“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.
“Feliĉan Zamenhof-tagon!” “Feliĉan Ĥanukoan!” “Feliĉan Feriojn!” (“Happy Zamenhof Day!” “Happy Chanukah!” “Happy Holidays!”) Many blessings to everyone and especially to anyone sustaining kindness, friendship, peace, freedom, understanding, gratitude, and wisdom during Advent and the Nativity / St. Philip’s Fast.
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-practice post for Monday, December 15th. It includes new and re-posted content. The 2025 prompt question was, “For what or for whom are you holding space?” The 2025 BONUS question was, “What is something from your culture you would like to share with others?” 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.
— Genezo – Bereishit – Genesis (1:3), quoted from La Sankta Biblio 1926 (Esperanto Londona Biblio), translated by L. L. Zamenhof1 [Most commonly translated into English as “And God said, ‘Let there be light,’ and there was light.” Transliteration of the Hebrew is “And God said, ‘Light will be,’ and light was.”]
The “bonus question” (above) came at the end of Monday night’s practice, because I think it’s a question that requires a little more thought than the few seconds I offer at the beginning of the practice. Of course, there are always questions I consider — and hope others consider — long after the practice. Some are even questions that, perhaps, we haven’t given much thought to before they are asked — like the questions about culture that have been popping up around me.
You may have also heard these conversations about culture over the last few weeks (or years) and you may or may not have noticed how little we think about culture if we are not studying it. Culture, however, is very much at the heart of story of Chanukah (which started at sunset on Sunday night this year) and Zamenhof Day (which is celebrated annually on December 15th).
“Lundo estis la unua tago kaj dua nokto de Ĥanuka — kaj mi deziras al vi pacon en Esperanto.”
— “Monday was the first day and second night of Chanukah — and I’m wishing you peace in Esperanto.”
For Those Who Missed It: The following was originally posted in 2021 and updated in 2024.
“La okulisto skribis post noktmezo. Kiam la homa gefrataro pacos? Kia mistera manko, kia lezo duonblindigas? Kiu ĝin kuracos? Kaj kion povas fari unuopa malriĉa homo por homar’ miopa?”
“The ophthalmologist wrote after midnight. When will the human brotherhood be at peace? What a mysterious lack, what an injury half blind? Who will cure it? And what can be done individually poor man for myopic humanity?”
— quoted (in Esperanto and English) from the poem “La Okulisto” (“The Ophthalmologist”) in Eroj (Items) by Marjorie Boulton
What does culture mean to you? Specifically, what does your culture mean to you? And, when I speak of “your culture,” do you think of how you identify yourself or how others identify you (even if certain things don’t apply to you)? Do you think of something specific and personal to you or something related to the dominant culture around you? Of course, it could be all of the above — because, let’s be real, most of us live bi-cultural (or multi-cultural) lives. Most of us exist in a place where cultures overlap. We move in and out of corporate and other institutional cultures — including school and religious cultures – as well as the cultures of our people and our nations or states.
But, again, what do I mean by culture?
Modern dictionaries include the following definitions (for the noun):
the arts and other manifestations of human intellectual achievement regarded collectively.
the customs, arts, social institutions, and achievements of a particular nation, people, or other social group.
the cultivation of bacteria, tissue cells, etc. in an artificial medium containing nutrients.
the cultivation of plants.
Noah Webster’s (intentionally American) 1828 dictionary focuses on the word as it’s related to agriculture and physical labor, with the second definition highlighting that it can be “The application of labor or other means to improve good qualities in, or growth; as the culture of the mind; the culture of virtue.”
So, culture could be work intended to improve what it means to be a good human. Got it. Except…it still doesn’t completely answer the question. It also doesn’t explain why “culture” seems to create so much conflict.
“La okulisto verkis kaj parolis, tradukis, organizis. Kaj la skvamoj de kelkaj okulparoj jam forfalis, la antaŭjuĝoj, timoj kaj malamoj.”
“The ophthalmologist wrote and spoke, translated, organized. And the scales [of] some eyes have already fallen off, the prejudices, fears and hatreds.”
— quoted (in Esperanto and English) from the poem “La Okulisto” (“The Ophthalmologist”) in Eroj (Items) by Marjorie Boulton
When most people think about “culture,” they think about behavior. They think about rituals, traditions, laws, expectations, and belief systems. They think about celebrations and the way people mark milestones. They think about clothes, music, and food. All the things that might seem strange to an outsider (or even an insider who has forgotten, or never learned, the underlying meanings of their customs). Focusing on that sense of strangeness can become a form avidyā (“ignorance”) that leads to suffering.
When we focus on the strangeness of something (or someone) we sometimes miss the things we have in common. When we miss our commonalities, we may all miss out on the opportunity to appreciate what makes us unique. That’s one of the reasons it’s so important to share experiences. Shared experiences can become part of our culture and part of our cultural understanding. For instance, when we break bread with people — especially people we view as (culturally) different from us — we gain some awareness and appreciation of the things we have in common. As David Chang has pointed out in his Netflix series Ugly Delicious, every culture has some kind of dumpling… stir fry… casserole (even if they call it hot dish). People from different cultures may even use similar spices, just in different ways. Or, maybe we just call the spice something different.
Which brings me to one aspect of culture that I left out: language (and how we think, based on the language we use).
Many of the world’s languages share roots. However, those shared roots are not on the mind of the average person when they encounter a language that is foreign to them. If someone doesn’t speak a certain language, they may not take the time to figure out what they can understand based on what they know about their own language. They may not consider that their brain actually has the ability to glean some meaning, based on context, because it’s been cultured (i.e., cultivated). In doing so, they may miss out on the opportunity to make a friend or clear up a misunderstanding.
“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,” in Esperanto and in English
Because it is Zamenhof-tagon (Zamenhof Day), mi deziras al vi pacon en Esperanto. (I wish you peace in Esperanto.)
Born December 15, 1859, in a part of the Russian Empire that is now Poland, Dr. L. L. Zamenhof was a Polish-Jewish ophthalmologist and polyglot. He was born into a Lithuanian-Jewish family that spoke Russian and Yiddish, but his father taught German and French — so he learned those languages, as well as Polish, at a young age. Eventually, he would also master German; have a good understanding of Latin, Hebrew, French, and Belarusian; and basic knowledge of Greek, English, Italian, Lithuanian, and Aramaic. At some point, he also studied Volapük, a constructed language created by Johann Martin Schleyer (a German Catholic priest).
The diverse population in his hometown and his love of language exposed Dr. Zamenhof to different cultures and also to the schisms (and wars) that developed between cultures. He imagined what the world would be like without conflict, especially conflict that arose from misunderstandings that he saw were the result of miscommunication. He thought that if people could more easily understand each other they would have a better chance of avoiding and/or resolving conflict. In 1873, while he was still a schoolboy, the future eye doctor started developing Esperanto, a constructed language that he called “Lingvo internacia” (“international language”).
Dr. Zamenhof continued his work even as he studied medicine and began working as a doctor. Eventually, he self-published his work (with a little help from his then future father-in-law) under the pseudonym “Doktoro Esperanto” or Doctor Hopeful. He continued to write and translate grammar books in various languages, including Esperanto, and also to look for solutions to oppression and nationalism. He explored various religions and social movements — he even wrote about humanitarianism or humanism (“homaranismo” in Esperanto), based on the teachings of Hillel the Elder. But, he kept coming back to the concept of language as a unifier.
Promoting the language and the idea behind the language would be Dr. Zamenhof’s legacy — a legacy that lived on through his wife (Klara) and their children. Even though the Zamenhof children, as adults, were killed during the Holocaust, along with millions of others, the language lived on. There are currently at least a thousand native speakers of Esperanto, worldwide, and millions who have some working knowledge of the language.
Ni ne estas tiel naivaj, kiel pensas pri ni kelkaj personoj; ni ne kredas, ke neŭtrala fundamento faros el la homoj anĝelojn; ni scias tre bone, ke la homoj malbonaj ankaŭ poste restos malbonaj; sed ni kredas, ke komunikiĝado kaj konatiĝado sur neŭtrala fundamento forigos almenaŭ la grandan amason de tiuj bestaĵoj kaj krimoj, kiuj estas kaŭzataj ne de malbona volo, sed simple de sinnekonado kaj de devigata sinaltrudado.”
“We are not as naive as some people think of us; we do not believe that a neutral foundation will make men angels; we know very well that bad people will stay bad even later; but we believe that communication and acquaintance based on a neutral basis will remove at least the great mass of those beasts and crimes which are caused not by ill will, but simply by [misunderstandings and forced coercion.]”
— quoted from a speech by Dr. L. L. Zamenhof to the Second World Congress of Esperanto, August 27, 1906
There is no playlist for the Common Ground Meditation Center practices.
An Esperanto-inspired playlist is available on YouTube and Spotify. [Look for “12152021 Feliĉan Zamenhof-tagon!”]
Esperanto music can be found in a lot of different genres, including folk music, rap, reggae, rock, rap, and orchestral music. This playlist features music by David Gaines, an American classical composer and Esperantist. He has served on the advisory board of the Esperantic Studies Foundation; is the Honorary President of the Music Esperanto League; and “won First Prize at the 1995 World Esperanto Association’s Belartaj Konkursoj (competitions in the field of Belles lettres).” His work incorporates Esperanto poetry and the quest for peace.
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: 1Dr. L. L. Zamenhof completed his translation of the Hebrew Bible (Masoretic Text) in March 1915; however, publication was delayed because of World War I and Dr. Zamenhof ’s death in 1917. Priscilla Hannah Peckover and Algerina Peckover, two English Quaker sisters, financed the publication of the 1926 (Esperanto) Londona Biblio, which combined Dr. Zamenhof’s translation of the (Christian) Old Testament with a revised version of the (Christian) New Testament, previously translated by a British team of scholars (in 1910, published in 1912).
Many blessings to everyone and especially to anyone grateful for friendship, peace, freedom, understanding, and wisdom.
May you be peaceful and happy / May you be healthy and strong!
“‘People who eat too much or too little or who sleep too much or too little will not succeed in meditation. Eat only food that does not heat up the body or excite the mind. When you balance and regulate your habits of eating, sleeping, working, and playing, then meditation dissolves sorrow and destroys mental pain.’”
— Krishna speaking to Arjuna (6.16 – 6.17) in The Bhagavad Gita: A Walkthrough for Westerners by Jack Hawley
Click on the excerpt title below for the Movember overview.
Please join me today (Sunday, Movember 16th) 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 “Movember 3rd 2020”]
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 gathering friendship, peace, freedom, understanding, and wisdom.
May you be peaceful and happy / May you be healthy and strong!
For Those Who Missed It: The following was posted in 2023/2024. Class details and links have been updated/added.
“I wish I had the voice of Homer To sing of rectal carcinoma, Which kills a lot more chaps, in fact, Than were bumped off when Troy was sacked.
Yet, thanks to modern surgeon’s skills, It can be killed before it kills Upon a scientific basis In nineteen out of twenty cases.”
— quoted from the poem “Cancer’s a funny thing” by J. B. S. Haldane
Today, Movember 5th, is a day when I typically sport a mou’ that is a cross between one associated with Guy Fawkes — because he was arrested today in 1605, making today Guy Fawkes Day — and one similar to the ones in pictures of J. B. S. Haldane (b. 1892), who died of colorectal cancer at the age of 72. For slightly different reasons, I associate both of these people with their fabulous facial hair and with the first two chakras or energetic “wheels” as they come to us from India.
The first is the root chakra (which is symbolically and energetically connected to the lower body) and then there is the sacral chakra (which is symbolically and energetically connected to the hips and lower abdominal cavity). Today’s practice features poses from a sequence recommended for the colon and highlights the feeling of being grounded/supported.
Today is also the anniversary of the birth of Sam Shepard (b. 1943), as well as the birthday of Bryan Adams OC OBC FRPS (b. 1959), and Jonny Greenwood (b. 1971) — three mostly mou-less guys (two of whom are featured on the playlist)!
“So do not wait for aches and pains To have a surgeon mend your drains;”
— quoted from the poem “Cancer’s a funny thing” by J. B. S. Haldane
Please join me today (Wednesday, Movember 5th) 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 “Movember 5th 2022”]
“A spot of laughter, I am sure, Often accelerates one’s cure; So let us patients do our bit To help the surgeons make us fit.”
— quoted from the poem “Cancer’s a funny thing” by J. B. S. Haldane
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.)
Happy Diwali and Kali Puja! Blessings, light, love, and peace to everyone, everywhere on World Osteoporosis Day!
This post-practice post for Monday, October 20th, is a compilation post featuring some quick notes and excerpts. Please note that linked excerpts direct you to posts that will include content related to a specific year and, therefore, may include references to different holidays/events. The 2025 prompt question was, “How do you let your little light shine?”You can request an audio recording of this practice or a previous practice via a comment below or (for a slightly faster reply) you can email myra(at) ajoyfulpractice.com.
In the spirit of generosity (“dana”), the Zoom classes, recordings, and blog posts are freely given and freely received. If you are able to support these teachings, please do so as your heart moves you. (NOTE: You can donate even if you are “attending” a practice that is not designated as a “Common Ground Meditation Center” practice, or you can purchase class(es).
Donations are tax deductible; class purchases are not necessarily deductible.
“The light of the eyes makes the heart happy; good news fattens the bone.”
— Mishlei — Proverbs (15:30)
Monday, October 20, 2025 was the the third day — and, for some, the biggest day — of Diwali. In some areas, this celebration is also known as Kali Puja. Since the five-day celebration of Diwali is based on a lunar calendar, it falls at a slightly different on the Gregorian calendar each year. This year, the biggest celebrations fell on the same day as World Osteoporosis Day!
Click on the excerpt title below for more about the first three days of Diwali.
According to the International Osteoporosis Foundation, “osteoporosis remains severely underdiagnosed and undertreated—especially among those who have already sustained fragility fractures. Shockingly, up to 80% of patients with osteoporotic fractures receive no follow-up diagnosis or treatment. The consequences are devastating: chronic pain, disability, loss of independence, increased risk of future fractures, and premature death. Families, healthcare systems, and economies also shoulder the heavy burden of this neglect.” The 2025 theme highlights the fact that it is unacceptable for over 500 million people, worldwide, to live with a condition that is underdiagnosed, undertreated, and preventable.
Click on the excerpt title below for more about World Osteoporosis Day and how our practice helps our bones.
“Those who practice yoga say it is life changing. Those of us who are as flexible as a piece of lumbar are not so sure. I admire yoga’s rich history, more than five thousand years old, but I run into a few mental roadblocks in understanding concepts like grounding and spinal energy. In fact, I was sitting in my slumped-over and crooked version of the lotus position during a special yoga class taught by Bruce’s mentor Matthew Sanford, when Matthew said to a student, ‘Breathe into your spine for God’s sake!’ I had no idea what that meant. The student understood though, and he made proper adjustments. What was remarkable was that both teacher and student were in wheelchairs.”
— quoted from “24. Dis Ease Yoga” in When Know How This Ends: Living while Dying by Bruce H. Kramer with Cathy Wurzer
There is no playlist for the Common Ground Meditation Center practices.
NOTE: I reference the Gāyatrī Mantra and Atharva Veda (6.8) during this practice, both of which are on the playlist available on YouTube and Spotify. [Look for “Diwali (Day 3-4) 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 (non-professional) support.
Happy Choti Diwali, Diwali, and Kali Puja! Blessings, light, love, and peace to everyone, everywhere!
For Those Who Missed It: The following is the 2024 version of a 2023 post. Date related details and links have been updated/revised.
“oṃ bhūr bhuvaḥ svaḥ
tat savitur vareṇyaṃ
bhargo devasya dhīmahi
dhiyo yo naḥ pracodayāt”
[Conscious, subconscious, unconscious mind, and every plane of existence, we meditate on the (adorable) Light, that it may inspire us, enlighten us, and remove our obstacles.]
— “Gāyatrī Mantra” from the Rig Veda (from Mandala 3.62.10)
During the darkest times of the year, people all over the world celebrate light. In each culture’s stories and traditions, light overcoming darkness is a metaphor for good overcoming evil; life overcoming death, wisdom overcoming fear; love overcoming hate; hope overcoming despair, and knowledge overcoming ignorance. Once again, the celebrations kick off with Diwali, the Indian festival of lights.
Diwali is a five-day celebration which takes its name from Deepavali, which are rows and rows of lamps. It is a lunar calendar based holiday observed throughout India, parts of Southeast Asia, and the diaspora by Hindus, Sikhs, Jains, and Newar Buddhists. Each day has different rituals and customs, which may vary between religious, cultural, and regional traditions. But, the common threads are the (clay) lamps and other great displays of light; pujas (“offerings”); feasts and sweets; epic tales of heroes and heroines prevailing; and a focus on relationships and also on wealth.
While some communities start earlier, most people’s Diwali celebrations begin with Dhanteras (October 18, 2025), a day that the Indian ministry of Ayurveda, Yoga and Naturopathy, Unani, Siddha and Homeopathy designated as “National Ayurveda Day” (in 2016). Many pujans (“offering ceremonies”) are dedicated to Lakshmi, the goddess of wealth and prosperity, fertility and abundant crops, and overall good fortunate. People also create decorations, including rangolas, which are associated with Lakshmi; clean their homes; and buy something new — usually gold, silver, clothes, and gadgets.
The second day of Diwali (which is today in 2025) is known as Choti (“little”) Diwali and, also, as Naraka Chaturdasi. Naraka is a Sanskrit word for “hell” and the day is associated with the story of Krishna defeating the asura (“demon”) Narakasura. Again, the elements of the story — as well as the rituals and traditions of the day — have symbolic significance related to the ways people live their lives and the ways their souls can be liberated from suffering (i.e., hell). Some people spend the day praying to the souls of their ancestors, sending light for their afterlife journey. In some regions (e.g., Tamil Nadu, Goa, and Karnataka), Choti Diwali is the main Diwali day. People get oil massages and take ritual baths. Some people also spend part of the day visiting their temple. For people celebrating the “little” Diwali, the second day is a day to visit friends and family and share sweets and gifts.
“Fiery-eyed Durga astride a golden lion; Saraswati resplendent in white along with her swan; a glowing Lakshmi seated on a lotus in bloom; and Kali with her frightening garland of skulls. The legends that surround them are told over and over again and soon the children know them by heart. For them, as it is for me, these beautiful lotus-eyed goddesses are not just religious icons but part of one’s family. They laugh and cry, quarrel with each other over petty things, they have fragile natures despite their powerful forms. They are often jealous, angry, greedy and plot deviously against their enemies but still they need to be loved by their devotees, Then they appear, splendid, glorious and benevolent, to dazzle us with their all-pervading light.”
— quoted from the “Introduction” to The Book of Devi by Bubul Sharma
The third day (tomorrow, October 20, 2025) is the biggest day for most: Diwali! It coincides with the darkest night of the festival and is normally marked by people getting together, feasting and celebrating. In fact, this is a time when the youngest members of the family visit their elders; businesses owners give gifts to their employees; and, instead of the fasts that are commonly associated with some Indian religious rituals, there are great feasts. Pujas are again made to Lakshmi. For some people, however, pujans are dedicated to Kali, the goddess of time and change, creation, power, war, destruction, and death. In many ways, making an offering to Kali highlights the fact that Diwali is a day of renewal, new beginnings, and starting over.
The stories in the Rāmāyaņa highlight all of the themes associated with Diwali — and the end is particularly pertinent to the third day. In the epic poem (which is part of the Mahābhārata), Rāma, his wife Sītā, and his brother Lakshmana are exiled by the brothers’ father. Their great adventure includes Sītā being kidnapped by the demon king Ravana (and rescued with help from Hanuman, the monkey king); a great battle where an entire army gets sick (and ultimately healed, thanks to Hanuman); the defeat of Ravana; and the revelation that Hanuman overcame his doubts, insecurities, and fears by focusing on the love and devotion for Lord Rama that shined (like a bright light) in his heart. Finally, after 14 years of exile, Rāma, Sītā, and Lakshmana returned home to Ayodhya — on the day that is now celebrated as Diwali. According to the legends, people lit up the city in order to guide the travelers home and also to celebrate their return. So, every year, people from all of the different religions light up their homes, businesses, and temples to commemorate this auspicious homecoming.
SIDE NOTE: As they travelled home, Sītā requested a pit stop in Kishkindha, because she wanted to enter Ayodhya with a company of women as her escorts. The request and fulfillment are conveyed in just a few lines, making up a minuscule portion of the epic poem. Normally, I would not mention this tiny passage — even though, if you think about it, it is a powerful moment when a woman who has suffered trauma and drama asks for (and receives) what she needs before facing what could be more trauma, drama, and judgement.
“The moment we begin to fear the opinions of others and hesitate to tell the truth that is in us, and from motives of policy are silent when we should speak, the divine floods of light and life no longer flow in our souls. Every truth we see is ours to give the world, not to keep to ourselves alone, for in so doing we cheat humanity out of their rights and check our own development.”
— quoted from Elizabeth Cady Stanton’s speech at the National American Woman Suffrage Association convention (and birthday celebration for Susan B. Anthony), February 18, 1890
Please join me today (Sunday, October 19th) 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 “Diwali (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.
Happy Church New Year, to those who are celebrating. Many blessings to everyone and especially to anyone responding with friendship, peace, freedom, understanding, and wisdom.
Stay safe! Hydrate and nourish your heart, body, and mind.
“If a certain stimulus has lost its influence, it can recover the latter only after a long resting that has to last several hours.
The lost action, however, can also be restored with certainty at any time by special measures.”
— quoted from the Dec. 12, 1904 Nobel Lecture “Physiology of Digestion” by Dr. Ivan Pavlov, winner of the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine
A “Habit Loop” — the connection between a trigger, behavior, and reward — can also be considered “the Pavlovian response”, which was named after Dr. Ivan Pavlov (b. 1849).
Click on the excerpt title below to discover why Dr. Pavlov might have been in the habit of celebrating his birthday today (rather than on September 26th).
Please join me today (Sunday, September 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 available on YouTube and Spotify. [Look for “09042021 Experiencing the Mind”]
If you are thinking about suicide, worried about a friend or loved one, or would like emotional support, you can dial 988 (in the US) or call 1-800-273-TALK (8255)for the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline. You can also call this TALK line if you are struggling with addiction or involved in an abusive relationship. The Lifeline network is free, confidential, and available to all 24/7. YOU CAN TALK ABOUT ANYTHING.
White Flag is a new app, which I have not yet researched, but which may be helpful if you need peer-to-peer (non-professional) support.
In the spirit of generosity (“dana”), the Zoom classes, recordings, and blog posts are freely given and freely received. If you are able to support these teachings, please do so as your heart moves you. (NOTE: You can donate even if you are “attending” a practice that is not designated as a “Common Ground Meditation Center” practice, or you can purchase class(es).
Donations are tax deductible; class purchases are not necessarily deductible.
Many blessings to everyone and especially to anyone seeking friendship, peace, freedom, understanding, and wisdom — especially when it gets hot (inside and outside).
Stay safe! Hydrate and nourish your heart, body, and mind.
“That is the final, and I think most beautiful lesson, of Howard Moskowitz: that in embracing the diversity of human beings, we will find a surer way to true happiness.”
— quoted from the 2004 Ted conference TedTalk entitled, “Choice, happiness and spaghetti sauce” by Malcolm Gladwell (b. 1963)
Please join me today (Wednesday, September 3rd) 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 “09032022 What Comes With”]
“Economists often talk about the 80/20 Principle, which is the idea that in any situation roughly 80 percent of the ‘work’ will be done by 20 percent of the participants. In most societies, 20 percent of criminals commit 80 percent of crimes. Twenty percent of motorists cause 80 percent of all accidents. Twenty percent of beer drinkers drink 80 percent of all beer. When it comes to epidemics, though, this disproportionality becomes even more extreme: a tiny percentage of people do the majority of the work.”
— quoted from the introduction of the Law of the Few in “One: The Three Laws of Epidemics” in The Tipping Point: How Little Things Can Make A Big Difference by Malcolm Gladwell
“I think a lot of people [have misunderstood] a little bit of what I was arguing and have overstated the argument in ways that I had… I had not anticipated. … And also, people have felt that that number is hard and fast and in truth it’s a kind of – it’s supposed to, it symbolizes the fact that the amount of time necessary to develop innate abilities is longer than you think. So, it’s – it’s a metaphor for the extent of commitment that’s necessary in cognitively complex fields.”
— Malcolm Gladwell talking about the 10,000 hours / 10 years idea to HeavyCheff and CliffCentral reps at BCX Disrupt Summit
Extreme heat (and a lot of changes) can not only make people lethargic and unmotivated, they can also lead to extreme agitation and anxiety-based fear. We may find it hard to think, hard to feel (or process our feelings), and/or hard to control our impulses. If you are struggling in the US, help is available just by dialing 988.
If you are thinking about suicide, worried about a friend or loved one, or would like emotional support, you can dial 988 (in the US) or call 1-800-273-TALK (8255)for the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline. You can also call this TALK line if you are struggling with addiction or involved in an abusive relationship. The Lifeline network is free, confidential, and available to all 24/7. YOU CAN TALK ABOUT ANYTHING.
White Flag is an app, which I have not yet researched, but which may be helpful if you need peer-to-peer (non-professional) support.
In the spirit of generosity (“dana”), the Zoom classes, recordings, and blog posts are freely given and freely received. If you are able to support these teachings, please do so as your heart moves you. (NOTE: You can donate even if you are “attending” a practice that is not designated as a “Common Ground Meditation Center” practice, or you can purchase class(es).
Donations are tax deductible; class purchases are not necessarily deductible.
Many blessings to everyone and especially to anyone celebrating Ivana-Kupala, saints, and/or cultivating a heart full of peace, freedom, and wisdom (inside and outside).
For Those Who Missed It: The following was originally posted today in 2024. Some links, formatting, and class details have been updated. (The 2024 weather report was deleted.) The 2025 prompt question was, “If you were going to give or receive a gift, would you prefer bread, chocolate, and/or music?”
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.
“Wie ich Dich liebe, Du meine Sonne, ich kann mit Worten Dir’s nicht sagen. Nur meine Sehnsucht kann ich Dir klagen und meine Liebe, meine Wonne!”
In which way I love you, my sunbeam, I cannot tell you with words. Only my longing, my love and my bliss can I with anguish declare.”
— German and English lyrics of a love poem (to Alma Mahler-Werfel) associated with the final movement of “Symphony No. 5” composed (and written) by Gustav Mahler (b. 07/07/1860)
Born today in 1860, the composer Gustav Mahler expressed his love for his wife Alma with poems and music, like the Adagietto (“little Adagio”) movement in “Symphony No. 5.” In a similar situation, others might give the gift of chocolate… or bread, both of which we are celebrating today.
CLICK ON THE EXCERPT TITLE BELOW FOR MORE (including a fun video).
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.
“Nowruz Mubarak!” Happy New Year to those who were celebrating! “Ramaḍān Mubarak, Blessed Ramaḍān!” to anyone observing the holy month of Ramaḍān. (Keep your eyes open!) Many blessings also to all, and especially to those who are observing Great Lent and/or Lent!
Peace, ease, equality (and equity) to all, throughout this “Season for Nonviolence” and all other seasons!
“I certainly feel that the time is not far distant when a knowledge of the principles of diet will be an essential part of one’s education. Then mankind will eat to live, be able to do better mental and physical work and disease will be less frequent.”
— Fannie Farmer (b. 03/23/1857)
Please join me for a 65-minute virtual yoga practice on Zoom today (Sunday, March 23rd) at 2:30 PM.Use the link from the “Class Schedules” calendar if you run into any problems checking into the class. You can request an audio recording of this practice via a comment below or by emailing myra(at) ajoyfulpractice.com.
Sunday’s playlist is available on YouTube and Spotify. [Look for “03232022 Fannie’s Recipe Ingredients”]
NOTE: I updated/revised the playlists after the Noon class in 2022, 2024, and again today. I couldn’t find a single version of Bob Dylan’s “Catfish” to show up on my computer when I originally pulled it up on Spotify. Clearly, my computer had a baseball problem. The 1975 “outtake” is now in the before/after of each playlist.
If you are thinking about suicide, worried about a friend or loved one, or would like emotional support, you can dial 988 (in the US) or call 1-800-273-TALK (8255)for the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline. You can also call this TALK line if you are struggling with addiction or involved in an abusive relationship. The Lifeline network is free, confidential, and available to all 24/7. YOU CAN TALK ABOUT ANYTHING.
White Flag is a new app, which I have not yet researched, but which may be helpful if you need peer-to-peer (non-professional) support.
In the spirit of generosity (“dana”), the Zoom classes, recordings, and blog posts are freely given and freely received. If you are able to support these teachings, please do so as your heart moves you. (NOTE: You can donate even if you are “attending” a practice that is not designated as a “Common Ground Meditation Center” practice, or you can purchase class(es). Donations are tax deductible; class purchases are not necessarily deductible.)
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A Joyful Practice 