincy Adams – then a 73-year old former president and, at the time, an active member of the House of Representatives – helped them secure their freedom through the U. S. Courts system. I might even mention the work of the United States Supreme Court which, on March 9, 1841, announced that, in the case of United States v. Schooner Amistad, 40 U.S. (15 Pet.) 518 (1841), the majority of the justices (7 of 9) decided that the Africans were indeed free individuals who had been kidnapped; that they had the right to assert their freedom; and that (as Justice Joseph Story wrote in the majority opinion) “the United States are bound to respect their rights.”

“Brothers, we have done that which we purposed, our hands are now clean for we have Striven to regain the precious heritage we received from our fathers.”

– Sengbe Pieh (also known as Joseph Cinqué or Joseph Cinquez) as quoted on the lithograph by Isaac Sheffield, commissioned by The New York Sun (published on August 31, 1839, erroneously credited to “James Sheffield”)

Yes, normally, I focus on the effort and wait until the third or the fourth to focus on resting.

However, in the last few years, I have seen more and more freedom fighters burning out. I have seen more and more people doubting their own efforts and succumbing to the stress of what feels like a never-ending battle. Maybe, like me, these people grew up with the old sayings about how there’s “no rest for the weary” and that we’ll sleep when we’re dead. Maybe they don’t believe the can afford the rest when there is so much to do. But….

“On a ride of more than 80 miles in sultry weather, rest is necessary for both man and beast. Where Rodney stopped on his tiresome journey for food and a breathing spell for his noble steed is not known. Doubtless it was at some of the country dwellings along the route. He was no egotist and never told much about the story himself. It was simply a day’s work with him, and not a matter of which to boast.

A deadly cancer in his face, which had been growing for several years, must have burned and pained him, but the fire of patriotism also burned in his heart and physical discomfiture did not deter him from carrying on. Nightfall found him still many miles from Philadelphia, and his weary mount must have rest.”

– quoted from the Sunday, June 28, 1931, The Washington Post article, “Little Sung Heroes of Independence: Caesar Rodney, Death in the Saddle With Him, Rode From His Home in New Castle, by the Sweet Waters of the Delaware, to Philadelphia and Made the Fourth of July Possible.”* by Frank B. Lord

While there is something to the idea of mind over matter, there is a point where the mind-body says, “Nope, we’re done.” In that moment, we may appear to keep going, but we may not be very effective. In that moment, we must remember that we need to rest and digest in order to create – and, make no mistake, the act of fighting to preserve freedom is a creative act.

So, I offer you this invitation. Take a moment to release, relax, and rest. Take a moment to put down your burdens and allow yourself to be supported. Take a moment to restore yourself to your own true nature. In doing so, you strengthen your connection to your power and to your purpose.

Last year (2022), July 1^st was a Friday. More specifically, it was a First Friday and, therefore, we had the opportunity to focus on rest with a 65-minute restorative yoga practice. I invite you to request an audio recording of this practice via a comment below or by emailing myra (at) ajoyfulpractice.com.

The playlist for this practice is available on YouTube and Spotify. [Look for “07012020 Caesar Rodney’s Ride”]

NOTE: For the restorative practice, you can start with Track #1 or, for a less dynamic option, start with Track #9, #10, or #11.

*NOTE: The Washington Post (1931) article is a dramatic re-telling, rather than a news article.

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.)

### RELAX, RELEASE, REST (TO RE-SET) ###

FTWMI: What Makes Us Do What We Do (Where We Do It) June 6, 2023

Posted by ajoyfulpractice in Dharma, Faith, Fitness, Gratitude, Healing Stories, Life, Men, Music, One Hoop, Religion, Yoga.
Tags: 1 Corinthians, D-Day, divine play, George Williams, Laurence Binyon, Plato, President Dwight D. Eisenhower, Ralph Waldo Emerson, World War II, YMCA, yoga, yoga philosophy, Yoga Sutra
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Happy Pride! Many blessings to all.

For Those Who Missed It: The following was originally posted in 2021. Class details and one quoted have been updated or added. WARNING: This post references war. A link to a philosophical variation of this theme, one related to divine play, is linked at the end the of this post.

“Don’t say things. What you are stands over you the while, and thunders so that I cannot hear what you say to the contrary. A lady of my acquaintance said, ‘I don’t care so much for what they say as I do for what makes them say it.’”

– quoted from 1875 essay “Social Aims” by Ralph Waldo Emerson

What do you believe? It seems like such a simple question – especially since it’s not “In what” or “In whom” do you believe? But simple questions can be the trickiest. Because if you believe something – really, truly, believe with your whole heart and every fiber of your being – than your actions will reflect your beliefs. Right? Everything will be in alignment. Right?

Only, we humans tend to be a little more complicated than that. So, maybe the next thing to consider isn’t whether your every thought, word, and deed perfectly reflects what you believe. Maybe the next thing to consider is whether or not you are willing to put all of your efforts – all of your thoughts, words, and deeds – on the line, in support of a campaign (or an organization…or a country…) in which you believe. What would you do for freedom, for country, for God (what every that means to you at this moment)?

Prior to going to London in 1841, George Williams was a young draper from the countryside (Dulverton, Somerset, England to be exact) who had attended school in Tiverton, Devon and apprenticed at a shop in Bridgewater (also in Somerset). He was not a man of the world. But he had a sense of self and described himself as a “careless, thoughtless, godless, swearing young fellow.” For all that, when he arrived in London for a job, he was way out of his depth. He saw London as a dirty place, a place of temptation, a kind of hell on Earth. (Keep in mind; I have heard that he couldn’t tell the difference between schoolgirls in uniform and prostitutes if they were standing on a street corner.)

“All athletes are disciplined in their training. They do it to win a prize that will fade away, but we do it for an eternal prize. So I run with purpose in every step. I am not just shadowboxing. I discipline my body like an athlete, training it to do what it should. Otherwise, I fear that after preaching to others I myself might be disqualified.”

– 1 Corinthians 9:25 – 27 (NLT)

Motivated to overcome the unhealthy living and working conditions and inspired by Muscular Christianity, a mid-19^th century philosophical movement based on the idea that one’s mind-body and actions should glorify God, Sir Williams gathered together 11 other drapers to create a place for healthy and moral activities and for, as he said, “the improving of the spiritual conditioning of young men engaged in drapery, embroidery, and other trades.” They gathered together today, June 6^th in 1844, to create what one of the drapers, Christopher W. Smith, suggested they call the “Young Men’s Christian Association” [YMCA].

The ideas behind the YMCA expanded and, by the early 1850’s, there were YMCA meetings and branches throughout the United Kingdom, Australia, Belgium, Canada, France, Germany, the Netherlands, Switzerland, and the United States. Jean-Henri Dunant (who would later co-win the first Noble Peace Prize for founding the International Committee of the Red Cross) was the founder of the Swiss branch of the YMCA, Secretary of the YMCA Geneva, and the person who spearheaded the idea for a YMCA World Conference. At that first conference, in August 1855, 99 delegates from nine countries adopted the Paris Basis, which included an international mission and motto. That motto came from John 17:21, “That they all may be one.”

“Soldiers, Sailors and Airmen of the Allied Expeditionary Force!

You are about to embark upon the Great Crusade, toward which we have striven these many months. The eyes of the world are upon you. The hopes and prayers of liberty-loving people everywhere march with you. In company with our brave Allies and brothers-in-arms on other Fronts, you will bring about the destruction of the German war machine, the elimination of Nazi tyranny over the oppressed peoples of Europe, and security for ourselves in a free world.”

– quoted from the June 6, 1944, printed “Order of the Day” (issued to 175,000 troops by Supreme Headquarters, Allied Expeditionary Force) and the subsequent speech by United States General Dwight D. Eisenhower, Commander of Operation Overlord

Exactly a hundred years (to the date) after the founding of the YMCA, a World War II battle began on the beaches of Normandy, France. At least 156,000 Allied troops put their lives on the line in the effort to liberate Western Europe from Nazi Germany. Today is the anniversary of D-Day, the beginning of the Battle of Normandy, which lasted from June 6, 1944 until August 30^th. Codenamed “Operation Overlord,” the military campaign was a coordinated amphibious and airborne effort on five beaches by the United States, the United Kingdom, Canada, France, Poland, Australia, New Zealand, Belgium, Czechoslovakia, Greece, Luxembourg, Netherlands, and Norway.

The original plan was for troops to land on June 5^th, on beaches codenamed Gold, Juno, Sword, Omaha, and Utah. However, bad weather delayed the start – and created tactical issues. Some troops were not able to land when and where they were scheduled to land – in one case, at Juno, infantry made it to shore ahead of their supporting armoury – resulting in many casualties. The Allied forces met their heaviest resistance, and possibly the highest casualties, on Omaha Beach, but by the end of the day, the Allies had invaded Nazi-controlled territory.

The campaign that started today, in 1944, moved across the Normandy countryside, engaging over 2 million Allied troops. By the end of August, Paris had been liberated, Germany was forced out of northwestern France, and Allied forces were prepared to join their Soviet allies in the continued effort to rid the world of fascism and end what we now know was the Holocaust.

But, of course, there was a cost. An estimated 226,386 Allied troops died in the campaign, with the Axis powers losing somewhere between 288,000 – 530,000 troops. An estimated 25,000 to 39,000 civilians died (between the pre-invasion bombing and the actual bombing).

“They shall grow not old, as we that are left grow old;
Age shall not weary them, nor the years condemn.
At the going down of the sun and in the morning
We will remember them.”

– from “Ode of Remembrance” taken from “For the Fallen” by Laurence Binyon

When we remember those who were lost today and throughout the war – as well as when we remember those who survived, but were left with permanent scars, inside and out – we must remember that even during times of war, even when there is a draft, people put their lives on the line for a lot of different reasons. People put all of their efforts – all of their thoughts, words, and deeds – on the line, in support of a campaign (or an organization…or a country…) because of something in which they believe. Maybe, like those who engaged in the Muscular Christianity movement of the mid-19^th century, it’s a belief in patriotic duty, discipline, self-sacrifice, manliness, and the moral and physical beauty of athleticism. Maybe it’s a belief in freedom, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.

Maybe it’s a belief in life.

We can’t always know why someone thinks what they think, says what they say, or does what they do. We can, however, give some thought to how our thoughts, words, and deeds reflect our deepest beliefs.

“And what is the right way of living? Are we to live in sports always? If so, in what kind of sports? We ought to live sacrificing, and singing, and dancing, and then a man will be able to propitiate the Gods, and to defend himself against his enemies and conquer them in battle. The type of song or dance by which he will propitiate them has been described, and the paths along which he is to proceed have been cut for him.” (Book 7)

– quoted from The Laws by Plato

Please join me today (Tuesday, June 6^th) 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 (for a slightly faster reply) you can email me at myra (at) ajoyfulpractice.com.

Tuesday’s playlist is available on YouTube and Spotify. [Look for “06062020 D-Day & YMCA]

Click here for a more philosophical (and slightly playful) variation on this theme and date.

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.)

### PEACE TO & FROM EVERYTHING & EVERYONE WE ENCOUNTER ###

The Grace of Knowing How to Feel & FTWMI: How We Learn To Feel (and what we learn from feeling) May 27, 2023

Posted by ajoyfulpractice in Art, Books, Changing Perspectives, Confessions, Dharma, Faith, First Nations, Healing Stories, Hope, Japa-Ajapa, Life, Meditation, One Hoop, Pain, Religion, Shavuot, Suffering, Tragedy, Vipassana, Wisdom, Writing, Yoga.
Tags: asana, beauty, compassion, Edward Bradford Titchener, empathy, Jim Chee, Joe Leaphorn, matter, Nature, Navajo Way, Rachel Carson, Rosalind Dymond Cartwright, Silent Spring, sympathy, Tony Hillerman, Vihari-Lal Mitra, vinyasa, Vipassana, Yoga Vasishtha
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“Chag Sameach!” to everyone celebrating Shavuot. Many blessings to everyone everywhere!

“40. As the billows and waves, the surges and eddies, and their froths and foams, and bubbles and minute particles, are all formations of water in the great body of waters; so are all beings but productions of the spirit in the Infinite spirit. (All matter is reduced to the spirits, and the spirits are consolidated to material substances by chemical process).”

“78. The belief that I am the pure and all pervading intellect, is attended with the purity and holiness of the soul, and the knowledge of the Divine power as the cause of the union of earth, air and water in the production of the germ of creation, is the main creed of all creeds.”

– quoted from (Book 6) “CHAPTER XI. Ascertainment of Living Liberation.” of The Yoga-Vasishtha Maharamayana of Valmiki (translated from the original Sanskrit by VIHARI-LALA MITRA)

Last night, I experienced something just as fabulous as I expected and (unfortunately) just as horrible as I feared. But, in the middle of the horrible, I knew….

I knew, as the stoic Emperor Marcus Aurelius did, that I had “seen the beauty of good, and the ugliness of evil, and have recognized that the wrongdoer has a nature related to my own – not of the same blood and birth, but the same mind, and possessing a share of the divine. And so none of them can hurt me. No one can implicate me in ugliness.” And I knew – as he did, as Vasishtha did – that we are all connected. I also knew that, whether we liked it or not, I would have a hand in how things unfolded, how the world (in those moments) was created.

While I remembered the incident that I posted about in 2020, I had forgotten that I posted the post below. I did, however, remember the lesson… and that was the grace.

Grace in.

Grace out.

For Those Who Missed It: The following was originally posted today in 2020. I have updated class details and some relevant information.

“But it seems reasonable to believe — and I do believe — that the more clearly we can focus our attention on the wonders and realities of the universe about us the less taste we shall have for the destruction of our race. Wonder and humility are wholesome emotions, and they do not exist side by side with a lust for destruction.”

– Rachel Carson accepting the John Burroughs Medal (April 1952) and printed in Lost Woods: The Discovered Writing of Rachel Carson

“It had been Nashibitti who had taught Leaphorn the words and legends of the Blessing Way, taught him what the Holy People had told the Earth Surface People about how to live, taught him the lessons of the Changing Woman – that the only goal for man was beauty, and that beauty was found only in harmony, and that this harmony of nature was a matter of dazzling complexity.”

– from Dance Hall of the Dead (Navajo Mysteries #2) by Tony Hillerman

This week, as we step back and really take a look at “role models,” the roles of our ancestors and elders, and the lessons they’ve taught us about how to live and interact with ourselves and each other, I thought we might take a moment to consider how we’ve learned to live and interact with the planet we call home. Behavioral scientists, and people who are interested in the science of our behaviors, are quick to point to incidences of animal mutilation in childhood whenever someone perpetrates great violence against humanity. There were signs, you see. And, sometimes, we missed the signs or didn’t pay enough attention to the signs.

A recent incident in New York sheds an interesting light on this subject, especially when it is viewed through the lens of everything else that is happening around us. In a situation where one person is committing emotional violence against another person and physical violence against a pet, some people quickly turn their focus on the pet’s distress. Others condemn such a reaction. However, it’s a very real and honest reaction. Rather than condemning how someone else reacts to trauma, I suggest we go deeper.

“‘Don’t think a man don’t care about one goat because he’s got a thousand of ‘em,’ Hosteen Nakai would say. ‘He’s got a thousand because he cares more about goats than he cares about his relatives.’”

– from People of Darkness (Navajo Mysteries #4) by Tony Hillerman

People who react to the pet’s distress (what they can see as well as hear), as opposed to the other person’s distress (what they may not be able to hear or completely understand as they cannot see the person) are still expressing empathy. This is important, because when scientist, writers, and lay people talk about childhood instances of animal mutilation part of their focus is on a lack of empathy. So, first and foremost consider the importance of empathy. While empathy is a natural emotion , we learn lessons throughout our lives about whether or not to trust – let alone engage – emotions like empathy. If we don’t trust our own emotions and intuition, it’s harder – almost impossible – to trust the emotions of others.

EMPATHY [Greek > German] – The action of understanding, being aware of, being sensitive to, and vicariously experiencing the feelings, thoughts, and experience of another…without having the feelings, thoughts, and experiences fully communicated in an objective and explicit manner.

SYMPATHY [Greek >> Latin] – Feelings of pity and sorrow for someone else’s misfortune.

COMPASSION [Latin>> Old French > Middle English] – To suffer with.

There is a difference between empathy, sympathy, and compassion – and the difference is critical. Compassion and sympathy are a much older words than empathy. Compassion refers to our ability to understand another’s pain and suffering, and to simultaneously have the desire that the other’s pain and suffering ends. Sympathy holds multiple meanings, including “having an affinity, association, or relationship between persons or things wherein whatever affects one similarly affects the other” and “a feeling of loyalty; tendency to favor or support.” When we speak in terms of the emotional experience of sympathy, however, there is a layer of pity. That is to say, our feelings of sympathy are more often than not associated with the feeling that someone of something is beneath us: we feel sorry for them. Furthermore, while we may feel sorry for someone, we may not every feel or express the desire that their pain and suffering ends. We may not ever make the connection between what they feel and what we can feel.

Empathy, on the other hand, is the emotion that bridges the gap between what we are feeling and what another is feeling. Coined (from German) by English psychologist Edward Bradford Titchener, the word “empathy” was used in the early 1900’s to describe the process of projecting one’s own emotions (and thoughts) onto another person or object. This emotional projection was considered a kind of animation or emotional play that allowed one to feel kinship (or sympathy) with another. Over time (and thanks in part to the work of experimental psychologist and sleep expert Rosalind Dymond Cartwright, in collaboration with her mentor, sociologist Leonard Cottrell), the word “empathy” became associated with the final experience: feeling the same as another, without experiencing what the other experiences.

“‘I didn’t want to believe it. Too many old friends are dying. I didn’t really think I could learn anything about that diamond out here. I just wanted to see if I could bring back some old memories…. Maybe it would help me get into harmony with living with so many of my friends gone.’”

– from Skeleton Man (Navajo Mysteries #17) by Tony Hillerman

Some of Dr. Cartwright’s research focused on how empathy related to a patient’s “need to change” and ability to progress in therapy. So, there is the even deeper side to the conversation on empathy. The role empathy plays in allowing us to put ourselves in someone else’s shoes may also be the role it plays in our ability to change.

As you consider that, also consider the last time you paused and really considered why you react to what you can see more than what you feel?

Writers and other artists are in the business of creating work that cultivates empathy. It’s why most of us can say, would say, we have never been a dog – but on a certain level we can imagine a dog’s life (as there are plenty of books and movies that have encouraged that viewpoint). Rachel Carson (born today in 1907) started Silent Spring with a parable, in part to elicit empathy for Nature before she started getting into the science. Tony Hillerman (born today in 1925) was a veteran and a journalist who wrote 18 novels about Navajo police officers and their role in protecting the people, the heritage, and the landscape within their keeping. If you miss the fact that Joe Leaphorn and Jim Chee are environmental and cultural gatekeepers, you missed part of what made Hillerman’s work so emotionally compelling.

“‘Everything is connected. The wing of the corn beetle affects the direction of the wind, the way the sand drifts, the way the light reflects into the eye of man beholding his reality. All is part of totality, and in this totality man finds his hozro, his way of walking in harmony, with beauty all around him.’”

– from The Ghostway (Navajo Mysteries #6) by Tony Hillerman

“In these troubled times it is a wholesome and necessary thing for us to turn again to the earth and in the contemplation of her beauties to know the sense of wonder and humility. There is modern truth to the ancient wisdom of the psalmist: `I will lift up mine eyes unto the hills, from whence cometh my help.’”

– from Rachel Carson’s original submission to “Words to Live By” for This Week Magazine (1951)

The question now becomes, when was the last time you put yourself in the shoes of someone you perceive to be different from you? When was the last time you imagined the life of someone whose life experience and life lessons are very different – or may seem very different – from yours? When was the last time you empathized without sympathizing (or pitying) another?

These are tricky questions that lead to a tricky conversation. And, while I say “conversation,” understand that the conversation is mostly an internal dialogue. Discernment, recognizing the movements of one’s own heart, is an internal process. Sure, we can have conversation with one another, but that requires gut-wrenching honesty. In order to have that gut-wrenching honesty with another person, we must first have it with ourselves. And that’s the tricky part: gut-wrenching honesty is gut-wrenching for a reason; it’s painful and pain is one of those things we want to avoid at all costs. So, rather than truly feel another’s pain – rather than truly feel our own pain – we “pity the fool” and go on about our day.

“We stand now where two roads diverge. But unlike the roads in Robert Frost’s familiar poem, they are not equally fair. The road we have long been traveling is deceptively easy, a smooth superhighway on which we progress with great speed, but at its end lies disaster. The other fork of the road — the one less traveled by — offers our last, our only chance to reach a destination that assures the preservation of the earth.”

– from Silent Spring by Rachel Carson

“It was not a Navajo concept, this idea of adjusting nature to human needs. The Navajo adjusted himself to remain in harmony with the universe. When nature withheld the rain, the Navajo sought the pattern of this phenomenon – as he sought the pattern of all things – to find its beauty and live in harmony with it. Now Leaphorn sought the pattern in the conduct of a man who had tried to kill a policemen rather than accepting a speeding ticket.”

– from Listening Woman (Navajo Mysteries #3) by Tony Hillerman

In Coyote Waits (one of my favorite Leaphorn and Chee mysteries), Hillerman wrote, “‘I think from where we stand the rain seems random. If we stand somewhere else, we see the order in it.” The Sanskrit word vinyasa means “to place in a special way” and shares a root with vipassana, which means “to see in a special way.” The practice is all about order, and also about what we think (and see) because of where we stand. It also, gives us an opportunity to stand (and see) in another place/way and to find harmony. Remember, we cannot understand what our minds have not shown us.

Please join me for a 90-minute virtual yoga practice on Zoom today (Saturday, May 27^th) at 12:00 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.

Wednesday’s playlist is available on YouTube and Spotify. [Look for “05272020 Carson & Hillerman”]

Don’t forget that you can request an audio recording of any class via a comment below. If you have been thinking about joining us, but haven’t been able to work it out, this is the week to request a class recording. If one of the themes from this week doesn’t immediately resonate, I am happy to offer a suggestion.

“‘Terrible drought, crops dead, sheep dying. Spring dried up. No water. The Hopi, and the Christian, maybe the Moslem, they pray for rain. The Navajo has the proper ceremony done to restore himself to harmony with the drought. You see what I mean. The system is designed to recognize what’s beyond human power to change, and then to change the human’s attitude to be content with the inevitable. ’”

– from Sacred Clowns (Navajo Mysteries #11) by Tony Hillerman

“Those who contemplate the beauty of the earth find reserves of strength that will endure as long as life lasts. There is something infinitely healing in the repeated refrains of nature — the assurance that dawn comes after night, and spring after winter.”

– from Silent Spring by Rachel Carson

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). You can also call the 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.

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).

Check out the “Class Schedules” calendar for upcoming classes.

### MANY BLESSINGS (to the n^th degree) ###

REMINDER: Doing the work (mostly the reminder and links) May 16, 2023

Posted by ajoyfulpractice in "Impossible" People, Books, Buddhism, Dharma, Faith, Healing Stories, Hope, Karma, Life, Mathematics, Music, One Hoop, Philosophy, Science, Suffering, Wisdom, Yoga.
Tags: Balapandita Sutta, Counting the Omer, Dr. B. B. Cael
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Many blessings to everyone, and especially to anyone Counting the Omer!

“‘Bhikkhus, I could tell you in many ways about the animal kingdom, so much so that it is hard to find a simile for the suffering in the animal kingdom. Suppose a man threw into the sea a yoke with one hole in it, and the east wind carried it to the west, and the west wind carried it to the east, and the north wind carried it to the south, and the south wind carried it to the north. Suppose there were a blind turtle that came up once at the end of each century. What do you think, bhikkhus [monks]? Would that blind turtle put his neck into that yoke with one hole in it?’

Bhikkhus: ‘He might, venerable sir, sometime or other at the end of a long period.’

‘Bhikkhus, the blind turtle would take less time to put his neck into that yoke with a single hole in it than a fool, once gone to perdition, would take to regain the human state, I say. Why is that? Because there is no practicing of the Dhamma there, no practicing of what is righteous, no doing of what is wholesome, no performance of merit. There mutual devouring prevails, and the slaughter of the weak.’”

– quoted from “The Animal Kingdom” in Majjhima Nikāya 129, Balapandita Sutta: Fools and Wise Men

Click here to read the post related to today’s practice – which includes Dr. B. B. Cael’s probability calculations related to the aforementioned sutta.

Please join me today (Tuesday, May 16^th) 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 (for a slightly faster reply) you can email me at myra (at) ajoyfulpractice.com.

*SCHEDULE NOTE: I will not be available for the Noon class today, but plan to be back on schedule this evening.

Tuesday’s playlist is available on YouTube and Spotify. [Look for “05162021 Doing the Work”]

PLAYLIST NOTE: Due to artist protests, one song may not play on Spotify. As I support artists in their efforts to bring about change, I am not re-mixing affected playlists because of the protests. This particular remix was due to additional content.

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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REMINDER: Still [Not] Clowning Around (mostly the reminder and links) May 15, 2023

Posted by ajoyfulpractice in Art, Dharma, Donate, Healing Stories, Hope, Karma Yoga, Music, One Hoop, Volunteer.
Tags: Hog Farm, phun, Wavy Gravy, Woodstock
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Being humble, loving, kind, and groovy always connects.

“We’re kind of a family – a huge, expanded family. And we can do any number of things, because each one of us is going to do a different thing. But mostly we’re just going to try and be groovy, and (uh) spread that grooviness to everybody.”

– Wavy Gravy being interviewed at the John F. Kennedy airport in August 1969 (about Hog Farm’s participation at the Woodstock Music and Art Fair)

Please join me for a 75-minute virtual yoga practice on Zoom today (Monday, May 15^th) at 5:30 PM. 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 me at myra (at) ajoyfulpractice.com.

There is no playlist for the Common Ground Meditation Center practices.

A 2022 playlist is available on YouTube and Spotify. [Look for “05152022 Still (Not) Clowning Around”]

NOTE: Due to artist protests, one song may not play on Spotify. As I support artists in their efforts to bring about change, I am not re-mixing affected playlists because of the protests. This particular remix was due to additional content.

*

Click here to read the 2021 post.

*

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Love/Respect & FTWMI: The JOyG of Being (the “missing” Tuesday post) May 9, 2023

Posted by ajoyfulpractice in Books, Changing Perspectives, Dharma, Donate, Faith, Gratitude, Healing Stories, Hope, Karma Yoga, Life, Loss, Love, Meditation, Music, Mysticism, One Hoop, Pain, Philosophy, Religion, Science, Shavuot, Suffering, Tragedy, Volunteer, Wisdom, Women, Yoga.
Tags: Bob P, Counting the Omer, Dr. L. L. Zamenhof, Hillel the Elder, Hod, José Ortega y Gasset, Jose Ortega y Gasset, L. L. Zamenhof, Lag B'Omer, Lag LaOmer, Netzach, Rabbi Adin Even-Israel Steinsaltz, Rabbi Akiva, Rabbi Shammai, Royal Wood, Talmud, William Davidson, Yevamot, yoga sutra 2.18, Yoga Sutra 2.19
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Many blessings to everyone, and especially to anyone Counting the Omer (Lag B’Omer or Lag LaOmer)!

This is a “missing” post for Tuesday, May 9^th. You can request an audio recording of this practice via a comment below or (for a slightly faster reply) you can email me at 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).
For just a few more days you can still click here to Kiss My Asana Now! (Or, you can also click here to join my team and get people to kiss [your] asana!)
Donations are tax deductible; class purchases are not necessarily deductible.

Check out the “Class Schedules” calendar for upcoming classes.)

“Tio, kio malamas vin, ne faru al via ulo. Tio estas la tuta Torao; la resto estas la klarigo. Nun iru studi.”

“That which is hateful to you, do not do to your fellow. That is the whole Torah; the rest is the explanation. Now go and study.”

– quoted from the story of Hillel the Elder “[teaching] the meaning of the whole Torah while standing on one foot,” translated into Esperanto and English by Dr. L. L. Zamenhof

It is not the point of the story – and, in some ways it doesn’t matter – however, today I am wondering “Which foot?”

According to the Talmud a potential convert to Judaism went to two famous rabbis of the 1st century and asked to be taught the whole Torah while standing on one foot.* Rabbi Shammai insulted the man and threw him out. Rabbi Hillel (the Elder) taught a lesson about respect, which some commentators say is also love.

Respect/love that’s the important part of the story. However, today, I am also wondering about which foot. Because, which foot determines which leg and which hip bear the weight of the lesson – and which leg and hip, represents the (symbolic) foundation of the teaching.

“Yes, how my love this moment here is ripe for us
Yes, you and I so brave against the years
If nothing’s left to live we must find a way
There’s reason yet to live
There’s something left to give
We must find a way
There is so much to give”

– quoted from “When Nothing’s Left” by Royal Wood

As I often mention this time of year, Jewish mysticism (Kabbalah) indicates that the Tree of Life has ten sefirot (“emanations,” attributes, or manifestations) of the Divine – seven of which are associated with the body. For instance, the right leg/thigh is associated with the fourth attribute, Netzach, meaning “endurance,” “sustainability,” “victory,” and “persistence.” Meanwhile, the left leg/thigh is associated with Hod, which can be defined as “humility,” “gratitude,” “splendor,” and “glory.” I often reference this in relation to the Counting of the Omer, a 7-week period of prayer and reflection which begins on the second night of Passover. Each night, for 49 days, people count the days of the Omer and reflect on a combination of two of the sefirot.

We’re heading towards the end of the fifth week; and so, the focus is on how each attribute – lovingkindness, strength, balance, endurance, humility, bonding, and stewardship – shows up in relation to Hod. Sunset on Monday marked the beginning of Lag B’Omer (or Lag LaOmer) – Day 33 of (or in) the Omer, which is Hod She’b’Hod. The 33rd day has an extra special significance and is treated differently from the other days. The reason it’s different is related to hope – gained, lost, and regained – and, also, to that first lesson regarding respect/love.

“They said by way of example that Rabbi Akiva had twelve thousand pairs of students in an area of land that stretched from Gevat to Antipatris in Judea, and they all died in one period of time, because they did not treat each other with respect.”

– quoted from Yevamot 62b:9 in The Koren Talmud Bavli Noé (Vol. 14 Yevamot 1), with commentary by Rabbi Adin Even-Israel Steinsaltz and English from The William Davidson digital edition

I often refer to Counting the Omer as a preparation ritual, similar to other observations and celebrations that fit within the rubric of kriya yoga. What I don’t often mention is that the beginning of the 7 weeks is also a period of mourning related to Rabbi Akiva’s 24,000 students and the lost hope that their deaths represent. Obviously, so many people being lost at once would be devastating and heartbreaking. However, the communal hopelessness is also related to the fact that the 24,000 were preparing for the return of the Temple.

Yet, somehow, despite focusing on the scholarly aspects of their faith, they got it wrong.

How? How could so many students of Torah not respect/love one another properly? How could so many students of one of the greatest rabbis not understand a foundational element of their teaching? According to some commentary, they did not love those that had different opinions and perspectives. Rather than learning from one another, they believed they could only respect/love those who shared the same views. So the were struck down by a plague.

Some scholars say the plague that killed them was an actual disease (as it is indicated in the text); others say it was a metaphor for war against the Roman Empire. Either way, Lag B’Omer (or Lag LaOmer) is the anniversary of the day when the plague ended – or when a revolt led by Simon Bar Kokhba achieved a victory against the Roman Empire. It is also the anniversary of the death one of the students from Rabbi Akiva’s second cohort: Rabbi Shimon Bar Yochai, whose life is celebrated as a symbol of hope for the future.

All the activities people put on hold during the period of mourning, resume on the 33^rd Day of the Omer. Additionally, some people will make a pilgrimage to sacred sites. In some communities, people build bonfires to symbolize the ways in which people marked the beginning of the holidays and the sabbath in medieval times and the fires Bar Kokhba’s soldiers would have used to communicate. (Similarly, children may use toy boy and arrows to reenact the revolt.) Bonfires and torches are also symbolic of the mystical fire that surrounded Rabbi Shimon Bar Yochai as he shared his wisdom of the Torah on his last day. Finally, the fires symbolize the light of the Torah and the return of that light to the Jewish people.

They are a reminder that Rabbi Akiva didn’t give up – even when all were lost and he hit the proverbial wall.

“And the world was desolate of Torah until Rabbi Akiva came to our Rabbis in the South and taught his Torah to them. This second group of disciples consisted of Rabbi Meir, Rabbi Yehuda, Rabbi Yosei, Rabbi Shimon, and Rabbi Elazar ben Shamua. And these are the very ones who upheld the study of Torah at that time. Although Rabbi Akiva’s earlier students did not survive, his later disciples were able to transmit the Torah to future generations.”

– quoted from Yevamot 62b:10 in The Koren Talmud Bavli Noé (Vol. 14 Yevamot 1), with commentary by Rabbi Adin Even-Israel Steinsaltz and English from The William Davidson digital edition

For Those Who Missed It: The following was originally posted in 2020. One quote was moved. Additionally, the first and third paragraphs have been slightly revised.

“For there is no doubt that the most radical division that it is possible to make of humanity is that which splits it into two classes of creatures: those who make great demands on themselves, piling up difficulties and duties; and those who demand nothing special of themselves, but for whom to live is to be every moment what they already are, without imposing on themselves any effort towards perfection; mere buoys that float on the waves.”

― from The Revolt of the Masses by José Ortega y Gasset

My friend Bob P once told me this joke: “There are two kinds of people in a kayak, the people that just fell out and the people who are about to fall out.” I find his joke is a pretty apropos metaphor for that feeling of “hitting the wall” during [the] pandemic; if you haven’t hit the wall, you’re about to hit the wall. The same can be said for some of life’s greatest heartaches. While it might seem trite to suggest that you can tell a lot about a person by how they get over/under/around/through the wall, it doesn’t change the fact that [what we’ve been through and are going through] is all part of our circumstances and, to paraphrase José Ortega y Gasset, we are (in part) our circumstances.

Born in Spain, today (May 9^th) in 1883, Ortega y Gasset was an existential philosopher and writer, as well as a bit of an activist/social reformer, who believed that life was simultaneously fate and freedom, but that freedom could only be experienced within a given fate. In other words, we must play the hand we’re dealt – but, and this is key, we decide what game we’re playing with the hand we’re dealt. In fact, Ortega y Gasset encouraged actively deciding and creating a “project of life” and, in doing so, create meaning not only for one’s self, but also for others.

Yoga Sūtra 2.18: prakāśkriyāsthitiśīlam bhūtendriyāmakam bhogāpavargārtham dŗśyam

– “The objective world (what is seen), consisted of a combination of elements and senses, and having a nature of illumination, activity, and stability, has two purposes: fulfillment and freedom.

Yoga Sūtra 2.19: viśeşāviśeşalingamātrālingāni guņaparvāņi

– The “gunas” fall into four categories: specific/identifiable, unspecific/unidentifiable, barely describable (by signs), and absolutely indescribable (because it is beyond reference)

It may seem strange, even counterintuitive to some, to draw parallels between the work of 20^th century existential philosophers and psychologists (or psychoanalysts) and the work of the ancient yogis (and medieval rabbis). Yet, remember, Patanjali, Vyasa, and the authors of the sacred texts like the Upanishads were explaining their life experiences – just like modern day existentialists – and codifying their life philosophies. When you get right down to it, all of this comes down to an understanding of the nature of things and the nature of ourselves. So, once again, we are back to the same two questions: “Who are you?” and “Where does the world come from?”

José Ortega y Gasset was a strong proponent of creating one’s world and being an active creator rather than a passive receiver. The second section/chapter of the yoga sutras (“The Foundation on Practice”) begins by focusing on how we are creating our world and our experiences in the world – sometimes unconsciously.

“Life cannot wait until the sciences may have explained the universe scientifically. We cannot put off living until we are ready. The most salient characteristic of life is its coerciveness: it is always urgent, “here and now” without any possible postponement. Life is fired at us point-blank. And culture, which is but its interpretation, cannot wait any more than can life itself.”

– from Misión de la Universidad (Mission of the University) by José Ortega y Gasset

Tuesday’s playlist is available on YouTube and Spotify. [Look for “05009020 JOyG”]

*NOTE: In most translations of the Talmud, it clearly states that the gentile was the one standing on one foot during the lesson.

### ### “YO SOY YO Y MI CIRCUMSTANCIA” ### ###

Love/Respect & FTWMI: The JOyG of Being (mostly the music) May 9, 2023

Posted by ajoyfulpractice in Changing Perspectives, Dharma, Donate, Faith, Healing Stories, Hope, Karma Yoga, Life, Love, Music, One Hoop, Pain, Religion, Suffering, Tragedy, Volunteer, Women, Yoga.
Tags: Counting the Omer, Jose Ortega y Gasset, Lag B'Omer, Lag LaOmer, Royal Wood
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Many blessings to everyone, and especially to anyone Counting the Omer (Lag B’Omer or Lag LaOmer)!

“Yes, how my love this moment here is ripe for us
Yes, you and I so brave against the years
If nothing’s left to live we must find a way
There’s reason yet to live
There’s something left to give
We must find a way
There is so much to give”

– from “When Nothing’s Left” by Royal Wood

Please join me today (Tuesday, May 9^th) 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 (for a slightly faster reply) you can email me at myra (at) ajoyfulpractice.com.

Tuesday’s playlist is available on YouTube and Spotify. [Look for “05009020 JOyG”]

Yes! You can still click here to Kiss My Asana Now! (And, you can also still click here to join my team and get people to kiss [your] asana!)

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.)

### ###

Grace & FTWMI: What Dreams May Come (on May 6th) May 6, 2023

Posted by ajoyfulpractice in Books, Changing Perspectives, Dharma, Donate, Faith, Healing Stories, Health, Hope, Karma Yoga, Life, Music, One Hoop, Pain, Peace, Philosophy, Science, Suffering, Volunteer, Wisdom, Women, Yoga.
Tags: Anna O, Bertha Pappenheim, Carl Jung, dream interpretation, dreams, Electra, Josef Breuer, KISS MY ASANA, Oedipus, psychoanalysis, rabbits, Shastra, shastra kripa, Sigmund Freud, US movie, yoga, Yoga Sutra 1.10, Yoga Sutra 1.38
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Many blessings to everyone, and especially to anyone Counting the Omer!

“The mind is like an iceberg, it floats with one-seventh of its bulk above water.”

– possibly Sigmund Freud, as quoted in his New York Times obituary (09/24/1939)

Last week’s explanation of different traditions having different understandings of the meaning of shastra, might have induced fever dreams. However, the essence of the different meanings – as it relates to our practice and the concept of “grace of shastra” – is the same: Shastra is a collection of knowledge or laws of nature that are true, that have “always been and will always be” true, and that can be communicated directly. Some of the difference in meanings comes from how the knowledge or rules of nature are communicated – and to whom. Because, for some, the knowledge can only be communicated directly from the Divine to someone who has done the work to reach a certain state of enlightenment and/or awareness.

Of course, a teacher can then communicate the truth to others; however, those others must also do the work in order to truly understand the knowledge or precepts. Today, let’s consider one of the ways in which someone could initially and directly receive the truth. (Warning: Yoga Sūtra 1.10 is a bit of a caveat.)

Yoga Sūtra 1.38: svapna nidrā jñānālambanaṁ

– “Or by meditating on the knowledge gained from dreams and sleep, one acquires stability of mind.”

For Those Who Missed It: The following was originally posted on May 6, 2020. Other than moving the very first quote (above), I have added a link and updated the class details, but the content is the same.

“The conscious mind may be compared to a fountain playing in the sun and falling back into the great subterranean pool of subconscious from which it rises.”

– Sigmund Freud, as quoted in his New York Times obituary (09/24/1939)

“The interpretation of dreams is the royal road to knowledge of the unconscious activities of the mind.”

– from The Interpretation of Dreams by Sigmund Freud

Let’s talk about our dreams. During this pandemic, some people have mentioned having particularly wild dreams – even when they weren’t sick. People have also talked about either remembering or not remembering their dreams, but in the opposite way than what is normal for them. I recently dreamed there was a brown rabbit sitting at the foot of my bed. It wasn’t doing anything; just hopped up and sat there for a bit. Not touching me, or biting me – not even really looking at me or wiggling its nose – just sitting there.

Prior to seeing the movie US, a dream like that would have had me running to search for Freud’s take on the symbolism of rabbits. Rather than going down that particular (and surprising) rabbit hole, let’s just stick with the work and the history.

Born today (May 6^th) in 1856, Dr. Sigmund Freud was a neurologist who studied researched cerebral paralysis or cerebral palsy, as it is known today. In an attempt to better understand the workings of the brain, Freud collaborated with Dr. Josef Breuer, a physician who utilized a type of hypnosis very different from what Freud had previously studied. Breuer’s work, especially with a patient referred to as “Anna O,” laid the foundation for psychoanalysis – the development of which would lead to Freud’s legacy as the “Father of Psychoanalysis” and dream interpretation.

“…here we have another limitation to the effectiveness of analysis; after all, analysis does not set out to make pathological reaction impossible, but to give the patient’s ego freedom to decide one way or the other.”

– from The Ego and the Id by Sigmund Freud

“Psychoanalysis in the hands of the physician is what confession is in the hands of the Catholic priest. It depends on its user and its use, whether it becomes a beneficial tool or a two-edged sword.”

– Bertha Pappenheim (also known as “Anna O”)

Bertha Pappenheim (a.k.a. “Anna O” and “Only A Girl”) was a Jewish Austrian feminist, education organizer, and writer who was born into a wealthy and prestigious family. She was highly educated, cultured, and spoke multiple languages. She was immersed in a variety of cultures throughout her childhood. In her twenties, around the same time that her father became ill, she started experiencing a variety of physical and mental ailments. The ailments became worse after her father’s death. Breuer initially diagnosed her with hysteria (a pretty common diagnosis for women at that time, regardless of how they presented) and started her on a new type of hypnosis therapy. Rather than trying to cure or “correct” her, however, Breuer placed “Anna O” under hypnosis and encouraged her to talk in order to reveal the underlying causes of her symptoms. Breuer believed that the underlying causes were childhood traumas, suppressed memories, and suppressed thoughts. “Anna O’ referred to this therapy as her “talking cure” and it did in fact alleviate some of her symptoms and reduce the intensity of others. (NOTE: She discontinued her therapy with Breuer after accusing him of getting her pregnant; an accusation that is either not mentioned in either of their biographies or dismissed as a symptom of her illness. Later in life, as an educator, Pappenheim would not allow girls in her care to utilize the therapy that had become commonplace.)

By the time Freud (who never met Bertha Pappenheim) started collaborating with Breuer, he had pretty much given up on the possibility of hypnosis being a consistently viable treatment for his patients. Breuer’s method, however, was different and so Freud began to encourage his patients to speak freely about whatever came up in whatever manner it came up. He referred to this stream of consciousness as “free association” and eventually concluded that dreams were the key to the subconscious and repressed memories. His clinical experience evolved into the development of psychoanalysis.

“Neurosis is the inability to tolerate ambiguity.”

– Sigmund Freud

Keep in mind that during the bulk of this work on a new form of treatment, Freud himself was experiencing symptoms that, had he been a woman, would have led to a diagnosis of hysteria. Naturally, he started using his new treatment on himself and ultimately codified a system of symbols and dream interpretation that supported his theories about sexual development and its correlation to maturity; an understanding of “wish fulfillment” and the desires of the ego and super ego; his seduction theory, which explained certain neurosis as the result of repressed sexual trauma and abuse; and postulation of the Oedipus Complex, which he said manifested as “castration anxiety” in men and “penis envy” in women. (NOTE: Freud firmly dismissed Dr. Carl Jung’s discussions of an “Electra complex,” positing that there was one issue experienced by different genders in different ways, as opposed to multiple issues which could be experienced by any gender.)

As I started reading Freud at a tender age, I could go on like this all night… especially since the history is just as interesting as the clinical concepts. But, at some point I need to go to sleep – perchance to dream. And if you ask me if you’re in my dreams, the answer may surprise you. (Or not: after all, a little over half of small business professionals dream about work and the vast majority who dream of work, put those dreams into action when the wake. Keep that in mind next time you think I dreamed up a sequence.)

“Dreams are often most profound when they seem the most crazy.”

– from The Interpretation of Dreams by Sigmund Freud

If you’re curious about what I might “dream up” next, please join me for a 90-minute virtual yoga practice on Zoom today (Saturday, May 6^th) at 12:00 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.

Saturday’s playlist is available on YouTube and Spotify. [Look for “05062020 What Dreams May Come”]

Yes! You can still click here to Kiss My Asana Now! (And, you can also still click here to join my team and get people to kiss [your] asana!)

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.)

“Being entirely honest with oneself is a good exercise.”

– from a letter written by Sigmund Freud to Dr. Wilhelm Fleiss, otolaryngologist (dated 10/15/1897)

### SOMETIMES THE APPLE STAYS CLOSE TO THE TREE ###

FTWMI: Shy & Fearless, Take 2 April 25, 2023

Posted by ajoyfulpractice in "Impossible" People, 7-Day Challenge, Abhyasa, Baha'i, Changing Perspectives, Dharma, Donate, Faith, Gratitude, Healing Stories, Hope, Karma Yoga, Life, Loss, Music, Philosophy, Riḍván, Vairagya, Volunteer, Wisdom, Women, Yoga.
Tags: Apollo Theater, Ella Fitzgerald, fearless, fearless play, KISS MY ASANA, liner notes, Matthew Sanford, Mind Body Solutions, Taylor Swift, Thich Nhat Hanh, Wookiefoot, yoga, yoga philosophy
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“Happy Riḍván!” to those celebrating “the Most Great Festival.” Many blessings to everyone, and especially to anyone Counting the Omer!

For Those Who Missed It: The following post (from 2021) is about one of my favorite storytellers and her “healing story.” Class details, yogathon details, and some links have been updated. Some embedded links connect outside of this blog.

“To me, fearless is having fears. Fearless is having doubts. Lots of them. To me, fearless is living in spite of those things that scare you to death. Fearless is falling madly in love again, even though you’ve been hurt before. Fearless is walking into your freshman year of high school at fifteen. Fearless is getting back up and fighting for what you want over and over again … even though every time you’ve tried before, you’ve lost. It’s fearless to have faith that someday things will change.”

– quoted from the liner notes for the album Fearless by Taylor Swift

Everyone from Taylor Swift (who I quote one more time, below) to South African President Nelson Mandela have stated that “being fearless is not the absence of fear.” So, what is it if it’s not being with “less” fear?

Turns out everyone from President Franklin D. Roosevelt and First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt to Ashley Graham and Thich Nhat Hanh agree that the most important part of “being fearless” is being – and, in some cases, doing, moving, playing.

“This is based on a true story. While hiking in the hills of Rishikesh in India, we encountered a holy man who approached with light in his eyes and love in his heart… just beaming with inspiration. He spoke as if he were channeling the divinity ever present in that wonderful country and spoke these words… ‘Light of sun in the sky sends the message: Be Fearless and Play!’ We were fascinated and inspired by his simple but insightful words.”

– quoted from the liner notes for the song “Be Fearless and Play” by Wookiefoot

Despite some really divine encounters with a couple of people affiliated with the band/circus/non-profit/adventure that is Wookiefoot, I had never heard the song (or the album) “Be Fearless and Play” before today in 2021. However, the inspiration and the lyrics definitely fit in with my overall philosophy on being fearless – that is to say, it always involves a certain amount of “play.”

Don’t get me wrong, I am not encouraging recklessness. Instead, I am encouraging a little improvisation. See, when I think of being fearless, I think of improve – comedy; yes, yes! And also, mostly, jazz. I think about the kind of play that involves knowing the rules in order to break (or at least bend) the rules. I think about scat. I think about “mak[ing] the moves up as [you] go.” I think about facing the obstacle that is your own self and knowing that today is not a good day for self defeat. I think about people like Ella Fitzgerald.

A portion of this post was part of my 2020 Kiss My Asana offering, which was directly tied to the Saturday sūtra exploration.

Born today (April 25^th) in 1917, Fitzgerald would eventually become a bandleader known as the First Lady of Jazz, Mama of Jazz, Lady Ella, and the Queen of Jazz. She would be championed by musicians like Benny Carter and Chick Webb (who gave her one of her big shots); composers like Ira Gershwin (who once said, “I never knew how good our songs were until I heard Ella Fitzgerald sing them”); and celebrities like Marilyn Monroe and Frank Sinatra (both of whom challenged segregation laws and racial bias, in their own ways, on Ella’s behalf). She would be heralded by universities and heads of state, awarded the National Medal of Arts (by President Ronald Reagan in 1987), and presented France’s Commander of Arts and Letters award in 1990.

On November 21, 1934, however, when she stood on the stage at the Apollo, Ella Fitzgerald was just a shy, reserved, self-conscious 17-year old orphan with a reportedly disheveled appearance. She hadn’t become a legendary scat artist, hadn’t recorded a single song (let alone over 200 albums) and hadn’t performed at Carnegie Hall once (let along 26 times). In fact, the woman who would eventually be known for her ability to mimic any horn in the orchestra wasn’t even planning to sing!

“They were the dancingest sisters around.”

– Ella Fitzgerald describing Ruth and Louise Edwards (known as the Edwards Sisters)

Yes, you read that right: Ella Fitzgerald didn’t enter the Apollo’s Amateur Night as a singer. She intended to dance. The problem was the main event concluded with the Edwards Sisters, a crowd favorite. Seeing the Edwards Sisters’ tap dancing bring the house down – and knowing the critical (and vocal) reputation of the Apollo audience – young Ella froze, and asked herself some variation of those aforementioned questions.

“Once up there, I felt the acceptance and love from my audience. I knew I wanted to sing before people the rest of my life.”

– Ella Fitzgerald on how it felt after she sang one of her mother’s favorite songs at the Apollo

It’s a weird dichotomy to think of Ella Fitzgerald as both shy and fearless; yet, that is exactly who and what she was. Out of context it sounds odd. When you know more of her story, however, it is inspiring and encouraging. After all, every one of us can make the decision to climb on, to celebrate, and to persevere. All we need is to recognize what is already inside of us, what has gotten us this far. At the same time, what has gotten us this far is also what might have us giving up and turning back….

In that moment of questioning, young Ella’s consciousness, her awareness of herself and her awareness of what she could do, merged with all the possible outcomes and in that moment there was fear of failing on the stage and also, as a teenager already taking care of herself in the world, there was the fear of failing in life. So, there was suffering – and, in this case, (mental) suffering that could also lead to (physical) pain. In that same moment, she also recognized a way to succeed and to alleviate (or avoid) some of her suffering.

“We are very afraid of being powerless. But we have the power to look deeply at our fears, and then fear cannot control us. We can transform our fear. Fear keeps us focused on the past or worried about the future. If we can acknowledge our fear, we can realize that right now we are okay. Right now, today, we are still alive, and our bodies are working marvelously. Our eyes can still see the beautiful sky. Our ears can still hear the voices of our loved ones.”

– quoted from Fear: Essential Wisdom for Getting Through the Storm by Thich Nhat Hanh

Please join me today (Tuesday, April 25^th) 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 (for a slightly faster reply) you can email me at myra (at) ajoyfulpractice.com.

Tuesday’s playlist is available on YouTube and Spotify. [Look for “04252020 Ella’s Shy & Fearless Day”]

“Be Fearless and Play
You could live for tomorrow and still live here in today

When i would play when i was a child
I swore that i would never forget no
I will never forget no!

Be Fearless and Play
This is one thing that no one can ever take away”

– quoted from the song “Be Fearless and Play” by Wookiefoot

…& don’t forget to fearlessly Kiss My Asana!!

You can click here to Kiss My Asana Now! (Or, you can also click here to join my team and get people to kiss [your] asana!)

Yes, yes, it’s that time again! The 10^th Annual Kiss My Asana yogathon benefits Mind Body Solutions (MBS), which was founded by Matthew Sanford to help those who have experienced trauma, loss, and disability find new ways to live by integrating both mind and body. Known for their adaptive yoga classes, MBS provides live, online resources to people living with disabilities, worldwide. In addition to 11 live online yoga classes a week, MBS has also created a comprehensive library of recorded adaptive yoga classes for students, instructional videos for adaptive yoga teachers, and insightful interviews between Matthew Sanford, and adaptive students. It all helps people with disabilities live more fully, where they are and how they are.

This year’s yogathon is only a week long! Seven days (which started on Saturday to do yoga, share yoga, and help others. By participating in the Kiss My Asana yogathon you join a global movement, but in a personal way. In other words, you practice yoga… for 7 days. And you can start today!!

The yogathon raises resources and awareness. So, I’m posting on my YouTube Community page and dedicated to raising $300 for Mind Body Solutions. You can do yoga starting today. You can share yoga be inviting a friend to one of my classes or by forwarding one of the blog posts. You can help others by donating.

You can add 5 minutes of yoga (or meditation) to your day; you can learn something new about your practice; you can even teach a pose to someone close to you – or even to one of your Master Teachers/Precious Jewels. Consider, as First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt said, doing “the thing you think you cannot do.”

If you’re interested in my previous Kiss My Asana (KMA) offerings, check out the following (some links only take you to the beginning of a series ad/or to YouTube):

30 Poses in 30 Days
A Musical Preview
5-Minute Practices (the playlist)
5 Questions Answered by Yogis
- The 5 Questions Playlist
Answers to Yogis Questions
A Poetry Practice
A Preview of the April 1^st Practice
Some Stories
Prāņāyāma
The Body/Chakra offerings
Did you miss the last two offerings?
- KMA Day 1, 2023
- KMA Day 2, 2023 – Part I and Part II (with the picture)
- KMA Day 3, 2023

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).
This week you can also click here to Kiss My Asana Now! (Or, you can also click here to join my team and get people to kiss [your] asana!)
Donations are tax deductible; class purchases are not necessarily deductible.

Updated 2023.

### YOU’VE GOT THIS ###

Finding Grace In the Waiting, or vice versa (a “missing” and “renewed” Saturday/Sunday post) April 16, 2023

Posted by ajoyfulpractice in Books, Buddhism, Changing Perspectives, Dharma, Faith, Gratitude, Healing Stories, Hope, Lent / Great Lent, Life, Music, Mysticism, One Hoop, Pain, Passover, Peace, Philosophy, Ramadan, Religion, Science, Shavuot, Suffering, Wisdom, Women, Yoga.
Tags: Buddha, Buddha's Birthday, chesed, Counting the Omer, Erwin Schrödinger, Eugene Wigner, Exodus, Four Noble Truths, gevurah, Great Lent, Guy Johnston, Hilary Tann, Holy Saturday, Jack Hawley, James Kubicki, kabbalah, Laylat al-Qadr, Lazarus of Bethany, Lazarus Saturday, Lent / Great Lent, Martha of Bethany, Mary of Bethany, Passover, Pope Francis, R. S. Thomas, Rabbi David Fohrman, Rabbi Mordechai Becher, Ramadan, sefirot, shastra kripa, Shemot, Shiva, shiv’ah, Shlomo Yitzchaki (Rashi), Siddhartha, The Gospel According to John, the Virgin Mary, שִׁבְעָה, שבעה
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Blessings to anyone Counting the Omer or celebrating Easter and Eastertide / the Octave of Easter! “Ramadān Mubarak, Blessed Ramadān!” to anyone who is observing the holy month of Ramadān. (Keep your eyes open!)

This is the “missing” and slightly revised post for Saturday, April 8^th, which was the 2023 Saturday before Easter in Western Christian traditions and Lazarus Saturday in the Orthodox Christian traditions, as well as Passover and the holy month of Ramadān. This is also an Easter post. NOTE: There are references to death and dying. You can request an audio recording of this Saturday practice and/or the Easter practice from 2020 via a comment below or (for a slightly faster reply) you can email me at 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.)

“Still; all that close throng
Of spirits waiting, as I,
For the message.
Prompt me, God;
But not yet. When I speak,
Though it be you who speak
Through me, something is lost.
The meaning is in the waiting.”

– quoted from the poem “Kneeling” by R. S. Thomas, with accompanying music composed by Hilary Tann, featuring Guy Johnston

April marks the beginning of our Saturday exploration of the second of the four graces found in Indian philosophy, particularly in the Himalayan tradition of the Yoga Philosophy. We started with “Grace of God” (or Divine Grace) and we plan to end the year with Grace of Self. The second and third graces (Grace of Scripture and Grace of Guru) are often flipped and, in some ways, this practice connects the two. Mostly, however, this is about shastra kripa. In another practice (and post), I will get into why some traditions do not translate shastra as “scripture” and also why those tradition do not consider the scriptures I reference below as shastras. However, some do and, ultimately, the practice is about what we find inside the stories.

Pay close attention and you will find there is a lot of waiting – so much waiting – in the stories that people commemorate during Passover; the Saturday of Holy Week (which is the Saturday before Easter); Lazarus Saturday (which is the Saturday before Palm Sunday); and during the holy month of Ramadān. In 2023, all of those observations overlapped each other and overlapped some celebrations of the Buddha’s birthday – and there is significant waiting in the story of the Buddha. It is almost like there is something important about waiting. It is almost like there is something holy, something Divine, about waiting.

Waiting is something we all do at some point in our day-to-day lives – and it can be challenging. Whether we are waiting our turn or waiting for something for which we desire, we can get fidgety and impatient on the best days. We can be especially fidgety and impatient if we feel like nothing is happening or that something is not happening fast enough. But something is always happening; we just need to bring awareness to the moment.

This is where the waiting in yoga and meditation comes in handy: We can bring awareness to how we wait.

For instance, we may notice that we are so keen to do something that we start doing things that don’t actually serve us. We may even do things that are detrimental, because we don’t have the strength to wait. (And don’t doubt for a minute, that waiting, patiently, requires a certain kind of strength.) Additionally, we may notice that we are in the habit of saying, “I can’t wait,” when what we really mean is “I can hardly wait.” At first, the difference can seem like a matter of semantics, but then we notice that the mind-body is taking cues from our conscious awareness and that changing our inner dialogue (as well as what we verbalize to others) changes the way we show up in the moment. Over time, we may find that there can be kindness in waiting. We may notice that waiting sometimes gives us an opportunity to get ready for what’s ahead.

In fact, if you pay close attention, you will find that there is something important about what people do while they wait – especially in the sacred stories commemorated (this year) on April 8^th.

“First and foremost, we believe creation of the world, G-d created a world in which he wanted the human being to actually be able to do something – that is to say, to exercise free will, to be like G-d, meaning to be a creator, not to be lab rats…. He wants us to have a relationship with Him. But to have a relationship with G-d requires that I have an exercise of my free will…. Free will means an environment in which not necessarily do I always have pleasure when I make the right decisions and not necessarily does someone always suffer when they make the wrong decision. Free will is having real power to create stuff. Free will is having real power to alleviate suffering.”

– Rabbi Mordechai Becher, in vlog explaining one of several reasons why suffering exists

While some people celebrate the birthday of the Siddhartha Gautama, also known as Gautama Buddha, on different days in May, some celebrate on April 8^th. I have heard that Siddhartha Gautama sat under the Bodhi tree and was determined to wait there until he awakened to the nature of reality. In some suttas, it says that the Buddha (“the Awakened One”) sat there for an additional seven days. Eventually, he started teaching from this enlightened state. Some say that he only ever taught about two things: suffering and the end of suffering. His teachings were codified in the Four Noble Truths of Buddhism and the Noble Eightfold Path. According to the former:

Suffering exists
Suffering is caused by attachment, clinging, craving
There is an end to suffering
The Noble Eight-fold Path is the way to end suffering

Following the path includes some sitting… and waiting. What is promised at the end of the sitting and waiting is freedom from suffering.

Click here and scroll down to “So Much Suffering,” if you are interested in the ways the Buddha and Moses had parallel life experiences and journeys to freedom.

Towards the end of the holy month of Ramadān, people in the Muslim community seek the holiest of nights, Laylat al-Qadr (translated as “Night of Power,” “Night of Destiny,” “Night of Value,” Night of Measure,” Night of Decree” or “Night of Honour”), which is commemorated as the anniversary of the revelations of the Qur’ān. As they seek (and wait) they pray. This pattern of people waiting for revelations (and freedom) shows up again and again in the other Abrahamic traditions.

For example, the story of Passover (which is summarized below), is the story of the Jewish people waiting to be free. Part of the story is also about waiting to be passed over during the 10^th and final plague. Remember, that during most of the waiting, the Jewish people had to continue living their lives as enslaved people in Egypt. They had to suffer the indignities and hardships of slaver – and, also, the first nine plagues. They had to wait, with faith. Then, on that final night they had to wait and believe. They had to believe enough to celebrate freedom that had not been given. One the second night of Passover, some people begin Counting the Omer.

The sacred ritual of Counting the Omer is a period of 49 days, a total of 7 weeks, leading up to Shavuot or Shavuos (also known as the “Festival of Weeks”) – which itself is a commemoration of the Jewish people receiving the Torah. Commonly associated with Jewish mysticism (Kabbalah), the practice of Counting the Omer involves 7 of the 10 attributes of the Divine that are found on the Tree of Life. Each day is associated with a different attribute, as is each week – which means that for 49 days people are focusing-concentrating-meditating on the interrelation of two attributes. Since each attribute is associated with a different part of the body, and some people combine a physical component, it’s a ritual exercise wrapped in a mystical meditation disguised as a 49-day perspective changing challenge.

In some ways, Counting the Omer is a period of waiting. However, it is not the only time, in Jewish tradition, when people are praying and reflecting while they wait. Nor is it the only time when 7 is a factor. In fact, one of the notably periods of waiting occurs after someone dies and their loved ones are “sitting shiva.” The Hebrew word shiva ( שִׁבְעָה ) comes from shiv’ah ( שבעה ), which means “seven,” and it is a seven-day period of mourning. The rituals, traditions, and prayers associated with Shiva formalize the grieving process and also provide a container for people to express compassion. It can also be a way to express hope.

“As spring is nature’s season of hope, so Easter is the Church’s season of hope. Hope is an active virtue. It’s more than wishful thinking….. My hope in the Resurrection is not an idle hope like wishing for good weather but an active hope. It requires something on my part – work. Salvation is a gift from God for which I hope, but Saint Paul told the Philippians to ‘work out your salvation with fear and trembling’ (2:12). My hope in the resurrection and eternal life in heaven requires work on my part.”

– quoted from A Year of Daily Offerings by Rev. James Kubicki

In the Gospel According to John (11:1 – 45), Jesus received the news that Lazarus was sick, but then waited (until he died) before traveling to Bethany. The text is very clear that Lazarus had been dead (or dead and buried) for four days. Historically speaking, and given that there are seven-day periods of mourning depicted in the Torah, Mary and Martha (and all of their friends) would have been “sitting shiva” when Jesus and the disciples arrived in Bethany. To be clear, they were waiting for Jesus and then they were waiting for the end of the mourning period.

While Lazarus Saturday is not always highlighted in Western Christian traditions the way it is in Orthodox Christian traditions, there are several parts of the story that are critical. First, Jesus waited (and knew when Lazarus died). Second, the description of how Lazarus was buried – in a cave with a stone in front – matches the descriptions of how Jesus was buried. Third, Jesus asks the sisters if they believe in him (and ask for verbal confirmation) – which was the whole reason he waited. Finally, it is notable that news of Jesus raising Lazarus from the dead reached Jerusalem before Jesus arrived home for Passover.

Why did the news travel faster than Jesus? According to the Gospel, it is because he waited… in the desert – and that period of waiting in the desert is commemorated by people who observe Lent and Great Lent. However, those are not the only periods of waiting in the Christian liturgy. Remember, after his crucifixion and death, Jesus was buried, much like Lazarus – and his mother, Mary, and his followers waited.

“This year however, we are experiencing, more than ever, the great silence of Holy Saturday. We can imagine ourselves in the position of the women on that day. They, like us, had before their eyes the drama of suffering, of an unexpected tragedy that happened all too suddenly. They had seen death and it weighed on their hearts. Pain was mixed with fear: would they suffer the same fate as the Master? Then too there was fear about the future and all that would need to be rebuilt. A painful memory, a hope cut short. For them, as for us, it was the darkest hour.

Yet in this situation the women did not allow themselves to be paralyzed. They did not give in to the gloom of sorrow and regret, they did not morosely close in on themselves, or flee from reality. They were doing something simple yet extraordinary: preparing at home the spices to anoint the body of Jesus. They did not stop loving; in the darkness of their hearts, they lit a flame of mercy. Our Lady spent that Saturday, the day that would be dedicated to her, in prayer and hope. She responded to sorrow with trust in the Lord. Unbeknownst to these women, they were making preparations, in the darkness of that Sabbath, for “the dawn of the first day of the week”, the day that would change history. Jesus, like a seed buried in the ground, was about to make new life blossom in the world; and these women, by prayer and love, were helping to make that hope flower. How many people, in these sad days, have done and are still doing what those women did, sowing seeds of hope! With small gestures of care, affection and prayer.”

– Homily of His Holiness Pope Francis, Easter Vigil, Holy Saturday, 11 April 2020

The following was originally posted in April 2020 and revised in April 2022 (in the “Down the Rabbit Hole” section). Some information was posted during Passover and holy week this year, but I am posting it here, For Those Who Missed It. This version has been slightly revised.

Whenever I think about Easter, the waiting that happened on the Saturday between Good Friday and Easter, and the moment when the rock was rolled away to reveal the empty tomb, I think of one thing: Wigner’s friend taking care of that quantum mechanics Cat.

For those of you not familiar with physicist Erwin Schrödinger’s thought experiment (or paradox), it goes like this: The (imaginary) cat is closed up in a box with an unstable radioactive element that has a 50-50 chance of killing the cat before the box is opened. According to quantum mechanics, there is a moment when the cat is simultaneously alive and dead. This is called superposition and it could be considered the scientific equivalent of non-duality. When the box is opened, revealing the state of the cat, the superposition collapses into a single reality. (There is also the possibility that opening the box changes the percentage, but that’s a whole different tunnel.)

Physicist Eugene Wigner took things a bit farther by adding a friend. According to the Wigner’s thought experiment, instead of doing the experiment, the scientist leaves it all in the hands of a friend and waits for a report. Now, there is the superposition inside of the box and there is a separate superposition inside the lab, which means the wave (or superposition) collapses into a single reality when the box is opened (creating reality as the friend knows it) and collapses again when the (imaginary) friend reports to the scientist (establishing the original scientist’s reality). Let’s not even get into what happens if the friend opens the box and leaves the lab without reporting back to the original scientist, but has a certain expectation – i.e., understanding of reality – about what the scientist will find in the lab. Through it all, the cat exists (and ceases to exist) within its own reality. It never experiences the superposition others experience. It just is.

That state of being, existing, takes us back to Passover, and eventually to the Resurrection of Jesus.

“And He said, ‘For I will be with you, and this is the sign for you that it was I Who sent you. When you take the people out of Egypt, you will worship God on this mountain.’”

– quoted from Shemot – Exodus (3:12)

“God said to Moses, ‘Ehyeh asher ehyeh (I will be what I will be),’ and He said, ‘So shall you say to the children of Israel, “Ehyeh (I will be) has sent me to you.’””

– quoted from Shemot – Exodus (3:14)

In the Exodus story, while the Jewish people were slaves in Egypt, G-d commanded Moses to go to Pharaoh and demand the Jews be released. Moses had an interesting backstory and was, in some ways, the perfect person to be the (human) hero of the story. However, he was humble to the point of lacking confidence and ended up asking his brother Aaron to come along on the mission. When their show of power didn’t convince Pharaoh of the authority of G-d, everyone was subject to nine plagues: blood, frogs, lice, wild beasts in the streets, pestilence, boils, hail, locusts, and day(s) of darkness. Remember it was not only Pharaoh and the Egyptians who suffered. The Jews, who were already suffering the hardship of slavery, also had to endure the additional hardships. On the evening of the tenth plague, the death of the first born male child, the Jewish families were told to smear lambs blood on their doors – so their households will be passed over. They were also commanded to celebrate and give thanks for their freedom – even though they are still slaves.

Yes, it is a little mind boggling, but what passes as the first Passover Seder happened in Egypt and during a time of slavery. Considering Pharaoh had changed his mind before, they had no way of knowing (with any certainty) that they would be freed immediately after the tenth plague. See where this is going? In that moment, the Jewish people are simultaneously free and not free.

Furthermore, Rabbi David Fohrman, quoting Shlomo Yitzchaki, the medieval French rabbi known as Rashi, points out that when G-d initial spoke to Moses and Moses asked for G-d’s identity, Moses was told three times that the One who spoke was the One who would always be with Moses and the Jewish people. Regardless of what they experience, Rashi explained, G-d will be with them. This is the very definition of compassion, which literally means “to suffer with.”

“‘Whenever goodness and “dharma” (right action) weaken and evil grows stronger, I make Myself a body. I do this to uplift and transform society, reestablish the balance of goodness over wickedness, explain the sublime plan and purpose of life, and serve as the model for others to follow. I come age after age in times of spiritual and moral crisis for this purpose.’”

– Krishna speaking to Arjuna (4.7 – 8) in The Bhagavad Gita: A Walkthrough for Westerners by Jack Hawley

Jesus was (during his time), and future Christians are, kind of in the same boat. In the last week of his life, he was betrayed, crucified, dead, buried, and resurrected – and he simultaneously was not. However, most of that is semantics. What is critical is the dead/buried, and resurrected part. In those moments, even right after the tomb was opened and there was some confusion about what had happened, Jesus was essentially the quantum physics Cat – and Christians, as well as non-believers, were either the original scientist or the friend.

Yet, when everything is said and done (stay with me here), this is all head stuff. What people observe, commemorate, and/or celebrate in modern times, isn’t really about the head. Faith never is. It’s all about the heart. It’s all about love. Specifically, in these examples, it all comes back to G-d’s love expressed as compassion.

“For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.”

– quoted from The Gospel According to John (3:16, NIV)

The playlist for Saturday (4/8/2023) is available on YouTube and Spotify.

### STRENGTH IN LOVING-KINDNESS ###

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A Joyful Practice

A Rest for Those Riding, Fighting, and Working for Freedom – An Invitation July 1, 2023

– quoted from the commentary on Yoga Sūtra 1.31 from The Secret of the Yoga Sutra: Samadhi Pada by Pandit Rajmani Tigunait, PhD

“Brothers, we have done that which we purposed, our hands are now clean for we have Striven to regain the precious heritage we received from our fathers.”

– Sengbe Pieh (also known as Joseph Cinqué or Joseph Cinquez) as quoted on the lithograph by Isaac Sheffield, commissioned by The New York Sun (published on August 31, 1839, erroneously credited to “James Sheffield”)

### RELAX, RELEASE, REST (TO RE-SET) ###

FTWMI: What Makes Us Do What We Do (Where We Do It) June 6, 2023

“Don’t say things. What you are stands over you the while, and thunders so that I cannot hear what you say to the contrary. A lady of my acquaintance said, ‘I don’t care so much for what they say as I do for what makes them say it.’”

– quoted from 1875 essay “Social Aims” by Ralph Waldo Emerson

– 1 Corinthians 9:25 – 27 (NLT)

“Soldiers, Sailors and Airmen of the Allied Expeditionary Force!

– quoted from the June 6, 1944, printed “Order of the Day” (issued to 175,000 troops by Supreme Headquarters, Allied Expeditionary Force) and the subsequent speech by United States General Dwight D. Eisenhower, Commander of Operation Overlord

“They shall grow not old, as we that are left grow old; Age shall not weary them, nor the years condemn. At the going down of the sun and in the morning We will remember them.”

– from “Ode of Remembrance” taken from “For the Fallen” by Laurence Binyon

– quoted from The Laws by Plato

Click here for a more philosophical (and slightly playful) variation on this theme and date.

### PEACE TO & FROM EVERYTHING & EVERYONE WE ENCOUNTER ###

The Grace of Knowing How to Feel & FTWMI: How We Learn To Feel (and what we learn from feeling) May 27, 2023

“78. The belief that I am the pure and all pervading intellect, is attended with the purity and holiness of the soul, and the knowledge of the Divine power as the cause of the union of earth, air and water in the production of the germ of creation, is the main creed of all creeds.”

– quoted from (Book 6) “CHAPTER XI. Ascertainment of Living Liberation.” of The Yoga-Vasishtha Maharamayana of Valmiki (translated from the original Sanskrit by VIHARI-LALA MITRA)

– Rachel Carson accepting the John Burroughs Medal (April 1952) and printed in Lost Woods: The Discovered Writing of Rachel Carson

– from Dance Hall of the Dead (Navajo Mysteries #2) by Tony Hillerman

“‘Don’t think a man don’t care about one goat because he’s got a thousand of ‘em,’ Hosteen Nakai would say. ‘He’s got a thousand because he cares more about goats than he cares about his relatives.’”

– from People of Darkness (Navajo Mysteries #4) by Tony Hillerman

EMPATHY [Greek > German] – The action of understanding, being aware of, being sensitive to, and vicariously experiencing the feelings, thoughts, and experience of another…without having the feelings, thoughts, and experiences fully communicated in an objective and explicit manner.

SYMPATHY [Greek >> Latin] – Feelings of pity and sorrow for someone else’s misfortune.

COMPASSION [Latin>> Old French > Middle English] – To suffer with.

– from Skeleton Man (Navajo Mysteries #17) by Tony Hillerman

– from The Ghostway (Navajo Mysteries #6) by Tony Hillerman

– from Rachel Carson’s original submission to “Words to Live By” for This Week Magazine (1951)

– from Silent Spring by Rachel Carson

– from Listening Woman (Navajo Mysteries #3) by Tony Hillerman

– from Sacred Clowns (Navajo Mysteries #11) by Tony Hillerman

“Those who contemplate the beauty of the earth find reserves of strength that will endure as long as life lasts. There is something infinitely healing in the repeated refrains of nature — the assurance that dawn comes after night, and spring after winter.”

– from Silent Spring by Rachel Carson

### MANY BLESSINGS (to the nth degree) ###

REMINDER: Doing the work (mostly the reminder and links) May 16, 2023

Bhikkhus: ‘He might, venerable sir, sometime or other at the end of a long period.’

– quoted from “The Animal Kingdom” in Majjhima Nikāya 129, Balapandita Sutta: Fools and Wise Men

### ###

REMINDER: Still [Not] Clowning Around (mostly the reminder and links) May 15, 2023

“We’re kind of a family – a huge, expanded family. And we can do any number of things, because each one of us is going to do a different thing. But mostly we’re just going to try and be groovy, and (uh) spread that grooviness to everybody.”

– Wavy Gravy being interviewed at the John F. Kennedy airport in August 1969 (about Hog Farm’s participation at the Woodstock Music and Art Fair)

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Click here to read the 2021 post.

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### ###

Love/Respect & FTWMI: The JOyG of Being (the “missing” Tuesday post) May 9, 2023

“Tio, kio malamas vin, ne faru al via ulo. Tio estas la tuta Torao; la resto estas la klarigo. Nun iru studi.”

“That which is hateful to you, do not do to your fellow. That is the whole Torah; the rest is the explanation. Now go and study.”

– quoted from the story of Hillel the Elder “[teaching] the meaning of the whole Torah while standing on one foot,” translated into Esperanto and English by Dr. L. L. Zamenhof

“Yes, how my love this moment here is ripe for us Yes, you and I so brave against the years If nothing’s left to live we must find a way There’s reason yet to live There’s something left to give We must find a way There is so much to give”

– quoted from “When Nothing’s Left” by Royal Wood

“They said by way of example that Rabbi Akiva had twelve thousand pairs of students in an area of land that stretched from Gevat to Antipatris in Judea, and they all died in one period of time, because they did not treat each other with respect.”

– quoted from Yevamot 62b:9 in The Koren Talmud Bavli Noé (Vol. 14 Yevamot 1), with commentary by Rabbi Adin Even-Israel Steinsaltz and English from The William Davidson digital edition

– quoted from Yevamot 62b:10 in The Koren Talmud Bavli Noé (Vol. 14 Yevamot 1), with commentary by Rabbi Adin Even-Israel Steinsaltz and English from The William Davidson digital edition

― from The Revolt of the Masses by José Ortega y Gasset

Yoga Sūtra 2.18: prakāśkriyāsthitiśīlam bhūtendriyāmakam bhogāpavargārtham dŗśyam

– “The objective world (what is seen), consisted of a combination of elements and senses, and having a nature of illumination, activity, and stability, has two purposes: fulfillment and freedom.

Yoga Sūtra 2.19: viśeşāviśeşalingamātrālingāni guņaparvāņi

– The “gunas” fall into four categories: specific/identifiable, unspecific/unidentifiable, barely describable (by signs), and absolutely indescribable (because it is beyond reference)

– from Misión de la Universidad (Mission of the University) by José Ortega y Gasset

### ### “YO SOY YO Y MI CIRCUMSTANCIA” ### ###

Love/Respect & FTWMI: The JOyG of Being (mostly the music) May 9, 2023

“Yes, how my love this moment here is ripe for us Yes, you and I so brave against the years If nothing’s left to live we must find a way There’s reason yet to live There’s something left to give We must find a way There is so much to give”

– from “When Nothing’s Left” by Royal Wood

Yes! You can still click here to Kiss My Asana Now! (And, you can also still click here to join my team and get people to kiss [your] asana!)

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Grace & FTWMI: What Dreams May Come (on May 6th) May 6, 2023

“The mind is like an iceberg, it floats with one-seventh of its bulk above water.”

– possibly Sigmund Freud, as quoted in his New York Times obituary (09/24/1939)

Yoga Sūtra 1.38: svapna nidrā jñānālambanaṁ

– “Or by meditating on the knowledge gained from dreams and sleep, one acquires stability of mind.”

“The conscious mind may be compared to a fountain playing in the sun and falling back into the great subterranean pool of subconscious from which it rises.”

– Sigmund Freud, as quoted in his New York Times obituary (09/24/1939)

“The interpretation of dreams is the royal road to knowledge of the unconscious activities of the mind.”

– from The Interpretation of Dreams by Sigmund Freud

“…here we have another limitation to the effectiveness of analysis; after all, analysis does not set out to make pathological reaction impossible, but to give the patient’s ego freedom to decide one way or the other.”

– from The Ego and the Id by Sigmund Freud

“Psychoanalysis in the hands of the physician is what confession is in the hands of the Catholic priest. It depends on its user and its use, whether it becomes a beneficial tool or a two-edged sword.”

“They shall grow not old, as we that are left grow old;
Age shall not weary them, nor the years condemn.
At the going down of the sun and in the morning
We will remember them.”

### MANY BLESSINGS (to the n^th degree) ###

“Yes, how my love this moment here is ripe for us
Yes, you and I so brave against the years
If nothing’s left to live we must find a way
There’s reason yet to live
There’s something left to give
We must find a way
There is so much to give”

“Yes, how my love this moment here is ripe for us
Yes, you and I so brave against the years
If nothing’s left to live we must find a way
There’s reason yet to live
There’s something left to give
We must find a way
There is so much to give”

“Be Fearless and Play
You could live for tomorrow and still live here in today

When i would play when i was a child
I swore that i would never forget no
I will never forget no!

Be Fearless and Play
This is one thing that no one can ever take away”

“Still; all that close throng
Of spirits waiting, as I,
For the message.
Prompt me, God;
But not yet. When I speak,
Though it be you who speak
Through me, something is lost.
The meaning is in the waiting.”