“Happy Chanukah!” to all who are celebrating. Many blessings to everyone and especially to anyone observing Advent, observing the Nativity Fast / St. Philip’s Fast; and/or letting their light shine with kindness, friendship, peace, freedom, understanding, gratitude, and wisdom.
May you be safe and protected / May you be peaceful and happy / May you be healthy and strong! May you be nourished!
This is the “missing” compilation post for Saturday, December 20th. My apologies for not clearly posting the music before the practice. You can request an audio recording of this practice or a previous practice via a comment below or (for a slightly faster reply) you can email myra (at) ajoyfulpractice.com.
In the spirit of generosity (“dana”), the Zoom classes, recordings, and blog posts are freely given and freely received. If you are able to support these teachings, please do so as your heart moves you. (NOTE: You can donate even if you are “attending” a practice that is not designated as a “Common Ground Meditation Center” practice, or you can purchase class(es).
Donations are tax deductible; class purchases are not necessarily deductible.
Check out the “Class Schedules” calendar for upcoming classes.
“‘You are fettered,’ said Scrooge, trembling. ‘Tell me why?’
‘I wear the chain I forged in life,’ replied the Ghost. ‘I made it link by link, and yard by yard; I girded it on of my own free will, and of my own free will I wore it.’”
— quoted from A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens
This is a strange time of year, especially in the Northern Hemisphere. Amid the hustle and bustle, the business and the cheer, there is sadness and fear. There is also SADness. Yet, there is something that cuts through a lot of the dichotomy — because it embraces it. There is something for which we all slow down: our favorite holiday story (or song).
Many people have a favorite holiday story (or song) even if they don’t celebrate the holiday. Many people find hope and meaning in a Christmas tale — or the Chanukah story — even if they’re not Christian or Jewish (or religious in any way). People seeking that hope is the reason why theatrical productions of holiday stories, like A Christmas Carol (which was first published on December 19, 1843), are cash cows for non-profits. People wanting to “get into the spirit” also the reason why watching holiday movies, like It’s a Wonderful Life (which premiered today, December 20, 1946), is a tradition for so many families.
We are all drawn to certain elements that come up in all these stories.
These are the same elements we find in the Hero’s Journey or monomyth and they include a “Supernatural Aid” (or magical helper) who facilitates the journey from one state of being to another. These helpers can be a ghost (or three), an angel (second class), an extra candle, and/or God (whatever that means to at this moment). They simultaneously aid the hero/heroine and the viewer/reader. Even when they are extraordinary (and magical), they serve as a reminder that, just as each of us can be the light, each of us can be the shamash/helper who spreads the light.
“Let me see the light
Give me something to live by
Let me see the light
I need something to live by
Help me see myself in my reflection
Shine tonight
Let me shed the light in each direction”
— quoted from the song “Shine” by Maccabeats (written by Julian Horowitz)
CLICK ON THE EXCERPT TITLES BELOW FOR SOME STORIES (and a little bit about SAD).
“Every time you hear a bell ring, it means that some angel’s just got his wings.”
— Clarence Odbody (AS2), quoted from It’s A Wonderful Life, (directed by Frank Capra; screenplay by Frances Goodrich, Albert Hackett, Frank Capra, with additional scenes by Jo Swerling; based on “The Greatest Gift” by Philip Van Doren Stern)
Saturday’s (instant reply) playlist is available on YouTube and Spotify. [Look for “Chanukah (Day 3 – 4) & Shabda 2025”]
MUSIC NOTE:The YouTube playlist includes some videos, the musical version of at least one which is not available on Spotify. A date/theme-related playlist is also available The 2020 playlist is available on YouTube and Spotify. [Look for “12202020 A SAD Wonderful Life”]
“Strange, isn’t it? Each man’s life touches so many other lives. And when he isn’t around he leaves an awful hole, doesn’t he?”
“You see George; you really had a wonderful life. Don’t you see what a mistake it would be to throw it away?”
— Clarence Odbody (AS2), quoted from It’s A Wonderful Life, (directed by Frank Capra; screenplay by Frances Goodrich, Albert Hackett, Frank Capra, with additional scenes by Jo Swerling; based on “The Greatest Gift” by Philip Van Doren Stern)
If you are thinking about suicide, worried about a friend or loved one, or would like emotional support, you can dial 988 (in the US) or call 1-800-273-TALK (8255)for the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline. You can also call this TALK line if you are struggling with addiction or involved in an abusive relationship. The Lifeline network is free, confidential, and available to all 24/7. YOU CAN TALK ABOUT ANYTHING.
White Flag is an app, which I have not yet researched, but which may be helpful if you need peer-to-peer (non-professional) support.
“Happy Chanukah!” to all who are celebrating. Many blessings to everyone and especially to anyone observing Advent, observing the Nativity Fast / St. Philip’s Fast; and/or letting their light shine with kindness, friendship, peace, freedom, understanding, gratitude, and wisdom.
May you be safe and protected / May you be peaceful and happy / May you be healthy and strong! May you be nourished!
This “missing” compilation post, for Wednesday, December 17th, is an expanded and revised version of a 2024 post. You can request an audio recording of this practice or a previous practice via a comment below or (for a slightly faster reply) you can email myra (at) ajoyfulpractice.com.
In the spirit of generosity (“dana”), the Zoom classes, recordings, and blog posts are freely given and freely received. If you are able to support these teachings, please do so as your heart moves you. (NOTE: You can donate even if you are “attending” a practice that is not designated as a “Common Ground Meditation Center” practice, or you can purchase class(es).
Donations are tax deductible; class purchases are not necessarily deductible.
Check out the “Class Schedules” calendar for upcoming classes.
“Composition is a discipline; it forces us to think. If you want to ‘get in touch with your feelings,’ fine—talk to yourself; we all do. But, if you want to communicate with another thinking human being, get in touch with your thoughts. Put them in order; give them a purpose; use them to persuade, to instruct, to discover, to seduce. The secret way to do this is to write it down and then cut out the confusing parts.”
— William Safire
Words are powerful. They can spread or travel like a living, breathing thing. They can bring us together; they can tear us apart; and they can change the world. For that matter, they can build the world and determine how we see the world.
Words (even when they are in visual form) are they way we tell our healing stories.
Since William Safire was born December 17, 1929, in New York City, this is a day when I like to focus on words and the power of words. Mr. Safire was a journalist, author, columnist, and political speechwriter. When he was working as a public relations agent for a model homes builder (in Moscow in 1959), he set up a “Kitchen Debate” between the then United States Vice President Richard Nixon and then Soviet Prime Minister Nikita Khrushchev. William Safire went on to work on Richard Nixon’s presidential campaigns and to serve as a speechwriter for both Nixon and his (original) vice president, Spiro Agnew.
In July 1969, William Safire wrote the “Safire Memo”( also known as “In Event of Moon Disaster”), which was the never-delivered speech then President Nixon would have delivered if the Apollo II astronauts had been stranded on the moon. The memo included protocol and the order of things, including: “PRIOR TO THE PRESIDENT’S STATEMENT: The President should telephone each of the widows-to-be.” In 2013, Joshua Keating included the memo in his Foreign Policy (magazine) article, “The Greatest Doomsday Speeches Never Made”.
“In ancient days, men looked at stars and saw their heroes in the constellations. In modern times, we do much the same, but our heroes are epic men of flesh and blood.
Others will follow, and surely find their way home. Man’s search will not be denied. But these men were the first, and they will remain the foremost in our hearts.
For every human being who looks up at the moon in the nights to come will know that there is some corner of another world that is forever mankind.”
— quoted from “In Event of Moon Disaster / The Safire Memo” (addressed to H. R. Haldeman, dated July 18, 1969.) by William Safire
I grew up reading William Safire’s The New York Times Magazine syndicated column “On Language”. Starting in 1979, I looked forward to the weekly opportunity to learn a new word; the etymology of an old word; how words crisscrossed cultures; and/or how old words gained new meanings. William Safire is one of the reasons I learned the power of words; how a single word can tell a whole story; how the right quote can add depth and power; and how the words — and even the letters1 — we use to tell our stories matter (as much as, maybe more than, the story).
For instance, when I tell the story of Chanukah (which this year overlapped the anniversary of William Safire’s birth), there are certain words I use no matter how I tell the story. First, there are words and phrases that are most commonly associated with the story of Chanukah, even by people who do not celebrate it: “light”, “8 days and 8 nights”, “Chanukah/dedication”, “miracle(s)”, “faith”, “G-d”, “community”.
Then, there are words that give the story more depth: “darkness”, “wilderness”, “underdogs”, “renegades”, “mighty”, “hammer”, “shamash/helper/attendant”, “25”.
Take a moment to notice how almost all of the words and phrases — given the English translations in the case of the Hebrew words — pop up in the music and in all the stories I tell this time of year. Take a moment to notice how the words make you feel.
“What makes a word like zap of particular interest is that it imitates an imaginary noise—the sound of a paralyzing-ray gun. Thus we can see another way that the human mind creates new words: imitating what can be heard only in the mind’s ear. The coinage filled a need for an unheard sound and—pow!— slammed the vocabulary right in the kisser. Steadily, surely, under the watchful eye of great lexicographers and with the encouragement of columnists and writers who ache for color in verbs, the creation of Buck Rogers’s creator has blasted its way into the dictionaries. The verb will live long after superpowers agree to ban ray guns; no sound thunders or crackles like an imaginary sound turned into a new word.”
— quoted from The New York Times Magazine, February 12, 1984, article “On Language: Zapmanship” by William Safire
“Took me a while to get to the point today, but that is because I did not know what the point was when I started.”
— quoted from The New York Times Magazine, February 12, 1984, article “On Language: Zapmanship” by William Safire
Also, around this time every year, the major (English) dictionaries reveal the words that have made up our zeitgeist. Back in 2022, I was going to write a sentence featuring the words of the year, but the results were so disturbing that I just listed the words.
This year (and last year), I am continuing the listing precedent. However, you can comment below if you come up with a Spelling Bee worthy sentence that’s not disturbing for this year, last year, and/or using the words from 2022.
“slop” “rage bait” “parasocial” “67”
— 2025 Word of the Year from Merriam-Webster, Oxford, Cambridge, and dictionary.com, respectively
Click on the excerpt title below for a post that references the power of words (and one of the 2022 words).
“Last but not least, avoid clichés like the plague….”
— quoted from Fumblerules: A Lighthearted Guide to Grammar and Good Usage by William Safire
Wednesday’s playlist is available on YouTube and Spotify. [Look for “Chanukah (Day 3 – 4) & Shabda 2025”]
MUSIC NOTE: The YouTube playlist includes some videos, the musical version of at least one which is not available on Spotify. My apologies for not posting the music before the 4:30 practice.
If you are thinking about suicide, worried about a friend or loved one, or would like emotional support, you can dial 988 (in the US) or call 1-800-273-TALK (8255)for the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline. You can also call this TALK line if you are struggling with addiction or involved in an abusive relationship. The Lifeline network is free, confidential, and available to all 24/7. YOU CAN TALK ABOUT ANYTHING.
White Flag is an app, which I have not yet researched, but which may be helpful if you need peer-to-peer (non-professional) support.
NOTE:1Ida (née Panish) and Oliver Craus Safir (who was Jewish with Romanian ancestry), had three (2) sons: Leonard, Matthew, and William. Mr. Safire is the only one who added the “e” to his last name (so the general public would know how to pronounce it).
“Happy Chanukah!” to all who are celebrating. Many blessings to everyone and especially to anyone observing Advent, observing the Nativity Fast / St. Philip’s Fast; and/or letting their light shine with kindness, friendship, peace, freedom, understanding, gratitude, and wisdom on Chocolate Covered Anything Day.
May you be safe and protected / May you be peaceful and happy / May you be healthy and strong! May you be nourished!
This is the “missing” post, for Tuesday, December 16th. At least one embedded link will direct you to a different site. You can request an audio recording of this practice or a previous practice via a comment below or (for a slightly faster reply) you can email myra (at) ajoyfulpractice.com.
In the spirit of generosity (“dana”), the Zoom classes, recordings, and blog posts are freely given and freely received. If you are able to support these teachings, please do so as your heart moves you. (NOTE: You can donate even if you are “attending” a practice that is not designated as a “Common Ground Meditation Center” practice, or you can purchase class(es).
Donations are tax deductible; class purchases are not necessarily deductible.
Check out the “Class Schedules” calendar for upcoming classes.
“‘I wish, as well as everybody else, to be perfectly happy; but, like everybody else, it must be in my own way.’”
— Edward Ferrars in Sense and Sensibility by Jane Austen
Bring your awareness to your favorite story or your favorite kind of stories.
Have you ever noticed that certain stories resonate with you more than others?
Sometimes we are drawn to a genre, because within that genre certain subjects are revisited again and again. Consider the novels that provide commentary on class and gender roles, sense and sensibility — like the novels of Jane Austen, who was born on December 16, 1775. Now, consider science fiction novels that explore the interaction between people and technology and, also, between people who have different cultures, rituals, and traditions — like the novels of Arthur C. Clarke, who was born on December 16, 1917. Even though the details are different, in some ways the underlying premises are the same:
How do we survive this thing called life? How do we survive together?
Or, we could ask the questions another way: How can be happy? How can we balance sense & sensibility?
Note that even if I wasn’t using Jane Austen’s definitions of “sense” (as good judgment, wisdom, or prudence) and “sensibility” (as sensitivity, sympathy, or emotionality) and/or even if we phrase these questions in a different way, our answers become the “healing stories” Matthew Sanford referenced in his first autobiography.
“Healing stories guide us through good times and bad times; they can be constructive and destructive, and are often in need of change. They come together to create our own personal mythology, the system of beliefs that guide how we interpret our experience. Quite often, they bridge the silence that we carry within us and are essential to how we live.”
— quoted from “Introduction: The Mind-Body Relationship” in Waking: A Memoir of Trauma and Transcendence by Matthew Sanford
Even outside of our individual tastes in different genres and different mediums, we each tell our individual healing stories. We also have healing stories that are shared by whole communities, stories that are told to and by the whole world. Throughout the year, I share a variety of these healing stories from a plethora of individuals, communities, and cultures. This time of year, a good majority of those stories center around the idea of light overcoming darkness.
When it comes to the story of Chanukah, I often debate where/when to start the story. However, no matter where or when I start the story, I always bring up certain elements. First, there is the fact that there is more than one miracle in the story. Second, there is the fact that I see this as a story about light, faith, and perseverance. These are the elements that resonate with me on several different levels, including on a cultural level.
In recent years, and especially given recent events, there have been conversations going on around the world about stories like Chanukah. After the Monday night practice, my friend Rabbi Sandra articulated the question that’s underneath all of these conversations: What is the story we need right now?
In other words, what is the story we need in order to heal?
As best-selling author, journalist, and activist Sim Kern recently pointed out, this is not the first time people have questioned if the story of Chanukah is the story that’s needed.
“200 years after the Maccabean revolt, a bunch of rabbis were like, ‘Ewww! We don’t really act like those Maccabees anymore. And we don’t really think people should be emulating them. Maybe we should just cancel Hanukkah altogether.’
And after 200 years of arguing about this, they seem to have settled, instead, on coming up with a new story of Hanukkah. And this is the one about the oil and the lights. And it’s why we light the menorah. You know how it goes….”
— quoted from the video “Is the Hanukkah story obscene or based?” by Sim Kern
“In my life I have found two things of priceless worth – learning and loving. Nothing else – not fame, not power, not achievement for its own sake – can possible have the same lasting value. For when your life is over, if you can say ‘I have learned’ and ‘I have loved,’ you will also be able to say ‘I have been happy.”
— quoted from Rama II: The Sequel to Rendezvous with Rama by Arthur C. Clarke and Gentry Lee
Tuesday’s playlist is available on YouTube and Spotify. [Look for “Chanukah (Day 2-3) 2022”]
NOTE: The YouTube playlists contains some official videos that are not available on Spotify. Additionally, there is a mostly instrumental playlist (inspired by Jane Austen and Arthur C. Clarke & Chocolate Covered Everything Day) which is also available on YouTube and Spotify. [Look for “Chanukah (Day 2-3) 2022”]
If you are thinking about suicide, worried about a friend or loved one, or would like emotional support, you can dial 988 (in the US) or call 1-800-273-TALK (8255)for the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline. You can also call this TALK line if you are struggling with addiction or involved in an abusive relationship. The Lifeline network is free, confidential, and available to all 24/7. YOU CAN TALK ABOUT ANYTHING.
White Flag is an app, which I have not yet researched, but which may be helpful if you need peer-to-peer (non-professional) support.
“Happy Chanukah!” to all who are celebrating. Many blessings to everyone and especially to anyone observing Advent, observing the Nativity Fast / St. Philip’s Fast; and/or letting their light shine with kindness, friendship, peace, freedom, understanding, gratitude, and wisdom on Chocolate Covered Anything Day.
May you be safe and protected / May you be peaceful and happy / May you be healthy and strong! May you be nourished!
Please join me today (Tuesday, December 16th) at 12:00 PM or 7:15 PM for a yoga practice on Zoom. You can use the link from the “Class Schedules” calendar if you run into any problems checking into in the class.You can request an audio recording of this practice via a comment below or by emailing myra(at) ajoyfulpractice.com.
Tuesday’s playlist is available on YouTube and Spotify. [Look for “Chanukah (Day 2-3) 2022”]
NOTE: The YouTube playlists contains some official videos that are not available on Spotify. Additionally, there is a mostly instrumental playlist (inspired by some storytellers & Chocolate Covered Everything Day) which is also available on YouTube and Spotify. [Look for “Chanukah (Day 2-3) 2022”]
If you are thinking about suicide, worried about a friend or loved one, or would like emotional support, you can dial 988 (in the US) or call 1-800-273-TALK (8255)for the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline. You can also call this TALK line if you are struggling with addiction or involved in an abusive relationship. The Lifeline network is free, confidential, and available to all 24/7. YOU CAN TALK ABOUT ANYTHING.
White Flag is an app, which I have not yet researched, but which may be helpful if you need peer-to-peer (non-professional) support.
In the spirit of generosity (“dana”), the Zoom classes, recordings, and blog posts are freely given and freely received. If you are able to support these teachings, please do so as your heart moves you. (NOTE: You can donate even if you are “attending” a practice that is not designated as a “Common Ground Meditation Center” practice, or you can purchase class(es).
Donations are tax deductible; class purchases are not necessarily deductible.
Many blessings to everyone and especially to anyone observing Advent, the Nativity / St. Philip’s Fast, Chanukah, and/or sustaining kindness, friendship, peace, freedom, understanding, gratitude, and wisdom.
May you be safe and protected / May you be peaceful and happy / May you be healthy and strong! May you be nourished!
“Yoga is for all of us. To limit yoga to national or cultural boundaries is the denial of universal consciousness.”
— quoted from Yoga: The Path to Holistic Health by B. K. S. Iyengar
You may not think twice about how you sit or stand. However, how you sit and how you stand (on and off the mat) informs how you move through the world;, how you interact with people and how people interact with you; as well as how people perceive you and how you perceive a moment. Just as we can “cultivate a steady and stable; easy, comfortable, or joyful seat or pose” (YS 2.46) on the mat, we can work to do the same off the mat. Of course, to do this, we must keep in mind that none of this is just about the physical body and/or the mind.
The Yoga Philosophy is an 8-limbed practice that includes an ethical component, the elements of a physical practice, and an awareness of something spiritual, something energetic — something more than an individual person and their body. Even when we just focus on the asana and pranayama — the third and fourth limbs that make up hatha yoga, the physical practice of yoga (regardless of style or tradition), we cannot escape that there is something more, something deeper.
Practicing without the ethical components has the potential to create great harm — sometimes to ourselves and sometimes to others. This truth has, unfortunately, been demonstrated again and again by some of the greatest teachers and practitioners in the world. (See post excerpted below.) I would also argue that practicing without the awareness of the spiritual and energetic elements makes it easier to ignore the ethical components and, therefore, easier to create harm. (Again, see post excerpted below.)
“When we practice āsanas (“seats” or poses), a significant amount of energy and awareness goes into how we sit (or stand). This deliberation and intention allows us to pay attention to our breath (which is a symbol of our spirit and life force) and also to extend and direct our breath (and therefore our spirit and life force). In a sense, we are careful about how we stand specifically so that we can be intentional about how we use our energy. Another way to think of this is that how we move and hold our body, as well as how we breathe and pay attention to our breath, allows us to very intentionally, deliberately, and mindfully start to focus on our inner light. When we focus-concentrate-meditate on our inner light, it appears to get brighter. In fact, over time, our inner light begins to shine out into the world – but, first we have to be able to see it.”
Sometimes, we do not see the light because we are focusing on the darkness. That is a very real danger here in the United States and overseas where, even as people began celebrating light, darkness encroached. Tragic and traumatic events can lead us to even darker places and, if you find yourself being drawn into the dark, seek out some help.
Help can come from many sources. Just as light can come from many sources.
“Yoga is a light which, once lit, will never dim. The better your practice, the brighter the flame.”
— quoted from Yoga: The Path to Holistic Health by B. K. S. Iyengar
For Those Who Missed It: The following reminder and excerpt were previously posted.
“Throw the baby out with the bathwater (or more accurately das Kind mit dem Bade ausschütten) is a German proverb that dates to 1512. It was first recorded by Thomas Murner in his satire Narrenbbeschwörung (Appeal to Fools), in which he uses it as a chapter title. Murner uses the phrase several times in his chapter and the original manuscript even has a woodcut of a woman tossing a baby out with the wastewater.”
— quoted from Word Myths: Debunking Linguistic Urban Legends by David Wilton
B. K. S. Iynegar was born today in 1918, in Pune, India. Click on the excerpt title below for a related post (which includes a popular word myth).
Please join me today (Sunday, December 14th) at 2:30 PM for a yoga practice on Zoom. You can use the link from the “Class Schedules”calendar if you run into any problems checking into the class. You can request an audio recording of this practice via a comment below or (for a slightly faster reply) you can email myra(at) ajoyfulpractice.com.
Sunday’s playlist is available on YouTube and Spotify. [Look for “04192020 Noticing Things”]
NOTE: These are double playlists. You can start with Track #1, Track #11, or Track #12
If you are thinking about suicide, worried about a friend or loved one, or would like emotional support, you can dial 988 (in the US) or call 1-800-273-TALK (8255)for the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline. You can also call this TALK line if you are struggling with addiction or involved in an abusive relationship. The Lifeline network is free, confidential, and available to all 24/7. YOU CAN TALK ABOUT ANYTHING.
White Flag is an app, which I have not yet researched, but which may be helpful if you need peer-to-peer (non-professional) support.
In the spirit of generosity (“dana”), the Zoom classes, recordings, and blog posts are freely given and freely received. If you are able to support these teachings, please do so as your heart moves you. (NOTE: You can donate even if you are “attending” a practice that is not designated as a “Common Ground Meditation Center” practice, or you can purchase class(es).
Donations are tax deductible; class purchases are not necessarily deductible.
Many blessings to all and especially those observing the Feast Day of Saint Lucia, Advent, the Nativity / Saint Philip’s Fast, and/or just living in this month of Questions.
May you be safe and protected / May you be peaceful and happy / May you be healthy and strong!
“‘Remember, dear friend, that I am subtly inherent in everything, everything in the universe! I am the all-illuminating light of the sun, the light in the moon, the brilliance in the fire – all light is Mine. I am even the consciousness of light, and indeed, I am the consciousness of the entire cosmos.’”
— Krishna, speaking to Arjuna (15:12) of The Bhagavad Gita: A Walkthrough for Westerners by Jack Hawley
Today is the Feast Day of Saint Lucia (also known as Saint Lucy’s Day) in Western Christian traditions. Since different traditions around the world use different calendars, other light festivals are sometimes also celebrated on December 13th — which I joked gave us double (or triple) the light. But, that isn’t actually how this works.
CLICK ON THE EXCERPT TITLE BELOW FOR MORE.
(Note: The blog post excerpted below is year-specific.)
“O St Lucy, preserve the light of my eyes so that I may see the beauties of creation, the glow of the sun, the colour of the flowers and the smile of children.
Preserve also the eyes of my soul, the faith, through which I can know my God, understand His teachings, recognize His love for me and never miss the road that leads me to where you, St Lucy, can be found in the company of the angels and saints.”
— quoted from A Novena Prayer to St Lucy, Protector of the Eyes
Please join me for a virtual yoga practice on Zoom, today (Saturday, December 13th) at 12:00 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.
Saturday’s playlist is available on YouTube and Spotify. [Look for “12132022 Lucy’s Light”]
If you are thinking about suicide, worried about a friend or loved one, or would like emotional support, you can dial 988 (in the US) or call 1-800-273-TALK (8255)for the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline. You can also call this TALK line if you are struggling with addiction or involved in an abusive relationship. The Lifeline network is free, confidential, and available to all 24/7. YOU CAN TALK ABOUT ANYTHING.
White Flag is an app, which I have not yet researched, but which may be helpful if you need peer-to-peer (non-professional) support.
In the spirit of generosity (“dana”), the Zoom classes, recordings, and blog posts are freely given and freely received. If you are able to support these teachings, please do so as your heart moves you. (NOTE: You can donate even if you are “attending” a practice that is not designated as a “Common Ground Meditation Center” practice, or you can purchase class(es).
Donations are tax deductible; class purchases are not necessarily deductible.
Many blessings to everyone and especially to anyone sitting (& speaking) with kindness, friendship, peace, freedom, understanding, wisdom, and gratitude.
May you be safe and protected / May you be peaceful and happy / May you be healthy and strong!
This is the “missing” post, for Sunday, November 23rd.One link embedded in the text will direct you to a site outside of this blog.You can request an audio recording of this practice or a previous practice via a comment below or (for a slightly faster reply) you can email myra(at) ajoyfulpractice.com.
In the spirit of generosity (“dana”), the Zoom classes, recordings, and blog posts are freely given and freely received. If you are able to support these teachings, please do so as your heart moves you. (NOTE: You can donate even if you are “attending” a practice that is not designated as a “Common Ground Meditation Center” practice, or you can purchase class(es).
Donations are tax deductible; class purchases are not necessarily deductible.
Check out the “Class Schedules” calendar for upcoming classes.
“For many of us, filling a segment of our day with a prescribed set of disciplines is practice. This type of practice is comprised of a list of techniques and injunctions, and we undertake it because we have been told it will bring us a specific result. It is a recipe for solving a problem. As a result, the value of the practice is dependent on when and to what extent it meets our expectations. If it does not meet our expectations, we dump it without hesitation.”
— commentary on Yoga Sūtra 1.20, from The Secret of the Yoga Sutra: Samadhi Pada by Pandit Rajmani Tigunait, PhD
We could make it complicated. However, when we really get down to it, this practice is simple. It’s not always easy, but it is simple. Combine your ethics, morals, and awareness; find a comfortable (and steady) seat; and, then, sit and breathe (with awareness). That’s it really. That’s the practice. In the Yoga Sūtras, Patanjali indicated that a “[continuous] practice” (abhyasa) and “non-attachment” (vairagya) ultimately lead to mental and physical vitality, as well as freedom and liberation from suffering. (YS 1.2 – 1.4; 1.12 – 1.15; 1.29 – 1.40; 2.18)
Our physical practice of yoga (hatha yoga, regardless of the style or tradition) is the way we get our mind-body ready for deep-seated meditation. Of course, we make it a little more complicated; because we move between seats. In a vinyāsa, we “place [things] in a special way” in order to flow in and out of poses/seats. So, that’s another complication. Some of the poses and sequences can be challenging — intense even — and one of my earliest yoga teachers use to say that our “yoga practice should be the most intense part of our day.”
Funny thing about my teacher Paul B’s statement: He never indicated the type intensity. Was the practice meant to be the most intense physically, mentally, emotionally, and/or spiritually? Was it meant to be intensely vigorous or intensely relaxing? Was it all of the above?
Or, was there some other level of intensity that we were missing? Could the intensity come from our devotion?
“Love for practice comes from knowing its importance.”
“The more convinced we are about the key role of our practice in enabling us to live a purposeful and meaningful life, the more we love and respect it. Love and respect springing from a true understanding of our practice is shraddha [faith]. We are joyful at the prospect of doing our practice. The reasons for delaying or dispensing with it become meaningless. We no longer care whether our practice lowers our blood pressure or relaxes our nervous system—we do it for the simple joy of doing it. According to Vyasa, shraddha is the joy that accompanies a practice. It is more than faith—it is the thrill of realizing that we are fortunate to have a practice that helps restore the pristine nature of our mind, takes us inward, and gives us a vision of life’s purpose.”
— commentary on Yoga Sūtra 1.20, from The Secret of the Yoga Sutra: Samadhi Pada by Pandit Rajmani Tigunait, PhD
According to Yoga Sūtras 1.20 – 1.22, there are five types of effort; nine ways to practice (the overall philosophy) based on our “…intensity of feeling, vigor, and firm conviction…”; and how long it takes us to reach our goal(s) will be based on how much time, effort, and intensity we put into the practice. Swami J, in the Himalayan tradition, compares this paradigm to the race between the tortoise and the hare and has a great breakdown of the different ways to practice (which you can find here).
You may also consider, as one of my teachers (Lisa B.) once explained, that you don’t have to believe in (or understand) every aspect of the practice for those aspects to work. However, if you believe (i.e., have firm conviction), you will be more diligent about what your actions — and you may spend more time doing the things that are beneficial.
Your diligence may also serve as a reminder to practice non-attachment and remember that the challenges in our practice — such as poses and sequences we aspire to achieve — can be a distraction or obstacle to our ultimate goal.
“‘To work without desire may seem impossible, but the way to do it is to substitute thoughts of Divinity for thoughts of desire. Do your work in this world with your heart fixed on the Divine instead of on outcomes. Do not worry about results. Be even tempered in success or failure. This mental evenness is what is meant by yoga…. Indeed, equanimity is yoga!’”
— Krishna speaking to Arjuna (2.48) in The Bhagavad Gita: A Walkthrough for Westerners by Jack Hawley
The dangers of an achievement simultaneously being an impediment is reinforced in texts like the Yoga Sūtras and the Bhagavad Gita (the “Song of the Lord”), which emphasize “non-attachment” (vairagya) and “non-grasping”/“non-hording” (āparigrahā). In fact, Yoga Sūtra 3.38 explicitly states that “They are powers/achievements in the worldly state, but the are obstacles to samadhi.” Both the Yoga Sutras and the Bhagavad Gita (as noted above) instruct us to offer our efforts up (with trustful surrender) as if our very efforts are a gift to the Universe.
And, surely, that much gratitude multiplies the joy.
“‘I accept with joy whatever I am offered in true devotion: fruit or water, leaf or flower. The gift is love, the dedication of your heart. Devotion alone gains access to Divinity.’”
— Krishna speaking to Arjuna (9.26) in The Bhagavad Gita: A Walkthrough for Westerners by Jack Hawley
Throughout the Bhagavad Gita, Krishna (as an embodiment of the Divine) breaks down different yoga paths and, in doing so, highlights the fact that everything we do can be an gift/offering. I thought about this idea as I was reading The 6 Types of Working Genius: A Better Way to Understand Your Gifts, Your Frustrations, and Your Team by Patrick Lencioni, which was recommended by my yoga buddy Carl (in a discussion that included a similar book that I love). The parallels between these modern books on management and these ancient texts made me think about how often we express (or neglect to express) gratitude for the things someone else does that we’re glad we don’t have to do.
It also made me think about how often we take those things (and people) for granted — and how, in taking people (and things) for granted, we miss an opportunity to give thanks.
“And in the Gita [9.27], we read:
Whatever your action, Food or worship; Whatever the gift That you give to another; Whatever you vow To the work of the spirit:… Lay these also As offerings before Me.”
— quoted from the commentary for Yoga Sūtra 1.23 – 1.24, in How to Know God: The Yoga Aphorisms of Patanjali, translated and with commentary by Swami Prabhavananda and Christopher Isherwood
Sunday’s playlist is available on YouTube and Spotify. [Look for “09012024 Deep Listening”]
NOTE: The playlist contains John Metcalfe’s album Tree (with the remixes); however, one track has been moved. The story behind the album is beautiful. Additionally, I encourage you to deeply listen to Track #11 (which was the inspiration for the playlist and the September practice).
If you are thinking about suicide, worried about a friend or loved one, or would like emotional support, you can dial 988 (in the US) or call 1-800-273-TALK (8255)for the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline. You can also call this TALK line if you are struggling with addiction or involved in an abusive relationship. The Lifeline network is free, confidential, and available to all 24/7. YOU CAN TALK ABOUT ANYTHING.
White Flag is an app, which I have not yet researched, but which may be helpful if you need peer-to-peer (non-professional) support.
Correction (& Errata &): During the 2025 practice (& on the music post) inadvertently cited the wrong Yoga Sūtra chapter for YS 1.23-1.24. (11/23/2025)
NOTE: In anticipation of the holiday(s), I have cancelled classes on November 26th – December 3rd.
Many blessings to everyone and especially to anyone sitting (& speaking) with kindness, friendship, peace, freedom, understanding, wisdom, and gratitude.
May you be safe and protected / May you be peaceful and happy / May you be healthy and strong!
“‘I accept with joy whatever I am offered in true devotion: fruit or water, leaf or flower. The gift is love, the dedication of your heart. Devotion alone gains access to Divinity.’”
— Krishna speaking to Arjuna (9.26) in The Bhagavad Gita: A Walkthrough for Westerners by Jack Hawley
Please join me today (Sunday, November 23rd) at 2:30 PM for a yoga practice on Zoom. You can use the link from the “Class Schedules”calendar if you run into any problems checking into the class. You can request an audio recording of this practice via a comment below or (for a slightly faster reply) you can email myra(at) ajoyfulpractice.com.
Sunday’s playlist is available on YouTube and Spotify. [Look for “09012024 Deep Listening”]
NOTE: The playlist contains John Metcalfe’s album Tree (with the remixes); however, one track has been moved. The story behind the album is beautiful. Additionally, I encourage you to deeply listen to Track #11 (which was the inspiration for the playlist and the September practice).
“And in the Gita [9.27], we read:
Whatever your action, Food or worship; Whatever the gift That you give to another; Whatever you vow To the work of the spirit:… Lay these also As offerings before Me.”
— quoted from the commentary for Yoga Sūtra 1.23 – 1.24, in How to Know God: The Yoga Aphorisms of Patanjali, translated and with commentary by Swami Prabhavananda and Christopher Isherwood
If you are thinking about suicide, worried about a friend or loved one, or would like emotional support, you can dial 988 (in the US) or call 1-800-273-TALK (8255)for the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline. You can also call this TALK line if you are struggling with addiction or involved in an abusive relationship. The Lifeline network is free, confidential, and available to all 24/7. YOU CAN TALK ABOUT ANYTHING.
White Flag is an app, which I have not yet researched, but which may be helpful if you need peer-to-peer (non-professional) support.
In the spirit of generosity (“dana”), the Zoom classes, recordings, and blog posts are freely given and freely received. If you are able to support these teachings, please do so as your heart moves you. (NOTE: You can donate even if you are “attending” a practice that is not designated as a “Common Ground Meditation Center” practice, or you can purchase class(es).
Donations are tax deductible; class purchases are not necessarily deductible.
Many blessings to everyone and especially to anyone dedicated to friendship, peace, freedom, understanding, and wisdom.
May you be peaceful and happy / May you be healthy and strong!
“It is for us the living, rather, to be dedicated here to the unfinished work which they who fought here have thus far so nobly advanced.”
— quoted from “The Gettysburg Address” (from the Bancroft version*) by President Abraham Lincoln, November 19, 1863
Please join me today (Wednesday, November 19th) at 4:30 PM or 7:15 PM for a yoga practice on Zoom.You can use the link from the “Class Schedules”calendar if you run into any problems checking into the class. You can request an audio recording of this practice via a comment below or (for a slightly faster reply) you can email myra(at) ajoyfulpractice.com.
Wednesday’s playlist is available on YouTube and Spotify. [Look for “11192022 The Gettysburg Address”]
MUSIC NOTE: There are some slight differences in the playlist, mostly in the before/after practice music.
*NOTE: All five versions of the speech contain some variation of this sentence.
If you are thinking about suicide, worried about a friend or loved one, or would like emotional support, you can dial 988 (in the US) or call 1-800-273-TALK (8255)for the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline. You can also call this TALK line if you are struggling with addiction or involved in an abusive relationship. The Lifeline network is free, confidential, and available to all 24/7. YOU CAN TALK ABOUT ANYTHING.
White Flag is an app, which I have not yet researched, but which may be helpful if you need peer-to-peer (non-professional) support.
In the spirit of generosity (“dana”), the Zoom classes, recordings, and blog posts are freely given and freely received. If you are able to support these teachings, please do so as your heart moves you. (NOTE: You can donate even if you are “attending” a practice that is not designated as a “Common Ground Meditation Center” practice, or you can purchase class(es). Donations are tax deductible; class purchases are not necessarily deductible.)
Many blessings to everyone and especially to anyone cultivating friendship, peace, freedom, understanding, and wisdom.
May you be peaceful and happy / May you be healthy and strong!
“Yoga is awareness, a type of knowing. Yoga will end in awareness. Yoga is arresting the fluctuations of the mind as said in the Yoga Sutras (of Patanjali): citta vritti nirodha. When the mind is without any movement, maybe for a quarter of an hour, or even a quarter of a minute, you will realize that yoga is of the nature of infinite awareness, infinite knowing. There is no other object there.”
— Sri T. Krishnamacharya at 100, in an interview with A. G. Mohan
Sri. T. Krishnamacharya was born today in 1888. CLICK THE EXCERPT TITLE BELOW FOR MORE.
“[T. K. V.] Desikachar realized that his father felt that every action should be an act of devotion, that every asana should lead toward inner calm. Similarly, [Sri. T.] Krishnamacharya’s emphasis on the breath was meant to convey spiritual implications along with psychological benefits. According to Desikachar, Krishnamacharya described the cycle of breath as an act of surrender: ‘Inhale, and God approaches you. Hold the inhalation, and God remains with you. Exhale, and you approach God. Hold the exhalation, and surrender to God.’”
— quoted from the May/June 2001 Yoga Journal article entitled “Krishnamacharya’s Legacy” by Fernando Pagés Ruiz
Please join me today (Tuesday, November 18th) 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 in the class.You can request an audio recording of this practice via a comment below or by emailing myra(at) ajoyfulpractice.com.
Tuesday’s playlist is available on YouTube and Spotify. [Look for “07112020 An Introduction”]
If you are thinking about suicide, worried about a friend or loved one, or would like emotional support, you can dial 988 (in the US) or call 1-800-273-TALK (8255)for the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline. You can also call this TALK line if you are struggling with addiction or involved in an abusive relationship. The Lifeline network is free, confidential, and available to all 24/7. YOU CAN TALK ABOUT ANYTHING.
White Flag is an app, which I have not yet researched, but which may be helpful if you need peer-to-peer (non-professional) support.
In the spirit of generosity (“dana”), the Zoom classes, recordings, and blog posts are freely given and freely received. If you are able to support these teachings, please do so as your heart moves you. (NOTE: You can donate even if you are “attending” a practice that is not designated as a “Common Ground Meditation Center” practice, or you can purchase class(es).
Donations are tax deductible; class purchases are not necessarily deductible.
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A Joyful Practice 