The Devil of a Thing & EXCERPT: “Still Focused On the Outside? [But, What’s On the Inside?]” September 8, 2025
Posted by ajoyfulpractice in Art, Books, Changing Perspectives, Depression, Donate, Healing Stories, Hope, Karma Yoga, One Hoop, Peace, Philosophy, Science, Suffering, Tragedy, Volunteer, Wisdom, Writing, Yoga.Tags: 988, Alecia Beth Moore, Books, David, education, George Eliot, International Literacy Day, literacy, Mary Ann Evans, Michelangelo, P!nk, PEN America, shabda, Star Trek, UNESCO, United Nations Educational Scientific and Cultural Organization
add a comment
Happy International Literacy Day! Happy Star Trek Day! Many blessings to everyone and especially to anyone carving out space for a mighty good heart, friendship, peace, freedom, understanding, and wisdom.
Stay safe! Hydrate and nourish your heart, body, and mind.
This is the post-practice post related to Monday, September 8th. The 2025 prompt question was, “What is a book or story that left an impression on you (and do you think someone would be interested in it just from the cover?” 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.
“‘“The History of the Devil,” by Daniel Defoe,—not quite the right book for a little girl,’ said Mr Riley. ‘How came it among your books, Mr Tulliver?’
Maggie looked hurt and discouraged, while her father said,—
‘Why, it’s one o’ the books I bought at Partridge’s sale. They was all bound alike,—it’s a good binding, you see,—and I thought they’d be all good books. There’s Jeremy Taylor’s ‘Holy Living and Dying’ among ’em. I read in it often of a Sunday’ (Mr Tulliver felt somehow a familiarity with that great writer, because his name was Jeremy); “and there’s a lot more of ’em,—sermons mostly, I think,—but they’ve all got the same covers, and I thought they were all o’ one sample, as you may say. But it seems one mustn’t judge by th’ outside. This is a puzzlin’ world.’”
— quoted from “Chapter III. Mr Riley Gives His Advice Concerning a School for Tom” in “Book First. Boy and Girl.” of The Mill on the Floss by George Eliot
You’ve probably heard the old adage about not judging a book by its cover. However, you may still do it. Previous experiences (and marketing people) may have taught you — or conditioned you to believe — that the stories that interest you will have certain things on the cover, while the stories that are not worth your time will have other things on the cover. Of course, as George Eliot’s Maggie eventually pointed out, it goes both ways.
Every once in a while, you may find yourself reading something that doesn’t interest you. No harm, no foul.
On the other hand, unless someone tells you otherwise, you may miss out on a great story.
But, what if you were one of the millions of people around the world who lack basic literacy skills? What if you didn’t read because you have an undiagnosed learning disability and it was exhausting? You might be thinking, “Well, now there’s Audible and other technology that can read for you.” Sure, but even that requires a certain amount of access and digital literacy, which millions of people are also lacking.
Additionally, as our reliance on technology increases, proficiency can decrease. For example, I can verify the spelling and meaning of a word, because I know where to start. I also know how to verify if an image (and the accompanying information) is real and accurate, slightly altered, or completely fabricated. I can do those things (and more), because I can read.
But, some people can’t.
“‘Well,’ said Mr Riley, in an admonitory, patronizing tone as he patted Maggie on the head, ‘I advise you to put by the ‘History of the Devil,’ and read some prettier book. Have you no prettier books?’”
— quoted from “Chapter III. Mr Riley Gives His Advice Concerning a School for Tom” in “Book First. Boy and Girl.” of The Mill on the Floss by George Eliot
According to UNESCO, “… at least 739 million youth and adults worldwide still lack basic literacy skills in 2024. At the same time, 4 in 10 children are not reaching minimum proficiency in reading, and 272 million children and adolescents were out of school in 2023.” And, while you may think that’s a THEM problem, it’s actually an (all of) US problem.
In 1967, UNESCO designated today, September 8th, as International Literacy Day (ILD). It is a day that highlights “the critical importance of literacy for creating more literate, just, peaceful, and sustainable society.”
The 2025 ILD theme is “Promoting literacy in the digital era.”
CLICK ON THE EXCERPT TITLE BELOW
FOR MORE ABOUT THE INSIDE
(& TO DISCOVER WHY THESE POSTS ARE SO PINK)!
“‘Oh, yes,’ said Maggie, reviving a little in the desire to vindicate the variety of her reading. ‘I know the reading in this book isn’t pretty; but I like the pictures, and I make stories to the pictures out of my own head, you know. But I’ve got “Æsop’s Fables,” and a book about Kangaroos and things, and the “Pilgrim’s Progress….”’
‘Ah, a beautiful book,’ said Mr Riley; ‘you can’t read a better.’
‘Well, but there’s a great deal about the Devil in that,’ said Maggie, triumphantly, ‘and I’ll show you the picture of him in his true shape, as he fought with Christian.’”
— quoted from “Chapter III. Mr Riley Gives His Advice Concerning a School for Tom” in “Book First. Boy and Girl.” of The Mill on the Floss by George Eliot
There is no playlist for the Common Ground Meditation Center practices.
NOTE: If you are interested, you can click on the excerpt above for a related 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 an app, which I have not yet researched, but which may be helpful if you need peer-to-peer (non-professional) support.
If you are a young person in crisis, feeling suicidal, or in need of a safe and judgement-free place to talk, you can also click here to contact the TrevorLifeline (which is staffed 24/7 with trained counselors).
### “I saw the angel in the marble and carved until I set him free.” ~ Michelangelo ###
FTWMI: A Quick Note & Excerpts About Using the Hook… July 20, 2025
Posted by ajoyfulpractice in "Impossible" People, Changing Perspectives, Dharma, Donate, Faith, Fitness, Gratitude, Healing Stories, Health, Hope, Karma Yoga, Life, Love, Mantra, Meditation, Music, One Hoop, Pain, Peace, Pema Chodron, Philosophy, Poetry, Suffering, Volunteer, Wisdom, Writing, Yoga.Tags: 988, Carlos Santana, Emily Perl Kingsley, Eunice Kennedy Shriver, Four R's, Neal Schon, Pema Chodron, Rosemary Kennedy, Sahasrara, Santana, shenpa, Shenpa & The Practice of Getting Unhooked, Special Olympics
add a comment
Many blessings to everyone and especially to anyone putting together the pieces for peace, freedom, and wisdom (inside and outside).
For Those Who Missed It: The following was originally posted in 2024. Class details and some links have been updated.
“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
This present moment is the culmination of all our previous moments and — whether we recognize it or not — it is informed by our previous moments So, right here, right now, we all come into this present moment with stuff. Without judging or categorizing the stuff, just recognize that it is a lot of stuff and because we bring this stuff into the moment — and into the practice — each moment and each practice is unique. Even when we repeat a sequence and/or a theme, there is something that is new and different.
Yes, the fact that different people show up at different times means that some things will be different. Plus, I often tweak the sequence, how I cue it, and/or which parts of the theme to share. I may even remix the music or use a different playlist. All of that is part of “the stuff.” So too is how our bodies change as we practice and as we age. So too is whatever is going on in our lives and in the world. All of that (plus how we feel about all of that and how we process all of that) is “the stuff” that makes this present moment different from all the other moments.
All of the aforementioned stuff is the energetic and symbolic purview of the Sahasrara (“thousand-petalled”) chakra. Also known as the crown chakra, the seventh chakra is associated with the top of the head; thought, consciousness, and self-knowledge. Some teachers also associate it with our connection to the Divine/Source (whatever that means to you at this moment). Finally, it is associated with this present moment and one’s ability to be present in (any given) moment.
Of course, our ability to truly be present and to truly comprehend the present moment — as well as understand how this present moment is informed by previous moments and will inform future moments — can be hampered when we get “hooked” because something or someone pushed our buttons. Throughout this last week, as we practiced with Pema Chödrön’s teachings related to the the R’s, I have mostly referenced “the hook” in a negative way. However….
Click on the excerpt titles below to learn about a different kind of hook and how past experiences that hook you can also motivate you to create change in the world.
Using the “hook” to get unhooked (the “missing” Tuesday post)
“Like diabetes, deafness, polio or any other misfortune, [intellectual disabilities] can happen in any family. It has happened in the families of the poor and the rich, of governors, senators, Nobel prizewinners, doctors, lawyers, writers, men of genius, presidents of corporations – the President of the United States.”
— quoted from a September 22, 1962 article by Eunice Kennedy Shriver printed in The Saturday Evening Post
“But there’s been a change in the flight plan. They’ve landed in Holland and there you must stay.”
— quoted from “Welcome to Holland” by Emily Perl Kingsley ©1987
“Everybody needs a helpin’ hand
Everybody needs a helpin’ hand”
— quoted from the song “All the Love of the Universe” by Carlos Santana (b. 07/20/1947), written by Carlos Santana / Neal Schon
Please join me for a 65-minute virtual yoga practice on Zoom today (Sunday, July 20th) 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 available on YouTube and Spotify. [Look for “07202021 Using the Hook”]
NOTE: The YouTube playlist has an extra track in the before/after section.
If you are thinking about suicide, worried about a friend or loved one, or would like emotional support, you can dial 988 (in the US) or call 1-800-273-TALK (8255) for the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline. You can also call this TALK line if you are struggling with addiction or involved in an abusive relationship. The Lifeline network is free, confidential, and available to all 24/7. YOU CAN TALK ABOUT ANYTHING.
White Flag is a new app, which I have not yet researched, but which may be helpful if you need peer-to-peer (non-professional) support.
If you are a young person in crisis, feeling suicidal, or in need of a safe and judgement-free place to talk, you can also click here to contact the TrevorLifeline (which is staffed 24/7 with trained counselors).
In the spirit of generosity (“dana”), the Zoom classes, recordings, and blog posts are freely given and freely received. If you are able to support these teachings, please do so as your heart moves you. (NOTE: You can donate even if you are “attending” a practice that is not designated as a “Common Ground Meditation Center” practice, or you can purchase class(es). Donations are tax deductible; class purchases are not necessarily deductible.)
### BIG HUGS ###
A Quick PSA & FTWMI: The Power of Giving & Sharing June 14, 2025
Posted by ajoyfulpractice in Changing Perspectives, Donate, Gratitude, Healing Stories, Health, Hope, Karma Yoga, Life, Minneapolis, Minnesota, Music, One Hoop, Philosophy, Science, Suffering, Super Heroes, Tragedy, Twin Cities, Volunteer, Wisdom, Yoga.Tags: 988, © National center for blood transfusion (NCBT) Rwanda, Dana, Dr. Jean-Baptiste Denys, Dr. Karl Landsteiner, Dr. Linus Pauling, Flag Day, Kristin Houser, No Kings Day, Pandit Rajmani Tigunait, samkhya, siddhis, Sāṃkhya Karika, Sāmkhya Karika, WHO, World Blood Donor Day, World Health Organization, Yoga Sutra 2.24
add a comment
Happy Pride! Many blessing to everyone on World Blood Donor Day!!!
A Quick Public Service Announcement
My heart and condolences go out to the family, friends, and constituents being affected by the attacks in the Twin Cities.
Be safe today if you are participating in a No Kings Day! observation (or Flag Day celebration) and/or if you are in an area where protests and parades are taking place. Stay centered and calm, breathe, and practice the four (+1) R’s:
Recognize when your buttons are getting pushed (and things are escalating).
Refrain from your knee jerk reaction (which may be to push back).
Relax (even if you just pause and take a breath).
Resolve to move forward, centered and grounded.
Remember why you are doing what you are doing.
For Those Who Missed It: The following was originally posted in 2023. It includes updated statistics (compared to the related linked posts). Class details and theme information (as well as some formatting) have been updated. Some links at the end of the post connect outside of this blog.
“I found that [Karl] Landsteiner and I had a much different approach to science: Landsteiner would ask, ‘What do these experimental observations force us to believe about the nature of the world?’ and I would ask, ‘What is the most simple, general and intellectually satisfying picture of the world that encompasses these observations and is not incompatible with them?’”
— quoted from “Fifty Years of Progress in Structural Chemistry and Molecular Biology.” By Dr. Linus Pauling (published in Daedalus, 99, 1005. 1970)
In addition to the typical philosophical questions, this week has been full of very practical questions: “Are you keeping your foundation in mind?” “What do you have a hard time wrapping your brain around (i.e., understanding)?” In other words, “How ignorant are you?” “What ails you?” “How do you cope with what ails you?” “Does the way you cope alleviate suffering or create more suffering?” And, rooted within each of those questions is one more: “Are you willing to alleviate your suffering and/or the suffering of another?”
Honestly, that last question is really just asking if you’re willing to be a hero(ine)?
Heroes and heroines have come up again and again over the last few weeks. Sometimes the reference was inferred; other times it was quite explicit. Either way, the idea that one person could do something to help — even save — themselves and/or another person comes up over and over again. And, yes, I will admit that I have a certain bias towards the idea. I definitely appreciate the fact that many of the heroes and heroines you find in so many cultural stories (not to mention in the stories of certain superheroes) are ordinary people who do extra-ordinary things. Sure, sometimes they are given superpowers, but what is more relevant is the power(s) they cultivate.
“The last category of our innate siddhis is dana, ‘the ability to give.’ We have both the wisdom and the courage to share what lawfully belongs to us with others. We are designed to experience the joy of giving. This joy is the architect of human civilization, characterized by self-sacrifice and selflessness.”
— quoted from the commentary on Yoga Sūtra 2.24 from The Practice of the Yoga Sutra: Sadhana Pada by Pandit Rajmani Tigunait, PhD
According to the Yoga Sūtras, when we eliminate suffering and the roots of suffering, we gain awareness of our true nature. We also gain access to the power and vitality of our true nature. In the Sāṃkhya Karika, that power and vitality includes six siddhis (“powers” or abilities) which are described as “powers unique to being human.” Everyone has these powers, but not everyone appreciates and cultivates them. Take for example, what happens when we harness the power of duḥkha-vighātaḥ-trayaḥ (the ability to “eliminate three-fold sorrow”, i.e., physical, mental, and spiritual sorrow) and combine it with the power of dana (“generosity”, i.e., the ability to give to another).
We all have something that legally belongs to us that we could give to another. We also have something that most of us can give away without ever missing. I’m not talking about a material possession — although some of us may have material things that we could give away and not miss. No, here, I am specifically talking about something that is the very essence of our life. Consider how powerful it is to literally give our lifeblood. We have the ability to do that thanks to Dr. Karl Landsteiner, the “Father of Transfusion Medicine”, who was born today in 1868.
Click here to read more about the significance of Dr. Karl Landsteiner’s work.
In honor of Dr. Landsteiner’s birthday, today is World Blood Donor Day. (Coincidentally, it falls just the day before the anniversary of Dr. Jean-Baptiste Denys’s 1667 surgery on a 15-year old boy, using sheep’s blood.) Established in 2005, by the World Health Organization (WHO) and the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies, World Blood Donor Day is a celebration of and an expression of gratitude for the millions of donors worldwide. It is also an opportunity to raise awareness for the universal need for safe blood and blood products.
In 2023, the host country is Algeria (through its National Blood Transfusion Service) and the theme is “Give blood, give plasma, share life, share often.”
The 2025 theme is “Give blood, give hope: together we save lives.”
“[The 2023 World Blood Donor Day theme] focuses on patients requiring life-long transfusion support and underlines the role every single person can play, by giving the valuable gift of blood or plasma. It also highlights the importance of giving blood or plasma regularly to create a safe and sustainable supply of blood and blood products that can be always available, all over the world, so that all patients in need can receive timely treatment.”
— quoted from the World Health Organization’s 2023 World Blood Donor Day site
According to WHO, 42% of the world’s blood supply is collected in high income countries, which are home to only 16% of the world’s population. Additionally, as of 2018, only 79 countries have the majority (90%) of their blood supplied by voluntary, unpaid donors. Some of those countries also supply blood transfusions free of charge. Meanwhile, 54 countries depend on family and paid donors. When it comes to plasma-derived medicinal products (PDMP), less than half of the reporting countries (56 out of 171) produce PDMP through the fractionation (i.e., separation) of plasma collected in the reporting countries. A little over 53% of reporting countries (91 out of 171) import all PDMP. The remaining 14% either reported no usage or did not report any data.
Just as the demographics of people who donate is different, how different countries use blood varies. For example, in low income countries, more than half (54%) of blood transfusions are give to children under 5 years old. On the flip side, the majority of people receiving transfusions in high income countries (76%) are over the age of 60.
Go deeper and you will find that even in countries that can depend on voluntary donations, certain parts of those countries experience shortages which can only be alleviated by a mobilized network. In fact, one of the goals of World Blood Donor Day is to “mobilize support at national, regional, and global levels among governments and development partners to invest in, strengthen and sustain national blood programmes.” That mobilized network can include electronic cold chain monitoring systems and drones — both of which can be found in Rwanda and in Ukraine.
“Rwanda’s policy since 1985 is that blood must be donated by unpaid volunteers and provided to patients in need free-of-charge. Donors around Rwanda are eager to help.
‘I always am happy to save a life of someone, even someone I don’t know, because in our (Rwandan) culture, we believe that to be human is to do good things to someone without being remunerated,’ said Euphrasie Uwase Maneno, a blood donor.”
— quoted from the 12 June 2019 World Health Organization report “Drones take Rwanda’s national blood service to new heights” by © National center for blood transfusion (NCBT) Rwanda
Please join me today (Saturday, June 14th) at 12:00 PM for a yoga practice on Zoom. You can use the link from the “Class Schedules” calendar if you run into any problems checking into the class. You can request an audio recording of this practice via a comment below or (for a slightly faster reply) you can email myra (at) ajoyfulpractice.com.
Saturday’s playlist is on YouTube and Spotify. [Look for “06142020 World Blood Donor Day”]
“[Canadian drone manufacturer Draganfly’s] medical drones, meanwhile, are equipped with temperature-controlled payload boxes that can be used to transport up to 35 pounds of blood, insulin, vaccines, and other supplies. They can fly for 40 minutes on a single charge.”
— quoted from the Freethink article “Medical drones to transport blood being rushed to Ukraine” by Kristin Houser (dated March 31, 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.
If you are a young person in crisis, feeling suicidal, or in need of a safe and judgement-free place to talk, you can also click here to contact the TrevorLifeline (which is staffed 24/7 with trained counselors).
In the spirit of generosity (“dana”), the Zoom classes, recordings, and blog posts are freely given and freely received. If you are able to support these teachings, please do so as your heart moves you. (NOTE: You can donate even if you are “attending” a practice that is not designated as a “Common Ground Meditation Center” practice, or you can purchase class(es). Donations are tax deductible; class purchases are not necessarily deductible.)
### WHAT QUESTION(S) ARE YOU ASKING? ###
FTWMI: It’s Not About What We’re Saying… (a short post with links & an excerpt) *CORRECTED* May 25, 2025
Posted by ajoyfulpractice in Changing Perspectives, Healing Stories, Hope, Japa-Ajapa, Karma, Karma Yoga, Life, Mantra, Meditation, Minneapolis, Minnesota, Music, One Hoop, Pain, Peace, Philosophy, Suffering, Tragedy, Twin Cities, Wisdom, Yoga.Tags: Aaron Lindsey, chakras, Counting the Omer, Eastertide, George Floyd, India.Arie, KISS MY ASANA, mantra, Ralph Waldo Emerson, United States, Veterans, Yoga Sutras 3.15-3.16
add a comment
Many blessings to everyone and especially to anyone Counting the Omer, and/or observing the fifth week of Pascha and/or the Blind Man.
For Those Who Missed It: The following was originally posted in 2024.
Some date-related information has been updated and an extra sentence was added.
“Don’t say things. What you are stands over you the while, and thunders so that I cannot hear what you say to the contrary. A lady of my acquaintance said, ‘I don’t care so much for what they say as I do for what makes them say it.’”
— quoted from the essay “Social Aims” in Letters and Social Aims by Ralph Waldo Emerson (b. 1803)
[On Friday, May 24, 2024], a group of United States veterans reportedly spent part of their Memorial Day weekend in Greensboro, North Carolina with the intention of asking people at the Republican National Convention to honor the basic principles of the “republic, for which it stands” and they were (reportedly) escorted out of the area. Even if I don’t talk about it, this practice is about that and the about the idea of still serving even after one’s official service is over — and about how people react to that.
Four Five years ago today, George Floyd was murdered in Minneapolis. Even if I don’t talk about it, this practice is about that and the about the importance of treating someone you perceive as being different from you with respect — and about how we seem to keep forgetting that.
Two hundred, twenty-two twenty-one years ago today, Ralph Waldo Emerson was born in Boston, Massachusetts. I often say that I am blown away by the fact that his words are still relevant to our present circumstances. Even if I don’t talk about it, this practice is about that.
And, even if I don’t talk about it, this practice is also about what you are feeling in this present moment.
The excerpt below is from a 2021 post. Click on the title for the entire post.
Please join me for a 65-minute virtual yoga practice on Zoom today (Sunday, May 25h) 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 “05252022 Pratyahara II”]
If you are thinking about suicide, worried about a friend or loved one, or would like emotional support, you can dial 988 (in the US) or call 1-800-273-TALK (8255) for the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline. You can also call this TALK line if you are struggling with addiction or involved in an abusive relationship. The Lifeline network is free, confidential, and available to all 24/7. YOU CAN TALK ABOUT ANYTHING.
White Flag is a new app, which I have not yet researched, but which may be helpful if you need peer-to-peer (non-professional) support.
If you are a young person in crisis, feeling suicidal, or in need of a safe and judgement-free place to talk, you can also click here to contact the TrevorLifeline (which is staffed 24/7 with trained counselors).
In the spirit of generosity (“dana”), the Zoom classes, recordings, and blog posts are freely given and freely received. If you are able to support these teachings, please do so as your heart moves you. (NOTE: You can donate even if you are “attending” a practice that is not designated as a “Common Ground Meditation Center” practice, or you can purchase class(es). Donations are tax deductible; class purchases are not necessarily deductible.)
Thank you to everyone who Kiss[ed] My Asana!
While you helped me surpass my fundraising goal, the overall fundraiser raised over half of its goal!!
Whether you showed up in a (Zoom) class, used a recording, shared a post or video, liked and/or commented on a post or video, and/or made a donation — you and your efforts are appreciated! Thank you!!!
### “Continue to breathe / In honor of your brother / That’s what your heart is for” ~ India.Arie (Aaron Lindsey / India.arie Simpson) ###
EXCERPTS: “Today in Rock and Roll” & “… some Powerball® thoughts” May 24, 2025
Posted by ajoyfulpractice in Art, Books, Buddhism, Changing Perspectives, Dharma, Donate, Faith, Healing Stories, Hope, Karma Yoga, Life, Meditation, Music, One Hoop, Philosophy, Volunteer, Wisdom, Writing, Yoga.Tags: 988, Anna Mae Bullock, Bob Dylan, Counting the Omer, Dechen Shak-Dagsay, KISS MY ASANA, music, Nat Hentoff, Regula Curti, Robert Allen Zimmerman, satya, Tina Turner, truth, Uvalde Texas
add a comment
Many blessings to everyone and especially to anyone Counting the Omer, and/or observing the fifth week of Pascha.
“‘The most important thing I know I learned from Woody Guthrie,’ says Dylan, ‘I’m my own person. I’ve got basic common rights-whether I’m here in this country or any other place. I’ll never finish saying everything I feel, but I’ll be doing my part to make some sense out of the way we’re living, and not living, now. All I’m doing is saying what’s on my mind the best way I know how. And whatever else you say about me, everything I do and sing and write comes out of me.’”
— quoted from the liner notes by Nat Hentoff (from Bob Dylan’s album The Freewheelin’ Bob Dylan)
Today is the birthday of Bob Dylan (b. 1941) and the death anniversary of Tina Turner (d. 2023).
Click on the excerpt titles below for more.
Please join me today (Saturday, May 24th) at 12:00 PM for a yoga practice on Zoom. You can use the link from the “Class Schedules” calendar if you run into any problems checking into the class. You can request an audio recording of this practice via a comment below or (for a slightly faster reply) you can email myra (at) ajoyfulpractice.com.
Saturday’s playlist is available on YouTube and Spotify. [Look for “05242022 Bob’s Poems”]
NOTE: I chose not to create a new playlist this year, inspired by both Bob and Tina; however, the first embedded link (above) includes a special message from Tina Turner and I have added the following chant towards the end of both playlists.
If you are thinking about suicide, worried about a friend or loved one, or would like emotional support, you can dial 988 (in the US) or call 1-800-273-TALK (8255) for the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline. You can also call this TALK line if you are struggling with addiction or involved in an abusive relationship. The Lifeline network is free, confidential, and available to all 24/7. YOU CAN TALK ABOUT ANYTHING.
White Flag is a new app, which I have not yet researched, but which may be helpful if you need peer-to-peer (non-professional) support.
If you are a young person in crisis, feeling suicidal, or in need of a safe and judgement-free place to talk, you can also click here to contact the TrevorLifeline (which is staffed 24/7 with trained counselors).
In the spirit of generosity (“dana”), the Zoom classes, recordings, and blog posts are freely given and freely received. If you are able to support these teachings, please do so as your heart moves you. (NOTE: You can donate even if you are “attending” a practice that is not designated as a “Common Ground Meditation Center” practice, or you can purchase class(es). Donations are tax deductible; class purchases are not necessarily deductible.)
Thank you to everyone who Kiss[ed] MyAsana!
While you helped me surpass my fundraising goal, the overall fundraiser raised over half of its goal!!
Whether you showed up in a (Zoom) class, used a recording, shared a post or video, liked and/or commented on a post or video, and/or made a donation — you and your efforts are appreciated! Thank you!!!
### AUM ###
EXCERPT: “The Fools and the Angels [‘Came out by the same door…’]” May 21, 2025
Posted by ajoyfulpractice in "Impossible" People, Changing Perspectives, Donate, Healing Stories, Health, Hope, Karma Yoga, Life, Meditation, Music, One Hoop, Philosophy, Volunteer, Wisdom, Yoga.Tags: 988, Alexander Pope, American Red Cross, Brian Theodore Tyler, Clara Barton, Edmund Dwight, Graeme Edge, Ishbel Ross, John Butler, KISS MY ASANA, Klaus Badelt, Moody Blues, Yoga Sutra 4.15, yoga sutras
add a comment
Many blessings to everyone and especially to anyone celebrating World Meditation Day, Counting the Omer, and/or observing the fifth week of Pascha and/or Apodosis of Prepolovenie.
“Be not the first by whom the new are tried,
Not yet the last to lay the old aside.”
— quoted from “Part 2” of An Essay on Criticism by Alexander Pope
In addition to being World Meditation Day and the anniversary of the birth of Alexander Pope (born 1688, according to the Old Style / Julian calendar, today is the day Clara Barton founded the American Red Cross in 1881.
CLICK ON THE EXCERPT TITLE BELOW FOR MORE.
The Fools and the Angels [“Came out by the same door…”] (the “missing” Tuesday post)
“Clara promptly wrote to her Boston friend of the Franco-Prussian War days, Edmund Dwight:
There seems to be such a muddle of ideas growing out of the mishaps in Congress that it was very apparent that somebody must say something and that, you know, is the place where I always come in; the door that nobody else will go in at, seems always to swing open widely for me.”
— quoted from “PART TWO – XIV. Johnstown Flood” in Angel of the Battlefield: The Life of Clara Barton by Ishbel Ross
Please join me today (Wednesday, May 21st) 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 “05212025 More Fools & More Angels”]
The post excerpted above includes this musical meditation, which could absolutely be used for a 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 a new app, which I have not yet researched, but which may be helpful if you need peer-to-peer (non-professional) support.
If you are a young person in crisis, feeling suicidal, or in need of a safe and judgement-free place to talk, you can also click here to contact the TrevorLifeline (which is staffed 24/7 with trained counselors).
In the spirit of generosity (“dana”), the Zoom classes, recordings, and blog posts are freely given and freely received. If you are able to support these teachings, please do so as your heart moves you. (NOTE: You can donate even if you are “attending” a practice that is not designated as a “Common Ground Meditation Center” practice, or you can purchase class(es). Donations are tax deductible; class purchases are not necessarily deductible.)
Thank you to everyone who Kiss[ed] MyAsana!
While you helped me surpass my fundraising goal, the overall fundraiser raised over half of its goal!!
Whether you showed up in a (Zoom) class, used a recording, shared a post or video, liked and/or commented on a post or video, and/or made a donation — you and your efforts are appreciated! Thank you!!!
### Understand Yourself / Learn Compassion / Learn Love: “Just open your heart and that’s a start” ~ The Moody Blues (KB / BTT) ###
The Character of A Citizen (just the music & blessings) May 20, 2025
Posted by ajoyfulpractice in Changing Perspectives, Donate, Healing Stories, Hope, Karma Yoga, Life, Music, Mysticism, One Hoop, Philosophy, Poetry, Religion, Suffering, Volunteer, Wisdom, Writing, Yoga.Tags: 988, citizens, citizenship, Counting the Omer, KISS MY ASANA, Poetry, W. H. Auden
add a comment
Many blessings to everyone and especially to anyone celebrating Counting the Omer and/or observing the fifth week of Pascha.
Please join me today (Tuesday, May 20th) at 12:00 PM or 7:15 PM for a yoga practice on Zoom. You can use the link from the “Class Schedules” calendar if you run into any problems checking into the class. You can request an audio recording of this practice via a comment below or by emailing myra (at) ajoyfulpractice.com.
Tuesday’s playlist is available on YouTube and Spotify. [Look for “04072021 Character of the Happy Warrior”]
If you are thinking about suicide, worried about a friend or loved one, or would like emotional support, you can dial 988 (in the US) or call 1-800-273-TALK (8255) for the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline. You can also call this TALK line if you are struggling with addiction or involved in an abusive relationship. The Lifeline network is free, confidential, and available to all 24/7. YOU CAN TALK ABOUT ANYTHING.
White Flag is a new app, which I have not yet researched, but which may be helpful if you need peer-to-peer (non-professional) support.
If you are a young person in crisis, feeling suicidal, or in need of a safe and judgement-free place to talk, you can also click here to contact the TrevorLifeline (which is staffed 24/7 with trained counselors).
In the spirit of generosity (“dana”), the Zoom classes, recordings, and blog posts are freely given and freely received. If you are able to support these teachings, please do so as your heart moves you. (NOTE: You can donate even if you are “attending” a practice that is not designated as a “Common Ground Meditation Center” practice, or you can purchase class(es). Donations are tax deductible; class purchases are not necessarily deductible.)
Thank you to everyone who Kiss[ed] My Asana!
While you helped me surpass my fundraising goal, the overall fundraiser raised over half of its goal!!
Whether you showed up in a (Zoom) class, used a recording, shared a post or video, liked and/or commented on a post or video, and/or made a donation — you and your efforts are appreciated! Thank you!!!
### 
###
FTWMI EXCERPT — “Svādyāya III: Being In the Middle” (a post-practice post for Monday) May 19, 2025
Posted by ajoyfulpractice in "Impossible" People, Art, Changing Perspectives, Dharma, Donate, Faith, Healing Stories, Hope, Karma Yoga, Life, Lorraine Hansberry, Mysticism, One Hoop, Philosophy, Religion, Volunteer, Wisdom, Writing, Yoga.Tags: chakras, Counting the Omer, Ernö Rubik, Johns Hopkins, Langston Hughes, Lorraine Hansberry, Malcolm X, Manipura, Muladhara, nadis, sefirot, Spike Lee, Svadhisthana, svadyaya, svādhyāya, yesod
add a comment
Many blessings to everyone and especially to anyone celebrating Counting the Omer and/or observing the fifth week of Pascha.
This is a post-practice excerpt for Monday, May 19th. The 2025 prompt question was, “Are you a puzzle person, a game person, or a person who likes puzzle games?”
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.
“If you are curious, you’ll find the puzzles around you. If you are determined, you will solve them.”
— Ernö Rubik
In addition to being the day, in 1974, when Ernö Rubik invented the Rubik’s Cube, today is the anniversary of the birth of Johns Hopkins (b. 1795), Malcolm X (b. 1925), and Lorraine Hansberry (b. 1930). The following excerpt is from a 2021 post related to how the things that make people different are also the things we have in common.
CLICK ON THE POST TITLE FOR MORE.
Svādyāya III: Being In the Middle (the “missing” Wednesday post)
“A good puzzle, it’s a fair thing. Nobody is lying. It’s very clear, and the problem depends just on you.”
— Ernö Rubik
There is no playlist for the Common Ground Meditation Center practices.
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.
If you are a young person in crisis, feeling suicidal, or in need of a safe and judgement-free place to talk, you can also click here to contact the TrevorLifeline (which is staffed 24/7 with trained counselors).
Thank you to everyone who Kiss[ed] My Asana!
While you helped me surpass my fundraising goal, the overall fundraiser raised over half of its goal!!
Whether you showed up in a (Zoom) class, used a recording, shared a post or video, liked and/or commented on a post or video, and/or made a donation — you and your efforts are appreciated! Thank you!!!
### CELEBRATE CONNECTIONS ###
FTWMI EXCERPT — “Svādyāya II: Omar’s Strait Road, Comes (and Goes) Through the Same Door” May 18, 2025
Posted by ajoyfulpractice in Books, Changing Perspectives, Donate, Faith, Healing Stories, Hope, Karma Yoga, Life, Mathematics, Music, Mysticism, One Hoop, Philosophy, Poetry, Religion, Suffering, Volunteer, Wisdom, Writing, Yoga.Tags: 988, Dean Dillon, George Strait, KISS MY ASANA, Omar Khayyám, svadyaya, svādhyāya, The Rubáiyát, William Brock
add a comment
Many blessings to everyone and especially to anyone celebrating Counting the Omer, and/or observing the fifth week of Pascha and/or celebrating the Samaritan Woman.
“Myself when young did eagerly frequent
Doctor and Saint, and heard great argument
About it and about: but evermore
Came out by the same door where in I went.”
“With them the seed of Wisdom did I sow,
And with mine own hand wrought to make it grow;
And this was all the Harvest that I reap’d–
“I came like Water, and like Wind I go.”
— XXVII and XXIX from The Rubáiyát by Omar Khayyám
The previously excerpt below is from a 2022 post about how Omar Khayyám (born today in 1048) and George Strait (born today in 1952) share more than a birthday. Click on the title or picture to read more.
Svādyāya II: Omar’s Strait Road, Comes (and Goes) Through the Same Door (a 2-for-1 “renewed” post)
“And there’s a road, a winding road that never ends
Full of curves, lessons learned at every bend
Goin’s rough unlike the straight and narrow
It’s for those, those who go against the grain
Have no fear, dare to dream of a change
Live to march to the beat of a different drummer
And it all might come together
And it all might come unraveled
On the road less traveled”
— quoted from the song “The Road Less Traveled” by George Strait (written by Dean Dillon / William Brock)
Please join me for a 65-minute virtual yoga practice on Zoom today (Sunday, May 18th) 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 “05182021 Omar’s Strait Road”]
If you are thinking about suicide, worried about a friend or loved one, or would like emotional support, you can dial 988 (in the US) or call 1-800-273-TALK (8255) for the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline. You can also call this TALK line if you are struggling with addiction or involved in an abusive relationship. The Lifeline network is free, confidential, and available to all 24/7. YOU CAN TALK ABOUT ANYTHING.
White Flag is a new app, which I have not yet researched, but which may be helpful if you need peer-to-peer (non-professional) support.
If you are a young person in crisis, feeling suicidal, or in need of a safe and judgement-free place to talk, you can also click here to contact the TrevorLifeline (which is staffed 24/7 with trained counselors).
In the spirit of generosity (“dana”), the Zoom classes, recordings, and blog posts are freely given and freely received. If you are able to support these teachings, please do so as your heart moves you. (NOTE: You can donate even if you are “attending” a practice that is not designated as a “Common Ground Meditation Center” practice, or you can purchase class(es). Donations are tax deductible; class purchases are not necessarily deductible.)
This is the last day you can click here to Kiss My Asana Now! (Or, you can still also click here (for one more day) to join my team and get people to kiss [your] asana!)
### Let Yourself Go… ###
EXCERPTS: “Being Linda” & “Being…” – Lessons in Svādyāya May 17, 2025
Posted by ajoyfulpractice in "Impossible" People, Changing Perspectives, Donate, Gratitude, Healing Stories, Hope, Karma Yoga, Life, Meditation, One Hoop, Philosophy, Volunteer, Wisdom, Yoga.Tags: 988, Brown v Board, KISS MY ASANA, Linda Brown, Linda Carol Brown, Sarah Darville, SCOTUS, svadyaya, svādhyāya, Thurgood Marshall
add a comment
Many blessings to everyone and especially to anyone celebrating Counting the Omer, and/or observing the fourth week of Pascha.
“None of us got where we are solely by pulling ourselves up by our bootstraps. We got here because somebody – a parent, a teacher, an Ivy League crony or a few nuns – bent down and helped us pick up our boots.”
— Supreme Court Justice (and former NAACP chief counsel) Thurgood Marshall referencing his SCOTUS successor in a Newsweek interview (dated October 28, 1991)
Today is the anniversary of the 1954 Supreme Court of the United States’ landmark decision in Brown v. Board of Education of Topeka.
Click on the first excerpt title for a related meditation.
Click on the second excerpt title for more history.
FTWMI: “Being…” – Lessons in Svādyāya (an expanded and “renewed” post)
“When they won, it set a lasting legal precedent. [Linda] Brown was attending an integrated junior high school by then, and she later recalled the initial desegregation of local elementary schools going smoothly. But over the course of her life, she saw the reality of school integration fall short, locally and nationally.”
— quoted from the 2018 Chalkbeat article entitled “In her own words: Remembering Linda Brown, who was at the center of America’s school segregation battles” by Sarah Darville (posted May 27, 2018)
Please join me today (Saturday, May 17th) at 12:00 PM for a yoga practice on Zoom. You can use the link from the “Class Schedules” calendar if you run into any problems checking into the class. You can request an audio recording of this practice via a comment below or (for a slightly faster reply) you can email myra (at) ajoyfulpractice.com.
Saturday’s playlist is available on YouTube and Spotify. [Look for “05172020 Brown”]
NOTE: The playlists have slightly different before/after music and the YouTube playlist includes the video below of Linda Carol Brown.
If you are thinking about suicide, worried about a friend or loved one, or would like emotional support, you can dial 988 (in the US) or call 1-800-273-TALK (8255) for the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline. You can also call this TALK line if you are struggling with addiction or involved in an abusive relationship. The Lifeline network is free, confidential, and available to all 24/7. YOU CAN TALK ABOUT ANYTHING.
White Flag is a new app, which I have not yet researched, but which may be helpful if you need peer-to-peer (non-professional) support.
If you are a young person in crisis, feeling suicidal, or in need of a safe and judgement-free place to talk, you can also click here to contact the TrevorLifeline (which is staffed 24/7 with trained counselors).
In the spirit of generosity (“dana”), the Zoom classes, recordings, and blog posts are freely given and freely received. If you are able to support these teachings, please do so as your heart moves you. (NOTE: You can donate even if you are “attending” a practice that is not designated as a “Common Ground Meditation Center” practice, or you can purchase class(es). Donations are tax deductible; class purchases are not necessarily deductible.)
You can still click here to Kiss My Asana Now! (Or, you can still also click here to join my team and get people to kiss [your] asana!)
A Joyful Practice 