A Giving Sunday… & A “Stranger” Monday (the “missing” 2-for-1 compilation post, with excerpts) June 15, 2026
Posted by ajoyfulpractice in Changing Perspectives, Dharma, Donate, Gratitude, Healing Stories, Health, Hope, Karma Yoga, Life, Love, Minneapolis, Minnesota, One Hoop, Pain, Peace, Philosophy, Science, Suffering, Tragedy, Twin Cities, Volunteer, Wisdom, Yoga.Tags: 988, Dana, Dr. Jean-Baptiste Denys, Dr. Karl Landsteiner, Dr. Linus Pauling, Dr. Paul Emmerez, Generosity, Gilbert (Hortman), Hope Hoffman, John Hoffman, José Ortega y Gasset, Jose Ortega y Gasset, Mark Hortman, Melissa Hortman, Mildred Adams, No Kings Day, Pandit Rajmani Tigunait, siddhis, Sāmkhya Karika, World Blood Donor Day, World Health Organization, Yoga Sutra 2.24, Yvette Hoffman
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Happy Pride! Many, many blessings to everyone and especially to anyone celebrating PRIDE and/or the 3rd Week after Pentecost, All Russian Saints, & the Apostles’ (Peter & Paul) Fast on World Blood Donor Day.
This is the “missing” (2-for-1) compilation post, with excerpts, for Sunday, June 14th — Monday, June 15th. The 2026 prompt question (for Monday) was, “What is something you have in common with someone perceived as being different from you?”
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.
“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)
The way we phrase a question can sometimes lead to a very different answer than when the same question is asked in a slightly different way. As referenced above, the way a scientist asks a question can determine the way in which they experiment. Similarly, the way a question is asked during an interrogation can lead to a different series of events than if a less accusatory version of the question is asked at the beginning of a yoga class.
For example, “What or who do you value?” was the question at the beginning of Sunday’s practice. I also phrased it as “What or who do you care about?” I am sure you can think of a less polite, more profane way of asking the same question — and it is possible you would get similar answers. However, the first question — with the focus on values — is a direct route to the core (and heart) of our identity and behaviors.
“There is no doubt that the most important mechanism in every animate being is attention. We are where we lend our attention. For that reason I have so often repeated ‘Tell me to what you pay attention and I will tell you who you are.’”
— quoted from “6 Change and Crisis” in Man and Crisis (originally titled En Torno A Galileo) by José Ortega y Gasset (Translated from the Spanish by Mildred Adams)
Sunday, June 14th, was the one-year anniversary of the assassination of Minnesota state representative Melissa Hortman, her husband Mark Hortman, and their dog Gilbert; as well as the attempted assassination of Minnesota state senator John Hoffman, his wife Yvette Hoffman, and their daughter Hope Hoffman (who was injured, but — thanks to her parents — not shot).* It was also the anniversary of the first No Kings Day.
In thinking about the tragedy, as well as the hopes, of that day, and all the days since, I can’t help but think about how we express our values through our thoughts, words, and deeds. A year ago, to the day, there were people who chose to express their values in a peaceful way; while others simultaneously chose to express their values through violence. And, don’t get it twisted, the violence wasn’t just exhibited by the murderer (who has now been convicted), but/and also by counter-protestors to the No Kings Rally. The ironic thing, and one of the saddest things, is that if you stripped away some of the details, people had the same complaints. Up to a point, you could even say they shared similar sentiments. The difference between those who chose peace versus those who chose violence really comes down how much we engaged the practice of our hearts…how much we engaged the things that make us human.
We can debate whether or not the six siddhis (“powers” or “abilities”) described in the Sāmkhya Karika are, in fact, “powers unique to being human”. However, there is no denying that things like our ability to think, use words, problem solve, and cultivate relationships are aspects of our shared experience as humans. These are things we all have in common. Dana (“generosity”) is, in some ways, the most unique of the powers simply because it is the one that can intrinsically overlaps our legal systems.
“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
A few months back, I read 2 books that — at their core — were about connection, belonging, really seeing someone, and generosity. In one book, the generous protagonist was motivated by not being seen, not being understood, and not being accepted as a child. He wanted other children — even ones who were different from him — to experience the love and sense of belonging he missed out on as a child. Even though he was very generous with his money, what stands out in his actions was how generous he was with his other resources: time, energy, love, acceptance. His generosity went beyond his bank account and (slight spoiler alert) when it was pointed out to him that he is being a little stingy (with himself and his truth), he course corrected. His generosity went deeper.
On the flip side, the other book rubbed me the wrong way, because I couldn’t get past the idea that, if the protagonist had less money, he might have given something more valuable than the gifts he gave: He might have gone deeper and given more of himself.
“[The 2026 World Blood Donor Day] campaign, ‘One Drop of Humanity. Give Blood. Save Lives.’, places humanity at the heart of every blood donation. It reminds us that each donation is more than a medical act: it is a powerful expression of solidarity, compassion and collective responsibility.”
— quoted from the World Health Organization’s 2026 World Blood Donor Day site
Sunday was also World Blood Donor Day, which is the anniversary of the birth of Dr. Karl Landsteiner (b. 1868). Coincidentally, the day that honors the “Father of Transfusion Medicine” falls the day before the anniversary of the first documented successful “xenotransfusion”. On June 15, 1667, Dr. Jean-Baptiste Denys (with assistance from Dr. Paul Emmerez) successfully transfused about 12 ounces of sheep blood into the elbow of a 15-year old boy who had been experiencing chronic fever — and who was not finding relief from leeches repeatedly administered by a barber-surgeon. Thanks to the research of Dr. Landsteiner, we now know that 1667 transfusion and similar 17th-19th century transfusions avoided killing the recipients by pure luck!
World Blood Donor Day is an opportunity to educate people about blood (and plasma) donations and, also, an opportunity to celebrate and honor the people who literally give their life’s blood. Consider, for a moment, that if everyone donated money, but no one donated blood or plasma, the money would just sit in the banks. Maybe, occasionally, moving from one bank to another. On the flip side, if everyone (who could) donated blood and/or plasma, but no one donated money, people would use their siddhis and figure out a way to get the blood and plasma to the people who needed them.
CLICK ON THE EXCERPT TITLES BELOW FOR MORE.
Thicker Than…? (a”missing” 2-for-1 post, for Monday-Tuesday)
“Inspired by the idea that the whole of humanity can be reflected in a single drop, the [2026] campaign highlights how every donor helps form a lifeline that connects and protects us all.”
— quoted from the World Health Organization’s 2026 World Blood Donor Day site
Sunday’s playlist is available on YouTube and Spotify. [Look for “06142020 World Blood Donor Day”]
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 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).
You’re Invited to Bend… & To Take The Deepest Breath You’ve Taken — On Retreat!
September 25 — 27, 2026
*NOTE: One June 14, 2025, the murderer made additional attempts on the lives of Minnesota legislators and their families. In one case, the legislator was on vacation. In a separate case, the attempt was thwarted by police presence and interaction.
### Generosity ⇐⇒ Humanity ###
A Giving Sunday (mostly the music & blessings) **UPDATED w/excerpt** June 14, 2026
Posted by ajoyfulpractice in Changing Perspectives, Dharma, Donate, Gratitude, Healing Stories, Health, Hope, Karma Yoga, Life, Love, One Hoop, Peace, Philosophy, Science, Volunteer, Wisdom, Yoga.Tags: 988, Dana, Dr. Karl Landsteiner, Generosity, Pandit Rajmani Tigunait, siddhis, World Blood Donor Day, World Health Organization, Yoga Sutra 2.24
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Happy Pride! Many, many blessings to everyone and especially to anyone celebrating PRIDE and/or the 2nd Week after Pentecost, All Russian Saints, & the Apostles’ (Peter & Paul) Fast on World Blood Donor Day.
“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
CLICK ON THE EXCERPT TITLE BELOW FOR MORE.
A Giving Sunday… & A “Stranger” Monday (the “missing” 2-for-1 compilation post, with excerpts)
“[The 2026 World Blood Donor Day] campaign, ‘One Drop of Humanity. Give Blood. Save Lives.’, places humanity at the heart of every blood donation. It reminds us that each donation is more than a medical act: it is a powerful expression of solidarity, compassion and collective responsibility. Inspired by the idea that the whole of humanity can be reflected in a single drop, the campaign highlights how every donor helps form a lifeline that connects and protects us all.”
— quoted from the World Health Organization’s 2026 World Blood Donor Day site
Please join me today (Sunday, June 14th) at 2:30 PM for a yoga practice on Zoom. You can use the link from the “Class Schedules” calendar if you run into any problems checking into the class. You can request an audio recording of this practice via a comment below or (for a slightly faster reply) you can email myra (at) ajoyfulpractice.com.
Sunday’s playlist is available on YouTube and Spotify. [Look for “06142020 World Blood Donor Day”]
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 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.
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
### Generosity ⇐⇒ Humanity ###
A BIG Thank You, A Little Reminder, & A Request (a bonus post) May 28, 2026
Posted by ajoyfulpractice in Donate, Gratitude, Healing Stories, Karma Yoga, Life, Love, Minneapolis, Minnesota, Music, One Hoop, Philosophy, Science, Swami Vivekananda, Texas, Twin Cities, Volunteer, Wisdom, Yoga.Tags: Carl Rogers Young, David Shul, giving thanks, gratitude, Jason Patrick Bowman, Michael Franti, music, retreat, Spearhead, Swami Vivekananda
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Many, many blessings to everyone.
“A hundred lives would not be sufficient to pay my deep debt of gratitude to you! I have not words enough to express my gratitude to you. ‘If the Indian Ocean were an inkstand, the highest mountain of the Himalaya the pen, the earth the scroll and time itself the writer’ (Adapted from the Shiva-Mahimnah-Stotram [verse 32].) still it will not express my gratitude to you!”
— quoted from “Epistles — Second Series: XL (From a letter written to H. H. the Maharaja of Khetri) American, 1894.” as printed in Complete Works of Swami Vivekananda (Volume 6) by Swami Vivekananda
Normally, when Kiss My Asana is in April and the donation pages are officially open until sometime in May, this is around the time when I post a little thank you for all the support. Even though KMA (or, at least the corresponding Salon) has been rescheduled this year, I still want to take this opportunity to say thank you. This is a big thank you, because I want to thank everyone who has supported me and this practice and this yoga community over the years.
Big shoutout and thank you to those of you who remember me teaching yoga in your living rooms. Thank you to the A-Team and the Wolf Team (my cohorts during my first teacher training) and all the teachers and students in all of my trainings. Thank you to everyone who regularly (or sporadically) came to classes at the YMCAs, the studios, Common Ground Meditation Center, and/or a condo or community center classes. Thank you to all my meditation buddies.
Thank you to everyone who has supported Kiss My Asana over the years. Thank you to everyone who have showed up (at multiple locations) for the Yoga Week classes over the last few years — not to mention those who helped me find and secure those multiple locations. I will also appreciate you showing up in the future.
Thank you to everyone who showed up for Sunrise Yoga during Northern Lights, for practices during Don’t You Feel It To? events, and/or for one of the special practices at one of the museums. Thank you for everyone who has attended (or will attend) a retreat. Thank you to the coordinators of those events, who invited me to teach, as well as to the supervisors and studio owners/managers I have met along the way. Thank you to the Carry Prenatal Yoga and Meditation App founders and support team — as well as everyone who has downloaded the app. Thank you for the students, teachers, and staff at Bend Yoga Center.
Thank you to those of you who invited me to teach outside by the lake or creek and those of you who invited me to teach for your birthday… or the birthday of someone you love. Thank you to the couples who invited me to officiate their weddings and to the people who asked me to be a part of a moment marking the beginning of new life or the end of a life well-lived.
Thank you to the handful of you who invited me to share the practice with your co-workers, family, and friends. Thank you to those of you who recommended me to your friends (not to mention your parents or kids), as well as those of you who intentionally (or serendipitously) ended up having a private practice.
Thank you to the handful of you who have opened your homes to me and to everyone (and anyone) who shows up! Thank you to the cooks and for everyone who has shared a dish and/or a whole meal when we all get together!!
Thank you to everyone who has ever purchased a class, made a donation, and/or given me treats. Thank you to everyone who has shared a meal, a hot beverage, a conversation, and/or a giggle with me. Thank you for everyone who has offered me feedback (positive or negative) and recommendations. Thank you to for the tangible gifts as well as those that don’t fit in a box. Thank you for everyone who has made sure I got where I needed to go (not to mention those who made sure I had a place to go).
Thank you to everyone who has continued this journey — either on Zoom; via a recording; through the blog, YouTube, and Spotify channels; and/or at those few times a year when I am offering in-person classes.
Additionally, here’s an extra special shout out and thank you to those of you who don’t practice (and may never practice), but make sure that someone you love has the space, time, technology, and other resources to join the rest of us on the mat and on the cushion.
I apologize if I have forgotten anyone. Please know that I appreciate you and that, as much as I am grateful for how our paths have crossed in the past, I am doubly grateful for how they will crisscross in the future.
Speaking of the future, don’t forget that there is still space for the upcoming gratitude retreat!
“Whoa, whoa, life is better with you
Whoa, whoa, life is better with you
And when I think about the things that we’ve been through
I know just one thing is true, life is better”
— quoted from the song “Life Is Better With You” by Michael Franti & Spearhead (written by Michael Franti, Jason Patrick Bowman)
Final shout-outs and thank yous: I am forever grateful for my yoga and meditation practices — and for the ways in which they became part of my everyday life. It is hard to imagine how I would be (or where I would be) without these practices and it is my continuous hope that your experiences with yoga are similarly profound.
On that note, thank you to my yoga teachers — especially the first ones — and an extra special decades-in-the-making thank you to the person who coordinated my first set of classes (and my second set of classes) and the other person who consistently showed up for the first set of classes (and the handful who showed up for the second set). You know who you are.
Music has always been a big part of my life and, so, it naturally became a big part of my practice. I am grateful for music and the way it opens us up — on so many different levels. I am also grateful that I was introduced to a lot of different music at a very early age. Fun fact: If I hadn’t learned how to read music (when I was a child), I may not have worked at the ballet (the second time around), which means I might not have started practicing yoga when I did… which means I might not have crossed paths with any of you… which means I wouldn’t be nearly as grateful as I am right now.
If you are also grateful for music (on or off the mat), please click here and check out this video for the South High Music Booster Club.
“Everyone deserves music, sweet music
Even our worst enemies Lord, they deserve music, music
And even the quiet ones in our family, they deserve music
So if you’re feelin’ down and out, got no place to go now
Just sing along to the music y’all, let it fill your soul now
Because everyone deserves music, sweet music
Even the quiet ones, the lonely ones
The happy ones ain’t the only ones, y’all
Everyone deserves music”
— quoted from the song “Everyone Deserves Music” by Michael Franti & Spearhead (written by Michael Franti, David Shul, Carl Rogers Young)
NOTE: In his 1894 letter, which recounted some of his experiences at the 1893 Chicago World’s Fair and Parliament of the World’s Religions, Swami Vivekananda was specifically expressing gratitude for “American women!” (His exclamation mark, not mine.) Towards the end of the letter, he said, “They intuitively know that it is a question of positivity and not negativity, a question of addition and not subtraction. They are every day becoming aware of the fact that it is the affirmative and positive side of everything that shall be stored up, and that this very act of accumulating the affirmative and positive, and therefore soul-building forces of nature, is what destroys the negative and destructive elements in the world.”
### Gracias ♥ Merci ♥ Grazie ♥ Danke ♥ Go Raibh Maith Agat ♥ 谢谢 [Xièxie] ♥ धन्यवाद [Dhanyavāda] ♥ Dankon ♥ ありがとう [Arigatō] ###
FTWMI(repost): Fearless Play with Miles & Sally **UPDATED** May 26, 2026
Posted by ajoyfulpractice in "Impossible" People, Art, Changing Perspectives, Donate, Faith, Healing Stories, Hope, Karma Yoga, Life, Men, Music, One Hoop, Philosophy, Science, Volunteer, Wisdom, Women, Yoga.Tags: 988, Afterfeast of the Ascension, Alison Beard, ancestors, asana, Christa McAuliffe, Eastertide, fearless, fearless play, Improv, jazz, Kate Hughes, Lynn Sherr, Miles Davis, Pearle Cleage, play, Robert Alan Benson, Robert Andrews, role models, Sally Ride, yoga
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Many, many blessings to everyone and especially to anyone observing the Afterfeast of the Ascension and/or working as a force of peace, freedom, and fulfillment (inside and outside).
For Those Who Missed It: This slightly revised version of a 2020 post was previously posted. Some contextual information, class details, links, and formatting have been updated or added.
“‘I’ve discovered that half the people would love to go into space and there’s no need to explain it them. The other half can’t understand and I couldn’t explain it to them. If someone doesn’t know why, I can’t explain it.’”
— Sally Ride, quoted in the “Introduction” of Sally Ride: Americas First Woman in Space by Lynn Sherr
“If you understood everything I say, you’d be me!”
— Miles Davis
I often say that when I think of being fearless, I think of jazz and the rules of improve. I think of saying “yes, and….” I think of people like Ella Fitzgerald, Duke Ellington, Louis Armstrong, Billie Holiday, Charles Mingus, Dinah Washington, Charlie Parker, Thelonious Monk, Joshua Redman, Eddie Palmieri, Sonny Rollins, the Marsalis family, and Jason Moran.
I also think about Miles Davis, who would have turned 94 100 today. But we’ll come back to him, because when I think of being fearless I also think of women like Christa McAuliffe and Sally Ride.
Sally Ride, who was born today in 1951, was the first American woman in space and the third woman overall, (after Soviet cosmonauts Valentina Tereshkova and Svetlana Savitskaya). She is still the youngest American NASA* astronaut to have traveled into space and, although it wasn’t known at the time, she is now acknowledged as the first LGBTQIA+ astronaut. She once said, “I love the John Glenn model… I may call NASA in 25 years or so, and see it they’d like to send me to Mars.” She probably would have done just that if she hadn’t been so busy teaching, running public-outreach programs for NASA, serving on two aerospace accident investigation boards, writing 7 books for children, and starting and running “Sally Ride Science” (which creates entertaining science programs and publications aimed at upper elementary and middle school children).
Part of what made Dr. Ride fearless was that not only did she (to paraphrase Christa McAuliffe) say yes to a seat on a rocket, she also said yes to being a role model. She kept the focus on the science even as she endured the most sexist questions from the public and the press. When she realized certain people were going to keep coming back to her gender, she used the platform she was being given to make room for more women and girls in the sciences.
“I never went into physics or the astronaut corps to become a role model. But after my first flight, it became clear to me that I was one. And I began to understand the importance of that to people. Young girls need to see role models in whatever careers they may choose, just so they can picture themselves doing those jobs someday. You can’t be what you can’t see.”
— Sally Ride, quoted from the Harvard Business interview (“Sally Ride on Breaking Ground in Aerospace and Education”) by Alison Beard
The fact that pretty much anyone (and everyone) in the public eye ends up as a possible role model can be dangerous — especially when people don’t accept the responsibility, or take it for granted. Miles Davis fits into this category. Born today in 1926, Miles Davis said, “The thing to judge in any jazz artist is, does the man project and does the man have ideas.”
Mr. Davis did and had both. He was a musical innovator who studied at the Institute of Musical Art, now known as Julliard, and also studied in jam sessions with jazz greats like Charlie Parker and Dizzy Gillespie. He was a trailblazer, who kicked off the “cool jazz” movement, developed “hard bop,” and ultimately fused jazz with rock and funk. He would lose old fans, win new fans, and then gain the old fans back — because he did the thing he told other musicians to do: he didn’t play what was there, he played what wasn’t there.
“A legend is an old man with a cane known for what he used to do. I’m still doing it.”
— Miles Davis, quoted from The New Penguin Dictionary of Modern Quotations by Robert Andrews, with the assistance of Kate Hughes (cited from International Herald Tribune 17 July 1991)
For all his musical success, however, Mr. Davis battled demons. He grew up in a fairly well off family, but people often assumed he grew up poor and was uneducated. He struggled with the fact that although albums like his Birth of the Cool were historically and musically important, they didn’t have the same success as albums by white musicians in the same genre. He also struggled with cocaine and heroin addiction; once broke both ankles in a car accident; and by all accounts (including his own) was physically and emotionally abusive to all three of his wives (and most likely any other women with whom he had a romantic relationship).
Miles Davis was a narcissistic abusive jerk. He was also a genius. Interestingly, even now, Pearl Cleage is one of the few people to speak of his abuse. Not because she personally experienced it, but because she wanted people (especially men) to stop and think about how they engage in relationships. She wanted shine a light on how not to act in relationships.
“No, you should not feel guilty. Miles is dead. We can just hope the next time he comes around his spirit and his personality will be as lovely as his music.”
— Pearl Cleage, author of Mad at Miles: A Blackwoman’s Guide to Truth, in a 2012 interview for Atlanta Magazine (when asked about listening to music by Miles Davis)
2024 PRACTICE NOTE: This week, we reconnect and remember those that came before and consider what lessons their lives have to teach us. Today, in particular, there is a little extra focus on faith, humility, and what it takes to do… the thing you think cannot be done.
Please join me today (Tuesday, May 26th) at 12:00 PM or 7:15 PM for a yoga practice on Zoom. You can use the link from the “Class Schedules” calendar if you run into any problems checking into in the class. You can request an audio recording of this practice via a comment below or by emailing myra (at) ajoyfulpractice.com.
Tuesday’s playlist is available on YouTube and Spotify. [Look for “05262020 Fearless Play with Miles & Sally”]
“Suppose you come across a woman lying on the street with an elephant sitting on her chest. You notice she is short of breath. Shortness of breath can be a symptom of heart problems. In her case, the much more likely cause is the elephant on her chest.
For a long time, society put obstacles in the way of women who wanted to enter the sciences. That is the elephant. Until the playing field has been levelled and lingering stereotypes are gone, you can’t even ask the question”
— Sally Ride in a 2006 USA Today interview with Robert Alan Benson
*NOTE: While private (non-government) companies have now made spaceflight available to individuals who can afford the ticket, Sally Ride is still the youngest American astronaut whose spaceflight is considered public (because it was funded by a government agency).
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.
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
(Early Bird Pricing ends this week!)
2026 NOTE (with errata and correction: I referenced two jazz greats as recently passing away, but had one of the dates wrong. Sonny Rollins passed yesterday (5/25/2026). Eddie Palmieri passed 08/06/2025. Rest in Power!
### THERE’S A COUPLE OF ELEPHANTS IN THE ROOM ###
A Quick Life Tip & FTWMI EXCERPT — “Svādyāya II: Omar’s Strait Road, Comes (and Goes) Through the Same Door” [the post-practice Monday post] May 18, 2026
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, Counting the Omer, Dean Dillon, George Strait, International Museum Day, Omar Khayyám, Sixth Week of Pascha, svadyaya, svādhyāya, The Rubáiyát, William Brock
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Many, many blessings to everyone and especially to anyone Counting the Omer, and/or celebrating/observing the Sixth Week of Pascha on International Museum Day.
This is the post-practice for Monday, May 18th. The 2026 prompt question was, “What do you want to come to mind when someone thinks of you?”
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 world will long be, but of you and me
No sign, no trace for anyone to see;
The world lacked not a thing before we came,
Nor will it miss us when we cease to be.”
— quoted from (quatrain 132) Ruba’iyat of Omar Khayyam, translated by Ahmad Saidi (with preface by Seyyed Hossein Nasr)
At the end of the day, there is one big takeaway, one big bottom line, from this (particular) practice: Do everything as if it is the only thing people will remember about you.
That’s it. That’s today’s life tip.
“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 posted 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 EXCERPT TITLE OR PICTURE FOR 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)
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 “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 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).
You’re Invited to Bend… & To Take The Deepest Breath You’ve Taken — On Retreat!
September 25 — 27, 2026
### Be [In] the Moment ###
CODA & EXCERPTS: “Being Linda” & “‘Being…’ – Lessons in Svādyāya” May 17, 2026
Posted by ajoyfulpractice in "Impossible" People, Changing Perspectives, Donate, Gratitude, Healing Stories, Hope, Karma Yoga, Life, Meditation, One Hoop, Philosophy, Volunteer, Wisdom, Yoga.Tags: #IDAHOBIT, 988, Brown v Board, Counting the Omer, education, Hobbits, International Day Against Homophobia Biphobia Intersexism and Transphobia, José González, Linda Brown, Linda Carol Brown, Mireille P, Sarah Darville, SCOTUS, Sixth Sunday of the Pascha, Special Education (SPED), Sunday of the Blind Man, svadyaya, svādhyāya, Teddy P, The Gospel According to John, Thurgood Marshall
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Many blessings to everyone and especially to anyone Counting the Omer, and/or celebrating/observing the Sixth Sunday of Pascha: the Sunday of the Blind Man and/or International Day Against Homophobia, Biphobia, Intersexism, and Transphobia.
This is the “missing” compilation post for Sunday, May 17th. It includes a new coda and (previously posted) excerpts. My apologies for not posting before the practice. 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.
𝄌
“It’s disheartening that we are still fighting. But we are dealing with human beings. As long as we are, there will always be those who feel the races should be separate.”
— Linda Brown, quoted in a 1994 New York Times article (around 40th anniversary)
In some ways, the story of the Supreme Court of the United States’ landmark decision in (the first) Brown v. Board of Education of Topeka, today (May 17th) in 1954, is a story about more than Linda Brown and her parents Oliver and Leola Brown. It’s a story about more than the other children — of every ethnicity and race — going to school in the United States in the 1950s. In fact, it is an ongoing story about the almost 4 billion (and counting) school-aged children who have gone to public school in the United States since 1954. It’s a story about how children grow up and either become a benefit to society or a detriment.
I would argue that the ramifications of the decision to desegregate public schools in the US have (mostly) been beneficial. However, the decision (and the way it was implemented) was not perfect. Furthermore, the story does not (yet) have a happily-ever-after ending — because there are still people who want to “cycle trivialities” and find some way to “Other” someone (in this case, children) in order to segregate them. In fact, on Thursday (05/14), I went to an independent school district board meeting where parents, teachers, librarians, and community were speaking up against an ill-conceived “plan” to segregate some students in Special Education (SPED).
Now, if you know me personally — and you know I don’t have school-aged kids (or grandkids) — you might wonder why I would go to the aforementioned school board meeting. Bottom line: I live in a neighborhood with an elementary school, a middle school, and a public library that are part of the school district. More importantly, I have neighbors and friends currently enrolled in this school district. Some of those neighbors and friends, like my friend Teddy P, who has Down Syndrome, currently attend school with students who are in SPED, as well as students who are not. Teddy loves music, loves to dance, loves to swim, and REALLY loves to tell corny jokes. He’s a teenage boy, so he can be a little moody at times and a little stubborn; but, mostly I would describe him as sweet and gregarious (i.e., social and fun-loving).
Over the years, especially since I have been back in Texas, I have had the privilege of watching him grow up and develop into a person who can (and does) make a difference. Teddy is who he is, in part, because of his parents (and extended family). He is who he is, in part, because of the way they have advocated for him in his schools. They have made choices, in part, because the laws create the opportunity for them to make the best choices for Teddy. While the school board is not in a position to change the laws affecting people with disabilities, they are in a position to make it harder for people to exercise their rights — and that, unfortunately, is what they are attempting to do. Fortunately, the board is meeting with resistance: 99 people signed up to speak out on Thursday. One of the speakers was Teddy’s mom, Mireille, who pointed out that these children are not numbers and said:
“I’m here because something is going very wrong.”
It is hard to tell how many of the board members were really listening on Thursday and could see what was right in front of them. My guess is that some of them refuse to see and others… others might need a miracle. Speaking of miracles: In addition to being the anniversary of Brown v Board, today was also the Sunday of the Blind Man (in some Orthodox Christian traditions).1
The Sunday of the Blind Man is dedicated to the story of Jesus healing a man who was blind because he was born without eyes. According to the Gospel According to John (9), there was a lot of drama surrounding this healing. The disciples questioned whether or not the man’s disability was related to someone’s sin and then attempted to identify the catalyst for the miracle. (Spoiler alert, Jesus said disability had nothing to do with sin and it’s the man’s faith, not the clay or water, that serves as the healing catalyst.) The story also includes some people questioning the fact that the healing took place on the Sabbath; questioning the identity of the man after he was healed; and still others noting the significance of this being the first time “any man opened the eyes of one that was born blind”. What is particularly notable about that last part is that, according to the gospels, Jesus had previously opened the eyes of others (i.e., people who should have had the ability to see what was right in front of them). The story also underscores the guilt of people who are willfully ignorant (i.e., people who should have had the ability to see what was right in front of them).
Metaphorically speaking, the story of the blind man holds a lesson for us all. Sometimes, we need a little help in order to see. Sometimes, we need a little faith. Sometimes we just need to open our eyes and remember (as I mentioned before) that every child grows up to be benefit to society or a detriment.
The difference really does come down to what we are taught… and how we are taught it.
“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)
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)
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 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).
You’re Invited to Bend… & To Take The Deepest Breath You’ve Taken — On Retreat!
September 25 — 27, 2026
NOTE: 1During the 2026 practice, I referenced the International Day Against Homophobia, Biphobia, Intersexism, and Transphobia (instead of the Sunday of the Blind Man). I did not mention, however, that the acronym, IDAHOBIT, made me think of The Lord of the Rings and how all the different types of people came together to (essentially) save the world. We can all “be da hobbit”, we just have to open our eyes and see the common threads that connect us.
### I da hobbit! Are u a hobbit? ###
SECOND Friday Night Special #67 — Invitation for “Healing Moments” & EXCERPT: “Healing and Dreaming on the 8th” (the “missing” invitation) May 8, 2026
Posted by ajoyfulpractice in "Impossible" People, Changing Perspectives, Dharma, Donate, Faith, Healing Stories, Health, Hope, Karma Yoga, Life, Loss, Love, Meditation, Mysticism, One Hoop, Pain, Peace, Philosophy, Religion, Suffering, Tragedy, Volunteer, Wisdom, Writing, Yoga.Tags: 988, American Red Cross, Counting the Omer, Fourth Week of Pascha, healing, Healing Stories, Henry Dunant, humanity, International Committee of the Red Cross, International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies, Jean-Henri Dunant, Julian of Norwich, Kate Forbes, Mercedes Babé, Mirjana Spoljaric, Pandit Rajmani Tigunait, Red Crescent, Red Cross, Red Crystal, Red Lion and Sun, samkhya, siddhis, Suffering, Sāmkhya, Sāmkhya Karika, White Lotus Day, World Red Cross and Red Crescent Day, Yoga Sutra 2.24
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Peace and many blessings to everyone and especially to anyone Counting the Omer and/or observing/celebrating the Feast Day of Julian of Norwich, the Fourth Week of Pascha, World Red Cross and Red Crescent Day, and/or White Lotus Day.
This “missing” (expanded) invitation for the “SECOND Friday Night Special” on May 8th, includes a related excerpt. You can request an audio recording of this Restorative Yoga practice (with some Somatic Yoga, Pranayama, & guided meditation) 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.
“Dukha-vighata-traya means ‘elimination of threefold sorrow—physical, mental, and spiritual.’ We are born with the capacity to understand both the cause and the cure of all our physical, mental, and spiritual diseases. We have the capacity to discover the tools and means to overcome our sorrow.”
— quoted from the commentary on Yoga Sūtra 2.24 from The Practice of the Yoga Sutra: Sadhana Pada by Pandit Rajmani Tigunait, PhD
There is no getting around the fact that there is a lot of suffering in the world. Neither can we get around the fact that, even when we have the best intentions, we can be the cause of our own — and someone else’s — suffering. However, we also have the capacity to heal and to eliminate suffering — physically, mentally, and/or spiritually/energetically. In fact, the Sāmkhya Karika describes six siddhis (“powers” or “abilities”) as “unique to being human”. While we can debate the idea that these powers are ours alone as human beings, I want to focus on the ability to eliminate three-fold sorrow — i.e., the power to eliminate suffering, which is also the ability to heal.
What happens in the body, happens in the mind; what happens in the mind, happens in the body; and both affect the breath/ spirit. Sometimes, to heal, we just need a little quiet moment, a moment of stillness, and a moment to breathe. Sometimes, we need a little movement in order to find that breath of stillness. And, while the mind-body-spirit are always (on a certain level) healing, we sometimes need to be proactive about healing ourselves and helping others to heal. This is especially true when we are dealing with great trauma.
“The moral sense of the importance of human life; the humane desire to lighten a little of the torments of all these poor wretches, or restore their shattered courage; the furious and relentless activity which a man summons up at such moments: all these combine to create a kind of energy which gives one a positive craving to relieve as many as one can. There is no more grieving at the multiple scenes of this fearful and solemn tragedy. There is indifference even…. There is something akin to cold calculation, in the face of horrors yet more ghastly than those here described, and which the pen absolutely declines to set down.
But then you feel sometimes that your heart is suddenly breaking—it is as if you were stricken all at once with a sense of bitter and irresistible sadness, because of some simple incident, some isolated happening, some small unexpected detail which strikes closer to the soul, seizing on our sympathies and shaking all the most sensitive fibres of our being.”
— quoted from A Memory of Solferino by Henry Dunant (English version, American Red Cross)
Born in Geneva, Switzerland, on May8, 1828, Jean-Henri Dunant witnessed a great trauma compounded by a great tragedy when he was in Solferino, Italy in 1859. What he witnessed after the Battle of Solferino and San Martino inspired him to facilitate healing and create a plan that kicked off the Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement. It also led to the creation of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) and the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC), as well as to the Geneva Conventions.
The anniversary of Mr. Dunant’s birth is celebrated annually as World Red Cross and Red Crescent Day. In 2026, when the symbols meant to protect volunteers (and their efforts) are sometimes being targeted, the celebration is also marked by the tragic loss of volunteers and staff — “drivers, paramedics, first responders, community workers [who] wore the emblem.” . This year’s theme simultaneously honors their memories and reinforces the original intention expressed by volunteers in Solferino back in 1859: “United in Humanity. No Matter Where, No Matter When”.
“These losses are not isolated. They are part of a broader pattern of disregard for the basic norms of humanity. The dehumanization of others is becoming routine. It is increasingly claimed, more openly than before, that what matters is raw power, that principles are naïve, and that respect for the law is optional.
When we deny the humanity of another – through language, through indifference, through the careful architecture of policy – it becomes easier to destroy and degrade. It becomes easier to exercise power unrestrained by conscience. And in doing so, the world becomes more brutal for everyone in it.
Our Movement stands in direct opposition to that callous logic. We are driven not by what is convenient, nor by what is politically expedient, but by what is right. Our work begins each day with the same act the women of Castiglione performed almost 170 years ago: having the determination, and the courage, to recognize the humanity in others, despite all else.”
— quoted from the Message on World Red Cross and Red Crescent Day 2026, signed by Kate Forbes (Présidente de la Fédération Internationale), Mercedes Babé (Présidente de la Commission permanente), and Mirjana Spoljaric (Présidente du CICR)
CLICK ON THE EXCERPT TITLE BELOW FOR MORE.
“To all volunteers and staff across the Movement: we see you, we thank you, we stand with you. Amid division, violence and disregard for human suffering, every day that you continue this work, you reaffirm that humanity matters.
Today, on this World Red Cross and Red Crescent Day, as on all days, we remain united in humanity.”
— quoted from the Message on World Red Cross and Red Crescent Day 2026, signed by Kate Forbes (Présidente de la Fédération Internationale), Mercedes Babé (Présidente de la Commission permanente), and Mirjana Spoljaric (Présidente du CICR)
In addition to being World Red Cross and Red Crescent Day, May 8th is also the Feast Day of Julian of Norwich (in Anglican and Lutheran Christian traditions) and White Lotus Day (see excerpted post above). Both of these celebrations are connected to spiritual healing and are also connected to physical symbols of healing — just like the symbols used by the Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement.
White Lotus Day is an annual celebration held on the anniversary of the death of Helena Petrovna Blavatsky (née Hahn von Rottenstern). The Russian–born American mystic known as Madame Blavatsky or HPB, who was an author and co-founder of the Theosophical Society, died of the flu in 1891 (during pandemic of 1889 – 1890). A year later, her followers reported an extraordinary amount of white lotus on the anniversary of her death.
Julian of Norwich’s life was marked by so many outbreaks of the Black Death that, when she became ill in 1373, she (and those around her) did not believe she would recover. In fact, she was given last rites today in 1373. When she did recover, she wrote of what she experienced and what she was “shewn” about love — and the healing power of Divine love. Her words have given people hope and can be a balm to many experiencing suffering:
“All shall be well, and all shall be well, and (in) all manner of thing(s) shall be well.”
— quoted from Chapter 27 of Revelations of Divine Love (Revelations of Love in 16 Shewings) by Julian of Norwich
This Restorative Yoga (with some Somatic Yoga, Pranayama, & guided meditation) is accessible and open to all.
(NOTE: There is a little bit of quiet space in this practice.)
Friday’s playlist is available on YouTube and Spotify. [Look for “05032024 Balancing Holding On & Letting Go”]
NOTE: At the beginning of the practice, you will be prompted to pause and select a track. The playlist tracks are slightly different in length and duration; however, the overall content is the same.
Prop wise, I suggest using a chair, sofa, coffee table, or bolster at the beginning and this is a kitchen sink practice. 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 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).
You’re Invited to Bend… & To Take The Deepest Breath You’ve Taken — On Retreat!
September 25 — 27, 2026
### BE WELL ###
EXCERPT (repost): “Grace & FTWMI: What Dreams May Come (on May 6th)” May 6, 2026
Posted by ajoyfulpractice in Books, Changing Perspectives, Depression, Donate, Healing Stories, Health, Hope, Karma Yoga, Life, Music, One Hoop, Philosophy, Science, Suffering, Volunteer, Wisdom, Yoga.Tags: 988, Anna O, Bertha Pappenheim, Counting the Omer, dream interpretation, dreams, Josef Breuer, Mid-Pentecost or Prepolovenie, psychoanalysis, rabbits, Sigmund Freud, yoga, Yoga Sutra 1.10, Yoga Sutra 1.38, Yoga Sutras 1.5-1.10
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Many blessings to everyone and especially to anyone Counting the Omer and/or observing Mid-Pentecost or Prepolovenie.
“Being entirely honest with oneself is a good exercise.”
— from a letter written by Sigmund Freud to Dr. Wilhelm Fleiss, otolaryngologist (dated 10/15/1897)
Sigmund Freud was born today in 1856. Click on the excerpt title below for more.
If you’re curious about what I might “dream up” next, please join me today (Wednesday, May 6th) 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 “05062020 What Dreams May Come”]
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.
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
### How Do You Know What You Know About Yourself? ###
FTWMI(2): ¡Vamos Otra Vez! (a collection of excerpts) *UPDATED* May 5, 2026
Posted by ajoyfulpractice in Books, Changing Perspectives, Donate, Faith, Healing Stories, Karma Yoga, Lent / Great Lent, Music, One Hoop, Philosophy, Religion, Texas, Volunteer, Wisdom, Yoga.Tags: 988, Cinco de Mayo, Counting the Omer, Fourth Week of Pascha, General Miguel Negrete, Great Pascha, Lag B'Omer, Lag B'Omer or Lag LaOmer, Mexican-American, National Day of Awareness for Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women Girls and 2SLGBTQI+ People (MMIWG2S+), Red Dress Day, REDress Day, Søren Kierkegaard
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Feliz Cinco de Mayo!
Many blessings to everyone and especially to anyone observing the National Day of Awareness for Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women, Girls, and 2SLGBTQI+ People (MMIWG2S+) [in Canada] on REDress Day; observing Lag B’Omer and Counting the Omer; and/or observing the fourth week of Pascha.
For Those Who Missed It: The following compilation (featuring excerpts) was previously posted. CLICK ON THE EXCERPT TITLES FOR MORE.
“One must first learn to know himself before knowing anything else. Not until a man has inwardly understood himself and then sees the course he has to take does his life gain peace and meaning; only then is he free….”
— quoted from a journal entry #5100 “Gilleleie, dated August 1, 1835” by Søren Kierkegaard
The following excerpt is from a 2023 “First Friday Night Special” post:
“Even though he shares a birthday with some great people I know, I hardly ever mention the existential philosopher Søren Kierkegaard on his actual birthday. That’s because he was born today, May 5, 1813. Sure, he was born in Copenhagen, Denmark, Denmark–Norway, 49 years before the Battle of Puebla — which took place on Cinco de Mayo, 1862 in Puebla de Zaragoza, Mexico (almost 9.5 thousand kilometers away from Copenhagen, where Kierkegaard died, seven years before the battle). And, yes, he lived almost 150 years before Cinco de Mayo became a celebration of Mexican heritage in the United States. However, for me, that celebration of heritage is crucial and a great opportunity to breathe and to share the music of Mexican-Americans.
Despite what some people think, Cinco de Mayo has absolutely nothing to do with Mexican Independence Day (September 16th) and everything to do with the spirit, the will, and the determination of the people in Puebla, Mexico in 1862. The Battle of Puebla took place during the second Franco-Mexican War (also known as the Second French Intervention in Mexico). This was forty-plus years after the Mexican War of Independence….”
The following excerpt is from a 2020 post:
“Kierkegaard was a Christian existentialist and yet his thoughts on love, living a life with purpose, honoring community while also knowing your own mind, and connecting with the Divine may be very meaningful to people of different faiths and belief systems. I don’t agree with all of his conclusions. Yet, some of his words definitely resonate with me — especially right now, as we find ourselves alone together and not only having the time to really get to know ourselves, but also having the need to know our own minds. Kierkegaard’s deliberations warn about the ease in which we may be swept away by the crowd, and not only the danger of that, but also the importance of that.”
“Life can only be understood backwards; but it must be lived forwards.”
— Søren Kierkegaard (b. 05/05/1813)
Please join me today (Tuesday, May 5th) at 12:00 PM or 7:15 PM for a yoga practice on Zoom. You can use the link from the “Class Schedules” calendar if you run into any problems checking into in the class. You can request an audio recording of this practice via a comment below or by emailing myra (at) ajoyfulpractice.com.
Tuesday’s [baile/dancing] playlist is available on YouTube and Spotify. [Look for “Cinco de Mayo 2020”]
A 2023 (mostly) instrumental playlist is also available on YouTube and Spotify. [Look for “Cinco de Mayo Viernes 2023”]
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.
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
“Yo tengo Patria antes que Partido.”
— “I have a Homeland before a Party.” quote attributed to General Miguel Negrete (after switching back to the Mexican side during the Second French Intervention in Mexico)
ERRATA: Updated the primary day of rememberance in Canada.
### BAILE ###
A Quick Note & EXCERPT: “The Hardest Working Day, the Way the Words Work, & More Sides of the Story” May 1, 2026
Posted by ajoyfulpractice in Baha'i, Changing Perspectives, Gratitude, Healing Stories, Hope, Karma Yoga, Life, One Hoop, Passover, Peace, Philosophy, Religion, Riḍván, Suffering, Tragedy, Volunteer, Wisdom, Yoga.Tags: 988, Beltane, Cornell University, Counting the Omer, Eugene V. Debs, F. Peterson, Feast Day of Saint Joseph the Worker, Haymarket affair, International Workers' Day, Labour Day, Law Day, Loyalty Day, May Day, Paul Avrich, Pesach Sheni (Second Passover), R. Hyman, Riḍván, Ridvan, Third Week of Pascha
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Peace and many blessings to anyone celebrating / observing International Workers’ Day, Law Day and Loyalty Day (in the US), the Feast Day of Saint Joseph the Worker, Counting the Omer, and/or the Third Week of Pascha!
“Chag Sameach!” to observing/celebrating Pesach Sheni (Second Passover)! “Happy Riḍván!” to anyone celebrating “the Most Great Festival.”
“There was an instance of silence. Then from beneath Spies’s hood came the words: ‘The time will come when our silence will be more powerful than the voices you strangle today.’”
— quoted from “Chapter 23 – The Scaffold” in The Haymarket Tragedy by Paul Avrich
There is a certain kind of silence today. It is not the absence of sound, per se. It is the absence of a certain kind of sound: the sound of people working. Today, people all over the United States are participating in a general strike.
Organizing on this day is not an accident. It is an intentional act rooted in history that is simultaneously tragic, powerful, and meaningful.
Hopefully, today will be full of powerful meaning and empty of tragedy.
“Strike: ‘A temporary stoppage of work by a group of workers in order to express a grievance or to enforce a demand. Such a grievance or demand may or may not be workplace-related.’
– -The first sentence of this definition is heavily influenced by Peterson (1937: 3),1 also used by Hyman (1989: 17).2 The only difference we make to the first part of this definition is by changing ‘employees’ to ‘workers.’
Labor Protest: ‘Collective action by a group of people as workers but without withdrawing their labor in order to express a grievance or enforce a demand. Such a grievance or demand may or may not be workplace-related. A labor protest may also consist of a group of people not acting in the protest as workers as long as the central demand is workplace related.’
We distinguish between strikes and labor protests as a core component of our labor action tracker. The major distinction between strikes and labor protests relates to whether a group of workers stopped work during the course of the event. We believe this definition of strikes is relatively inclusive, but we need to convincingly demonstrate that a stoppage of work led by a group of workers occurs to label an event a strike.”
— quoted “Section I: Definitions” on the “Methodology” page of the Cornell University Labor Action Tracker
CLICK ON THE EXCERPT TITLE BELOW FOR MORE.
FTWMI: The Hardest Working Day, the Way the Words Work, & More Sides of the Story
“I am opposing a social order in which it is possible for one man who does absolutely nothing that is useful to amass a fortune of hundreds of millions of dollars, while millions of men and women who work all the days of their lives secure barely enough for a wretched existence.”
— Eugene V. Debs, quoted from his statement to the Federal Court (Cleveland, Ohio), after being convicted of violating the Sedition Act, September 18, 1918
The First Friday Night Special for May has been rescheduled (and will be a Second Friday Night Special).
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).
“1Peterson, F. (1937). Strikes in the United States: 1880-1936. Washington: United States Department of Labor.
2 Hyman, R. (1989). Strikes: Fourth Edition. London: Macmillan.”
— quoted “Section I: Definitions” on the “Methodology” page of the Cornell University Labor Action Tracker
A Joyful Practice 