Pulling the Thread — a quick note and excerpts (the “missing” Tuesday compilation post) *CORRECTED* May 12, 2026
Posted by ajoyfulpractice in Art, Books, Buddhism, Changing Perspectives, Dharma, Faith, Healing Stories, Hope, Life, Love, Maya Angelou, Meditation, One Hoop, Poetry, Religion, Suffering, Wisdom, Writing, Yoga.Tags: 988, agape, Alecia Beth Moore, Allen Shamblin, Chögyam Trungpa, chesed, Counting the Omer, Fifth Week of Pascha, Golden Rule, heart, Home Rule, José González, Love, lovingkindness, Marcus Aurelius, Maya Angelou, Merrick Rosenberg, P!nk, Tom Douglas
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Peace and many blessings to everyone and especially to anyone Counting the Omer and/or observing/celebrating the Fifth Week of Pascha.
This is the “missing” compilation post for Tuesday, May 12th.1 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.
“We are more alike, my friends,
than we are unalike.”
— quoted from the last (repeated) lines of the poem “Human Family” by Maya Angelou
Sometimes we forget — or never learned — the wisdom of Dr. Maya Angelou. We cycle trivialities, get caught up in outward appearances, and spend whole lifetimes noticing differences between us and the people around us. However, as I mentioned yesterday, there are pretty good odds that we all learned the same rule very early in our lives. The question is: From where did you learn the Golden Rule? Was it from the sacred text or scripture of an Abrahamic religion or an ancient philosophy? Were you in a public school, private school, or homeschool? Did you learn it while scouting or while interacting with your siblings? Did you ever learn that little extra bit that is the “Home Rule”2?
More importantly, did you grow up thinking it was a value unique to your community of birth? Or, were you taught that it is a value common throughout our Human Family? Finally, how does what you were taught about the rule determine how you implement the rule?
CLICK ON THE EXCERPT TITLES BELOW TO PULL THE THREAD.
(The second embedded link above is for a post related to Dr. Angelou’s poem.)
Rules For Me & Thee PLUS EXCERPT: “[Love] Letter to the World” (the post-practice Monday post)
“Accept the things and occurrences to which fate binds you, and love the people with whom fate brings you together, but do so truly, sincerely.”
— quoted from Meditations (Book 6) by Marcus Aurelius
Tuesday’s playlist is available on YouTube and Spotify. [Look for “05122026 Golden Rule: Threads, Instructions, & Truths”]
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
NOTES/CORRECTIONS:
1This was originally posted with the wrong date.
2I sometimes have the pleasure of playing board games with a family that uses super fun “House Rules”; so, I used the wrong term in class when I referenced Merrick Rosenberg’s “Home Rule: Treat others how they need to be treated, not how you need to be treated.” I paraphrased a little and explained the rule using Love Languages).
### LOVE [THEM] ANYWAY ###
Rules For Me & Thee PLUS EXCERPT: “[Love] Letter to the World” (the post-practice Monday post) May 11, 2026
Posted by ajoyfulpractice in Art, Books, Buddhism, Dharma, Faith, Healing Stories, Hope, Life, Love, Mantra, Meditation, One Hoop, Peace, Philosophy, Religion, Wisdom, Yoga.Tags: 988, Agnes de Mille, Buddhism, Charity, compassion, Counting the Omer, Dana, Diamond Sutra, Fifth Week of Pascha, Genorosity, Golden Rule, Graham Technique, Gregory Peck, inspiration, James Grissom, Karuna, Life, mantra, Martha Graham, Wang Jie
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Peace and many blessings to everyone and especially to anyone Counting the Omer and/or observing/celebrating the Fifth Week of Pascha.
This is the post-practice post for Monday, May 11th. The 2026 prompt question was, “What is your favorite rule?” 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.
“Art is memory. It is the excavation of so many memories we have had–of our mothers, our best and worst moments, of glorious experiences we have had with friends or films or music or dance or a lovely afternoon on a sloping, green hill. All of this enters us and, if we are artists, must be shared, handed over to others. This is why it is so important to know what came before you. It is also important to understand that things will follow you, and they may come along and make your work look pedestrian and silly. This is fine; this is progress. We have to work with what life presents to us, and we have to work as well as we can while we can.”
— Martha Graham, quoted from a 1990 telephone interview with James Grissom
Since yesterday was Mother’s Day, I can’t help but think of rules my parents taught me. We all have rules. There are rules we were taught as children and rules that we’ve learned along the way. These are rules that simultaneously serve as life’s guide rails (that direct us) and guardrails (that prevent major disaster). Perhaps the most common such rule is The Golden Rule, which we can find in the sacred texts and scriptures of every religion and philosophy.
According to the Gospel According to Matthew (7:12, NIV), Jesus said, “So in everything, do to others what you would have them do to you, for this sums up the Law and the Prophets.” This is essentially paraphrasing Leviticus 19:18 and Hillel the Elder, who explained, “What is hateful to you, do not do to your fellow: this is the whole Torah; the rest is the explanation; go and learn.” Additionally, in the Islām, there are several examples of the Golden Rule, including when Ali ibn Abi Talib wrote, “…you should desire for others what you desire for yourself and hate for others what you hate for yourself. Do not oppress as you do not like to be oppressed. Do good to others as you would like good to be done to you. Regard bad for yourself whatever you regard bad for others…. Do not say to others what you do not like to be said to you.”
As I stated before, the Golden Rule is not only found in the Abrahamic religions and, in fact, there are examples of it that predate the Torah (also known as the Christian Old Testament). For example, in the Mahābhārata, Vyasa wrote, “Do not to others what you do not wish done to yourself; and wish for others too what you desire and long for for yourself — this is the whole of Dharma; heed it well”. Of course, no matter how (or where) it is communicated, the fundamental message is about love, compassion, and charity. Compassion/love and charity are also the focus of the oldest (surviving) book with a printed date: a copy of a Chinese copy of The Diamond That Cuts Through Illusion, a sacred Buddhist text commonly known as The Diamond Sutra, which was translated from Sanskrit and printed today (May 11th) in 868 A. D.
“Furthermore, Subhūti, in the practice of compassion and charity a disciple should be detached. That is to say, he should practice compassion and charity without regard to appearances, without regard to form, without regard to sound, smell, taste, touch, or any quality of any kind. Subhuti, this is how the disciple should practice compassion and charity. Why? Because practicing compassion and charity without attachment is the way to reaching the Highest Perfect Wisdom, it is the way to becoming a living Buddha.”
— The Diamond Sutra (4)
Click on the excerpt title below for more about The Diamond Sutra and Martha Graham (born today in 1894).
“When I was young I studied with Martha Graham; not to learn to dance, but to learn to move on the stage. If Martha Graham could have had her way, she would have taught us all how to move – through life. That has been and will be her goal: proper movement through life, the relationship of the body to the mind and the body to the spirit. Martha Graham is a compulsive student of the human heart.”
— actor Gregory Peck on Martha Graham (in a documentary)
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).
You’re Invited to Bend… & To Take The Deepest Breath You’ve Taken — On Retreat!
September 25 — 27, 2026
### “Keep the channel open.” ~ MG (& Keep the heart open!) ###
First 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 ###
Keeping A Commitment to the Truth, No Joke (just the music & blessings) April 1, 2026
Posted by ajoyfulpractice in Art, Faith, Healing Stories, Hope, Lent / Great Lent, Love, One Hoop, Passover, Peace, Philosophy, Religion, Wisdom, Yoga.Tags: 988, Commitment, Lent / Great Lent, Passover, satya, Sidd Finch, Spy Wednesday, Yoga Sutra 2.20, Yoga Sutra 2.30, Yoga Sutra 2.36
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Many blessings to all, and especially to those observing Passion/Holy/Spy Wednesday; Great Lent; the Fast of the First Born and/or erev Pesach!
Peace, ease, and commitment to all, throughout this “Season for Nonviolence” and all other seasons!
Please join me today (Wednesday, April 1st) 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 in 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 “04012026 Spy Wednesday No Joke”]
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.
### 
###
The Path of Love (mostly the music & blessings) March 4, 2026
Posted by ajoyfulpractice in 19-Day Fast, Baha'i, Dharma, Faith, Healing Stories, Hope, Lent / Great Lent, Love, One Hoop, Purim, Ramadan, Religion, Yoga.Tags: 19-Day Fast, 988, Bhagavad Gita, bhakti yoga, Jack Hawley, Lent / Great Lent, Love, Purim, Ramaḍān, Season for Nonviolence
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“Ramaḍān Mubarak, Blessed Ramaḍān!” to anyone observing the holy month of Ramaḍān. Many blessings to all, and especially to those celebrating and/or observing Lent, Great Lent, the Baháʼí 19-Day Fast, and/or Shushan Purim.
Peace, ease, and love to all, throughout this “Season for Nonviolence” and all other seasons!
“‘It is extremely difficult for a person in a physical form to really understand the formless. Ordinary people identify themselves with their own physical body and cannot help but conceptualize God as also being in some sort of body. To deeply love the formless God one must be free from one’s own body consciousness, and this state is attainable by many.
‘But keep in mind, Arjuna, that worshiping Divinity in a form will help for only a while.’”
— Krishna, speaking to Arjuna (12:5) of The Bhagavad Gita: A Walkthrough for Westerners by Jack Hawley
Please join me today (Wednesday, March 4th) 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 in 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.
“‘… I know this may seem impossible, but as I said, the ‘impossible’ can be made possible through regular practice (abhyasa yoga)’”
— Krishna, speaking to Arjuna (12:9) of The Bhagavad Gita: A Walkthrough for Westerners by Jack Hawley
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.
“‘Knowledge is better than mere performance of rituals. Meditation is better than knowledge. Abandoning the fruits of one’s acts (tyaga), is better than meditation. Why? Because peace immediately follows the giving up of expectations.’”
— Krishna, speaking to Arjuna (12:12) of The Bhagavad Gita: A Walkthrough for Westerners by Jack Hawley
### ###
The Sacred Simplicity of Life (a short note & excerpts) February 4, 2026
Posted by ajoyfulpractice in "Impossible" People, Art, Books, Changing Perspectives, Dharma, Faith, Healing Stories, Hope, Karma, Karma Yoga, Life, Love, Meditation, Music, One Hoop, Philosophy, Suffering, Wisdom, Yoga.Tags: 988, Carnival, Margaret Bonds, meditation, Robert Fulghum, Rosa Parks, Rosa Parks Day, Season for Nonviolence, siddhis, Simplicity / Preparation, Sunn m'Cheaux, Thornton Wilder, yoga
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“Happy Carnival!” to those who are celebrating! Many blessings to everyone, and especially to anyone celebrating Rosa Parks Day*.
Peace, ease, contemplation, and simplicity throughout this “Season for Nonviolence” and all other seasons!!!
“There is a sacred simplicity in not doing something—and not doing it well. All the great religious leaders have done it. The Buddha sat still under a tree. Jesus sat still in a garden. Muhammad sat still in a cave. And Gandhi and King and thousands of others have brought sitting still to perfection as a powerful tool of social change. Passive resistance, meditation, prayer—one and the same.”
— quoted from It Was On Fire When I Lay Down On It by Robert Fulghum
Several people — including Rosa Parks, who was born today in 1913, in Tuskegee, Alabama — have been quoted as saying some variation of “The beauty of life is in the simplicity of it.” Additionally, lots of people (including Robert Fulghum) have described Rosa Parks and her life as simple. Such descriptions are not meant in a derogatory way. No, they are meant to highlight how one person, one single human being, has the ability to do something that is simultaneously simple, beautiful, and extraordinary.
That beauty and that simplicity are on full display in Our Town, which had it’s Broadway premiere at Henry Miller’s Theatre today in 1938. In the play, Thornton Wilder wrote a monologue (actually, a whole play) about something that — if not “unique to being human” — is at least an essential part of being human. Something simple, something beautiful, and something extra-ordinary.
“STAGE MANAGER….. – Now there are some things we all know but we don’t take’m out and look at’m very often. We all know that something is eternal. And it ain’t houses and it ain’t names, and it ain’t earth, and it ain’t even the stars . . . everybody knows in their bones that something is eternal, and that something has to do with human beings. All the greatest people ever lived have been telling us that for five thousand years and yet you’d be surprised how people are always letting go of that fact. There’s something way down deep that’s eternal about every human being.”
— quoted from Act III of Our Town by Thornton Wilder
“Simplicity” is the “Season for Nonviolence” principle of the day. In previous years, “preparation” has popped up as a principle around this time in the season. Both ideas play a part in the simple, yet extraordinary true story of how Rosa Parks became a household name.
CLICK ON THE EXCERPT TITLE BELOW FOR MORE.
FTWMI: “Rooted Deep in a Moment (a special [revised] Black History note)” *UPDATED*
“I believe we are here on the planet Earth to live, grow up and do what we can to make this world a better place for all people to enjoy freedom.”
— Rosa Parks
Please join me today (Wednesday, February 4th) 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 “02042024 Sitting, Breathing… on a Bus”]
NOTE: The before/after music is slightly different on each platform, as the YouTube playlist includes videos of some featured songs. Both playlists also include Margaret Bonds’s Montgomery Variations and a podcast episode about the women who started the Montgomery Bus Boycotts; however, the Spotify playlist does not include the short (below) from one of my favorite [haa-vahd] professors. (Neither playlist includes the extra video included in the post excerpted above.)
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.)
*NOTE: Rosa Parks Day is currently celebrated today in Missouri and Massachusetts; on the first Monday after her birthday in Michigan and California; and on the anniversary of the day she was arrested (December 1, 1955) in Ohio, Texas, Alabama, Tennessee, Oregon and several cities and counties.
### “Just” Sitting & Breathing ###
FTWMI: Q: Who Could Use A Hug Today? A: Everybody! January 21, 2026
Posted by ajoyfulpractice in Healing Stories, Health, Life, Love, One Hoop, Yoga.Tags: 988, Catherine Caruso, Chase’s Calendar of Events, Health, hugs, International Hugging Day, Kevin Zaborney, Life, Love, Martin Buber, mental health, National Hugging Day, touch, Virginia Satir
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Many blessings to everyone, everywhere. May everyone breathe deeply and receive the love you need (the way you need it)!
May you be safe and protected / May you be peaceful and happy / May you be healthy and strong!
For Those Who Missed It: The following was originally posted in 2025, and I decided to repost it rather than excerpt it. Class details, links, and some formatting have been updated.
“The world is not comprehensible, but it is embraceable: through the embracing of one of its beings.”
— Martin Buber
You can hug yourself (and embrace yourself) every day!
There is, also, something to be said for being hugged (and embraced) by others. Humans are sensational beings (i.e., creatures full of sensation) and the largest organ of the human body is skin: the sense organ associated with touch. In a 2024 Harvard University article entitled, “Exploring Our Sense of Touch from Every Angle: Harvard Medical School researchers are illuminating one of the most mysterious — and most essential — senses”, Catherine Caruso wrote, “Touch is the process by which specialized neurons sense tactile information from the skin and other organs and convey this information to the brain, where it is perceived as sensations such as pressure, temperature, vibration, and pain.”
Touch can be healing. While there are times when we don’t notice touch — and/ or take it for granted — and there are times when touch can be too much sensation, there are definitely times when we can have too little touch. There are times when we need touch. Sometimes, we even need a specific kind of touch: a hug. Hugs activate our sense of touch and have the added benefit of putting a little compression on the nervous system, which can be particularly helpful in certain situations.
Keeping all of that in mind, Kevin Zaborney, who was friends with the granddaughter of the owner of Chase’s Calendar of Events, created National Hugging Day. Now celebrated all over the world, it was first celebrated in 1986 in Clio, Michigan and today is the day! So, hug yourself and hug someone else (physically, with their permission) and hug everyone (metaphorically)!! Happy International Hugging Day!!!
“We need 4 hugs a day for survival. We need 8 hugs a day for maintenance. We need 12 hugs a day for growth.”
— Virginia Satir
Please join me today (Wednesday, January 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 “02082022 Celebrating Being Humans”]
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.
### ((o0)) ###
EXCERPT: “Searching….” January 18, 2026
Posted by ajoyfulpractice in Abhyasa, Art, Books, Changing Perspectives, Healing Stories, Hope, Life, Love, Meditation, One Hoop, Peace, Philosophy, Poetry, Vairagya, Wisdom, Writing, Yoga.Tags: 9 Days, 988, A. A. Milne, Alan Alexander Milne, Art, Christopher Robin Milne, E. H. Shephard, Ernest Howard Shephard, Hope, meditation, Poetry, Winnie-the-Pooh, yoga
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Many blessings to everyone. May everyone breathe deeply and have sovereignty over your self!
May you know you are and be safe and protected / peaceful and happy / healthy and strong!
“Christopher Robin came down from the Forest to the bridge, feeling all sunny and careless, and just as if twice nineteen didn’t matter a bit, as it didn’t on such a happy afternoon, and he thought if he stood on the bottom rail of the bridge, and leant over, and watched the river slipping slowly away beneath him, then he would suddenly know everything there was to be known, and he would be able to tell Pooh, who wasn’t quite sure of it. But when he got to the bridge and saw all the animals there, then he knew that it wasn’t that kind of afternoon, but the other kind, when you wanted to do something.”
— quoted from “Chapter Six, In Which – Pooh Invents a New Game and Eeyore Joins In” of The House at Pooh Corner by Alan Alexander Milne, with decorations by Ernest Howard Shephard
Since Alan Alexander Milne was born today in 1882, some people call today Winnie-the-Pooh Day.
CLICK ON THE EXCERPT TITLE BELOW FOR MORE (including a video).
“Every child has his Pooh, but one would think it odd if every man still kept his Pooh to remind him of his childhood. But my Pooh is different, you say: he is the Pooh. No, this only makes him different to you. My toys were and are to me no more than yours were and are to you, not different to me. I do not love them more because they are known to children in Australia or Japan. Fame has nothing to do with love.”
— quoted from “12. The Toys” in The Enchanted Places by Christopher Milne
Please join me today (Sunday, January 18th) 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 “08212021 An Afternoon of Just Knowing”]
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.
### “Rivers know this: there is no hurry. We shall get there some day.” ~ A. A. M. ###
FTWMI: A Quick Note & Excerpts (About Grace, Zora, & Galileo’s Moons) January 7, 2026
Posted by ajoyfulpractice in "Impossible" People, Books, Changing Perspectives, Faith, Gratitude, Healing Stories, Hope, Life, Love, Mathematics, Meditation, Music, Mysticism, One Hoop, Pain, Religion, Science, Suffering, Wisdom, Writing, Yoga.Tags: 988, Dale Carnegie, David Block, Dr. Alan Locke, Dr. Franz Boas, Dr. Ruth Benedict, Galileo Galilei, grace, Harlem Renaissance, italy, Jupiter, Jupiter's moons, Kenneth C. Freeman, Kenneth Freeman, Nicolaus Copernicus, physics, Simon Marius, The Adoration of the Magi, The Nativity of Jesus, Tycho Brahe, Zora Neale Hurston
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“Happy New Year!” & many blessings to everyone and especially to anyone celebrating a fast free day and the Nativity & the Adoration of the Magi.
May you be safe and protected / May you be peaceful and happy / May you be healthy and strong!
For Those Who Missed It: The following note and excerpts were posted in 2025. Class details have been updated.
“Research is formalized curiosity. It is poking and prying with a purpose. It is a seeking that he who wishes may know the cosmic secrets of the world and they that dwell therein.”
— quoted from the autobiographical essay “Research” in Dust Tracks On A Road: An Autobiography by Zora Neale Hurston
Today in 1610, Galileo Galilei wrote a letter about something he observed in the heavens.
281 years later, today in 1891, Zora Neale Hurston was born in Notasulga, AL, and grew up to write about what she observed here on Earth (when people were looking up to Heaven).
CLICK ON ONE OF THE EXCERPT TITLES BELOW FOR MORE!
NOTE: The second post is the expanded post that ties in a philosophical discussion of Grace.
First Friday Night Special #15: “A Reflective Moment” (a post practice post)
Grace, Zora, & Galileo’s Moons (a “long lost” Saturday post for Sunday)
“…God reveals himself to humanity in two books: the book of nature (I have elucidated already) and the book of Scripture. Now, here comes the punchline, Galileo suggested that both books express eternal truths. That’s very interesting, because the face of science is forever changing. Galileo suggested that both books express eternal truths and are compatible, not incompatible, but compatible of course [because] they have the same author….He’s saying, I’ve got two books in front of me, the book in front of my telescope, the scriptures, but there’s no disagreement because they have the same author.”
— quoted from the lecture “From Tyndale to Galileo: Grace and Space” by David Block, professor emeritus in the School of Computer Science and Applied Mathematics at the University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa
Please join me today (Wednesday, January 7th) at 4:30 PM or 7:15 PM for a (virtual or in-person) yoga practice. You must be registered and confirmed to attend in person. 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 “01072023 Grace, Zora, & Galileo’s Moons”].
NOTE: The before/after music is slightly different, because I could only find one of the folk songs, related to Zora Neale Hurston, on Spotify.
EXCERPT NOTE: The first excerpt (above) features a different playlist.
“You cannot teach a man anything. You can only help him to find it within himself.”
— Galileo Galilei, as quoted in How to Win Friends and Influence People by Dale Carnegie
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.
### OM / LOVE NO MATTER WHAT ###
EXCERPT (2026): “Do You See What I See? & Your Presence Is Requested” January 6, 2026
Posted by ajoyfulpractice in Art, Bhakti, Books, Changing Perspectives, Christmas, Dharma, Faith, Gratitude, Healing Stories, Hope, Life, Love, Music, Mysticism, New Year, One Hoop, Pain, Peace, Philosophy, Religion, Suffering, Wisdom, Writing, Yoga.Tags: 988, Art, avidya, Epiphany, Epiphanytide, faith, inspiration, Johann Sebastian Bach, magi, Rev. Ed Trevors, Reverend Ed Trevors, Three Kings Day, Twelvetide, Whitney Houston, Writing, Yoga Sutra 2.20, Yoga Sutras 2.12-2.14, Yoga Sutras 2.16-2.18, Yoga Sutras 2.3-2.9
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“Happy New Year!” to everyone. “Merry Little Christmas, Epiphany, Theophany, Three Kings Day, & Twelfth Day of Christmas (for some) or Eve of the Nativity of Christ (for others)!”
May you be safe and protected / May you be peaceful and happy / May you be healthy and strong!
“What I really want to get to today is why the Magi came. What was it that brought them to Bethlehem? What was it that brought them to find Jesus and his family?”
— quoted from “The Epiphany Light: Another Reflection” by Reverend Ed Trevors (dated Jan 6, 2022)
Click on the excerpt title below for more about the holidays being observed, a little insight into why people may see the same things in different ways, & the video quoted above.
Yoga Sutra 2.20: draşțā dŗśimātrah śuddho’pi pratyayānupaśyah
— “The sheer power of seeing is the seer. It is pure, and yet it sees only what the mind [brain] shows it.”
Please join me today (Tuesday, January 6th) at 12:00 PM or 7:15 PM (virtual or in-person) yoga practice. You must be registered and confirmed to attend in person. 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 “01062021 Epiphany & Theophany”]
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.
A Joyful Practice 