How You Can Use What is “Happening” to Un-Cage Yourself (a compilation post with excerpts & a video) September 5, 2026
Posted by ajoyfulpractice in Abhyasa, Art, Books, Buddhism, Changing Perspectives, Healing Stories, Health, Hope, Japa, Japa-Ajapa, Life, Meditation, Music, One Hoop, Philosophy, Religion, Science, Vairagya, Vipassana, Wisdom, Writing, Yoga.Tags: 8 Limbs of Yoga Philosophy, 988, Abhyasa, Allan Kaprow, Art, Bhagavad Gita, dance, elephants, Happening, I Ching, Japa-Ajapa, John Cage, kriyā yoga, La Monte Young, Merce Cunningham, music, Philosophy, Richard Kostelanetz, samskaras, samskāras, silence, tapas, Vairagya, vasana, vāsanā, Walt Whitman, Writing, yoga, Yoga Sutra 2.1, Zen Buddhism
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Many blessings to everyone and especially to anyone observing Apodosis of the Dormition; offering prayers for forgiveness on Leil Selichot; and/or awakening friendship, peace, freedom, understanding, and wisdom — especially when it gets hot (inside and outside).
May you be safe, protected, and appreciated.
“The past is not fact. The past is simply a big field that had a great deal of activity in it. I asked a historian once, ‘How do you write history?’ and he said, ‘Oh, you have to invent it.’ Well, the way we invent history is by doing what we do; and the more we do, the more we look into the past to see if there is anything that is like what we are doing. If there is, we get interested; and if there isn’t, we don’t.”
— quoted from “Three: His Own Music (to 1970)” in Conversing with Cage by Richard Kostelanetz
What we are doing right here, right now, in this present moment, is based on our past moments and our past experiences. What we do next is based on those past moments and experiences as well as whatever we do (are doing) in this present moment. It seems really obvious, right? And, yet, if we are not mindful, intentional, and deliberate, we will continue doing the same things over and over again — even when those things no longer serve us (or we realize they never served us). Even when they are the same mistakes and/or the same bad behavior, over and over again.
Change requires discipline. Tapas (“heat, discipline, austerity” and the practices that cultivate them) is such an important part of the Yoga Philosophy it is one of the niyamas (internal “observations”) and the first element in kriyā yoga (“union in action”). (YS 2.1) It is described in the Bhagavad Gita as a purification tool and defined as “‘to melt’, as in refining ore.” (BG 17.14)
Tapas is a part of the practice that requires repetition.
“And this repetition of the exercises, which resemble print more than electronics, which resemble classing dancing more than Happenings, is nevertheless physically necessary if [Merce Cunningham] is to dance at all. I think this is his principal problem at the present moment. Were he to give up the daily class, all the dancing, as he has lived to do it, it would become impossible, because the things that are done are athletic in character and are not possible unless you maintain a daily discipline in the same sense that one cannot high jump unless the body is physically disciplined.”
— quoted from “Nine: Dance” in Conversing with Cage by Richard Kostelanetz
Because of the discipline involved, a yoga practice has a lot in common with dance (and other athletic endeavors). Yet, a yoga class can also haves a lot in common with a “Happening”: a performance or art event that may be lightly scripted, but/and is ultimately a collaboration between the performers, the audience, the time, and the place. The term (“happening”) is attributed to Allan Kaprow, who studied with John Cage.
Born today in 1912, John Cage played around with musical happenings in the 1950s, while also studying Buddhism and collaborating with his partner Merce Cunningham, the choreographer. He also experimented with prepared instruments and explored silence and chance, while grappling with his ever-evolving feelings about repetition (particularly in music).
“[The composer La Monte Young] is able either through the repetition of a single sound or through the continued performance of a single sound for a period like twenty minutes, to bring it about that after, say, five minutes, I discover what I have all along been thinking was the same thing is not the same thing after all, but full of variety. I find his work remarkable almost in the same sense that the change in experience of seeing is when you look through a microscope. You see that there is something other than what you thought there was.”
— quoted from “Ten: Successors” in Conversing with Cage by Richard Kostelanetz
In some ways, our yoga practice is like a lab or a microscope, giving us the opportunity to “see things [like our habits] in a special way”.
Ancient and modern sciences agree that if we repeatedly do something enough times, we will continue to do that thing. In other words, it will become a habit. It doesn’t matter if we look at this paradigm through the lens of modern science (which focuses on how neural pathways are formed and hardwired) or if we think of it through the lens of ancient sciences like Yoga and Āyurveda (which highlight samskara [a “mental impression”] and vasana [a literal “dwelling” place of our habits]). Do something enough and doing it begins to feel instinctual. This is true whether we consider the behavior good, bad, or neutral.
Regardless of the value we place on a behavior, most of the things we are in the habit of doing are things that we may not have intentionally set out to do. The Yoga Philosophy, however, encourages us to cultivate the habit of cultivating habits. Abhyasa is the “[continuous and deliberate] practice, [engaged with sincere devotion]”. Paired with vairagya (“non-attachment”), abhyasa is a mindful, intentional, and deliberate way of creating habits that serve you — on and off the mat. (YS. 1.12-1.14) This practice highlights the fact that, although we may find ourselves trapped in habitual behaviors, we forget (or never learned) that we can change our habits.
We just have to do the new thing again and again… and again.
“If something is boring after 2 minutes, try it for 4. If still boring, then 8. Then 16. Then 38. Eventually one discovers that it is not boring at all.”
— John Cage
CLICK ON THE EXCERPT TITLES BELOW FOR MORE.
First Friday Night Special #59 — Invitation for “How to Get Out of Your Cage” (with excerpt & video)
“Get yourself out of whatever cage you find yourself.”
— John Cage
Please join me today (Saturday, September 5th) at 12:00 PM for a yoga practice on Zoom. You can use the link from the “Class Schedules” calendar if you run into any problems checking into the class. You can request an audio recording of this practice via a comment below or by emailing myra (at) ajoyfulpractice.com.
Saturday’s playlist is available on YouTube and Spotify. [Look for “09052020 The Cagey Truth About Nothing”]
FAIR WARNING: The volume on these tracks is quite dynamic, especially on the Spotify list. I love this music, however, I know some folks hate it; so, feel free to “randomly” pick another list or…practice in “silence.”
If you are interested in John Cage, and need something a little less dynamic, another playlist is also available on YouTube and Spotify. [Look for “09052025 How to Get Out of Your Cage”]
Pure Cage
Extreme heat (and a lot of changes) can not only make people lethargic and unmotivated, it 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 researched, but which may be helpful if you need peer-to-peer (non-professional) support.
If you are a young person in crisis, feeling suicidal, or need a safe and judgement-free place to talk, you can also click here to contact the TrevorLifeline (which is staffed 24/7 with trained counselors).
In the spirit of generosity (“dana”), the Zoom classes, recordings, and blog posts are freely given and freely received. If you are able to support these teachings, please do so as your heart moves you. (NOTE: You can donate even if you are “attending” a practice that is not designated as a “Common Ground Meditation Center” practice, or you can purchase class(es).
Donations are tax deductible; class purchases are not necessarily deductible.
Check out the “Class Schedules” calendar for upcoming classes.
You’re Invited to Bend… & To Take The Deepest Breath You’ve Taken — On Retreat!
September 25 — 27, 2026
LIMITED SPACE FOR HOTEL DISCOUNTS!
### LIVE UNCAGED ###
Weather, “weathering,” and weathering the storm [in 2026] August 29, 2026
Posted by ajoyfulpractice in Books, Changing Perspectives, Healing Stories, Health, Hope, Life, Music, One Hoop, Philosophy, Science, Suffering, Tragedy, Wisdom, Yoga.Tags: 988, Aline Geronimus, Dave Davies, derecho, Eddie Melton, Gary Indiana, Happiness, Hurricane Andrew, Hurricane Franklin, Hurricane Harvey, Hurricane Ida, Hurricane Idalia, Hurricane Katrina, Hurricane Maria, J. R. R. Tolkien, Jenae Barnes, Resilience, weathering
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Be prepared. Be hydrated. Be kind.
“Blackouts follow plenty of storms, and at a press conference eight days after the storm hit, Gary Mayor Eddie Melton described the ongoing blackout as a situation for ‘not just Gary’ but also all of northwest Indiana. However, as the days of darkness stretched on, and the power started going back in other parts of the region—first Dyer and East Chicago, then Hobart and Merrillville—the initial inconvenience of a Tuesday, a Wednesday, then a Thursday, then a Friday without power started to become a crisis in Gary.”
— quoted from The Atlantic article entitled “The Lights Are Back On in Gary, Indiana: A long two weeks after a derecho blew through, most of the city finally has power.” by Jenae Barnes
It’s that time of year, again, Hurricane Season. Today is the anniversary of some of the most destructive and deadliest hurricanes making landfall in 2005 (Katrina, Category 5); 2017 (Harvey, Category 4, on its fifth landfall); and 2021 (Ida, Category 4). Not to mention Hurricane Andrew (Category 5), which dissipated today in 1992, and Hurricane Maria, Category 5, which hit Puerto Rico in 2017. Then there was Hurricane Franklin (Category 4), which was wrecking havoc in Bermuda today in 2023, and Hurricane Idalia (which weakened from Category 4 to Category 3, as it made landfall on the Gulf Coast in 2023).
This year, as was the case in 2024 and 2025, those of us who live around the Gulf of Mexico are experiencing a momentary pause. We are not currently “battening down the hatches”; but, we still have the infrastructure (including the knowledge and experience) to do so. We also still have the memories of being without power for multiple days or weeks on end (and dealing with the uncertainty of that) — as people have been dealing with in Puerto Rico, Cuba, and (now) Gary, Indiana.
You might think Cuba is the outlier in that last list, because it is not part of the United States (and because their power issues are connected to sanctions more than weather). You might think of Gary, Indiana as the outlier because it is not an island (and their power issues occurred after a derecho,1 which is also becoming common in the Gulf Coast). However, the truth is that there are no outliers when we are all dealing with the same “dragons”.
For Those Who Missed It: The following is a slightly revised and updated version of a previous post. Class details, a quote, and some formatting have been added/updated.
“[Public health researcher Arline Geronimus from the University of Michigan] coined a term for this chronic stress — she calls it ‘weathering,’ which, she says, ‘literally wears down your heart, your arteries, your neuroendocrine systems, … all your body systems so that in effect, you become chronologically old at a young age.’ She writes about the phenomenon in her new book, Weathering: The Extraordinary Stress of Ordinary Life in an Unjust Society.”
— quoted from the NPR: Fresh Air segment entitled “How poverty and racism ‘weather’ the body, accelerating aging and disease” by Dave Davies
Sometimes, today is a day when I highlight the emotions that come up with the storms, like anger, anxiety, feelings of uncertainty, and fear. I typically highlight the idea that we must prepare for “dragons” if we live near them and consider what we can do (for others) if we are having a “dragon-free” moment. And, while all of those things will come up today, this year’s practice also references something that is always on my mind when I think about Hurricane Katrina: resilience.
Just like there is a difference between the weather (short-term changes in the atmosphere) and the climate (atmospheric changes over decades), there is a difference between ‘weathering’ and weathering the storm. The latter is about how we recover from temporary setbacks, stress, and single moments of trauma. The former, however, is about what happens when someone experiences chronic stress without periods of relief and recovery. As much as we need to prepare for dragons and as much as we need to be there for each other, we also need to consider how natural disasters (not to mention man-made disasters) affect our ability to withstand trauma – and what we can do to weather the storm.
“Weathering afflicts human bodies—all the way down to the cellular level—as they grow, develop, and age in a racist, classist society. Weathering is not measured in number of steps walked, cigarettes smoked, opioids used, alcohol drunk, or calories eaten. It’s not primarily measured by your years of education, the size of your paycheck, or your bank balance. It’s not essentially about emotional despair, either. Weathering is about hopeful, hardworking, responsible, skilled, and resilient people dying from the physical toil of constant stress on their bodies, paying with their health because they live in a rigged, degrading, and exploitative system.”
— quoted from the “Introduction” to Weathering: The Extraordinary Stress of Ordinary Life in an Unjust Society by Arline T. Geronimus
Please join me today (Saturday, August 29th) at 12:00 PM for a yoga practice on Zoom. You can use the link from the “Class Schedules” calendar if you run into any problems checking into the class. You can request an audio recording of this practice via a comment below or by emailing myra (at) ajoyfulpractice.com.
Saturday’s playlist is available on YouTube and Spotify. [Look for “08292020 Katrina, Harvey…”]
“‘It’s not that every Black person has more damage than every white person,’ [Geronimus] says. ‘It’s really about how much stress versus social support you get in your everyday life.’”
— quoted from the NPR: Fresh Air segment entitled “How poverty and racism ‘weather’ the body, accelerating aging and disease” by Dave Davies
Extreme heat can not only make people lethargic and unmotivated, it 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 researched, but which may be helpful if you need peer-to-peer (non-professional) support.
If you are a young person in crisis, feeling suicidal, or need a safe and judgement-free place to talk, you can also click here to contact the TrevorLifeline (which is staffed 24/7 with trained counselors).
In the spirit of generosity (“dana”), the Zoom classes, recordings, and blog posts are freely given and freely received. If you are able to support these teachings, please do so as your heart moves you. (NOTE: You can donate even if you are “attending” a practice that is not designated as a “Common Ground Meditation Center” practice, or you can purchase class(es).
Donations are tax deductible; class purchases are not necessarily deductible.
Check out the “Class Schedules” calendar for upcoming classes.
You’re Invited to Bend… & To Take The Deepest Breath You’ve Taken — On Retreat!
September 25 — 27, 2026
LIMITED SPACE FOR HOTEL DISCOUNTS!
NOTE: 1“Derecho” is a Spanish word (masculine form) that can be translated into English as “right, straight, or direct”. In meteorology, it is a type of straight-line wind storm that causes hurricane-force winds, heavy rains, and flash floods.
### TAKE AN AX OR A HAMMER IF YOU GO TO THE ROOF. ###
roj vay’ potlh ngIq (“Peace is an important part of the process”) [the “missing” Wednesday post] August 19, 2026
Posted by ajoyfulpractice in "Impossible" People, Art, Books, Changing Perspectives, Depression, Healing Stories, Health, Hope, Life, Love, Movies, One Hoop, Peace, Philosophy, Poetry, Science, TV, Wisdom, Women, Writing, Yoga.Tags: 988, Alexander Courage, American Sign Language, ASL, BSL British Sign Language, Dorothy Miles, Dot Miles, Gene Roddenberry, Google Doodle, Howie Seago, Jonathan Frakes, klesha, Klingon, klishtaklishta, klişţāklişţāh, Leo Damian, Marnie Mosiman, music, Passion/Warrior, peace, Philo T. Farnsworth, Riva, Scholar/Dreamer/Artist, Science Fiction, sign language, sign languages, Star Trek, Television, Thomas Oglesby, universal translator, William T. Riker, Woman/That Which Binds Them, Writing, yoga philosophy, Yoga Sutra 1.5, Yoga Sutras 1.30-1.32, Yoga Sutras 2.2-2.11, Youmee Lee
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Many blessings to everyone and especially to anyone observing the Second “Feast of the Saviour” (in August) and/or exploring friendship, peace, freedom, and wisdom — especially when it gets hot (inside and outside).
Stay hydrated & be kind, y’all!
Pardon me, while I catch up!
This “missing” (and backdated) compilation post for Wednesday, August 19th, includes new and re-purposed content, an extra poem, a previously posted video, and a series of excerpts. You can request an audio recording of this practice via a comment below or (for a slightly faster reply) you can email myra (at) ajoyfulpractice.com.
In the spirit of generosity (“dana”), the Zoom classes, recordings, and blog posts are freely given and freely received. If you are able to support these teachings, please do so as your heart moves you. (NOTE: You can donate even if you are “attending” a practice that is not designated as a “Common Ground Meditation Center” practice, or you can purchase class(es).
Donations are tax deductible; class purchases are not necessarily deductible.
Check out the “Class Schedules” calendar for upcoming classes.
“RIKER: So none of the background which we have provided would be helpful in understanding why they continue to fight?
SCHOLAR: The portfolio will indicate that the conflict is over a piece of land, or wealth, or some other tangible asset. But we both know that is not the case.
RIKER: They’ve been at war for so long, it has become personal.
SCHOLAR: Exactly. The basis for peace must also be personal….”
— quoted from Star Trek Deep: Next Generation, “Loud as a Whisper” – (season 2, episode 5, aired January 9, 1989), conversation between First Officer William T. Riker (played by Jonathan Frakes), Riva (played by Howie Seago), and the Chorus (played by Thomas Oglesby as Scholar/Dreamer/Artist, Marnie Mosiman as Woman/That Which Binds Them, and Leo Damian as Passion/Warrior)
Understatement of the Day: There is a lot of conflict in the world.
Most of the conflict in the world is not new. We may point to something that happened yesterday or two weeks ago or two years ago or six (or ten or twenty) years ago as being the beginning of the conflict. However, more often than not, the roots of the conflict go much deeper than whatever we can point to at this moment. I think this is true about global conflicts, as well as about individual conflicts — and this idea is highlighted in the Yoga Sūtras.
According to the Yoga Sūtras (1.5; 1.30-1.32; 2.2-2.11), everything we think — and, therefore, everything we say and do — is a seed that can be described as klişțāklişțāh (“afflicting/dysfunctional or non-afflicting/functional”). (That which is klesha (an “affliction”) grows into suffering. Every seed (regardless of how it is colored) can be dormant, attenuated/weakened, intercepted, or fully activated/rooted through our actions. Part of the practice is about being very mindful of what we “plant” in the world and very deliberate and intentional about what we uproot versus what we nurture. One of the ways we do this is by practicing peace.
“Shanti Shanti Shanthi Om”
“Peace [within us], Peace [all around us], Peace [to and from everything and every one we encounter] With our conscious, subconscious, and unconscious mind and on every plane of existence.”
— Sanskrit and English, quoted from the end of the shantipats
There are, without a doubt, a lot of pithy, poignant, and even meaningful quotes about peace. However, again and again, I come back to a reminder found at the end of every shantipat. The importance of peace is emphasized by the fact that the word shanti (“peace”) is repeated three times.
That final “peace” is drawn out and can be translated as an emphatic “Peace, because I said so!” or “Peace, because I demand it!” However, more often than not, I translate the three repetitions as, “Peace within us, peace all around us, peace to and from everything and everyone we encounter.” Then, I tack on a little reminder: “Peace, like [insert quality of the day] begins within.”
In other words, peace is personal and [finding your personal] “roj vay’ potlh ngIq (peace is an important part of the process).”
Since our experiences are different, the details of our conflicts are difference. So, if we want peace, we have figure out “qaStaH nuq jay (What the bleep is happening?)” and the best way to communicate with ourselves and others [i.e., “Holchaj yIjatlh. (Speak in their language).”]
August 19th is the anniversary of the birth of three people who changed how we consume media and what media we consume.
Click on the excerpt titles below for the 2020 post and the 2023 note related to Philo T. Farnsworth (b. 1906) and Gene Roddenberry (1921), and the related 2025 post that connects their television innovations to the work of Dorothy “Dot” Miles (b. 1931).
“…people meet and part.
The word becomes the action in this language of the heart.”
— quoted from the English translation of the poem “Language for the Eye” by Dorothy Miles
“I gave a lot of thought this year to my own Christmas list
I think these should be given to all, and no-one should be missed;
The first and most important is that we should learn to Love…
Ourselves — and then each other as we will in ‘heaven above’.
And after that Intelligence., growing like a seed;
And then a little Discipline, a scolding when we need!
And last of all, when all these are working as they should.
The right amount of Humour to make life good.”
— quoted from the English translation of the poem “Christmas List” by Dorothy Miles
Wednesday’s “Courage filled” playlist is available on YouTube and Spotify. [Look for “08192020 To Boldly Go with Courage”]
Playlist Note: The YouTube playlist includes an interview with Gene Roddenberry and the Dorothy Miles poem “Language for the Eye” (which is also below).
Extreme heat can not only make people lethargic and unmotivated, it 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 researched, but which may be helpful if you need peer-to-peer (non-professional) support.
If you are a young person in crisis, feeling suicidal, or need a safe and judgement-free place to talk, you can also click here to contact the TrevorLifeline (which is staffed 24/7 with trained counselors).
You’re Invited to Bend… & To Take The Deepest Breath You’ve Taken — On Retreat!
September 25 — 27, 2026
### roj ###
FTWMI (repost): Saying Yes to Life and to the “Impossible” & EXCERPT: “The Powerful Possibilities That Come From ‘A Brother’s Love’” (w/practice video) August 2, 2026
Posted by ajoyfulpractice in "Impossible" People, Art, Books, Changing Perspectives, Dharma, Faith, Healing Stories, Hope, James Baldwin, Life, Loss, Love, One Hoop, Pain, Peace, Philosophy, Suffering, Traditional Chinese Medicine, Wisdom, Writing, Yin Yoga, Yoga.Tags: 988, Aimee Lehto, Allan Warren, America, Beau Lotto, being present, Boyd Croyner, Civil Rights, courage, Emily Dickinson, Health, inspiration, James Baldwin, Maya Angelou, meditation, Mindfulness, PRIDE, Richard Avedon, samskāras, truth, vasanas, wellness, yoga
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Many blessings to everyone and especially to anyone cultivating peace, freedom, and wisdom — especially when it gets hot (inside and outside). Stay hydrated, y’all!
For Those Who Missed It: The following was originally posted in 2024 (as the invitation to First Friday Night Special #46) and reposted in 2025 with the practice video below and a picture (visible to those on WordPress).
Class details, plus some links and formatting, have been added/updated.
“The light that’s in your eyes / reminds me of the skies / that shine above us every day—so wrote a contemporary lover, out of God knows what agony, what hope, and what despair. But he saw the light in the eyes, which is the only light there is in the world, and honored it and trusted it; and will always be able to find it; since it is always there, waiting to be found. One discovers the light in darkness, that is what darkness is for; but everything in our lives depends on how we bear the light. It is necessary, while in darkness, to know that there is a light somewhere, to know that in oneself, waiting to be found, there is a light. What the light reveals is danger, and what it demands is faith.”
“What a journey this life is! dependent, entirely, on things unseen.”
— quoted from the essay “Nothing Personal” by James Baldwin (b. 1924), original published as part of a collaboration with Richard Avedon
Born today in Harlem, New York, in 1924, the author James Baldwin was — by his own words (see excerpt below) — an impossible person. He was someone who said yes to life and yes to the light inside of himself. He was someone, as Maya Angelou pointed out, who lived with his whole heart and encouraged others to do the same.
To live with one’s whole heart is the original meaning of “courage,” a word James Baldwin put in the same category as words like “artist,” “integrity,” “nobility,” “peace,” and “integration.” Words that, he said (in the speech “The Artist’s Struggle for Integrity”), “[depend] on choices one has got to make, for ever and ever and ever, every day.”
Of course, to make those choices wisely, we need to have some semblance of balance — especially as it relates to the heart.
Click on the excerpt title below for more.
FTWMI: The Powerful Possibilities That Come From “A Brother’s Love”
“I have slept on rooftops and in basements and subways, have been cold and hungry all my life; have felt that no fire would ever warm me, and no arms would ever hold me. I have been, as the song says, ‘buked and scorned and I know that I always will be. But, my God, in that darkness, which was the lot of my ancestors and my own state, what a mighty fire burned! In that darkness of rape and degradation, that fine flying froth and mist of blood, through all that terror and in all that helplessness, a living soul moved and refused to die. We really emptied oceans with a home-made spoon and tore down mountains with our hands. And if love was in Hong Kong, we learned how to swim.
It is a mighty heritage, it is the human heritage, and it is all there is to trust. And I learned this through descending, as it were, into the eyes of my father and my mother. I wondered, when I was little, how they bore it—for I knew that they had much to bear. It had not yet occurred to me that I also would have much to bear; but they knew it, and the unimaginable rigors of their journey helped them to prepare me for mine. This is why one must say Yes to life and embrace it wherever it is found—and it is found in terrible places; nevertheless, there it is; and if the father can say, Yes. Lord, the child can learn that most difficult of words, Amen.”
— quoted from the essay “Nothing Personal” by James Baldwin (b. 1924), original published as part of a collaboration with Richard Avedon
Please join me today (Sunday, August 2nd) 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 “Langston’s Theme for Jimmy 2022”]
Can I interest you in James Baldwin & a little Yin Yoga!
The Yin Yoga playlist is also available on YouTube and Spotify. [Look for “08022024 A Brother’s Love”]
NOTE: The tracks on the Yin Yoga playlist are slightly different in length and duration, depending on the platform. Start with track 1, 8, or 10.
Extreme heat can not only make people lethargic and unmotivated, it 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 researched, but which may be helpful if you need peer-to-peer (non-professional) support.
If you are a young person in crisis, feeling suicidal, or need a safe and judgement-free place to talk, you can also click here to contact the TrevorLifeline (which is staffed 24/7 with trained counselors).
In the spirit of generosity (“dana”), the Zoom classes, recordings, and blog posts are freely given and freely received. If you are able to support these teachings, please do so as your heart moves you. (NOTE: You can donate even if you are “attending” a practice that is not designated as a “Common Ground Meditation Center” practice, or you can purchase class(es).
Donations are tax deductible; class purchases are not necessarily deductible.
Check out the “Class Schedules” calendar for upcoming classes.
You’re Invited to Bend… & To Take The Deepest Breath You’ve Taken — On Retreat!
September 25 — 27, 2026
### MORE LOVE ###
FTWMI: Riddles & Excerpts (the post-practice Monday post) July 27, 2026
Posted by ajoyfulpractice in Books, Changing Perspectives, Faith, Fitness, Healing Stories, Health, Hope, Life, Meditation, Men, Music, Mysticism, One Hoop, Peace, Philosophy, Religion, Science, Wisdom, Yoga.Tags: 988, dreams, Finland, mental health, National Sleepy Head Day, Seven Sleepers, sleep, sleeping, Sūrah Al-Kahf, Yoga Sutra 1.10, Yoga Sutra 1.38, Yoga Sutra 2.20
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Many blessings to everyone and especially to the “sleepyheads” and anyone dreaming of and working for peace, freedom, and wisdom — especially when it gets hot (inside and outside).
Stay hydrated, y’all!
For Those Who Missed It: This (backdated) post-practice post for Monday, July 27th, was originally posted in 2025. Some formatting, links, and a date-related edit have been added/updated. The 2026 prompt question was, “Do you remember your dreams and, if you do, do you pay attention to your dreams?” You can request an audio recording of these practices 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.
“Until today, we still read about the story of these young men. These young men weren’t prophets of Allah. They weren’t messengers of Allah. They didn’t receive revelation. No angels came to them with an army. These were a group of young men, simply by the strength of their [faith in the six articles of faith] and [God-consciousness] Allah [glorified and exalted be He] gave them an amazing miracle.”
— commentary on Sūrah Al-Kahf (19:9 – 26) quoted from “The People of the Cave”
Here’s a riddle that comes in the form of a series of questions:
- What do some people (myself included) love to do in the wee hours of the morning, but not so much at night?
- What do most Americans lack in good amounts?
- What do humans need to survive (and, truthfully, to do anything)?
The answer(s): Sleep. Sleep. Sleep.
Sleeping — or resting, in general — is connected to our parasympathetic nervous system and is an active part of how we digest anything we consume (including media). This is also connected to our ability to create; manage stress; and recover from illness, trauma, and/or overexertion. There are physiological changes that happen (in the body and the mind) that primarily happen while we sleep. Finally, when we sleep, we might dream — and, according to the Yoga Sūtras, there are benefits to focusing on our dreams.
Yet, sleeping (and being a “sleepyhead”) often get a bad rap — unless you are in Finland on February 27th (which is National Sleepy Head Day).
CLICK ON THE EXCERPT TITLES BELOW FOR MORE.
Yoga Sūtra 1.10: abhāvapratyayālambanā tamovrittirnidrā
— “[Deep or dreamless] Sleep is the mental activity based on the absence of other mental content.”
Yoga Sūtra 1.38: svapna nidrā jñānālambanaṁ
— “Or by meditating on the knowledge gained from dreams and sleep, one acquires stability of mind.”
There is no playlist for the Common Ground Meditation Center practices.
Extreme heat can not only make people lethargic and unmotivated, it 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 researched, but which may be helpful if you need peer-to-peer (non-professional) support.
If you are a young person in crisis, feeling suicidal, or need a safe and judgement-free place to talk, you can also click here to contact the TrevorLifeline (which is staffed 24/7 with trained counselors).
You’re Invited to Bend… & To Take The Deepest Breath You’ve Taken — On Retreat!
September 25 — 27, 2026
### ARE YOU SLEEPING (ENOUGH)? ###
Believe More Like the Birds & Trees (the “missing” Saturday post) July 25, 2026
Posted by ajoyfulpractice in Books, Changing Perspectives, Faith, Healing Stories, Health, Hope, Life, Mysticism, One Hoop, Peace, Philosophy, Science, Traditional Chinese Medicine, Wisdom, Yoga.Tags: "Major Heat", 988, Abbie Betinis, artha, avidya, avidyā, Ayurveda, Beau Lotto, Believing, chakras, darshan, Dà shǔ, Efrem Korngold L.A.c. O.M.D., Elyse Meyers, gravity, Harriet Beinfield L.Ac., ida nadi, ignorance, LG, marma, Matthew Carden, medicine, nadis, neural pathways, neuralplasticity, neuroscience, Pandit Rajmani Tigunait, Paul Grilley, pingala nadi, samskaras, samskāras, Sarah Powers, sushumna nadi, vasana, Victor Hugo, vidya, yoga, yoga philosophy, Yoga Sutras 2.3-2.9, 大暑
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Stay hydrated, y’all, and “may our hearts be open!”
This is the “missing” (and backdated) compilation post (with excerpts) for Saturday, July 25th. My apologies to KJ and anyone else I left off the music email. You can request an audio recording of this practice via a comment below or (for a slightly faster reply) you can email myra (at) ajoyfulpractice.com.
In the spirit of generosity (“dana”), the Zoom classes, recordings, and blog posts are freely given and freely received. If you are able to support these teachings, please do so as your heart moves you. (NOTE: You can donate even if you are “attending” a practice that is not designated as a “Common Ground Meditation Center” practice, or you can purchase class(es).
Donations are tax deductible; class purchases are not necessarily deductible.
Check out the “Class Schedules” calendar for upcoming classes.
“We don’t see reality – we only see what was useful to see in the past. But the nature of the brain’s delusional past is this: The past that determines how you see isn’t just constituted by your lived perceptions but by your imagined ones as well. As such, you can influence what you see in the future just by thinking.”
— quoted from “Chapter 5. The Frog Who Dreamed of Being a Prince” in Deviate: The Science of Seeing Differently by Beau Lotto
Do you ever think about how your beliefs inform what you feel, think, say, and do? Here, I’m not only talking about social norms and the idea/belief that there are times when it is appropriate or not appropriate to do certain things. Neither am I only talking about the idea/belief that the way we think/believe can lead to suffering and/or the alleviation of suffering. No, here, I am talking about all of that as well as the fact that we have limiting beliefs that can hinder us, as well as (what we can call) “possibility beliefs” that make the “impossible” possible.
Neuroscientists, like Dr. Beau Lotto, talk about our “space of possibility.”, which is based on our previous experiences and includes our habits and habitual thinking. What we experience in a past moment, informs what and how we experience the present moment; which, in turn, informs our future moments. And, all of this creates a set of beliefs about what we can and/or cannot do.
When we desire a certain outcome and we believe that outcome is possible, we do what we need to do — take the steps we need to take (even when they seem like giant leaps to others) — until we achieve the desired outcome. Even when we experience setbacks and obstacles, we find a way, because we believe in what we are doing. We don’t give up easily, or at all. On the flip side, if we do not believe in something — even a little bit — we don’t even get started. If we believe a little bit, maybe we start an endeavor; but, as soon as we hit a road block, we give up and turn around. This connection between what we believe and what we feel, think, say, and do is why it is important to examine our beliefs every now and again. It is also why it is important, every now and again, to change our inner dialogue.
A key element to this paradigm is the fact that can believe things are true when they are not true and believe things are not true when they are actually true. This is defined in the Yoga Sūtras as avidyā (“ignorance” or “nescience”). Avidyā is the first dysfunctional/afflicted thought pattern that leads to suffering and the bedrock of the other four dysfunctional/afflicted thought patterns. (YS 2.3-2.9) It is the opposite of vidyā (“correct knowledge”).1 One of the interesting things to note when we are dealing with avidyā and our beliefs is that not believing in something doesn’t mean we won’t be affected by the Truth. At the same time, believing in something that is not true can affect our experience with reality.
“A yogi whose afflictions are attenuated can clearly see their presence in their subtle form in her mind. She can also see that they have the potential to induce the mind and senses to conform to their demands. But through sadhana, the yogi has developed the capacity to subdue these attenuated afflictions and prevent them from influencing her mind and senses.”
“By describing the four states of affliction, Patanjali is addressing the pain and sorrow of all human beings, whether or not they have heard of yoga or regard themselves as yoga practitioners. We are all striving to achieve happiness.”
— quoted from the commentary on Yoga Sūtra 2.4 from The Practice of the Yoga Sutra: Sadhana Pada by Pandit Rajmani Tigunait, PhD
Bottom line: There are things that are going to be true, whether we believe them or not, and there are things that are not going to be true, whether we believe them or not. In both cases, our beliefs define our experience of reality, because our beliefs determine what we do in any given situation.
Consider gravity for a moment. Gravity is defined as a force that draws one object towards the center of another object. We are all subject to the laws of gravity, even if we do not believe in gravity. If we believe we can fly and attempt to fly, our disbelief in gravity can lead to bodily injury and maybe death. We will fall down. If, however, we believe in gravity and we also believe in our ability to fly, we will take the steps necessary to mitigate the effects of gravity. If our our belief in gravity is more than our belief in our desire/ability to fly (i.e., we have a lot of disbelief in our abilities), we will not take the steps needed to soar.
“Be like the bird, who
Halting in his flight
On limb too slight
Feels it give way beneath him,
Yet sings
Knowing he hath wings.”
— quoted from the poem “Be Like the Bird” by Victor Hugo
NOTE: In Abbie Betinis’s musical composition (which is on the playlists), “she” has wings.
Perhaps you have no interest in flying. Perhaps, you are only interested in metaphorical soaring (i.e., being successful in your endeavors). Either way, accomplishing your goals requires having the means (artha), which include your good health. Ancient sciences, like Āyurveda, Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), traditional African medicines, bush medicine, Native medicines (related to the Americas), and other ancient or folk medicines, typically focus on using natural elements to keep the mind-body-spirit balanced. These practices can include herbs and/or dietary restrictions, in general, as well as adjustments related to the various seasons.
For example, we are currently at the beginning of Dà shǔ (大暑, “Great heat” or “Major heat”), which is the twelfth solar term and the last part of summer according to the traditional Chinese calendar. This is considered the hottest time of the year in most of China and a time when many people adjust their diets and activities in order to maintain balance during a time that can heighten lethargy, anxiety-based fear, and difficulties in self-regulation.
CLICK ON THE EXCERPT TITLE BELOW FOR MORE.
Dà shǔ “Major Heat” 2023 (an updated and revised post) *UPDATED*
“All emotions associated with the organs are considered natural responses to life. Yet when they become compulsive or prolonged, they become injurious to our overall health.”
— quoted from the “Emotional Qualities” section of “12. The Lungs and Large Intestine” in Insight Yoga: An innovative synthesis of traditional yoga, meditation, and Eastern approaches to healing and well-being by Sarah Powers (Forward by Paul Grilley, Photography by Matthew Carden)
You can poo-poo these beliefs and practices, but consider how often we hear about people acting (extra) erratically in places that experience extreme heat. Consider that even modern science points to the way extreme heat (as well as extreme cold) saps our energy and makes it hard to think and/or process strong emotions.
Now, consider what happens when you check in with the way you feel physically, mentally, emotionally, energetically, and even spiritually or religiously. Consider what happens when you take the knowledge of how you are feeling and combine it with knowledge about things that contribute to your wellbeing.
“When the small intestine chi is out of balance, there is poor sorting, and unclear information and emotions dominate and deteriorate the inner system.”
— quoted from the “Emotional Qualities” section of “13. The Heart and Small Intestine” in Insight Yoga: An innovative synthesis of traditional yoga, meditation, and Eastern approaches to healing and well-being by Sarah Powers (Forward by Paul Grilley, Photography by Matthew Carden)
CLICK ON THE EXCERPT TITLE BELOW FOR MORE.
“The key is to achieve balance, which means being flexible, diverse, moderate, and in harmony with your own rhythm and needs. Chinese medicine makes use of acupuncture, herbs, diet, physical exercise, massage, mental discipline, and the modification of life-style habits as forms of therapy to reestablish the rhythmic swing of the Yin-Yang pendulum.”
— quoted from the “Everyday Life” section of “Chapter Four – Cycles of Circles: A Theory of Relativity Yin-Yang” in Between Heaven and Earth: A Guide to Chinese Medicine by Harriet Beinfield, L.Ac. and Efrem Korngold, L.Ac., O. M. D.
If you are someone who only believes in modern science, consider that there are still a lot of unknowns in modern science. If you are someone who scoffs at indigenous medicine, consider how modern scientists are proving more and more of the claims made by ancient medicines. Similarly, if you are someone who only believes in ancient medicine and/or the healing power of your faith, consider that there is also power (and some Truth) in all of these disciplines.
One of the commonalities in all of the medical sciences, is the belief that there is something energizing (and animating) the mind-body. Different cultures and sciences have different energetic mapping systems. For example, modern science points to the neural pathways and the central and peripheral nervous system. Yoga and Āyurveda (as the come to us from India) describe an energetic mapping system composed of nādis (energy “channels” or “rivers”), marma points or marmāni (“vital” or “vulnerable” points), and chakras (energy “wheels”). Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) outlines a meridian system. We can disbelieve any and all of the systems. We can dismiss ancient sciences as pseudoscience (ignoring the fact that the scientific method is, itself, an ancient science). However, what is interesting to me is how the systems overlap.
The central nervous system runs down the center of the body — around the same area where some people believe the sushumna nadi is located and where the chakras are created by the ida and pingala nadis overlapping sushumna nadi.2 According to TCM, the governing and conception vessels are also housed in this general area. I’m not saying these are the same things. They clearly are not! I am saying that there is some wisdom in all of these systems. I am saying it is possible that some of this is true and modern technology simply gives us more definitive and demonstrable proof of the Truth.
However, even if none of this is true — and even modern science is getting some things wrong, these different disciplines provide a lens through which we can better understand our lived experiences. When we better understand our experiences, we can make better decisions and be more successful in our endeavors. We can soar and sing, just like the birds. We can shed what no longer serves us and blossom, when the time is right, just like the trees.
We can take responsibility for our own wellbeing and change our inner dialogue so that we create more opportunities for success.
“As humans, we have the capacity to see the difference between avidya and vidya. We can choose to harness one and subdue the other and thus become the creator of our own destiny.”
— quoted from the commentary on Yoga Sūtra 2.5 from The Practice of the Yoga Sutra: Sadhana Pada by Pandit Rajmani Tigunait, PhD
Saturday’s playlist is available on YouTube and Spotify. [Look for “07252023 More Like Birds & Trees”]
NOTE: We have used different playlists for previous practices on this date. The YouTube playlist contains additional videos. I was not aware of this “Birdsong” when I made this playlist, so it is not (currently) included on either format.
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 researched, but which may be helpful if you need peer-to-peer (non-professional) support.
If you are a young person in crisis, feeling suicidal, or need a safe and judgement-free place to talk, you can also click here to contact the TrevorLifeline (which is staffed 24/7 with trained counselors).
You’re Invited to Bend… & To Take The Deepest Breath You’ve Taken — On Retreat!
September 25 — 27, 2026
NOTES:
1Pramāṇa (YS 1.6-1.7) can also be translated into English as “correct knowledge” or “correct understanding”; however, it refers to the first of five mental functions (i.e., ways in which we gain/process knowledge).
2Sushumna is (“central” or “center”) and is associated with one of the primary rays of the sun. It also appears in some sacred text as a word meaning “very gracious or kind”. Ida is designated as the (“left principle channel”). It is associated with “earth” and is also the name of various daughters (in different sacred text or scripture) who have stabilizing affects. Pingala nadis is designated as the “right principle channel” and has a plethora of different associations within different Indian disciplines. In Āyurveda it is also “one who is reddish brown tawny, yellow-coloured small kind of owl”, as well as a name for the owl.
### Are You Noticing a Pattern? ###
Remembering Last Year’s Taco Tuesday (a quick note with excerpts) July 22, 2026
Posted by ajoyfulpractice in Books, Buddhism, Changing Perspectives, Food, Gratitude, Healing Stories, Health, Life, One Hoop, Philosophy, Suffering, Traditional Chinese Medicine, Wisdom, Yin Yoga, Yoga.Tags: 988, Alex Trebek, David Chang, Dà shǔ, Edward Hopper, Efrem Korngold L.A.c. O.M.D., Emma Lazarus, Harriet Beinfield L.Ac., santosha, santoşā, shoshin, Tom Robbins, Tony Vigorito, 大暑
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Many blessings to everyone, everywhere (and especially to those working to keep their cool)!
“The truth, from my perspective, is that the world, indeed, is ending — and is also being reborn. It’s been doing that all day, every day, forever. Each time we exhale, the world ends; when we inhale, there can be, if we allow it, rebirth and spiritual renewal. It all transpires inside of us. In our consciousness, in our hearts. All the time.”
— Tom Robbins quoted in the Reality Sandwich article “The Syntax of Sorcery: An Interview with Tom Robbins” by Tony Vigorito (posted online June 6, 2012)
The following is a revised and note from 2025.
A week ago (in 2025), I headed outside despite the heat — and despite knowing it was just going to get “greater”. I headed out, because it was Tuesday and I desired some “Box Tacos”. Only, the place with the really good vegan stuff inexplicably closed just as I pulled up. So, what did I do with all that desire (and hunger)?
I remembered that “I can’t always get what I want… but I could get what I need”. Then I practiced a little gratitude (because I had other options) and also a little santosha (“contentment”).
In the end, one could argue if I made the right choice (at least on one level). On the practice level, however, there is no arguing with reality. That day, “the perfect taco” turned out to be a salad.
Today is the anniversary of the birth of Tom Robbins (b. 1932) and also the beginning of Dà shǔ ( 大暑 ), “Great heat” or “Major heat”).
CLICK ON THE EXCERPT TITLES BELOW FOR MORE!
FTWMI: If only it was Taco Tuesday… [with Good Advice] (a Monday post-practice post)
Dà shǔ “Major Heat” 2023 (an updated and revised post) *UPDATED*
“The key is to achieve balance, which means being flexible, diverse, moderate, and in harmony with your own rhythm and needs.”
— quoted from the “Everyday Life” section of “Chapter Four – Cycles of Circles: A Theory of Relativity Yin-Yang” in Between Heaven and Earth: A Guide to Chinese Medicine by Harriet Beinfield, L.Ac. and Efrem Korngold, L.Ac., O. M. D.
Please join me today (Wednesday, July 22nd) 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 by emailing myra (at) ajoyfulpractice.com.
Wednesday’s playlist is available on YouTube and Spotify. [Look for “07222020 The Perfect Taco”]
Extreme heat can not only make people lethargic and unmotivated, it 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 researched, but which may be helpful if you need peer-to-peer (non-professional) support.
If you are a young person in crisis, feeling suicidal, or need a safe and judgement-free place to talk, you can also click here to contact the TrevorLifeline (which is staffed 24/7 with trained counselors).
In the spirit of generosity (“dana”), the Zoom classes, recordings, and blog posts are freely given and freely received. If you are able to support these teachings, please do so as your heart moves you. (NOTE: You can donate even if you are “attending” a practice that is not designated as a “Common Ground Meditation Center” practice, or you can purchase class(es).
Donations are tax deductible; class purchases are not necessarily deductible.
Check out the “Class Schedules” calendar for upcoming classes.
You’re Invited to Bend… & To Take The Deepest Breath You’ve Taken — On Retreat!
September 25 — 27, 2026
### WHAT’S YOUR PERFECT TACO? ###
Another Quick Note & EXCERPT: “A Quick Note & Excerpts About Using the Hook…” (the post-practice Monday post) July 20, 2026
Posted by ajoyfulpractice in "Impossible" People, Changing Perspectives, Donate, Faith, Fitness, Gratitude, Healing Stories, Health, Hope, Karma Yoga, Life, Love, Meditation, Music, One Hoop, Peace, Pema Chodron, Philosophy, Suffering, Volunteer, Wisdom, Writing, Yoga.Tags: 988, Carlos Santana, Emily Perl Kingsley, Eunice Kennedy Shriver, Four R's, Ian Thomas, Neal Schon, Pema Chodron, Rosemary Kennedy, Santana, shenpa, Shenpa & The Practice of Getting Unhooked, Special Olympics
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Many blessings to everyone and especially to anyone putting together the pieces for peace, freedom, and wisdom (inside and outside).
This is the post-practice post for Monday, July 20th. The 2026 prompt question was, “On a scale of 1 to 10, how well do you deal with the unexpected?” You can request an audio recording of these practices 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.
“Don’t rush me, just this once
I wanna make this moment last
Slow down the pace, there’s no hurry
I can’t let another pass me by again
Let me be the one to say when I’ve had enough
Just let me close my eyes, memorize
The way things are this minute”
— quoted from the song “Hold On” by Santana (written by Ian Thomas1)
The practices over the last week have partially focused on the American Tibetan Buddhist nun Pema Chödrön’s teachings around the concept of shenpa and the practice of the four R’s. One of the underlying truths within these practices is that, when our buttons get pushed, when we get hot, we lose focus on this present moment. Or, more precisely, we lose focus of what is important in this present moment. And, so, the practices are ultimately about staying present, right here and right now.
But, here’s a curious thing: While the Tibetan word shenpa can be translated into English as “urge, impulse, charge, or attachment”, it was first introduced to me as “hook” — which made me think of music. A musical hook, in some ways, draws us into the present moment and, so, it can be a really convenient way to practice using the hook to get unhooked. Since we don’t typically use music during the Common Ground Meditation Center practices, today, I only made a passing reference to the “hooky” music of Carlos Santana, who was born today in 1947.
The music, however, has always been just one little piece of the July 20th practices. Mostly, today’s practices (over the years) have been inspired by the first Special Olympics games (today in 1968) and the fact that we can get “hooked” when our expectations are not met (i.e., when things are not as we expect them to be based on our previous experiences).
“Rosemary was born September thirteenth at home—a normal delivery. She was a beautiful child, resembling my mother in physical appearance. But early in life Rosemary was different. She was slower to crawl, slower to walk and speak than her two bright brothers. My mother was told she would catch up later, but she never did.
— quoted from a September 22, 1962, article by Eunice Kennedy Shriver printed in The Saturday Evening Post
CLICK ON THE EXCERPT TITLE BELOW FOR MORE.
“Today
Is all I really need to find the answers
I’ll find the constant flow
Of all the harmony”
— quoted from the song “All the Love of the Universe” by Carlos Santana (b. 07/20/1947), written by Carlos Santana / Neal Schon
There is no playlist for the Common Ground Meditation Center practices.
NOTE: In previous years, we have used a playlist available on YouTube and Spotify. [Look for “07202021 Using the Hook”] The YouTube playlist has an extra track in the before/after section.
“…you catch your breath, you look around…. and you begin to notice….”
— quoted from “Welcome to Holland” by Emily Perl Kingsley ©1987
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 researched, but which may be helpful if you need peer-to-peer (non-professional) support.
If you are a young person in crisis, feeling suicidal, or need a safe and judgement-free place to talk, you can also click here to contact the TrevorLifeline (which is staffed 24/7 with trained counselors).
You’re Invited to Bend… & To Take The Deepest Breath You’ve Taken — On Retreat!
September 25 — 27, 2026
NOTE: 1The song “Hold On” was written and originally recorded by Ian Thomas. For some reason, some of the online credits related to the Santana cover (on the The Essential Santana album) list “Ian Bland, Stephen Paul Thomas” as songwriters. I don’t believe these latter credits are accurate; but, I am including them here just in case.
### BIG, Big Hugs ###
FTWMI: A Little Note & Contemplating Death, Dying, and All the Living in Between July 8, 2026
Posted by ajoyfulpractice in "Impossible" People, Books, Changing Perspectives, Faith, Healing Stories, Health, Hope, Life, One Hoop, Pain, Peace, Philosophy, Science, Suffering, Tragedy, Vairagya, Wisdom, Women, Writing.Tags: 988, Death, Elisabeth Kübler-Ross, grief, Ken Ross, Life, Loss, meditation, mental health, On Death and Dying, On Grief and Grieving, Philosophy, psychiatry, psychoanalysis, The Miracle of Mindfulness, Thich Nhat Hanh, yoga
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Peace and blessings to all!
For Those Who Missed It: This quick note was originally posted in 2025.
“The most beautiful people we have known are those who have known defeat, known suffering, known struggle, known loss, and have found their way out of the depths. These persons have an appreciation, a sensitivity, and an understanding of life that fills them with compassion, gentleness, and a deep loving concern. Beautiful people do not just happen.”
“Strange though it may seem to you, one of the most productive avenues for growth is found through the study and experience of death. Perhaps death reminds us that our time is limited and that we’d better accomplish our purpose here on earth before our time runs out. Whatever the reason….Those who have been immersed in the tragedy of massive death during wartime, and who have faced it squarely, never allowing their senses and feelings to become numbed and indifferent, have emerged from their experiences with growth and humanness greater than that achieved through almost any other means.”
— quoted from Death: The Final Stage of Growth by Elisabeth Kübler-Ross
There are places in the world where people have almost always had to grapple with life and death and dying on a daily basis. However, for many in the world, the last few years have included more struggles with life and death and dying.
These are hard things to contemplate, but they are also important things to contemplate; because, death and dying (and the feelings associated with them) are all part of life.
My condolences to people who are dealing with death and dying, especially when it is an unexpected loss, a tragic loss, and/or the loss of those who were so very young.
May their memories bring you comfort.
For Those Who Missed It: The following was originally posted today in 2020 & 2023. Class details, formatting, and some links have been updated/added. Some quotes were moved in 2025. A quote (with context) was added in 2026.
“I cannot leave out the problem of life and death. Many young people and others have come out to serve others and to labor for peace, through their love for all who are suffering. They are always mindful of the fact that the most important question is the question of life and death, but often not realizing that life and death are but two faces of one reality. Once we realize that we will have the courage to encounter both of them….
Now I see that if one doesn’t know how to die, one can hardly know how to live—because death is a part of life.”
— quoted from The Miracle of Mindfulness: An Introduction to the Practice of Meditation by Thích Nhất Hạnh
Today’s post and class will be tricky for some. Today’s theme is always tricky for some. Although, I would assert that it shouldn’t be. After all, death is part of life. That can come off glib and easy to say — specifically because it is a little glib, or shallow, because it belies the fact that loss is hard and that most of us haven’t/don’t really face the concept of death until we (or someone we love) is dying. The statement “death is part of life” is also shallow because it belies the fact that, even if we meditate on and prepare for death, loss is still hard. Yes, death and dying are something that we all have to deal with, but to just leave it at that is what makes the subject tricky.
We have to, as the Stoics did (with the statement “Memento mori”) and as Thích Nhất Hạnh instructs in The Miracle of Mindfulness, go deeper.
“The five stages – denial, anger, bargaining, depression, and acceptance – are a part of the framework that makes up our learning to live with the one[s] we lost. They are tools to help us frame and identify what we may be feeling. But they are not stops on some linear timeline in grief. Not everyone goes through all of them or goes in a prescribed order.”
— quoted from On Grief and Grieving: Finding the Meaning of Grief Through the Five Stages of Grief by Elisabeth Kübler-Ross and David Kessler
Born in Zürich, Switzerland today in 1926, Dr. Elisabeth Kübler-Ross was the oldest triplet in a family of Protestant Christians. Despite her father’s wishes, she grew up to be a psychiatrist known for her work on death and dying, life and death, and the five stages of grief. Her ultimate work was in part inspired by her work with refugees in Zürich during World War II. After the war, she participated in relief efforts in Poland and, at some point, visited the Maidanek concentration camp in Poland. As a young woman, standing in a place of destruction, she was struck by the compassion and human resilience that would inspire someone to carve hundreds of butterflies into the walls of the death camp.
Dr. Kübler-Ross originally planned on being a pediatrician. However, she married a fellow medical student (in New York in 1958) and became pregnant. The pregnancy resulted in the loss of her pediatrics residency, so she switched to psychiatry. Unfortunately, she also suffered two miscarriages before giving birth to two children. The loss of her residency and her miscarriages were not her first (or last) experiences with loss. Her marriage ended in divorce and, when she attempted to build a Virginia hospice for infants and children with HIV/AIDS, someone set fire to her home (in 1994). The house and all of the belongings inside were lost to arson.
When she started her psychiatry residency, Dr. Kübler-Ross was struck by the way hospitals in the United States treated patients who were dying. She began to host lectures where medical students were forced to meet and listen to dying people outside of a clinical setting. Her intention was to get medical students to “[react] like human beings instead of scientists…and be able to treat [terminal patients] with compassion the same compassion that you would want for yourself.” As she moved through her career, she continued hosting the series of seminars which used interviews with terminally ill patients. Her work was met with both praise and criticism — most of the latter was because she was so obviously questioning the traditional practices of psychiatry. In 1969, she released her seminal book On Death and Dying: What the Dying Have to Teach Doctors, Nurses, Clergy and Their Own Families, which provided a grief model for people who were dying and for those they were leaving behind.
“Those who have the strength and the love to sit with a dying patient in the silence that goes beyond words will know that this moment is neither frightening nor painful, but a peaceful cessation of the functioning of the body.”
— quoted from On Death and Dying: What the Dying Have to Teach Doctors, Nurses, Clergy and Their Own Families by Elisabeth Kübler-Ross
Dr. Kübler-Ross explained from the beginning that her outline was not intended to be linear and yet, people wanted to be able to step through the stages with grace and ease. The problem with that mindset is… life is messy and so is grieving. A perfect example of the messiness of life and death can be found in Dr. Kübler-Ross’s own life… and death. In 1995, after a series of strokes which left her partially paralyzed on her left side, she found herself confronted with the reality of her own death. Added to her grief was the closing of Shanti Nilaya (“Final Home of Peace”), a healing and growth center which she had established in the later 1970’s (shortly before her divorce) after convincing her husband to buy 40-acres of land in Escondido, California.
Despite a 2002 interview with The Arizona Republic, where she stated that she was ready to die, Dr. Kübler-Ross struggled with the fact that she could not choose her own time of death. He son Ken, Founder and President of the Elisabeth Kübler-Ross Foundation, served as her caregiver for the last decade of her life. In a 2019 interview with the hosts of ABC Radio’s Life Matters, Ken said, “A few weeks before she passed she said to me, ‘Kenneth, I don’t want to die.’”
“It is not the end of the physical body that should worry us. Rather, our concern must be to live while we’re alive – to release our inner selves from the spiritual death that comes with living behind a facade designed to conform to external definitions of who and what we are.”
— quoted from Death: The Final Stage of Growth by Elisabeth Kübler-Ross
Ken Ross admitted that he was taken aback by his mother’s statement that she did not want to die. It turned out, Dr. Kübler-Ross was not only physically paralyzed; she was also stuck in the anger stage of her own grief model. She caught flak in the media — as if she were somehow above being human simply because she had studied, taught, and spoken so openly and so frequently on the subject of death and dying. She did not stay there (in the anger stage), however, as her family and friends encouraged her to keep living and to keep processing the experience of dying. Her son even literally pushed her out of her comfort zone by assisting her in wheelchair marathons and in visiting her sisters in Europe.
“[She] let herself be loved and taken care of, then that was her final lesson — and then she was allowed to graduate. For years I thought about this and what I realized was that’s exactly what she teaches. [When] you learn your lessons you’re allowed to graduate.”
— Ken Ross in a 2019 “Life Matters” interview on ABC Radio National
“In Switzerland I was educated in line with the basic premise: work, work, work. You are only a valuable human being if you work. This is utterly wrong. Half working, half dancing – that is the right mixture. I myself have danced and played too little.”
— Elisabeth Kübler-Ross, M.D. in an interview
Please join me today (Wednesday, July 8th) 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 by emailing myra (at) ajoyfulpractice.com.
Wednesday’s playlist is available on YouTube and Spotify. [Look for “07082020 On Death & Dying”]
“If we could raise one generation with unconditional love, there would be no Hitlers. We need to teach the next generation of children from Day One that they are responsible for their lives. Mankind’s greatest gift, also its greatest curse, is that we have free choice. We can make our choices built from love or from fear.”
— Elisabeth Kübler-Ross, M.D.
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 researched, but which may be helpful if you need peer-to-peer (non-professional) support.
If you are a young person in crisis, feeling suicidal, or need a safe and judgement-free place to talk, you can also click here to contact the TrevorLifeline (which is staffed 24/7 with trained counselors).
In the spirit of generosity (“dana”), the Zoom classes, recordings, and blog posts are freely given and freely received. If you are able to support these teachings, please do so as your heart moves you. (NOTE: You can donate even if you are “attending” a practice that is not designated as a “Common Ground Meditation Center” practice, or you can purchase class(es).
Donations are tax deductible; class purchases are not necessarily deductible.
Check out the “Class Schedules” calendar for upcoming classes.
You’re Invited to Bend… & To Take The Deepest Breath You’ve Taken — On Retreat!
September 25 — 27, 2026
Revised 07/08/2023 & 2025.
### “People are like stained glass windows. They sparkle and shine when the sun is out, but when the darkness sets in, their true beauty is revealed only if there is a light from within.” EKR ###
First Friday Night Special #69: “A Little Rest for the Weary Working for Freedom(s)” (the “missing” & expanded invitation w/excerpts) July 3, 2026
Posted by ajoyfulpractice in "Impossible" People, California, Changing Perspectives, Dharma, Faith, Gratitude, Healing Stories, Health, Hope, Life, One Hoop, Peace, Philosophy, Suffering, Swami Vivekananda, Tragedy, Wisdom, Women, Writing, Yoga.Tags: 988, Abigail Adams, Abraham Lincoln, Ally Boothroyd, Battle of Gettysburg, Caesar Rodney, Civil War, CROWN Act, Franz Kafka, Frederick R. Karl, George Meade, Gettysburg, John Adams, John Quincy Adams, Joseph Cinqué, Joseph Cinquez, Kelly Rowland, Max Brod, National CROWN Day, Oskar Pollak, Restorative Yoga, Robert E. Lee, Sengbe Pieh, slavery, Swami Vivekananda, Thurgood Marshall
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It’s National CROWN Day (unofficially, of course)! Many blessings to everyone and especially to anyone cultivating peace, freedom, and wisdom (inside and outside).
This is “missing” (and expanded) invitation for the “First Friday Night Special” on July 3rd, which includes new and “renewed” content, excerpts, embedded links to related posts, and an extra video. You can request an audio recording of this Yin Yoga practice (with a little movement and pranayama) 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.
“… so he said to put an end to all misunderstanding: ‘We parted on bad terms.’
The Manageress seemed to construe this as excellent news.
‘So then you’re free?’ she said.
‘Yes, I’m free,’ said Karl, and nothing seemed more worthless than his freedom.”
— quoted from “FIVE / The Hotel Occidental” in the unfinished novel Amerika by Franz Kafka (b. 1883)
It’s not enough to declare something. You usually have to work for it. When I teach (or blog) on July 1st (as I did on Wednesday) and/or on July 2nd, we focus on the effort that it takes — has taken and continues to take — to declare, ensure, secure, enshrine, and preserve independence, liberty, and freedom. However, the work does not end on the day it begins. As was the case today in 1776, there is more work to be done. However, people cannot do the work they need to do without taking a break to rest. So, today in 1776, some people rested.
Eventually, people in 1839, 1863, (1908), and 2019, also rested.
Rest is an important part of life. Along with the ability and opportunity to digest what we consume — including media and events — rest is a function of our parasympathetic nervous system. Our ability to rest and digest is also connected to our ability to create (and procreate). Just as a significant growth period in plants happens at night, we plant seeds and get rooted, centered, and grounded when we rest.
When we rest, we can also reflect and review on the work we have already accomplished — which is what people like Caesar Rodney and John Adams were doing back in 1776.
The following is a revised (and expanded) version of an earlier post.
“But on the other Hand, the Delay of this Declaration to this Time, has many great Advantages attending it…. This will cement the Union, and avoid those Heats and perhaps Convulsions which might have been occasioned, by such a Declaration Six Months ago.
But the Day is past. The Second Day of July 1776, will be the most memorable Epocha, in the History of America.
I am apt to believe that it will be celebrated, by succeeding Generations, as the great anniversary Festival. It ought to be commemorated, as the Day of Deliverance by solemn Acts of Devotion to God Almighty. It ought to be solemnized with Pomp and Parade, with Shews, Games, Sports, Guns, Bells, Bonfires and Illuminations from one End of this Continent to the other from this Time forward forever more.”
— quoted from letter John Adams wrote to Abigail Adams, with the heading “Philadelphia July 3d, 1776”
After riding for two days, in order to cast his vote for freedom, Caesar Rodney rested in Philadelphia for a couple of days. John Adams, who also voted for independence on July 2, 1776, spent today resting and writing letters to his wife Abigail. In one of those letters to Abigail, the future president wrote about how (and why) the “Second Day of July 1776” would be remembered and celebrated for all times.
As he reflected on the decisions that had already been made and anticipated future celebrations, John Adams also acknowledged that the work was not done and that the declaration was just the beginning of the fight. He recognized that there were battles to come — and not just battles with the “redcoats” or “regulars” (as they would have been called back in the day). He recognized that there would be philosophical, legal, and physical battles among the colonists.
He could not have known, however, that his own son (John Quincy Adams) would be involved in one of those legal battles, which came about after Sengbe Pieh (also known as Joseph Cinqué) and the other enslaved Mende, West Africans revolted on the slave ship La Amistad sometime around July 1, 1839. The Mende, West Africans did could not rest, today in 1839, because they were attempting to take the ship back to Africa. A little over a month later, they would be re-captured and their legal battle for freedom began.
CLICK ON THE EXCERPT TITLES BELOW FOR MORE.
A Rest for Those Riding, Fighting, and Working for Freedom – An Invitation
“You will think me transported with Enthusiasm but I am not. — I am well aware of the Toil and Blood and Treasure, that it will cost Us to maintain this Declaration, and support and defend these States. — Yet through all the Gloom I can see the Rays of ravishing Light and Glory. I can see that the End is more than worth all the Means. And that Posterity will tryumph in that Days Transaction, even altho We should rue it, which I trust in God We shall not.”
— quoted from letter John Adams wrote to Abigail Adams, with the heading “Philadelphia July 3d, 1776”
While John Adams and John Quincy Adams were the only early presidents to never own enslaved people and while both father and son legally represented people fighting for freedom within the courts, the elder was willing to compromise his views on slavery when it came to colonial politics. All that being said, today in 1776, as he rested and wrote to Abigail (who was publicly anti-slavery), John Adams couldn’t have known that he and his son would end up as presidents — or that his son would help to secure the freedom of kidnapped West Africans.
John Adams also would have had no reason to think of a Black woman, resting after the birth of her son on July 2, 1908. He had no reason to think about how his actions would eventually (indirectly) lead to a descendent of enslaved people being able to rest — instead of being immediately forced back to work — after delivering her child. Neither would he have been able to imagine that that woman son’s, Thoroughgood (later shorten it to Thurgood) Marshall, would work tirelessly to further secure, enshrine, and preserve freedom, liberty, and independence.
I said indirectly, because (as I stated before) he was willing to compromise his views to appease the Southern states in order to achieve independence. Even as he wanted to avoid conflict, I don’t know that he could have imagined the brutality of the Civil War.
“But, in a larger sense, we can not dedicate we can not consecrate we can not hallow, this ground The brave men, living and dead, who struggled here, have hallowed it, far above our poor power to add or detract.”
— quoted from “The Gettysburg Address” (from the Nicolay version1) by President Abraham Lincoln, November 19, 1863
Today in 1863, the Army of the Potomac forces, led by Major General George Meade, defeated Confederate General Robert E. Lee’s Army of Northern Virginia during the third Battle of Gettysburg. The Battle of Gettysburg (July 1-3, 1863) was the bloodiest battle of the Civil War and its conclusion not only halted the confederacy’s invasion of northern territories, it also marked the beginning of the end of the Civil War (but not the end of the battle for long-promised freedom).
The generals, soldiers, civilians, and enslaved people who survived today, in 1863, did not rest. There was still work to be done, on both sides of the battlefield.
There was, also, still battles to be won off the battlefield.
“(3) Racial and national origin discrimination can and do occur because of longstanding racial and national origin biases and stereotypes associated with hair texture and style.
(4) For example, routinely, people of African descent are deprived of educational and employment opportunities because they are adorned with natural or protective hairstyles in which hair is tightly coiled or tightly curled, or worn in locs, cornrows, twists, braids, Bantu knots, or Afros.
(5) Racial and national origin discrimination is reflected in school and workplace policies and practices that bar natural or protective hairstyles commonly worn by people of African descent.”
— quoted from “(a) Findings.” of “SEC. 2. Findings; sense of Congress; purpose.” in “CROWN Act 2020 (H. R. 5309)”2
Today in 2019, in America’s ongoing effort to make our ideals make sense (as a reality rather than a theory), the CROWN (Create a Respectful and Open Workplace for Natural Hair) Act (SB188) was signed into law under California’s Fair Employment and Housing Act (of 1959) and the California Education Code. As I first noted in 2021: “New Jersey and New York adopted similar versions of the bill and other states, including South Carolina, are following suit. But, those laws don’t protect people in all over the country and they don’t apply outside of the country.”
As of today, in 2026, 30 states — including Texas, Maryland, Tennessee, Minnesota, Illinois, Oregon, and Alaska — have passed a CROWN Act. Some major cities in those states also, independently, passed variations of the CROWN Act. Additionally, cities in Florida, Georgia, North Carolina, Ohio, West Virginia, and Wisconsin have passed CROWN protection laws. But, again, those laws only apply in those cities. So, unfortunately, people are still having their hair cut without consent and/or being told they can’t participate in school or professional events with their God-given hair.
You can click the embedded link (above) for the history and/or click on the excerpt title (below) for more (con)text(ure).
“(9) As a type of racial or national origin discrimination, discrimination on the basis of natural or protective hairstyles that people of African descent are commonly adorned with violates existing Federal law, including provisions of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 (42 U.S.C. 2000e et seq.), section 1977 of the Revised Statutes (42 U.S.C. 1981), and the Fair Housing Act (42 U.S.C. 3601 et seq.). However, some Federal courts have misinterpreted Federal civil rights law by narrowly interpreting the meaning of race or national origin, and thereby permitting, for example, employers to discriminate against people of African descent who wear natural or protective hairstyles even though the employment policies involved are not related to workers’ ability to perform their jobs.”
— quoted from “(a) Findings.” of “SEC. 2. Findings; sense of Congress; purpose.” in “CROWN Act 2020 (H. R. 5309)”2
If you are unfamiliar… If you haven’t noticed or paid attention to the ways in which hair has been used to oppress people, some of the information related in the linked posts can be a little surreal.
For that matter, even if you are familiar, it can be surreal.
In some ways, we are living in a realistic, surreal world, not unlike the worlds created by Franz Kafka, who was born today in 1883. Like Kafka’s characters, we find ourselves transformed and/or in oddly transformational situations where we are forced to confront things that just don’t make sense. Of course, in order for things to make sense, we need context… reference points… history. In fact, in a letter to Oskar Pollak (dated 27 January 1904), Kafka advocated reading books that shake us awake. This was a follow-up to an earlier letter (dated 8 November 1903, translated by Frederick R. Karl), in which Kafka wrote, “We are as forlorn as children lost in the woods. When you stand in front of me and look at me, what do you know of the griefs that are in me and what do I know of yours? And if I were to cast myself down before you and weep and tell you, what more would you know about me than you know about Hell when someone tells you it is hot and dreadful? For that reason alone we human beings ought to stand before one another as reverently, as reflectively, as lovingly, as we would before the entrance to Hell.”
Resting can help us make sense of things that have gotten surreal. Resting can help us open up our hearts and minds to the griefs of others — without (or especially if we already are) feeling overwhelmed. Resting allows us to continue the battles we need to fight in order to say, “Everyone!” when asked:
“Who is free?”
— quoted from the commentary on Yoga Sūtra 2.20 from Raja Yoga by Swami Vivekananda
This Restorative Yoga practice (inspired by Ally Boothroyd) includes a body scan and some pranayama.
It is accessible and open to all.
(NOTE: There will be a little bit of quiet space in this practice.)
Friday’s playlist is available on YouTube and Spotify. [Look for “07032026 A Little Rest for the Weary Working for Freedom(s)”]
NOTE: This playlist is a Friday remix. You can start with any of the first 6 tracks. It is still slightly different on each platform, but mostly with regard to the before/after class music. The biggest difference is that certain contextual videos (including the one below) do not appear on Spotify.
Prop wise, this is a kitchen sink practice and I will suggest having a strap and wall or bolster (as well as a blanket) for this practice. **CLARIFICATION: I used the fitted sheet so I could do the sequence in bed**. You can practice without props or you can use “studio” and/or “householder” props. Example of “Studio” props: 1 – 2 blankets, 2 – 3 blocks, a bolster, a strap, and an eye pillow. Example of “Householder” props: 1 – 2 blankets or bath towels, 2 – 3 books (similar in size), 2 standard pillows (or 1 body pillow), a belt/tie/sash, and a face towel.
You may also want extra layers (as your body may cool down during this 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 researched, but which may be helpful if you need peer-to-peer (non-professional) support.
If you are a young person in crisis, feeling suicidal, or need a safe and judgement-free place to talk, you can also click here to contact the TrevorLifeline (which is staffed 24/7 with trained counselors).
You’re Invited to Bend… & To Take The Deepest Breath You’ve Taken — On Retreat!
September 25 — 27, 2026
“Who is free? The free must certainly be beyond cause and effect. If you say that the idea of freedom is a delusion, I shall say that the idea of bondage is also a delusion. Two facts come into our consciousness, and stand or fall with each other. These are our notions of bondage and freedom. If we want to go through a wall, and our head bumps against that wall, we see we are limited by that wall. At the same time we find a willpower, and think we can direct our will everywhere. At every step these contradictory ideas come to us. We have to believe that we are free, yet at every moment we find we are not free. If one idea is a delusion, the other is also a delusion, and if one is true, the other also is true, because both stand upon the same basis — consciousness. The Yogi says, both are true; that we are bound so far as intelligence goes, that we are free so far as the soul is concerned. It is the real nature of man, the soul, the Purusha, which is beyond all law of causation. Its freedom is percolating through layers of matter in various forms, intelligence, mind, etc. It is its light which is shining through all.”
— quoted from the commentary on Yoga Sūtra 2.20 from Raja Yoga by Swami Vivekananda
NOTES:
1In the other four versions of the Gettysburg Address, the words “have consecrated it” are used.
2The CROWN Act of 2020 (and a subsequent variation in 2022) passed in the U. S. House of Representatives, but has never been voted on in the U. S. Senate.
A Joyful Practice 