#GivetoGain Rights. Justice. Action March 8, 2026
Posted by ajoyfulpractice in "Impossible" People, 19-Day Fast, Art, Baha'i, Changing Perspectives, Dharma, Faith, First Nations, Gratitude, Healing Stories, Hope, Lent / Great Lent, Life, Meditation, Men, Music, One Hoop, Pain, Peace, Philosophy, Ramadan, Religion, Suffering, Tragedy, Wisdom, Women, Yoga.Tags: 19-Day Fast, 988, Baháʼí, Dashdondog Bayarmagnai, Elizabeth Hale, Enkhsaikhan Batjargal, Equal Pay Day, February Revolution, Galbadrakh Tsendbaatar, International Women’s Day, Kameron Traviss Glasper, Kathy Hutchins, kindness, Lent / Great Lent, Lizzy Hale, Lucinda Williams, Malcolm X, Margie Warrell Ph.D., Martin Luther King Jr, Mickey Guyton, Nyamjanstan Galsanjamts, Oliver Robin Frid, Ramaḍān, Russian Revolution, Season for Nonviolence, Selma, Selma to Montgomery, Tamara Makoni, Taylor Monet Parks / Tayla Parx, Temuulen Naranbaatar, The HU, United Nations, Victor Franco
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“Ramaḍān Mubarak, Blessed Ramaḍān!” to anyone observing the holy month of Ramaḍān. Many blessings also to all, and especially to those who were celebrating and/or observing the Baháʼí 19-Day Fast, Great Lent, and/or Lent on International Women’s Day and every day!
Peace, ease, and kindness to all, throughout this “Season for Nonviolence” and all other seasons!
NOTE: The following post contains some new and previously posted content.
“You weren’t born to be mistreated
And you weren’t born to misguided
You were born to be loved
You were born to be loved”
— quoted from the song “Born to Be Loved” by Lucinda Williams
Every part of you deserves love and appreciation. Sometimes, however, we take ourselves (or parts of ourselves) for granted and need a moment to very deliberately and intentionally give thanks. So, here’s a variation of the body scan I’ve used in practices on March 8th for a little over a decade. After you review each part, take a moment to pause — close your eyes if that is comfortable for you — and breath into each part of yourself. After a few moments of awareness about how your body feels and how you feel about your body, continue to the next part.
THE BODY SCAN
- There is a portion of your body that supports you all day, every day. Even when that part doesn’t work exactly as you would like or as others are able, it still keeps you grounded. Breathe awareness into this part of your body and give thanks.
- There is a portion of your body that is related to creativity and pleasure that you might enjoy and indulge — but/and about which you may feel some shame and embarrassment. Breathe awareness into this part of your body and give thanks.
- There is a portion of your body that is vital to your survival — even though you may want it to be smaller (and/or appear stronger). Breathe awareness into this part of your body and give thanks.
- There is a portion of your body that already holds all your joys and burdens — and you still expect it to do the heavy lifting. Breathe awareness into this part of your body and give thanks.
- There is a part of your body that you may take for granted and is easily overextended — but/and you don’t really think about it unless something is wrong. Breathe awareness into this part of your body and give thanks.
- There is a part of your body that gets a lot of attention (from others) — but/and may need some assistance to serve you. Breathe awareness into this part of your body and give thanks.
- There is another part of your body that gets a lot of attention (from yourself and others) — but/and you may change it a lot. Breathe awareness into this part of your body and give thanks.
- Now, go back and consider that every description matches at least one woman in your life. One or more may even describe you! Just think about the women who support you 24/7, 365 days a year. Think about the woman who created you and the women whose creativity inspires you. Think about the woman/women who play a part in your day-to-day survival. Think about the women with whom you share your joys, your grief, and your fears. Think about the women you (may) take for granted and those who speak up for you (and may be a little overextended in all the things they do). Think about the beautiful women who share their points of view and truths with you. Think about all the beautiful women in your life.
Now, breathe and give thanks for all of them!
“It’s more than strength
It’s more than physical
It’s more than faith
It’s more than biblical”
— quoted from the song “Woman” by Mickey Guyton (written by Victor Franco, Mickey Guyton, Kameron Traviss Glasper, Taylor Monet Parks, Oliver Robin Frid)
International Women’s Day is an opportunity to celebrate women and also to bring awareness to the disparities and inequities often faced by women around the world. Possibly the earliest “Women’s Day” was organized in New York by the Socialist Party of America on Sunday, February 28, 1909. An annual, international event on a specific “special day” (i.e., the last Sunday of February) was proposed in 1910, during the International Socialist Women’s Conference (in Copenhagen); however, no date was actually set. Additionally, some people (in places like the United States) thought the idea was too closely aligned with socialism. On Sunday, March 8, 1914, there was an event in Germany that focused on women’s suffrage (and coincided with an suffragists march in London). However, these events were still pretty independent of each other until the beginning of the Russian Revolution: March 8, 1917 (on the Gregorian calendar) / February 23, 1917 (on the Julian calendar).
“[Mickey] Guyton said in a statement: ‘I loved the idea of writing a song that celebrates the power women have. Throughout history and even today, women have taken pain, setbacks, and doubt, and they turn that into inner strength, and they persevere to achieve incredible things.’ Guyton also shared the story behind the song: ‘The idea actually came from Tayla (Parx). At the time there was so much going on online about what defined a woman, and there was so many interpretations and the whole internet was ablaze, and we thought it was so important to release a song called “Woman” on International Women’s Day.’”
— quoted from the WRNS: Your Country 95.1 article entitled “Mickey Guyton shares the official video for ‘Woman’” by Kathy Hutchins
After World War I, the Russian Empire was plagued by food shortages and a lack of representation (under tsarist autocracy). On Thursday, March 8, 1917, women who were standing in bread lines in Petrograd (which was then the capital of the Russian Empire) were joined by women who worked as textile workers and disgruntled soldiers in a demonstration demanding “bread and peace”. After eight days of protests and strikes — which included some violent conflicts — Tsar Nicholas II abdicated the throne and women were granted the right to vote. While this did not end the The Russian Revolution (which was a combination of the February Revolution and the October Revolution in 1917), it did highlight the power of women coming together and was recognized by Bolsheviks like Vladimir Lenin. Women’s Day was celebrated in the communist circles around the world throughout the early 20th century and became an official “non-working public holiday” in the Union of the Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR) in 1965. It was first celebrated by the United Nations in 1975, and received an official designation from the United Nations General Assembly in 1977.
“The research is compelling: sexism hurts everyone. Societies that have more women participating in the labor market are more prosperous. Corporations that have more women in senior leadership roles produce better bottom line results. Peace negotiations with more women sitting at the table result in less conflict and fewer deaths. In families where gender stereotypes are dismantled (with mothers going to work and fathers sharing more of the traditional women’s work at home), sons grow up more self-reliant and daughters are more likely to attain senior managerial roles.”
— quoted from the May 6, 2017 Forbes article entitled “Be Bold For Change: Tackling Sexism Head On This International Women’s Day” by Margie Warrell, Ph.D.
While women’s suffrage was one of the big focuses during the first Women’s Day celebrations, International Women’s Day observations now also focus on workplace accessibility, education (which is sometimes restricted by gender), reproductive health issues, and raising awareness about violence and abuse against women. Pay equity is also a primary focus around the world — especially as more and more women participate in the labor force — and highlights the pay gap between genders and, also between women of different ethnicities.
“Give to Gain”, the 2026 theme, “emphasizes the power of reciprocity and support.” It is inspired by the fact that, “When people, organizations, and communities give generously, opportunities and support for women increase. Giving is not a subtraction, it’s intentional multiplication. When women thrive, we all rise.”
The United Nations 2026 theme, “Rights. Justice. Action.”, highlights the fact that “Women and girls are living without full legal protection.” According to the UN, women and girls, worldwide, have 64% of the legal rights granted to men and, in almost 70% of the surveyed countries, “women face more barriers accessing justice than men. ” This inequality is experienced in all facets of life, including bodily autonomy, marriage inequality, and equal pay.
When comparing [previous year’s] United States earnings statistics of all people in the labor force (full time, part time, year round, and seasonal), women make an average of 76 cents for every dollar earned by their white, non-Hispanic male counterparts. The pay gap is around (81 cents for every dollar) when only comparing full time, year round workers. This means that, on average, it would take a woman until March 26, 2026, to earn the same amount that her white, non-Hispanic male counterpart made in 2025. This is one day later than last year’s equal pay day!*
While it is a little shocking to think that it could take a woman in the United States three extra months to earn the same thing that a man (doing the same work) did in a calendar year, March 26th is the earliest “Equal Pay Day” (in 2025). When the earnings statistics are broken down by ethnicity (or other factors*), the wage gaps become even more startling.
- April 9th — AANHPI (Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander) Women’s Equal Pay Day
- August 6th — Mom’s Equal Pay Day (for women who work outside the home),
- June 17th — LGBTQIA+ Equal Pay Awareness Day (which is not directly tied to statistics, since they are not available)
- July 21st — Black Women’s Equal Pay Day
- September 15th — NHPI (Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander) Women’s Equal Pay Day
- October 8th — Latina Women’s Equal Pay Day
- October 20th — Disabled Women’s Equal Pay Day
- November 19th — Native Women’s Equal Pay Day
*NOTE: While the 2026 Equal Pay Day is one day later than 2025, some of the other gaps are several days later and, in the case of moms, months later (which is why the list is out of order).
Of course, the elephant in the room, is that many women work inside the home — 24/7, 365 days a year — and stay-at-home moms do not typically receive a paycheck. Neither do they always receive the same recognition as stay-at-home dads. Yet, they are an invaluable part of society — just like women who start businesses and/or work in other people’s companies. Additionally, women (on average) spend more time as the unpaid caregiver of children and adult family members — even when they and their spouse or partner both work outside the home.
International Women’s Day is about giving these women, and all other women, their flowers. It is also about teaching the children of the world, regardless of their sex or gender, that we all sing a woman’s song and, therefore, we all benefit in a society that respects women.
“When Kings fall to their knees
They sing a woman’s song
When birds scream in the trees
They sing a woman’s song
The sunrise in the east
Sings a woman’s song
Every heart that beats
Sings a woman’s song”
— quoted from the song “Song of Women” by The HU, featuring Lizzy Hale of Halestorm (written by Elizabeth Hale, Dashdondog Bayarmagnai, Enkhsaikhan Batjargal, Galbadrakh Tsendbaatar, Temuulen Naranbaatar, Nyamjanstan Galsanjamts)
Please join me today (Sunday, March 8th) 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 in the class. You can request an audio recording of this practice via a comment below or by emailing myra (at) ajoyfulpractice.com.
Sunday’s playlist is available on YouTube and Spotify. [Look for “03082025 Women’s Day, redux”]
NOTE: Both playlists highlight women, as performers and as composers and songwriters. The Spotify playlist includes some silent tracks (for timing). The YouTube playlist has about 43 additional songs by women. Enjoy!
“A man dies when he refuses to stand up for that which is right. A man dies when he refuses to stand up for justice. A man dies when he refuses to take a stand for that which is true.”
— quoted from the March 8, 1965 sermon, at Brown Chapel A.M.E. Church (in Selma, Alabama) by Rev. Martin Luther King, Jr.
“The most disrespected woman in America, is the black woman. The most un-protected person in America is the black woman. The most neglected person in America, is the black woman.”
— quoted from the May 5, 1962 speech (at the funeral Ronald Stokes) by Malcom X
If you are thinking about suicide, worried about a friend or loved one, or would like emotional support, you can dial 988 (in the US) or call 1-800-273-TALK (8255) for the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline. You can also call this TALK line if you are struggling with addiction or involved in an abusive relationship. The Lifeline network is free, confidential, and available to all 24/7. YOU CAN TALK ABOUT ANYTHING.
White Flag is a new app, which I have not yet researched, but which may be helpful if you need peer-to-peer (non-professional) support.
If you are a young person in crisis, feeling suicidal, or in need of a safe and judgement-free place to talk, you can also click here to contact the TrevorLifeline (which is staffed 24/7 with trained counselors).
In the spirit of generosity (“dana”), the Zoom classes, recordings, and blog posts are freely given and freely received. If you are able to support these teachings, please do so as your heart moves you. (NOTE: You can donate even if you are “attending” a practice that is not designated as a “Common Ground Meditation Center” practice, or you can purchase class(es).
Donations are tax deductible; class purchases are not necessarily deductible.
Check out the “Class Schedules” calendar for upcoming classes.
### We Can All Use (& Express) More Kindness ###
Please Keep Mou’-ving Your Body! (mostly an excerpts, links, & music) November 16, 2025
Posted by ajoyfulpractice in Food, Health, Men, Music, One Hoop, Wisdom, Yoga.Tags: 988, Bhagavad Gita, Gheranda Samhita, inspiration, Jack Hawley, James Mallinson, Men's Health, mental health, Movember, self-improvement
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Many blessings to everyone and especially to anyone grateful for friendship, peace, freedom, understanding, and wisdom.
May you be peaceful and happy / May you be healthy and strong!
“‘People who eat too much or too little or who sleep too much or too little will not succeed in meditation. Eat only food that does not heat up the body or excite the mind. When you balance and regulate your habits of eating, sleeping, working, and playing, then meditation dissolves sorrow and destroys mental pain.’”
— Krishna speaking to Arjuna (6.16 – 6.17) in The Bhagavad Gita: A Walkthrough for Westerners by Jack Hawley
Click on the excerpt title below for the Movember overview.
“This mudra destroys decrepitude and is called Mulabandha.”
— quoted from 3.13 of The Gheranda Samhita: The Original Sanskrit and An English Translation by James Mallinson
CLICK HERE FOR ALL MY MOVEMBER POSTS!
(Note there will be some duplicates.)
Please join me today (Sunday, Movember 16th) at 2:30 PM for a yoga practice on Zoom. You can use the link from the “Class Schedules” calendar if you run into any problems checking into the class. You can request an audio recording of this practice via a comment below or (for a slightly faster reply) you can email myra (at) ajoyfulpractice.com.
Sunday’s playlist is available on YouTube and Spotify. [Look for “Movember 3rd 2020”]
If you are thinking about suicide, worried about a friend or loved one, or would like emotional support, you can dial 988 (in the US) or call 1-800-273-TALK (8255) for the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline. You can also call this TALK line if you are struggling with addiction or involved in an abusive relationship. The Lifeline network is free, confidential, and available to all 24/7. YOU CAN TALK ABOUT ANYTHING.
White Flag is an app, which I have not yet researched, but which may be helpful if you need peer-to-peer (non-professional) support.
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.
### 
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FTWMI: A Quick Note & EXCERPT: “Caught In The Middle” (a post-practice Monday post) November 10, 2025
Posted by ajoyfulpractice in Books, Changing Perspectives, Faith, Healing Stories, Hope, Life, Men, Movies, One Hoop, Philosophy, Religion, Science, Wisdom, Writing, Yoga.Tags: Catch-22, Double Bind, healing, Joseph Heller, Life, Lutheran Church, Lutherism, Martin Luther, mental health, Mindfulness, The Bateson Project, wellness
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Many blessings to everyone and especially to looking for friendship, peace, freedom, understanding, and wisdom.
Stay safe! Hydrate and nourish your heart, body, and mind. CONTINUE TO BREATHE!
For Those Who Missed It: The following was originally posted on November 10, 2024. Date-specific items have been revised. The 2025 prompt question was, “What is on your heart and mind?” 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.
“You are not only responsible for what you say, but also for what you do not say.”
— Martin Luther (b. 1483)
There is often a contradiction between what someone thinks they will do in a situation and what they actually do in that situation. Sometimes this is because our ideals don’t line up with our actual actions (i.e., thoughts, words, and deeds). Sometimes it is because the situation is much messier than what we imagined. That messiness can come from our own hearts and minds — and it can also come from the hearts and minds of others.
For a lot of people, things are messy right now. You might find — even if things are [quote-unquote] going your way — that your sympathetic nervous system is kicking in and that you want to fight, flee, or freeze (collapse). Take a moment to breathe and come back to (a variation of) the “formula” I mentioned [this week in 2024]:
-
What are you seeing/hearing?
-
What are you thinking?
-
What are you feeling?
-
What do you want?
-
What can you do?
It is in this moment, this liminal or threshold moment, that we choose how we untangle this double bind of Catch-22 situation.
CLICK ON THE EXCERPT TITLE BELOW FOR A RELATED POST.
“‘The enemy,’ retorted Yossarian with weighted precision, ‘is anybody who’s going to get you killed, no matter which side he’s on, and that includes Colonel Cathcart. And don’t you forget that, because the longer you remember it, the longer you might live.’”
— quoted from Catch-22 (Chapter 12) by Joseph Heller (pub. 1961)
There is no playlist for the Common Ground Meditation Center practices.
NOTE: In previous years, we have used different pratyahara playlists. In 2024, we used a playlist available on YouTube and Spotify [Look for “05252022 Pratyahara II”]. Click on the excerpt title above for the previous playlist.
If you are thinking about suicide, worried about a friend or loved one, or would like emotional support, you can dial 988 (in the US) or call 1-800-273-TALK (8255) for the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline. You can also call this TALK line if you are struggling with addiction or involved in an abusive relationship. The Lifeline network is free, confidential, and available to all 24/7. YOU CAN TALK ABOUT ANYTHING.
White Flag is an app, which I have not yet researched, but which may be helpful if you need peer-to-peer (non-professional) support.
If you are a young person in crisis, feeling suicidal, or in need of a safe and judgement-free place to talk, you can also click here to contact the TrevorLifeline (which is staffed 24/7 with trained counselors).
### “Everything that is done in the world is done by hope.” (ML) ###
FTWMI: I Don’t Mou’ About You, But… (a quick note, expanded with excerpts) November 8, 2025
Posted by ajoyfulpractice in Changing Perspectives, Depression, Healing Stories, Health, Hope, Life, Men, Music, One Hoop, Pain, Philosophy, Suffering, Wisdom, Yoga.Tags: 988, ALEC, anxiety, Brendan Maher, Depression, Dorothy Day, Men's Health, mental health, Movember, No(shave)mber, suicide, Suicide Prevention
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May we all be safe and protected / May we all be peaceful and happy / May we all be healthy and strong!
For Those Who Missed It: The following was previously posted. Links, class details, and excerpts have been added.
“‘We respond differently to life’s unexpected challenges. Sometimes, though, that can leave us feeling worried or overwhelmed. It’s our hope that we can connect men with the right support, and equip their peers with the confidence and skills to reach out and help when it’s most needed.’”
— Brendan Maher, Global Director of Mental Health and Suicide Prevention, Movember
I don’t [know] about you, but — with all that’s going on — I feel some kind of way. What kind of way, you might ask and — depending on who you are and how you ask — I will be anything from vaguely honest to brutally honest. While you might think that the determining factor on that spectrum is the “who” part, it actually may be the “how” part.
As I mentioned a couple of years ago, there has been some heightened awareness around how to ask someone how they were doing. In particular, given some of the things that happened in 2020, there started to be growing awareness around how people asked when they were asking someone who might be perceived as being different from them. That perceived difference might be related to race, ethnicity, nationality, religion, age, weight, ability/disability, sexuality, gender… political affiliation. (Just saying.)
Well, today seems like as good a day as any to check back in about how we check in and why it’s so important to check in.
Click on the excerpt title below if you missed the Movember history lesson.
“We repeat, there is nothing that we can do but love, and dear God – please enlarge our hearts to love each other, to love our neighbor, to love our enemy as well as our friend.”
— quoted from “Love Is The Measure” printed in The Catholic Worker (June 1946, 2) by Dorothy Day (b. 1897)
Click on the excerpt title below for my post on checking in (with little nods to Dorothy Day (born today in 1897).
“What’s happening now is impacting us all in different ways. Sometimes it’s hard to know what to do, where to start or what to say. As we push through this together, we hope we can empower people to connect with others who are struggling and find the help they need now.”
— Brendan Maher, Global Director of Mental Health and Suicide Prevention, Movember
Please join me for a virtual yoga practice on Zoom, today (Saturday, Movember 8th) at 12:00 PM. 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 me at myra (at) ajoyfulpractice.com.
Saturday’s playlist is available on YouTube and Spotify. [“Look for Movember 3rd 2020”]
Ask
Listen
Encourage Action
Check (Back) In
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.)
### But, No, How Mou You, Really? ###
FTWMI: The Mo You Know (a mini-(re)post w/ music) November 5, 2025
Posted by ajoyfulpractice in Changing Perspectives, Fitness, Food, Healing Stories, Health, Hope, Life, Men, Music, One Hoop, Pain, Science, Suffering, Tragedy, Wisdom, Yoga.Tags: 988, Bryan Adams, cancer, chakras, colon, Guy Fawkes, Guy Fawkes Day, J. B. S. Haldane, Jonny Greenwood, Men's Health, mental health, Movember, Muladhara, No(shave)mber, rectum, Sam Shepard, Svadhisthana, Thom Yorke, vegan, vegetarian
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Many blessings to everyone and especially to anyone gathering friendship, peace, freedom, understanding, and wisdom.
May you be peaceful and happy / May you be healthy and strong!
For Those Who Missed It: The following was posted in 2023/2024. Class details and links have been updated/added.
“I wish I had the voice of Homer
To sing of rectal carcinoma,
Which kills a lot more chaps, in fact,
Than were bumped off when Troy was sacked.
Yet, thanks to modern surgeon’s skills,
It can be killed before it kills
Upon a scientific basis
In nineteen out of twenty cases.”
— quoted from the poem “Cancer’s a funny thing” by J. B. S. Haldane
Today, Movember 5th, is a day when I typically sport a mou’ that is a cross between one associated with Guy Fawkes — because he was arrested today in 1605, making today Guy Fawkes Day — and one similar to the ones in pictures of J. B. S. Haldane (b. 1892), who died of colorectal cancer at the age of 72. For slightly different reasons, I associate both of these people with their fabulous facial hair and with the first two chakras or energetic “wheels” as they come to us from India.
The first is the root chakra (which is symbolically and energetically connected to the lower body) and then there is the sacral chakra (which is symbolically and energetically connected to the hips and lower abdominal cavity). Today’s practice features poses from a sequence recommended for the colon and highlights the feeling of being grounded/supported.
Today is also the anniversary of the birth of Sam Shepard (b. 1943), as well as the birthday of Bryan Adams OC OBC FRPS (b. 1959), and Jonny Greenwood (b. 1971) — three mostly mou-less guys (two of whom are featured on the playlist)!
“So do not wait for aches and pains
To have a surgeon mend your drains;”
— quoted from the poem “Cancer’s a funny thing” by J. B. S. Haldane
Please join me today (Wednesday, Movember 5th) at 4:30 PM or 7:15 PM for a yoga practice on Zoom. You can use the link from the “Class Schedules” calendar if you run into any problems checking into the class. You can request an audio recording of this practice via a comment below or (for a slightly faster reply) you can email myra (at) ajoyfulpractice.com.
Wednesday’s playlist is available on YouTube and Spotify. [Look for “Movember 5th 2022”]
“A spot of laughter, I am sure,
Often accelerates one’s cure;
So let us patients do our bit
To help the surgeons make us fit.”
— quoted from the poem “Cancer’s a funny thing” by J. B. S. Haldane
If you are thinking about suicide, worried about a friend or loved one, or would like emotional support, you can dial 988 (in the US) or call 1-800-273-TALK (8255) for the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline. You can also call this TALK line if you are struggling with addiction or involved in an abusive relationship. The Lifeline network is free, confidential, and available to all 24/7. YOU CAN TALK ABOUT ANYTHING.
White Flag is an app, which I have not yet researched, but which may be helpful if you need peer-to-peer (non-professional) support.
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.)
Revised 11/05/2023 & 11/4/2025.
### The mo you know, the betta! ###
We Moustache 3 Excerpts Today (& Yesterday) **UPDATED w/video** November 4, 2025
Posted by ajoyfulpractice in "Impossible" People, 31-Day Challenge, Donate, First Nations, Healing Stories, Health, Hope, Karma Yoga, Life, Men, One Hoop, Science, Volunteer, Wisdom, Yoga.Tags: 988, Cherokee Nation, Creativity, Gleason score, inspiration, Men's Health, mental health, Movember, No(shave)mber, Oklahoma, prostate health, self-improvement, stage migration, Will Rogers, Will Rogers Phenomenon, Writing
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Many blessings to everyone and especially to anyone gathering friendship, peace, freedom, understanding, and wisdom.
May you be peaceful and happy / May you be healthy and strong!
“A gag, to be any good, has to be fashioned about some truth. The rest you get by your slant on it and perhaps by a wee bit of exaggeration, so’s people won’t miss the point.”
— Will Rogers (b. 1879)
It’s officially Movember! Since there was no online practice yesterday, I mou’ you an extra excerpt (just to explain what’s up, to the uninitiated).
CLICK ON THE EXCERPT TITLE BELOW FOR MORE.
“When the Oakies left Oklahoma and moved to California, it raised the I.Q. of both states.”
— Will Rogers
For Those Who Missed It: The quotes and the following note with excerpts were previously posted.
Born October 4, 1879, in Oologah, Cherokee Nation, Indian Territory (now Oklahoma), Will Rogers was a symbol of the self-made man and the common man, who believed in working hard, progress, and the possibility of the American Dream. One of his jokes is the reason why stage migration is known as “the Will Rogers phenomenon”.
CLICK ON THE EXCERPT TITLES BELOW FOR MORE.
Cowboy, I Moustache You To Go… Over Here (the “missing” Sunday post)
“There are three kinds of men. The ones that learn by readin’. The few who learn by observation. The rest of them have to pee on the electric fence for themselves.”
— Will Rogers
Please join me today (Tuesday, Movember 4th) 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 “Mov 4th & Will Rogers 2020”]
NOTE: An instrumental playlist (with a focus on light) is also available on YouTube and Spotify. [Look for “Diwali 4 on Movember 5 2021”]
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.
### I MOUSTACHE YOU TO GRAB THE REINS (& VOTE) ###
FTWMI: A Quick Note & EXCERPT: “Fourth Step: Once More, With Feeling” (the post-practice Monday post) October 27, 2025
Posted by ajoyfulpractice in Books, Buddhism, Changing Perspectives, Depression, Healing Stories, Health, Hope, Life, Loss, Love, Men, Music, One Hoop, Pain, Philosophy, Poetry, Suffering, Tragedy, TV, Wisdom, Women, Writing, Yoga.Tags: Brújula Intersexual (Intersex Compass), Dylan Thomas, intersex, Laura Inter, literature, Nyanasatta Thera, poem, Poetry, pranayama, Ronald Reagan, Satipattthana Sutta, Sylvia Plath, Writing
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Many blessings to everyone and especially to anyone cultivating friendship, peace, freedom, understanding, and wisdom.
May everyone be healthy and strong; may everyone be peaceful and happy; and may everyone recognize their whole self.
For Those Who Missed It: The following was originally posted on October 27, 2024. One embedded link and a quote have been updated/added. The 2025 prompt question was, “What is giving you hope (even if it’s just a little bit of hope)?” 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.
“Do not go gentle into that good night,
Old age should burn and rave at close of day;
Rage, rage against the dying of the light”
— quoted from the poem “Do not go gentle into that good night” by Dylan Thomas (b. 1914)
There are a lot of noteworthy things related to this date in history — including the fact that Laura Inter founded Brújula Intersexual (Intersex Compass), “a Mexican organization that works with intersex people, activists, and communities in Mexico, Latin America, and Spain”, today in 2013. All of the things, even the ones not mentioned in the practice and/or the excerpt below, are related to how we live our lives (i.e., how we spend our time) and how we interact with each other during the limited time that we have together.
The hope is that we can respect each other, be kind, and hold space for what each of us experiences on any given day.
CLICK ON THE EXCERPT TITLE BELORE FOR MORE.
“I took a deep breath and listened to the old bray of my heart: I am, I am, I am.”
or
“I took a deep breath and listened to the old brag of my heart: I am, I am, I am.”
— quoted from two different editions of The Bell Jar by Sylvia Plath (b. 1932)
There is no playlist for the Common Ground Meditation Center practices.
NOTE: Over the last few years, we have used four (4) different playlists on this date. The playlist we used in 2024 is available on YouTube and Spotify. [Look for “10272021 Another Appointment”]
“You and I are told increasingly we have to choose between a left or right. Well I’d like to suggest there is no such thing as a left or right. There’s only an up or down: [up] man’s old – old-aged dream, the ultimate in individual freedom consistent with law and order, or down to the ant heap of totalitarianism. And regardless of their sincerity, their humanitarian motives, those who would trade our freedom for security have embarked on this downward course.”
— quoted from the 1964 “A Time for Choosing” speech by Ronald Reagan
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).
“And further, monks, as if a monk sees a body dead…, he then applies this perception to his own body thus: ‘Verily, also my own body is of the same nature; such it will become and will not escape it.’
Thus he lives contemplating the body in the body internally, or he lives contemplating the body in the body externally, or he lives contemplating the body in the body internally and externally. He lives contemplating origination-factors in the body, or he lives contemplating dissolution factors in the body, or he lives contemplating origination-and-dissolution-factors in the body. Or his mindfulness is established with the thought: ‘The body exists,’ to the extent necessary just for knowledge and mindfulness, and he lives detached, and clings to nothing in the world. Thus also, monks, a monk lives contemplating the body in the body.”
— quoted from Satipatthana Sutta (The Foundations of Mindfulness) translated by Nyanasatta Thera
### CONTINUE TO BREATHE ###
First Friday Night Special #58 — Invitation for “‘..what was previously unattainable’ with an ‘Impossible’ Woman & a Sea-Loving Man” (the “missing” invitation, w/excerpts & video) August 1, 2025
Posted by ajoyfulpractice in "Impossible" People, Books, Changing Perspectives, Dharma, Faith, Healing Stories, Life, Meditation, Men, One Hoop, Philosophy, Wisdom, Women, Writing, Yoga.Tags: "Impossible" People, 988, Aimee Lehto, astronomy, Books, Boyd Croyner, Dr. Wayne Dyer, Hannah Mather Crocker, Herman Melville, I-35 bridge, James Baldwin, literature, Maria Mitchell, Moby-Dick, Muhammad Ali, Religion, Science, yoga philosophy, yoga practice, Yoga Sutra 2.55, Yoga Sutra 4.1, Yoga Sutras 1.2 - 1.4, Yoga Sutras 1.30-1.32
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Many blessings to everyone, everywhere.
This “missing” invitation for the “First Friday Night Special” on August 1st is a compilation post with excerpts, an embedded link to a related post, and a couple of videos.
You can request an audio recording of this Yin Yoga 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.
“Impossible is just a big word thrown around by small men who find it easier to live in the world they’ve been given than to explore the power they have to change it. Impossible is not a fact. It’s an opinion. Impossible is not a declaration. It’s a dare. Impossible is potential. Impossible is temporary.
Impossible is nothing.”
— quoted from a 2004 Adidas ad campaign written by Aimee Lehto (with final tag line credited to Boyd Croyner), often attributed to Muhammad Ali
In “Part I: The Practice of Yoga — 1. Yoga: Concept and Meaning” of The Heart of Yoga: Developing A Personal Practice, T. K. V. Desikachar offered several English definitions of the Sanskrit word “yoga”, including “‘to come together’” and “‘to attain what was previously unattainable.’”
There are many reasons why something may not have been done or may not have been done by us (specifically). In Yoga Sūtras 1.30 – 1.31, Patanjali highlighted nine obstacles/distractions and four accompanying conditions that we can expect when we practice. The nine obstacles/distractions are disease, mental inertia/dullness, doubt, carelessness/negligence, sloth/laziness, cravings (and the inability to withdraw from them), clinging to misperceptions, frustration (related to failure), and instability (or failure to maintain a certain level of practice). Co-arising and/or resulting directly from the obstacles/distractions are pain, mental agitation (which can come in the form of sadness and frustration), unsteadiness or trembling in the body, and irregular breath. You may notice that these are things people experience even if they have never practiced yoga (physically and/or philosophically). However, Patanjali offers a solution to these obstacles/distractions and their accompanying ailments: yoga and the practice of single-pointed focus. (YS 1.2 and YS 1.32)
In other words, “yoga” — and single-pointed focus — can be the path to doing what some might consider “impossible”.
A portion of the following is excerpted from a 2020 post.
“There can be no doubt, that, in most cases, their judgment may be equal with the other sex; perhaps even on the subject of law, politics or religion, they may form good judgment, but it would be improper, and physically very incorrect, for the female character to claim the statesman’s birth or ascend the rostrum to gain the loud applause of men, although their powers of mind may be equal to the task.”
— quoted from “II: Becoming an Advocate” in Observations on the Real Rights of Women , with Their Appropriate Duties, Reminiscences and Traditions of Boston, Agreeable to Scripture, Reason and Common Sense by Hannah Mather Crocker (published 1818)
Believe it or not, Hannah Crocker was advocating for women’s rights when the wrote the above, in 1818, and stated that “It is woman’s peculiar right to keep calm and serene under every circumstance in life, as it is undoubtedly her appropriate duty, to soothe and alleviate the anxious cares of men, and her friendly and sympathetic breast should be found the best solace for him, as she has an equal right to partake with him the cares, as well as the pleasures of life.” Taken out of context, and viewed with a modern mind, it is easy to think that Crocker would have disapproved of Maria Mitchell, who was born August 1, 1818 (on the island of Nantucket in Massachusetts).
Miss Mitchell, as the king of Denmark would refer to her, was the first acknowledged female astronomer. Her Quaker parents believed in equal education for the 10 offspring, regardless of gender, and her father shared his love of astronomy with all of his children. Miss Mitchell, however, was the only one really interested in going deeper into the math and science of what they viewed as “a hymn of praise to God.” She was assisting her father by the age of 12; opened and taught at a school for girls by the age of 17; and starting working as the librarian at the Nantucket Atheneum in her twenties. On October 1, 1848, she observed what she initially thought was a distant star, but quickly suspected was actually a comet. Further observation proved her correct and, after her father wrote to the Harvard Observatory, her conclusion was reported to the King of Denmark who awarded her a gold medal and named the newly sighted object “Miss Mitchell’s Comet”.1
Maria Mitchell would go on to be the first woman appointed to the American Association of the Advancement of Science (also in 1848); the first woman to earn an advanced degree (1853); the first woman appointed to the faculty of Vassar Female College (as their astronomy professor and head of their observatory, in 1865); and, therefore, the first woman in American history to earn a position as an astronomy professor. She is what I refer to this week as an impossible woman and Hannah Crocker may or may not have approved.
Take a moment to notice that Miss Mitchell was raised in a household where her interests and endeavors were supported. Despite the fact that she was born in a time and place where some believed her sex and gender should dictate/limit her vocation and occupation, she was able to focus on her goal, in part, because of her family “‘coming together’” to support her.
“First, no woman should say, ‘I am but a woman!’ But a woman! What more can you ask to be? Born a woman — born with the average brain of humanity — born with more than the average heart — if you are mortal, what higher destiny could you have? No matter where you are nor what you are, you are power.”
— quoted from Maria Mitchell: Life, Letters, and Journals by Maria Mitchell
We all have some power(s) and part of the yoga philosophy is about (re)gaining access to our power(s). (YS 1.3, 2.55, 4.1) We have all witnessed (and/or directly experienced) how that power is magnified when people “unite”. This is true even when people are together and yet doing their own thing. For instance, individuals are often able to do things in a group setting (i.e., practicing in a yoga class) that they may not be able to do — with the same ease or at all — when they are alone.
Part of the group experience is the energetic power of being together and part of it may be about having an “accountability buddy”, even if that buddy is a stranger with whom you never directly interact. You could also tap into that same energy dynamic when writing in a café or — or, as Herman Melville did, while living in close proximity with another writer.
“Whenever I find myself growing grim about the mouth; whenever it is a damp, drizzly November in my soul; whenever I find myself involuntarily pausing before coffin warehouses, and bringing up the rear of every funeral I meet; and especially whenever my hypos get such an upper hand of me, that it requires a strong moral principle to prevent me from deliberately stepping into the street, and methodically knocking people’s hats off – then, I account it high time to get to sea as soon as I can.”
— quoted from Moby-Dick, or the Whale by Herman Melville
Born in New York City on August 1, 1819, exactly a year to the day after Maria Mitchell, Herman Melville shared a love of the sea (and certain other experiences) with Nathanial Hawthorne. During Melville and Hawthorne’s brief friendship, they were both their most prolific. They also published what would become their most popular works, including Melville’s Moby-Dick and Hawthorne’s The Scarlet Letter. Both wrote about people who obsessively purposed their goals (something that is encouraged in yoga), but their characters did not always temper their determination with devoted surrender and non-attachment (which is something that is also encouraged in yoga). Lest you think it was only Hawthorne who focused on commandments, read on.
“Think not, is my eleventh commandment; and sleep when you can, is my twelfth.”
— quoted from Moby-Dick, or the Whale by Herman Melville
You can click on the first excerpt below for the original (2020) post about Maria Mitchell and Herman Melville (which has a different yoga philosophy focus) or the second excerpt title for more about Herman Melville.
“When Herman Melville was writing Moby Dick, he wasn’t writing about a man looking for a whale. He was writing about a man trying to find his higher self. He said these words, ‘… for as this appalling ocean surrounds the verdant land, so in the soul of man lies one insular Tahiti, full of peace and joy, but encompassed by all of the horrors of the half-lived life.’
In every moment of your life, as you leave here today, you have this choice, you can either be a host to God, or a hostage to your ego.”
— Dr. Wayne Dyer
This Yin Yoga practice is accessible and open to all. You can click here to learn more about why we did this practice.
(NOTE: There will be a little bit of quiet space in this practice.)
Friday’s playlist is available on YouTube and Spotify. [Look for “06042021 Having Our Say / Let’s Get Loud” – I recommend Track 1 or Track 2.]
(NOTE: The YouTube playlist has videos not available on Spotify and the Spotify app may add extra tracks.)
Prop wise, 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 want extra layers (as your body may cool down during this practice). Having a wall, chair, sofa, or coffee table will also be handy.
Check out this vinyasa practice dedicated to Maria Mitchell and Herman Melville!
Check out this Yin Yoga practice dedicated to my next “impossible” person!
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).
1NOTE: “Miss Mitchell’s Comet” is formally designated as C/1847 T1.
As this is the anniversary of the 1-35 bridge collapse, please hold a neighbor in your hearts and minds today. So many people are suffering with current events, but let us not forget that some people are still grieving and healing from past events. To quote my dad, “Sounds like we’ve got a lot of work to do.”
###” CALL ME ISHMAEL, GOD LISTENS” ###
Riddles & Excerpts July 27, 2025
Posted by ajoyfulpractice in Books, Changing Perspectives, Faith, Fitness, Healing Stories, Health, Hope, Life, Meditation, Men, Music, Mysticism, One Hoop, Peace, Philosophy, Religion, Science, Wisdom, Yoga.Tags: 988, dreams, Finland, mental health, National Sleepy Head Day, Seven Sleepers, sleep, sleeping, Sūrah Al-Kahf, Yoga Sutra 1.10, Yoga Sutra 1.38, Yoga Sutra 2.20
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Many blessings to everyone and especially to the “sleepyheads” and anyone dreaming of and working for peace, freedom, and wisdom — especially when it gets hot (inside and outside).
Stay hydrated, y’all!
“Until today, we still read about the story of these young men. These young men weren’t prophets of Allah. They weren’t messengers of Allah. They didn’t receive revelation. No angels came to them with an army. These were a group of young men, simply by the strength of their [faith in the six articles of faith] and [God-consciousness] Allah [glorified and exalted be He] gave them an amazing miracle.”
— commentary on Sūrah Al-Kahf (19:9 – 26) quoted from “The People of the Cave”
Here’s a riddle that comes in the form of a series of questions:
- What do some people (myself included) love to do in the wee hours of the morning, but not so much at night?
- What do most Americans lack in good amounts?
- What do humans need to survive (and, truthfully, to do anything)?
The answer(s): Sleep. Sleep. Sleep.
Sleeping — or resting, in general — is connected to our parasympathetic nervous system and is an active part of how we digest anything we consume (including media). This is also connected to our ability to create; manage stress; and recover from illness, trauma, and/or overexertion. There are physiological changes that happen (in the body and the mind) that primarily happen while we sleep. Finally, when we sleep, we might dream — and, according to the Yoga Sūtras, there are benefits to focusing on our dreams.
Yet, sleeping (and being a “sleepyhead”) often get a bad rap — unless you are in Finland today (which is National Sleepy Head Day).
CLICK ON THE EXCERPT TITLES BELOW FOR MORE.
Yoga Sūtra 1.10: abhāvapratyayālambanā tamovrittirnidrā
— “[Deep or dreamless] Sleep is the mental activity based on the absence of other mental content.”
Yoga Sūtra 1.38: svapna nidrā jñānālambanaṁ
— “Or by meditating on the knowledge gained from dreams and sleep, one acquires stability of mind.”
Please join me for a 65-minute virtual yoga practice on Zoom today (Sunday, July 27th) at 2:30 PM. Use the link from the “Class Schedules” calendar if you run into any problems checking into the class. You can request an audio recording of this practice via a comment below or by emailing myra (at) ajoyfulpractice.com.
Sunday’s playlist available on YouTube and Spotify. [Look for “07272021 National Sleepy Head Day”]
Extreme heat can not only make people lethargic and unmotivated, it can also lead to extreme agitation and anxiety-based fear. We may find it hard to think, hard to feel (or process our feelings), and/or hard to control our impulses. If you are struggling in the US, help is available just by dialing 988.
If you are thinking about suicide, worried about a friend or loved one, or would like emotional support, you can dial 988 (in the US) or call 1-800-273-TALK (8255) for the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline. You can also call this TALK line if you are struggling with addiction or involved in an abusive relationship. The Lifeline network is free, confidential, and available to all 24/7. YOU CAN TALK ABOUT ANYTHING.
White Flag is an app, which I have not 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.
### ARE YOU SLEEPING (ENOUGH)? ###
A Quick Note & EXCERPT: “The Stories Behind the Music (or The Vibration Behind the Vibration)” [the post-practice Monday post] July 21, 2025
Posted by ajoyfulpractice in Art, Books, Changing Perspectives, Healing Stories, Life, Men, One Hoop, Philosophy, Science, Women, Writing, Yoga.Tags: 988, Books, Bret Anthony Johnston, Buchi Emecheta, Ernest Hemingway, fiction, reading, Rebecca Gross, samskaras, samskāras, Toni Morrison, Writing, writing-tips
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Many blessings to everyone, everywhere.
This is the post-practice post for Monday, July 21st. The 2025 prompt question was, “If you were going to write a story, what would be the subject of your story?”
You can request an audio recording of this practice or a previous practice via a comment below or (for a slightly faster reply) you can email myra (at) ajoyfulpractice.com.
In the spirit of generosity (“dana”), the Zoom classes, recordings, and blog posts are freely given and freely received. If you are able to support these teachings, please do so as your heart moves you. (NOTE: You can donate even if you are “attending” a practice that is not designated as a “Common Ground Meditation Center” practice, or you can purchase class(es).
Donations are tax deductible; class purchases are not necessarily deductible.
Check out the “Class Schedules” calendar for upcoming classes.
“I may be wrong about this, but it seems as though so much fiction, particularly that by younger people, is very much about themselves. Love and death and stuff, but my love, my death, my this, my that. Everybody else is a light character in that play.
When I taught creative writing at Princeton, [my students] had been told all of their lives to write what they knew. I always began the course by saying, ‘Don’t pay any attention to that.’ First, because you don’t know anything and second, because I don’t want to hear about your true love and your mama and your papa and your friends. Think of somebody you don’t know. What about a Mexican waitress in the Rio Grande who can barely speak English? Or what about a Grande Madame in Paris? Things way outside their camp. Imagine it, create it. Don’t record and editorialize on some event that you’ve already lived through. I was always amazed at how effective that was. They were always out of the box when they were given license to imagine something wholly outside their existence. I thought it was a good training for them. Even if they ended up just writing an autobiography, at least they could relate to themselves as strangers.”
— Toni Morrison, quoted from the American Theatre interview “Write, Erase, Do It Over: On Failure, Risk and Writing Outside Yourself — Learning how to fail well is as crucial a part of a writer’s craft as putting words on a page. With other kinds of failure, you have less control.” by Rebecca Gross (dated March 10, 2015)
Writers are often taught, “Write what you know.” Some authors and creative writing teachers think that is the best advice ever. Others, as noted above* and below, think this old standard it is not so great advice. But, have you ever considered that (on a certain level) writers have no choice? Have you ever considered that every writer writes from their own experience — even when they are writing about the experience of others and even when they are writing about places that are not their home?
Storytelling is part of being human. Before we are born, our brains start processing all the sensations/information around us and communicating a story about the present moment. (YS 2.18-20) From an early age, we tell stories about how our day went and how we wish our day had gone. We make up stuff, embellish stuff, and tell lies. Or, we tell stories about things that randomly pop up in our head. Sometimes, those stories can be pretty fantastical. But, every time we tell a story, we are telling the story based on our understanding of the world, which is based on our past experiences and our samskara (“mental impression”).
In other words, we write what we know (and what we understand).
Now, take a moment to consider that much of what we read is available for us to read (and interests us) because of our previous experiences and, also, the experiences and identity of the writer — no matter their subject matter. This is why two writers can tell very different stories even when they are writing about the same things and the same places.
This is also why you may hear about one great author and not another.
Click on the excerpt title below for the very different stories of two writers born on July 21st.
The Stories Behind the Music (or The Vibration Behind the Vibration)
“Every Wednesday, I teach an introductory fiction workshop at Harvard University, and on the first day of class I pass out a bullet-pointed list of things the students should try hard to avoid…. The last point is: Don’t Write What You Know.”
“The idea panics them for two reasons. First, like all writers, the students have been encouraged, explicitly or implicitly, for as long as they can remember, to write what they know, so the prospect of abandoning that approach now is disorienting. Second, they know an awful lot. In recent workshops, my students have included Iraq War veterans, professional athletes, a minister, a circus clown, a woman with a pet miniature elephant, and gobs of certified geniuses. They are endlessly interesting people, their lives brimming with uniquely compelling experiences, and too often they believe those experiences are what equip them to be writers. Encouraging them not to write what they know sounds as wrongheaded as a football coach telling a quarterback with a bazooka of a right arm to ride the bench. For them, the advice is confusing and heartbreaking, maybe even insulting. For me, it’s the difference between fiction that matters only to those who know the author and fiction that, well, matters.”
— quoted from The Atlantic (Fiction 2011 Issue) essay, “Don’t Write What You Know: Why fiction’s narrative and emotional integrity will always transcend the literal truth” by Bret Anthony Johnston
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).
*NOTE: The Toni Morrison quote (above) is from a section of the interview titled, “Failures In Contemporary American Literature”
A Joyful Practice 