Remember, “It’s Much More Than Just a Candlelight”* (the “missing” Saturday post w/excerpts) December 9, 2023

Posted by ajoyfulpractice in "Impossible" People, Books, Changing Perspectives, Chanukah, Dharma, Faith, Gratitude, Healing Stories, Hope, Karma, Life, Loss, Mathematics, Meditation, Men, Music, Mysticism, One Hoop, Pain, Peace, Philosophy, Religion, Suffering, Tragedy, Wisdom, Yoga.
Tags: 1 Maccabees, Beresh't, Chanukah, coding, computers, Deuteronomy, Devarim, dreidel, Eliyahu Touger, Ethics of the Fathers, Exodus, Genesis, hanukia, Hanukkah, Hebrew, Irving Montak z”l, Jan Adkins, Jean Haddon, Leviticus, Maccabeats, Maccabees, Maimonides, Matisyahu, Matitiyahu, Matīṯyāhū, Moses ben Maimon, Nissim Black, Pirkei Avot, Rambam, Rear Admiral Grace Hopper, rving Montak, Shamash, Shemot, Vayikra, Yoga Sutra 1.36, Yoga Sutra 2.44
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“Happy Chanukah!” to all who are celebrating. May all be safe and protected, during the 16 Days of Activism Against Gender-based Violence (November 25^th – December 10^th) and on all the other days of the year.

This “missing” post for Saturday, December 9^th is a compilation of previously and newly posted information. You can request an audio recording of a related practice via a comment below or (for a slightly faster reply) you can email me at myra (at) ajoyfulpractice.com.

In the spirit of generosity (“dana”), the Zoom classes, recordings, and blog posts are freely given and freely received. If you are able to support these teachings, please do so as your heart moves you. (NOTE: You can donate even if you are “attending” a practice that is not designated as a “Common Ground Meditation Center” practice, or you can purchase class(es). Donations are tax deductible; class purchases are not necessarily deductible.

Check out the “Class Schedules” calendar for upcoming classes.

“If [a person has the opportunity to fulfill only one of two mitzvot,] lighting a lamp for one’s home [i.e., Sabbath candles] or lighting a Chanukah lamp – or, alternatively, lighting a lamp for one’s home or reciting kiddush – the lamp for one’s home receives priority, since it generates peace within the home.
[Peace is of primary importance, as reflected by the mitzvah requiring] God’s name to be blotted out to create peace between a husband and his wife. Peace is great, for the entire Torah was given to bring about peace within the world, as [Proverbs 3:17] states: ‘Its ways are pleasant ways and all its paths are peace.’
Blessed be the Merciful One who grants assistance. This concludes the third book.”

**— quoted from Mishneh Torah, Scroll of Hanukkah (Halakhah) by Rambam (translation by Eliyahu Touger. Jerusalem, Moznaim Pub. c1986-c2007, Dedicated in memory of Irving Montak, z”l)**

Moses ben Maimon, known as Maimonides and often referred to as Rambam, was a Sephardic Jewish rabbi, physician, and philosopher who was as prolific and influential as he was (to some) controversial. He is remembered as one of the most important scholars of Torah and Halakhah (Jewish law) and his legacy is very much alive in the way people live, celebrate, and honor their faith. For example, one of his treatise is a breakdown of Chanukah — in which he continually reinforced the most important aspects of the holiday in the event that one could not celebrate under ideal conditions.

Unfortunately, those contingencies were vital to people who have, historically, found themselves living under less than ideal situations. Of course, I understand that highlighting a reference to peace and Chanukah — especially one from Rambam, who was also an Islamic scholar — may feel off to some people right now.

But… let’s be real.

If you are Jewish, if you celebrate the commanded holidays, if you are in community with Jewish people — and/or Palestinian people — and/or if you are someone (like me) who honors the rituals and traditions of different cultures, Chanukah hits different this year. How could it not? After all, Chanukah is a celebration of a series of miracles directly connected to a revolt against oppression and battles fought for the survival of the Jewish community — and it started at sunset on Thursday night… exactly two months (to the date) after a horrendous terrorist attack in Israel.

The attack happened during a sacred time of celebration within the Jewish community and during a music festival that attracted people from around the world. It also happened around the anniversary of a war in 1973 (that also occurred during a holy time in both Judaism and Islam) and on the anniversary of other significant conflicts that have taken place in Israel and in the Gaza Strip. For two months and counting, Israelis and Palestinians (not to mention people of other nationalities who were in the area), have dealt with more terror and more horror, more conflict and more war… without any end in sight.

One could argue that none of this is new in the Middle East. One could argue that this darkness has been omnipresent and that people have celebrated Chanukah in Israel for decades in spite (and because) of this exact kind of darkness. One could argue that there have been (and continue to be place) places where it is not safe to celebrate — yet people find a way. One could argue that Chanukah has always inspired some people to shine in the way they live their faith and for some people to shine in the way they defend their faith.

I would argue, however, that for people outside of Israel — and maybe, even, for some people in Israel — the parallels between what was and what is are more striking. I would argue that what felt (for some) like a theoretical threat has become a very real (and present) existential danger. I would argue that while it is easy (maybe too easy) to ignore what was happening to others (e.g., random Greek citizens) during the the 2^nd century BCE, it is detrimental to ignore how this current crisis affects Palestinian civilians, a good majority of whom were/are children.

I would argue that it is one thing to study and debate the laws of faith when one can spiritually (and/or intellectually) bypass the connection between what someone thinks and says and the actions that person actually commits and/or inspires others to commit.

“It’s much more than just a candlelight
’cause we’ve fought more than just a little fight”

— quoted from the song “Victory” by Nissim Black

Full disclosure, I do not political (or even philosophically) align with the American-Israeli Rapper/Singer Nissim Black, who was born today (December 9^th) in 1986. That said, I have been inspired by some of his music, including his 2022 Chanukah song entitled “Victory.” Yes, the song and video literally (and figuratively) hit different given current events and the fact that his home is under attack. Yes, his song and lyrics are very intentional and specific to Chanukah and the Jewish people. None of that, however, negates the fact that the symbolism he references in the song applies to everyone in the world.

Remember: Light shines on more than one person or group of people and we all must fight against the darkness, inside of us and all around us.

For Those Who Missed It: The following excerpt was originally posted, in a slightly different context, in 2021. In addition to some slightly revisions, some dates and links have been updated. As we do in the physical practice, I encourage you to use it as a starting point for svādhyāya (“self-study”).

Light and the symbolic meanings of light have been celebrated since the beginning of time and by every culture on the planet. During the darkest times of the year, people celebrate light as well as the symbolic meaning of light overcoming darkness. In the Northern Hemisphere, we have a whole long list of winter celebrations that start around Halloween and will continue into the beginning of the new secular year. This year’s celebrations started with Samhain (October 31-November 1); which was followed by Diwali, the 5-day Indian festival of lights, (November 9-15); and now Chanukah, the 8-day Jewish festival of lights, which started at sunset on Thursday. The highlight, some might even say the culmination, of the Chanukah story is “the miracle of the oil,” the miracle of light. However, the fact that there were eight nights and eight days of light when there was only enough oil for one day is just one of many miracles in the story — and one could argue that it’s not even the final miracle.

“(1) Rabbi [Judah HaNassi] would say: Which is the right path for man to choose for himself? Whatever is harmonious for the one who does it, and harmonious for mankind.

Be as careful with a minor mitzvah as with a major one, for you do not know the rewards of the mitzvot. Consider the cost of a mitzvah against its rewards, and the rewards of a transgression against its cost….

(3) Be careful with the government, for they befriend a person only for their own needs. They appear to be friends when it is beneficial to them, but they do not stand by a person at the time of his distress.”

— quoted from Pirkei Avot (Ethics of the Fathers) (2:1 & 2:3)

More often than not, I question where to begin this story. For some, it makes sense to start with Matīṯyāhū and his sons, the ones who would become known as the Maccabees, and how they defied the orders of King Antiochus IV Epiphanes. But, I like to put certain actions in context – which means going back over two hundred years to the rule of Alexander the Great who, in the 4th century BCE, conquered Persia and expanded the Greek empire – an expansion that included the Jewish people.

Alexander’s attitude towards the Jews and their faith is sometimes described as “tolerant.” He didn’t really care what they did or what they believed, because he didn’t see them as a threat. Life was hard if you were a Jew under the reign of Alexander the Great, and even under the rule of many of the Greek kings that came after him. It was hard to make a living and you would face harassment and bullying, but you could do you (as we say these days).

Of course, some people wanted an easier life. Known as Hellenic Jews, these people changed the way they dressed and wore their hair; the things they ate; how they talked; and what they talked about. They even changed the way they practiced their faith. They stopped observing the Sabbath and (publicly) studying Torah. They stopped circumcising their male children or devised ways to hide the circumcision. This last part was necessary, because of there were many aspects of Greek life that required men to be nude. However, by the 2^nd century BCE it wasn’t enough to hide who you were. King Antiochus made it illegal, under penalty of death, to be Jewish or to practice the faith. He also created situations, like appointing High Priests and building a gymnasium outside of the temple, that made it harder for people to hide.

It’s one thing to keep the faith when doing so just makes things a little uncomfortable. It’s another thing altogether to keep the faith when doing so could result in your death. Yes, I know; throughout the history of religion there has been religious persecution and there have been people who kept the faith despite that persecution. But, whenever it happens, I think it’s a bit of a miracle.

To understand why people keep the faith, sometimes it’s helpful to understand what the believe. Definitely, in this case, to really understand the Maccabees and the gravity of what they did, we have to understand what they believed – which means getting into a bit of Torah… and, eventually, going back to the beginning of time.

“And God said, ‘Light will be,’ and light was.”

— Transliteration of the Hebrew from Bereishit – Genesis (1:3), most commonly translated as “And God said, ‘Let there be light,’ and there was light.

So, in the beginning of the Abrahamic creation story, there was God, there was heaven and earth, there was water, and there was “the spirit on the water.” There was also emptiness and darkness. Then, depending on how you translate or interpret the text from the Hebrew Bible (which is also the Christian Old Testament), God either created light with a command or predicted the existence of light. Either way, in the original Hebrew, the twenty-fifth word is ohr (“light”) and Chanukah begins, every year, on the 25^th of Kislev. (Similarly, Christmas occurs, every year, on the 25^th of December, but that’s a another story.)

Matīṯyāhū and his sons believed this creation story, believed in God and the power of God, and lived their lives according to their faith. They were priests who studied the word and the laws of their people and, therefore, observed the commandments and the commanded holidays. Of course, if you look at Vayikra–Leviticus 23, where the appointed festivals and holy days are outlined, you won’t find any mention of a festival of light. Neither will you find mention of Chanukah in the similar list located in Devarim–Deuteronomy 16. After all, the word chanukah means “dedication” and that doesn’t happen until later in the story.

What you will find instead, at the beginning of Vayikra–Leviticus 24, is a commandment to “take to you pure olive oil, crushed for lighting, to kindle the lamps continually” and detailed instructions on how the menorah should be publicly displayed (24:1-3). You will also find, at the end of Devarim–Deuteronomy 16 and the beginning of Devarim–Deuteronomy 17, commandments on what not to do; instructions to investigate reports of transgressions; and instructions on punishments. Now, I am not going to support or condone the instructions on punishments. I am just pointing out that they are there and that Matīṯyāhū and his sons believed in these instructions.

When the father was told to make a sacrifice to the Greek gods, he refused. When a Hellenic Jew stepped up to perform the desecration in his place, Matīṯyāhū killed him. His actions meant that he and his family had to flee to the caves in the wilderness. Others followed them — and I don’t just mean physically. They also followed them spiritually. In the caves, the people studied Torah, observed the Sabbath, and kept the faith. They were a light in the wilderness.

“The world that we live in, so much cold and strife
One little light to warm another life
Fill the darkest night with the brightest light
Cause it’s time for you to shine
A little dedication, a small illumination
Just one person to change a whole nation
Let me see the light”

— quoted from the song “Shine” by the Maccabeats

At some point, someone suggested that this father and his sons, this band of brothers, should take on the Greek army. Now, keep two things in mind. First, Matīṯyāhū and his sons were Kohens; they were priests and scholars. They weren’t warriors or athletes, like the Greeks. In fact, one could say that they were the polar opposite. Second, the Greek army at this time was (reportedly) the biggest and best trained army in the world. Remember, they were the army of a people and a culture that prized physical prowess. So, it was kind of ludicrous to consider going up against them.

Yet, take them on they did… which brings us back to their beliefs and the power of their beliefs.

Remember, the earlier commandments on setting up temple, observing the Sabbath, and all the different ways of keeping the faith were codified within the context of God leading the Jews out of slavery in Egypt. Matīṯyāhū and his sons may not have been physically ready for the battle, but they were mentally and spiritually ready. They knew the wilderness and they knew the Torah. They knew that in Shemot–Exodus 15, their ancestors sang of the power of God. They knew that story included the words, “Who is like You among the powerful, O Lord? Who is like You, powerful in the holy place? Too awesome for praises, performing wonders!” (S-E 15:11) And that, at least that first part, became their battle cry.

They put the initials of the battle cry on their shields and banners. When Matīṯyāhū died, Judah, the son he left in charge, became known as Judah Maccabee (or Judas Maccabeus, in Greek). While there are several other explanations for the name and for the meaning behind the name, the one I learned first was that Maccabee (the acronym) sounded like the word for “hammer” and so the people in the revolt became known as God’s hammer. For seven years, the hammer came down on the mighty Greek army and eventually defeated them. This, depending on how you count, is the second or third miracle of the story: the light breaking through the darkness.

“But when they saw the army coming to meet them, they said to Judas: How shall we, being few, be able to fight against so great a multitude, and so strong, and we are ready to faint with fasting today?

And Judas said: It is an easy matter for many to be shut up in the hands of a few: and there is no difference in the sight of the God of heaven to deliver with a great multitude, or with a small company:

For the success of war is not in the multitude of the army, but strength cometh from heaven.”

— 1 Maccabees 3:17-19 (DRB)

The Maccabees returned to the temple and found it was completely wrecked. Everything forbidden had taken place. There were idols and evidence of sacrifice. The menorah was not lit and bottles of olive oil had been shattered and in other ways desecrated. Cleaning up the temple became the new battle. Rededicating the temple became the new mission. In the process of cleaning up and restoring the temple, they (miraculously) found one vial of oil that still had the seal of the High Priest. Who knows how old the vial was? Who know who found it? Doesn’t matter. It was another miracle.

It would take several days, over a week, to make the oil required to light the menorah as detailed in the Torah. Using the one vial of oil would be a symbolic gesture — one might even call it a sign of faith. But, it wouldn’t fulfill the commandment, because they wouldn’t be able to keep the candles “continually” lit. They had to make a choice: wait or do what they could do.

They decided to do what they could do. Miraculously, the candles stayed lit. As I point out each year, going into the first day and the second night — even the second day and the third night — people might have thrown the word “miracle” around lightly. After all, there was always the possibility that someone had measured the oil incorrectly and that there was more than expected in the vial. (We won’t get into the odds of that happening or the odds of that particular bottle being the one that wasn’t violated.) However, as the nights and the days progressed, there was no denying that “a great miracle happened.”

Letters on dreidels (outside of Israel): nun (נ), gimel (ג), hei (ה), and shin (ש)

Letters on dreidels (in Israel): nun (נ), gimel (ג), hei (ה), and pei, (פ)

— Hebrew letters symbolizing the phrases (in Hebrew) “A great miracle happened there” and “A great miracle happened here”

Every year, people celebrate the miracle of the oil and commemorate the rededication of the temple. Part of that celebration is a game that involves spinning a four-sided top, a dreidel. Each side contains a Hebrew letter that represents a word. While many people only think of the dreidel in the context of modern celebrations, the practice of spinning the top actually dates back to the time of the Maccabees. It was a way for children (in particular) to study in secret.

Except in extenuating circumstances, when it is not safe to do so, people are instructed to place their hanukia (a special menorah for the occasion) next to their door or in a window that can be seen from the street — so that anyone walking past will be reminded of the miracle that started with faith. In some traditions, each person lights their own individual hanukia — again, in a place that is visible. Lighting the candles is a sign a faith, a sign that people are keeping the faith, and after all this time, that is itself a miracle.

Lighting the candles in as public of a way as is possible is a way to see someone’s faith and, also, a way by which the faithful “see everything else.” If you look at a hanukia you will notice that it is different from a regular menorah. The primary way it is different is that there are nine candles instead of seven. I know, if you are unaware of this, you’re thinking, “Wait. Aren’t there supposed to be eight candles?” One would think that, except for the fact that the eight candles (and lighting them) are part of a mitzvah (“commandment”). Therefore, they can’t do any other “work.”

The ninth candle, the one that is set apart — either out to the side or on a different plane than the others — is a worker, an attendant, a caretaker: the Shamash. It is the candle that lights all the other lights and, in Orthodox homes, it is the light by which people read the Torah and play the dreidel. It is the light by which people see.

Take a moment to notice, in this story and in all the other light related stories of this dark season (even the ones from faiths that don’t share roots), to notice there is always a worker, an attendant, a shamash or caretaker of the miracle. There is always someone who is the source of light. Whether that light is goodness, wisdom, love, kindness, compassion, equanimity, or joy there is always someone shining bright. And if we see the world in that light, by that light, we all end up living a better world.

Since the Saturday practice focused on grace (of self) as well as light, we ended with a little more light… and a little more grace — both in the form of a person who was true “shamesh” in the world: United States Navy Rear Admiral Grace Brewster Murray Hopper, who was born today (December 9^th) in 1906, and was known as “Amazing Grace,” “the Queen of Code,” “the Queen of Software,” and “Grandma COBOL.”

Click here for the 2020 post about the person who often gets the credit when we say we have a “bug” in the system.

“[Grace Hopper] said, ‘The most important thing I’ve accomplished, other than building the compiler, is training young people. They come to me, you know, and say, “Do you think we can do this?” I say, “Try it.” And I back ’em up. They need that. I keep track of them as they get older and I stir ’em up at intervals so they don’t forget to take chances.’”

— quoted from “Grace Hopper: The Admiral in Command of Knowledge” by Jan Adkins, published in 30 People Who Changed the World: Fascinating bite-sized essays from award winning writers – Intriguing People Through the Ages: From Imhotep to Malala Yousafzai (Got a Minute?), Edited by Jean Haddon

Saturday’s playlist is available on YouTube and Spotify. [Look for “Chanukah (Day 2-3) 2022”]

NOTE: The YouTube playlists contains some official videos that are not available on Spotify.

*TITLE NOTE: The title for this post features lyrics from the song “Victory” by Nissim Black (which can be found at the end of the playlists).

### PEACE ###

One Mo Extra Seat (mostly an index with music & links) November 21, 2023

Posted by ajoyfulpractice in Changing Perspectives, Gratitude, Healing Stories, Health, Karma Yoga, Life, Men, Music, One Hoop, Yoga.
Tags: 988, gratitude, Indu Arora, lagniappe, Men's Health, mental health, Movember, Seane Corn, vinyasa, Yoga Sutra 2.46, Yoga Sutra 3.44, Yoga Sutra 3.46
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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.

“I had come to understand that yoga has never been about the stretch; it’s always been about the reach. And if I could use my reach to bring yoga’s healing powers to people everywhere and my influence to raise awareness and funds for social causes that alleviate suffering and separation, then I was all in.”

— quoted from Revolution of the Soul: Awaken to Love Through Raw Truth, Radical Healing, and Conscious Action by Seane Corn

Click here to learn why sometimes (like today) I’m just a little extra.

Click here to learn a little mou’ about Movember.

Click here to to learn about this type of practice (in general).

(One more link is coming….)

Please join me today (Tuesday, Movember 21^st) at 12:00 PM or 7:15 PM for a yoga practice on Zoom. You can use the link from the “Class Schedules” calendar if you run into any problems checking into the class. You can request an audio recording of this practice via a comment below or (for a slightly faster reply) you can email myra (at) ajoyfulpractice.com.

Tuesday’s playlist is available on YouTube and Spotify. [Look for “Movember 20th 2021”]

NOTE: The Spotify playlist has been updated to better match the YouTube playlist in list in length/duration.

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.)

### Inhale / Exhale ###

I Don’t Mou’ About You, But… (a note with links) November 8, 2023

Posted by ajoyfulpractice in Changing Perspectives, Depression, Healing Stories, Health, Hope, Life, Men, Music, One Hoop, Pain, Philosophy, Suffering, Wisdom, Yoga.
Tags: Brendan Maher, Dorothy Day, Men's Health, mental health, Movember, No(shave)mber
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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!

Elements of the following have been previously posted.

“‘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 here to read my 2020 post about checking in.

Please join me for a virtual yoga practice on Zoom, today (Wednesday, Movember 8^th) at 4:30 PM or 7:15 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.

Wednesday’s playlist is available on YouTube and Spotify. [“Look for Movember 3^rd 2020”]

Click here to read more about Movember.

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).

### But, No, How Mou You, Really? ###

The Mo You Know (a mini-post w/ music) November 5, 2023

Posted by ajoyfulpractice in Changing Perspectives, Fitness, Food, Healing Stories, Health, Hope, Life, Men, Music, One Hoop, Pain, Science, Suffering, Tragedy, Wisdom, Yoga.
Tags: 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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May you be peaceful and happy / May you be healthy and strong!

“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 5^th, 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. 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 for a 65-minute virtual yoga practice on Zoom today (Sunday, Movember 5^th) at 2:30 PM. Use the link from the “Class Schedules” calendar if you run into any problems checking into the class. You can request an audio recording of this practice via a comment below or by emailing myra (at) ajoyfulpractice.com.

Sunday’s playlist is available on YouTube and Spotify. [Look for “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 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).

Revised 11/05/2023.

### The mo you know, the betta! ###

The Grace of a Cowboy (just a snippet of a post w/links) November 4, 2023

Posted by ajoyfulpractice in "Impossible" People, Changing Perspectives, First Nations, Fitness, Healing Stories, Health, Hope, Life, Men, Music, One Hoop, Philosophy, Wisdom, Yoga.
Tags: Cherokee Nation, Gleason score, mental health, Movember, No(shave)mber, Oklahoma, prostate health, Will Rogers, Will Rogers Phenomenon
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May you be peaceful and happy / May you be healthy and strong!

“When the Oakies left Oklahoma and moved to California, it raised the I.Q. of both states.”

— Will Rogers

Born today in in 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. He was also the reason why stage migration is known as “the Will Rogers phenomenon.”

Click here to read about the man who was known as “America’s Cowboy Philosopher,” “Oklahoma’s Favorite Son,” and “Ambassador to the World” — and the Movember-related science that bears his name.

Click here to read more about Will Rogers in a 2021 post about how this eponymous phenomenon is also related to mental health.

Please join me today (Saturday, Movember 4^th) at 12:00 PM, for a 90-minute yoga practice on Zoom. Use the link from the “Class Schedules” calendar if you run into any problems checking into the class. You can request an audio recording of this practice via a comment below or by emailing myra (at) ajoyfulpractice.com.

Saturday’s playlist is available on YouTube and Spotify. [“Look for “Mov 4^th& Will Rogers 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 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).

### MOU’ ALONG, LITTLE DOGGIE ###

UPDATED 2023: I Moustache You An Important Question November 3, 2023

Posted by ajoyfulpractice in Changing Perspectives, Depression, Fitness, Food, Healing Stories, Health, Karma Yoga, Life, Men, Science, Wisdom, Yoga.
Tags: Amelia Karraker, breast cancer, Charlotte Morabito, gender, melanoma, Men's Health, mental health, Movember, No(shave)mber, prostate health, testicular health, yoga
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May you be peaceful and happy / May you be healthy and strong!

“‘As long as records have been kept in all countries, women have lived longer than men,’ said Amelia Karraker, a program official at the National Institute on Aging. ‘Across, basically, almost every major cause of death, men are more likely to die than women are.’”

— quoted from the March 2023 CNBC Health and Science article entitled, “Here’s why American men die younger than women on average and how to fix it” by Charlotte Morabito

The following was originally posted in 2020. The post has been revised, with some statistics updated (or added) to reflect more recent data. NOTE: Some links will direct you away from this site. WARNING: This post discusses physical and mental health issues.

Today is a big day. Not just in the United States, but all over the world, today is a day for changing and also for gaining insight. Today is Movember 3^rd — also known as the 3^rd day of No(shave)mber, a month dedicated to “changing the face of men’s health.” This month of awareness started in Melbourne, Australia in 2004, but has its origins in a 1999 story about a group in Adelaide, South Australia that coined the word “Movember.” The Adelaide group, of about 80, spent the month “growing whiskers for whiskers” (possibly while drinking whiskey, since they started in a pub) while also raising money for the Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (RSPCA) by selling Movember t-shirts.

When Adam Garone, Travis Garone, Luke Slattery, and Justin (JC) Coughlin started the Melbourne group — of 30 “Mo bros” raising awareness for prostate cancer and men’s mental health (specifically depression) — they didn’t realize that they were starting a movement. In 2005, almost 500 people joined the original 30 and raised over $40,000 for the Prostate Cancer Foundation of Australia, the PCFA’s largest donation at the time. Today, the Movember Foundation is an official charity in Australia and the movement has spread all over the world. Furthermore, the movement now includes “Mo sistahs” and other “Mo folks” and the focus has shifted to all aspects of men’s health and the discrepancies between men’s health and women’s health.

“Globally, men die an average of six years earlier than women, and for reasons that are largely preventable. Which means that it doesn’t have to be that way: we can take action to live healthier, happier and longer lives.”

“Mo your own way….”

— quoted from the (US) Movember website

Statistics (for 2019) showed that the average life expectancy for men was 76.3 years, versus 81.4 years for women. Estimates related to COVID-19 indicated that men would lose an average of 2.8 years versus 2.1 years lost by women. In any given year, 1 in 2 men will be diagnosed with cancer (versus 1 in 3 women) and studies show that a third of all cancers are preventable through diet, exercise, and other lifestyle choices. Those same lifestyle choices also benefit everyone’s cardiovascular systems, digestive systems, and mental health.

Despite all the statistics and research about lifestyle choices, a large percentage of men are overweight (with 42.4% of Americans, in general, dealing with obesity and 9.2% with severe obesity). Note, however, that the term “obese” is tricky, especially in the United States, because our metrics can diagnose a very fit and muscular person as “obese.” Consider this then: 13.6% of men over the age of 18 consider themselves in fair to poor health — and many suffer from diabetes and heart disease without even knowing it.

Skin cancer is on the rise for all genders and is the most common cancer diagnosis for men, followed by prostate cancer. While melanoma is treatable and recoverable, the 2023 mortality rate for men is over twice that of women.

In 2020, over 1.4 million men (globally) were diagnosed with prostate cancer — which is treatable and recoverable — while testicular cancer (which is also treatable and recoverable) is the most common cancer in men between the ages of 15 and 35. There’s over 70,000 new cases of testicular cancer every year (74,500 in 2020), with a little over half a million men (worldwide) living with (or beyond) it. The risk of both prostate cancer and testicular cancer increase if someone has a brother or father who has had that particular cancer; if a person has African-American ancestry; and (in the case of testicular cancer) if they have previously had that type of cancer. To make matters worse, men can also get breast cancer — which also has a genetic component.

All of the physical aspects of poor health take a mental health toll in a typical year. Keep in mind, however that 2020 was anything but typical (and the same can be said for 2021 – 2023) — especially when it comes to mental health. Then consider that, at the beginning of 2020, about 51.5 million Americans adults reported experiencing mental health issues within the previous 12 months and that that was an increase from previous years. In previous years, 15 million Americans (in general) were specifically diagnosed with depression. In 2018, an estimated 11.4 million people attempted suicide — with 48,344 Americans reported as dying from suicide. However, men die by suicide almost 4 times more than in women, and the highest rate of suicide is in middle-aged white men (who accounted for 69.67% of the suicides indicated above). In 2021, the number of deaths went down, but the percentage of middle-aged white men in that count was slightly higher. Additionally, veterans are at a high risk for suicide, regardless of gender.

And, let’s talk about the elephant in the room: gender. One set of stats that is only recently being tracked is the physical and mental health of transgender people. Just as diet and exercise affect physical and mental, so too does everyone’s level of hormones — which means hormone treatments could increase or decrease risk of certain illnesses. Additionally, physical and mental health improves when people have emotional support on their life’s journey. In my opinion, the high rate of suicide within the transgender community — as well as the high rate of violence against transgender people — indicates a lack of support and awareness. Thankfully, this is changing; however, as our perceptions change we need to make sure we do not leave transgender (or even non-binary) people out of the conversation.

Spend time with people who make you feel good.
Talk, more.
Know the numbers. (If you are male and over 45, ask your doctor if you need a PSA test.)
Know thy nuts. Simple.
Move, more.”

— quoted from the (US) Movember website

According to the (US) Movember website, “70% of men say their friends can rely on them for support, but only 48% say that they rely on their friends.” This is always a wild (and frankly ridiculous) staticstic to me — but it points directly to the stigma and social mores or norms that make it challenging to be a healthy man in today’s society. Don’t get me wrong, as Dr. M. Scott Peck pointed out, “Life is difficult” for everyone. The individual aspects of each person’s life come with distinct physical and mental health risks. However, life is easier and people are healthier when we pay attention to what we’re feeling and also share what we’re feeling with people who respect us and treat us well. If you can’t count five people (or even three people) with whom you can have a mutually beneficial conversation — and between those five or three conversations cover every subject under the sun — you might want to consider how that lack of support translates into your quality of life and general well-being.

Get your annual physical.
Don’t smoke.
Stay active.
Eat heart healthy foods.
Manage your stress.
Drink in moderation.
Know your family history.”

— Tips printed in Men’s Health

This is a supplemental posted related to the First Friday Night Special (as well as to some upcoming practices). Click here for details about the Movember 3^rd practice in 2023.

If you are thinking about suicide, worried about a friend or loved one, or would like emotional support, you can dial 988 (in the US) or call 1-800-273-TALK (8255) for the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline. You can also call this TALK line if you are struggling with addiction or involved in an abusive relationship. The Lifeline network is free, confidential, and available to all 24/7. YOU CAN TALK ABOUT ANYTHING.

White Flag is 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).

### MO BREATH, MO BETTA ###

Big Gold 2 (the “missing” Wednesday post) August 18, 2023

Posted by ajoyfulpractice in Books, Buddhism, Changing Perspectives, First Nations, Healing Stories, Hope, Life, Mantra, Men, Music, One Hoop, Pain, Philosophy, Religion, Suffering, Tragedy, Vairagya, Wisdom, Women, Writing, Yoga.
Tags: alchemy, Annie Hall Strong, Ben Harper, Bob Schneider, Canada, Chilkoot Trail, chinta mani, Cintāmaṇi, Daisy Mason Trust, Dale L. Walker, Dawson Charlie, George Washington Carmack, Gold, Gold Rush, Jack London, James Mason, Jeanne Campbell Reesman, Kate Carmack, Keish, K̲áa Goox̱, Klondike, Native, Philosopher’s Stone, Robert Henderson, Shaaw Tláa, Shyāmantaka Mani, Skookum, Skookum Jim, Tagish, Tagish Charlie, The Skookum Jim Friendship Centre, Tlingit, Vihari-Lal Mitra, White Pass Trail, Yoga Vasishtha, Yukon
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Peace, blessings, and hydration to all!

This is a “missing” post for Wednesday, August 16^th(with reference to some August 17^th events). You can request an audio recording of either 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.)

“16. Hence whatever is obtainable by anyone at any time, is often missed and lost sight of by either his ignorance or negligence of it; as the precious gem in the parable, which was proffered and lay palpable in full view.”

— quoted from (Book 6) “CHAPTER LXXXVIII. The Tale of the crystal Gem. (Argument:—The slipping of a precious stone in ignorance, and picking of a glossy glass in view of it.)” in The Yoga-Vasishtha Maharamayana of Valmiki (translated by Vihari-Lala Mitra)

Generation after generation, there are certain things which seem to capture the imaginations of people all over the world. Yet, as much as we obsess about the thing, we still somehow miss the point. Take gold, for instance. People are so fascinated by gold that, generation after generation, we’ve created great adventure stories – as well as cautionary tales – around gold and the concept of gold.

Gold is a precious metal that is naturally occurring. It is a free element that can be found in rocks, water, and random deposits. It can also be formed. In fact, for thousands and thousands of years, people from all over the world have not only gone “digging” for gold, they have also sought the secret to alchemy: the Philosopher’s Stone, the catalyst that could turn anything into gold and (maybe) offer eternal life.

Some people believe the “stone” is an actual piece of rock or a dry red powder. Others believe it to be a magical liquid (perhaps made from a the red powder). Some Hindu and Buddhist texts (and therefore some Yoga texts) refer to a wish-fulfilling jewel, called “Cintāmaṇi” or “Shyāmantaka Mani,” which can convey wisdom, transform ailments into knowledge, prevent natural disasters, and produce gold on daily basis. Some texts describe a pearl; some describe a ruby. On the flip side, in some cases it is very clearly a sacred word – or the sacred text itself – that makes someone golden.

“2709: Sivayanama is Alchemic
In slighting terms they speak of our Lord;
With thoughts centering on the Light
And hearts melting in love
Let them chant His name;
With the alchemic pill of Sivaya Nama
He will turn thy body gold.”

— quoted from “Tantra Nine – 6 SUKSHMA (INARTICULATE) PANCHAKSHARA” in Tirumantiram: English Translation of the Tamil Spiritual Classic by Saint Tirumular (complete English translation by Dr. B. Natarajan)

Metaphorically, when we think of something as being “golden,” we think of it as good, great. Something (or someone) who is golden has value. Because of the value we place upon it, gold is worth our time… and worth it’s own weight. By the same token, describing someone or something as golden means we consider them worth our time. We consider them valuable. On a certain level, we all want to be golden and we all want the people around us to be golden. But, sometimes, we find we are dealing with fool’s gold.

Fool’s gold looks like gold and may even feel a little like gold. But, it’s not gold. Instead, it is to gold what the rope in the woods is to the snake: an illusion that tricks the brain and activates an emotional response in the body. If we are looking for gold, and we see something in the distance that could be gold, we get excited; the adrenaline starts pumping; we can barely wait to celebrate. Even though fool’s gold is not actually gold, the excitement is real. That very real excitement simply ends up mixed with disappointment. Just as this can literally happen, it can also metaphorically happen. We can get excited about something or someone; we can think they are the real deal – GOLD! Then, we end up looking like the fool; because they were never honest, they were never true. They were never skookum.

“skookum [Chinook, Chinuk Wawa], adjective

Good, excellent, impressive, best.
Big, strong, durable, tough, reliable, trustworthy.
Powerful, brave.
Really good, right on.”

— definitions from Wiktionary, Wikipedia, and other sources

On the afternoon of August 16, 1896, a family of prospectors found gold in Canada’s Yukon Territory. Skookum Jim Mason, his sister Kate Carmack, their nephew Dawson Charlie, and Kate’s husband George Washington Carmack found a couple of gold nuggets in Rabbit Creek (now called Bonanza Creek), a tributary of the Klondike River. The site had been suggested to the family by Robert Henderson, a prospector who had moved on after finding nothing for several days. While there are some discrepancies about who spotted the first dime-sized nugget, most historians agree that Skookum Jim made the discovery. If not him, then maybe his sister or his nephew. One thing seems clear: George Carmack did not find the nuggets. However, Claim #37903 (the discovery claim) was staked in the name of George Washington Carmack.

Skookum Jim, Kate, and Dawson Charlie were all Indigenous. Given the name Keish (a Tagish word that means “wolf”), Skookum Jim was also known as James Mason. He and his sister Shaaw Tláa, who became known as Kate, were Tagish First Nation members. Their nephew, K̲áa Goox̱, who was known as Dawson Charlie (and also as Tagish Charlie) was Tagish and Tlingit. As excited as they were about their discovery, the family was also concerned that an Indigenous claim might be challenged by Canadian officials and/or other prospectors. So, on August 17^th, the discovery claim and a second claim in the same area were staked in the name of the only white member of the family: George Washington Carmack. Being the first to stake a claim in the area entitled Carmack to two (additional) “free” claims. The extra claims were staked in the names of Skookum Jim and Dawson Charlie. These four claims kicked off the Klondike Gold Rush.

“GOLD! GOLD! GOLD! GOLD!
—
Sixty-Eight Rich Men on the Steamer Portland.
—
STACKS OF YELLOW METAL!
—
Some Have $5,000, Many Have More, and a Few Bring Out $100,000 Each.
—
THE STEAMER CARRIES $7000,000.
—
Special Tug Chartered by the Post-Intelligencer to Get the News.”

— quoted from the “extra” published on July 17, 1897, by the Seattle Post Intelligencer – Klondike Edition

Word spread relatively quickly once the discovery claim was filed. Within a few days, prospectors in the area staked the major claims. Within a year, newspapers made it sound as if it was easy to strike it rich. The headlines made it seem as if all someone had to do was “head west” and they could scoop up gold the way you could pick wild flowers. Over a hundred thousand stampeders were struck by “Klondike Fever.” While many of those who found gold ended up selling their claims to mining companies – and while the area yielded approximately $250 million by the time large-scale mining ended in 1966 – most stampeders never find a single nugget. Some people never even made it to the river. However, all found that the process of getting to a place where there might be gold was just as challenging – if not more challenging – than actually finding gold.

People could get to the Klondike via an all-water route, which was known as the “rich man’s route” because it was so expensive. Some people decided they could hike all the way into the territory – and while some of those hikers arrived, they did so almost two years after the initial rush. Most stampeders used the “poor man’s route” to reach the Yukon River. This hybrid approach required sailing up the Inside Passage to Skagway or nearby Dyea, and then using the White Pass or Chilkoot Trails (respectively) to hike over the Coast Range mountains.

Both coastal towns exploded as people geared up for their hike – and people needed a lot of gear. The Canadian government required stampeders to carry a year’s worth of food and equipment before they ever crossed the border. In addition to the cost of food, clothes, prospecting equipment, and transportation, goods purchased in the United States were subject to a duty. Of course, most stampeders didn’t know what they needed. Intrepid entrepreneurs would eventually create and sell “Yukon outfits” – kits containing all the necessities. In 1897, The Northern Pacific Railroad Company published the Chicago Record’s Book for Gold Seekers. However, some people still ended up with more than they needed. Others found themselves without something critical. But, before they reached that point of discovery, they had to get their “ton of goods” across the mountains.

“In the Skagway News, December 31, 1897 Annie Hall Strong wrote advice to women who ‘have made up their minds to go to the Klondike.’ Ms. Strong weighed in on the required ton of supplies and wrote ‘what should be taken & what should be left behind – from a woman’s perspective.’”

“Among her ‘Advice to Women’, Ms. Strong recommended 3 canvas bags: 1 for bedding, 1 for clothing, and 1 for shoes and boots. From her actual first-hand experience, Ms. Strong says: Evaporated eggs are a failure and everyone who took saccharin as a substitute for sugar were loud in their condemnation of it. Take plenty of sugar. One craves it, and 200 pounds per outfit is not too much. Corn meal, sugar, tea and coffee should be packed in tins. Take plenty of tea. Baking powder and candles are apt to be the first articles to disappear. A few extra pounds would come in very handy. She also recommended lemonade tablets; they are preferable to lime juice and citric acid, being easier to carry, having no weight or bulk.”

— quoted from the Klondike Gold Rush National Historical Park’s “Annie Hall Strong” profile (at U. S. National Park Service site)

Getting to a place where there might be gold was an arduous task. The hike was narrow, steep, and dangerous. In addition to the risky terrain and brutally cold climate, stampeders sometimes had conflicts with each other that led to injury or death. Prior to tramways being built (starting towards the end of 1897), people had to carry everything on their backs and/or use pack mules or horses. Since it was impossible for one person (or animal) to carry everything they needed in one trip, people leap frogged – carrying a load a few feet, setting it down, and then going down for the next load. The leap frog method required people to decide if they could carry a lot of weight for a few trips or less weight for more trips. The heavier loads cut down on the number of times stampeders had to cross the same path, but they resulted in slower travel times.

While the geographical distance they traveled was only 33 – 35 miles (~53 – 59kms), people spent approximately 3 months and hiked hundreds of miles because of the leap frog method. Some people gave up, left their belongings by the side of the trail, and turned back. Some died. Approximately 3,000 pack animals also died. If they got across the mountains, they still had almost 600 miles (~965.6kms) of lake to cross in order to reach Dawson City and the areas where people believed there was gold. Then, they had to find an area that wasn’t already staked. Despite the challenges, 20,000 – 30,000 stampeders headed to the Yukon Territory within the first year… searching for gold.

“It was in the Klondike that I found myself. There nobody talks. Everybody thinks. You get your true perspective. I got mine.”

— quoted from the essay “Eight Factors of Literary Success,” as published in No mentor but myself: Jack London on Writing & Writers by Jack London (Second Edition, Revised and Expanded, Edited by Dale L. Walker and Jeanne Campbell Reesman)

One of those people was a 21-year old man by the name of Jack London. On July 25, 1897, he and his brother-in-law, James Shepard, left San Francisco on board the SS Umatilla. They headed to Juneau and planned to take the “poor man’s route” across the Chilkoot Trail. James got sick early on and had to return to Oakland, California. Jack continued with some veteran stampeders and made it to Dawson City, where he staked Claim #54 in December of 1897. He survived the winter; but just barely. He developed scurvy, spent some time in the hospital in Dawson, and then headed back to the California.

Jack London arrived home to find that his father had passed and that he had responsibilities. But, like so many others, he had no fortune in gold. The only things he had to show for his adventures in the Yukon were swollen gums, loose teeth, a little frostbite, a lot of exhaustion, a pocket full of gold dust, and a head full of stories. Unlike so many others, however, he also came back with a renewed calling: to be a writer. Like an alchemist, he turned the stories of his adventures gold, writing books like The Son of the Wolf (published 1900) and The Call of the Wild (published 1903).

“21. The fool thought this brittle thing to be the real gem now lying before him, as the ignorant sot believes the sparkling sands to be the dusts of the purest gold.

22. Such is the case with the deluded mind, that it mistakes the eight for six and a foe for a friend; it sees the serpent in the rope and views the desert land as the watery expanse, it drinks the poison for the nectar and spies another moon in the sky in the reflexion [sic] of the true one.

23. He took up that sham trumpery for a real gem, and thought it as the philosopher’s stone that would confer on him whatever he desired; with this belief he gave up in charity all he had, as they were no more of any use to him.

24. He thought his country to be devoid of all that was delightsome to him and its people as debasing to his society; he thought his lost house was of no use to him, and his relatives and friends to be averse to his happiness.

25. Thus thinking in his mind, he determined to remove himself to a distant country and enjoy his rest there; and then taking his false gem with him, he went out and entered an uninhabited forest.”

— quoted from (Book 6) “CHAPTER LXXXVIII. The Tale of the crystal Gem. (Argument:—The slipping of a precious stone in ignorance, and picking of a glossy glass in view of it.)” in The Yoga-Vasishtha Maharamayana of Valmiki (translated by Vihari-Lala Mitra)

We can look at Jack London as one of the fortunate few. Similarly, we can see Skookum Jim Mason, Dawson Charlie, and Kate and George Washington Carmack as people who got lucky. After all, they survived the Yukon and collected about $1 million dollars from their original claims. (That would be well over $36 million in 2023.) Skookum Jim and Dawson Charlie also staked smaller claims in Kluane region in 1903. They were all wealthy beyond their dreams. However, their new-found wealth came with challenges… and heartbreak.

Kate/Shaaw Tláa and George Carmack had both been married before and had experienced their share of heartbreak. Kate’s first husband was a Tlingit man who, along with their infant daughter, died during an influenza epidemic. George had been married to one of Kate and Skookum Jim’s sisters, who also died. The family encouraged the widow and widower to marry and, in 1893, about seven years into their union, the had a daughter. Three years later, they struck gold; but, very little changed for the couple during the two additional years they spent in the back country. In 1898, they decided to leave the Yukon Territory and move to Seattle, Washington. They had plans for more great adventures – like buying a boat and sailing to France. Unfortunately, the marriage fell apart within a year and George Carmack abandoned Kate and their daughter.

As George Washington Carmack made plans to remarry, Kate/Shaaw Tláa attempted to file for divorce – only to find there was no official record of her 13-year marriage to George Carmack. She returned to Yukon Territory with no claim to their resources and no official claim to the gold. Carmack eventually tricked their teenage daughter into returning to Seattle, by promising that she could obtain her mother’s share of the gold. But, not only did Kate/Shaaw Tláa never receive any money, she also never saw her daughter again. She would have been completely destitute were it not for her skills in needlepoint, a government pension, and her brother.

“skookum [Chinook, Chinuk Wawa], noun

Monster; similar to Sasquatch.
A person who has a purpose and is on solid ground, in good health and spirits.”

— definitions from Wiktionary, Wikipedia, and other sources

True to his nickname Keish/Skookum Jim was generous to a fault. He built a large home for himself and, when she was abandoned, he built a cabin for his sister. When his nephew K̲áa Goox̱/Dawson Charlie passed away (in 1912), Skookum Jim reportedly hosted the largest potlatch (gift-giving feast) their community had ever experienced. He also randomly gave money to anyone and everyone. His marriage suffered and fell apart, leaving him with custody of his daughter Saayna.aat/Daisy. Somewhere along the way, he developed a drinking problem – a really expensive drinking problem, since he would buy drinks for everyone around him.

Keish/Skookum Jim was one of the early miners who sold his claims to a prospecting company. He received $65,000 (which would be over $2 million in 2023). Since he was truly “skookum,” he recognized he had a problem and set aside some of his money to create a trust in his daughter’s name. The Daisy Mason Trust was meant to cover his daughter’s education. He also created a will, establishing legacies for Kate/Shaaw Tláa, his nephew Koołseen/Patsy Henderson (who was originally with the family in the Yukon, but apparently not when they found the gold), and two other relatives. Tragically, the trust and will were not executed as intended after his death in 1916. When his daughter Saayna.aat/Daisy passed (in 1938), the interest from the Daisy Mason Trust was directed “to help obtain a better standard of health and education for Indian People in the Yukon.”

One of the initiatives that came from the Daisy Mason Trust was the creation and construction of the Skookum Jim Memorial Hall, built in Whitehorse 1962). Now operating as The Skookum Jim Friendship Centre, it is the oldest Native organization in the Yukon and the birthplace of The Yukon Native Brotherhood, Yukon Association of Non-Status Indians, Yukon Native Youth, Yukon Native Women, Yukon Native Court Workers, and Yukon Indian Women’s Association. It’s programs include the Skookum Jim Oral History Program, Yukon A.I.D.S. Programming, Native Court Worker Trainee Program, Hawshagoonca-coo Cultural Program, and the Yukon Alcohol Community Action Program. The Centre also facilitated the creation of programs like the Yukon Association of Non-Status Indians (YANSI), Crossroads Halfway House, Yukon Alcohol and Drug Services, and Skookies Educational and Recreation Counseling Haven Program (SEARCH).

While so many others have been forgotten – or only live on in history books and movies – Keish/Skookum Jim Masons’s legacy is still alive… golden… skookum.

“I’ve been fooled before
But now I know
I’ve made the mistake in the past
But now I know the difference
From gold and brass

Not the kind of gold you wear
But the kind that can feel my care
You look like gold”

— quoted from the song “Gold to Me” by Ben Harper

Wednesday’s playlist is available on on YouTube and Spotify. [Look for “08162022 Big Gold”]

### “All the gold in the sunset all the diamonds on the sea / It’s all we need to set ourselves free” ~ Bob Schneider ###

FTWMI: The Powerful Possibilities That Come From “A Brother’s Love” August 2, 2023

Posted by ajoyfulpractice in "Impossible" People, Art, Books, Changing Perspectives, Confessions, Healing Stories, Hope, James Baldwin, Life, Love, Maya Angelou, Men, Music, Pain, Science, Suffering, Super Heroes, Tragedy, Wisdom, Writing, Yoga.
Tags: Aimee Lehto, America, Beau Lotto, being present, Boyd Croyner, Civil Rights, Emily Dickinson, inspiration, James Baldwin, Justin Timberlake, Maria Mitchell, Maya Angelou, Muhammad Ali, PRIDE, samskāras, truth, vasanas, yoga
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Wherever you are, wherever you roam, stay hydrated and open to possibilities!

FTWMI: The following was originally posted in 2022. Links and class details have been updated. A practice note related to 2020 and 2021 has been deleted from this version. This is part 2 in my “impossible people” series.

“This also, then, leads on to the idea of whether or not the brain ever does big jumps – or does it only ever do small steps? And the answer is that the brain only ever does small steps. I can only get from here to the other side of the room by passing through the space in between. I can’t teleport myself to the other side. Right? Similarly, your brain can only ever make small steps in its ideas. So, whenever you’re in a moment, it can only actually shift itself to the next most likely possible. And the next and most likely possible is determined by its assumptions. We call it ‘the space of possibility.’ Right. You can’t do just anything. Some things are just impossible for you in terms of your perception or in terms of your conception of the world. What’s possible is based on your history.”

– quoted from the 2017 Big Think video entitled, “The Neuroscience of Creativity, Perception, and Confirmation Bias by Beau Lotto

My idea to spend part of August focusing on “impossible people” – and by that I mean people who do things others believe to be impossible – started long before I had ever heard of neuroscientist Beau Lotto or his work with the Lab of Misfits. In some ways it started with an awareness of certain people’s lives and accomplishments and a curiosity about how they got from A (“impossible”) to Z (“possible”). I mean, on some level I knew about “the space of possibility” and I definitely understood the theory that we live in the past. It is, after all, the science of samskāras (“mental impressions”) and vasanas (the “dwelling places” of habits). I also understood the power of imagination and visualization; often referenced the idea that an epiphany (“striking appearance” or “manifestation”) happens because the mind-intellect is prepared for the revelation; and frequently highlighted how we can be like Emily Dickinson and “dwell in Possibility.”

All of that is backed up by Western science and the Yoga Philosophy. As Dr. Lotto pointed out in his book Deviate: The Science of Seeing Differently, and also in many of his talks and lectures, “We don’t see reality – we only see what was useful to see in the past. But the nature of the brain’s delusional past is this: The past that determines how you see isn’t just constituted by your lived perceptions but by your imagined ones as well. As such, you can influence what you see in the future just by thinking.” And that’s what I hadn’t really used as a point of focus: why some people’s imaginations allow them to think differently and know the baby steps that, to the rest of us, look like giant leaps.

If I were going to pinpoint a single starting point for my change in focus, it would be around July 31, 2016. It was the Feast Day of Saint Ignatius of Loyola and the eve of the anniversary of the birth of Miss Maria Mitchell (and Mr. Herman Melville), and while listening to Justin Timberlake (ostensibly) quote Muhammad Ali to a bunch of teens, I thought, “What combination of things in someone’s past makes their will and determination so strong? What makes someone recognize that “Impossible is just a word…?”

“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

A version of the following was originally posted as “A Brother’s Love” on August 2, 2020.

“Given the conditions in this country to be a black writer was impossible. When I was young, people thought you were not so much wicked as sick, they gave up on you. My father didn’t think it was possible—he thought I’d get killed, get murdered. He said I was contesting the white man’s definitions, which was quite right.”

– James Baldwin, quoted from the interview “James Baldwin, The Art of Fiction No. 78” by Jordan Elgrably (printed in The Paris Review, Issue 91, Spring 1984)

Born today in Harlem, New York, in 1924, the author James Baldwin was – by his own words – an impossible person. His life (and career) were, in so many ways, shaped by a combination of history and opinions. First, there was the history of the United States. Then there were the opinions of his stepfather David Baldwin (who he referred to as his father), regarding life in general, plus his stepfather’s opinion of how the world would view him, how the world actually viewed him, and his own ideas about what was possible – or, what was necessary. He spent the ages of 14 – 17 following his father’s footsteps into the ministry and then, when his father died, he took a giant leap. He said, “Those were three years [preaching] which probably turned me to writing.”

Leaping into writing was not Mr. Baldwin’s only leap. He leapt across the pond to Paris, France, twice, even as his writing challenged Western society’s conceptions about race, class, gender, and sexuality. His essays, novels, and plays include Giovanni’s Room, Notes of a Native Son, The Fire Next Time, If Beale Street Could Talk (which was recently made into a movie) and the unfinished manuscript Remember This House (which was adapted to create the 2016 Academy Award-nominated documentary I Am Not Your Negro). Mr. Baldwin first went to Paris with $40 and not a lick of French. He was 24 years old, coming to grips with his sexuality, and escaping what he viewed – what he had witnessed – was a death sentence at the hands of American society.

“Not so metaphorically. Looking for a place to live. Looking for a job. You begin to doubt your judgment, you begin to doubt everything. You become imprecise. And that’s when you’re beginning to go under. You’ve been beaten, and it’s been deliberate. The whole society has decided to make you nothing. And they don’t even know they’re doing it.”

– James Baldwin, quoted from the interview “James Baldwin, The Art of Fiction No. 78” by Jordan Elgrably (printed in The Paris Review, Issue 91, Spring 1984)

From Paris, he was able to not only gain perspective about his experiences of being Black in America (and of being Black and Gay in America), but also to offer those experience back to the United States – in the form of a literary mirror. In words that very much echo Miss Maria Mitchell’s words, he said wanted to see himself, and be seen as, more than “merely a Negro; or, merely a Negro writer.”

In his late 30’s/early 40’s, Mr. Baldwin briefly returned to the United States and physically participated in the Civil Rights Movement and Gay Liberation Movement that he had (from Paris) helped to literally inspire. He became friends with Langston Hughes, Martin Luther King, Malcolm X, Medgar Evers, Lorraine Hansberry, Nikki Giovanni, and Nina Simone (who he and Mr. Hughes convinced to become active in the Civil Rights Movement). He worked with Drs. Kenneth and Mamie Clark, as well as Lena Horne and Miss Hansberry, to discuss the importance of civil rights legislation with President John F. Kennedy.

His friendships, however, were not only with Black artists and activists. He worked with his childhood friend Richard Avedon, marched with Marlon Brando and Charlton Heston, collaborated with Margaret Mead and Sol Stein, and also knew Rip Torn, Jean-Paul Sartre, and Dorothea Tanning. In fact, to read a biography or autobiography of James Baldwin is to read a Who’s Who of activism and artistry in the 20^th century. But, you don’t have to settle for a reading a measly biography. If you can get your hands on the 1,884 pages of documents compiled by the FBI, you would be in for quite a treat.

Yes, you read that correctly. For a little over a decade, the FBI collected nearly two thousand pages worth of documents on a man that many Americans may not realize helped convince President Kennedy to send federal troops to defend the civil rights activists marching from Selma to Montgomery. True, it’s not the well-over 17,000 pages they compiled on Martin Luther King (not including the wire-tap documents). Here, however, is some perspective: the FBI only collected 276 pages on authors like Richard Wright (Native Son) and 110 pages on authors like Truman Capote (In Cold Blood) and Henry Miller (Tropic of Cancer). Additionally, FBI Director J. Edgar Hoover showed a particular interest in Mr. Baldwin and actually worked with agents to figure out ways they could ban Mr. Baldwin’s 1962 novel Another Country.

Perhaps Director Hoover was concerned about the fact that James Baldwin started the novel while living in Greenwich Village and continued as he moved back to Paris and then back to the States again, before ultimately finishing the book in Istanbul, Turkey. Perhaps he was concerned about the novels depictions of bisexuality, interracial relationships, and extramarital affairs. It’s just as likely that J. Edgar Hoover was concerned about James Baldwin’s persistent efforts to depict a deep, abiding, almost Divine, brotherly love; a universal experience of grace and growth that would make more things possible for more people. Whatever the FBI Director’s objections might have been, the report of the Justice Department’s General Crimes Section “concluded that the book contains literary merit and may be of value to students of psychology and social behavior.”

“The occurrence of an event is not the same thing as knowing what it is that one has lived through. Most people had not lived — nor could it, for that matter, be said that they had died– through any of their terrible events. They had simply been stunned by the hammer. They passed their lives thereafter in a kind of limbo of denied and unexamined pain. The great question that faced him this morning was whether or not he had ever, really, been present at his life.”

– quoted from Another Country by James Baldwin

“I imagine one of the reasons people cling to their hates so stubbornly is because they sense, once hate is gone, they will be forced to deal with pain.”

– quoted from The Fire Next Time by James Baldwin

When so many of his friends, who were also the leaders of the Civil Rights Movement, were killed, Mr. Baldwin made his second leap back to Paris. Again, it was a leap made out of fear and the basic desire to survive. His grief, anger, horror, and disappointment are all on full display in later works like If Beale Street Could Talk, Just Above My Head, and the 1985 non-fiction book Evidence of Things Not Seen (about the Atlanta child murders). Yet, until his dying day he wrote about love and hope – even using a portion of the Epistle to the Hebrews, from the Christian New Testament, as the title of his book about the Atlanta child murders.

Another place where you can see Mr. Baldwin’s devotion to love, life, and humanity is in the words of his friends; people, who actually knew him, were inspired by him, and some of whom called him Jim or Jimmy. When he died in 1987, Maya Angelou wrote a tribute for The New York Times, entitled “James Baldwin: His Voice Remembered; Life In His Language.” In addition to describing how Mr. Baldwin introduced her to his family as his mother’s newest daughter, she explained that he “opened the [unusual] door” and encouraged her to tell her story.

“Well, the season was always Christmas with you there and, like one aspect of that scenario, you did not neglect to bring at least three gifts. You gave me a language to dwell in, a gift so perfect it seems my own invention….

The second gift was your courage, which you let us share: the courage of one who would go as a stranger in the village and transform the distances between people into intimacy with the whole world; courage to understand that experience in ways that made it a personal revelation for each of us…. Yours was the courage to live life in and from its belly as well as beyond its edges, to see and say what was, to recognize and identify evil, but never fear or stand in awe of it….

The third gift was hard to fathom and even harder to accept. It was your tenderness – a tenderness so delicate that I thought it could not last, but last it did and envelop me it did. In the midst of anger it tapped me lightly like the child in Tish’s womb…. Yours was a tenderness, of vulnerability, that asked everything, expected everything and, like the world’s own Merlin, provided us with the ways and means to deliver. I suppose that was why I was always a bit better behaved around you, smarter, more capable, wanting to be worth the love you lavished, and wanting to be steady enough to bear while it broke your heart, wanting to be generous enough to join your smile with one of my own, and reckless enough to jump on in that laugh you laughed. Because our joy and our laughter were not only all right, they were necessary.”

– quoted from “James Baldwin: His Voice Remembered; Life In His Language” by Maya Angelou (printed in The New York Times Book Review December 20, 1987)

Please join me today (Wednesday, August 2^nd) at 4:30 PM or 7:15 PM for a yoga practice on Zoom. 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 “Langston’s Theme for Jimmy 2022”]

“I love America more than any other country in this world, and, exactly for this reason, I insist on the right to criticize her perpetually.”

“Love takes off masks that we fear we cannot live without and know we cannot live within. I use the word love here not merely in the personal sense but as a state of being or a state of grace – not in the infantile American sense of being made happy but in the tough and universal sense of quest and daring and growth….Love is a growing up.”

– James Baldwin

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.)

### OPEN THE DOOR, & LET ME IN (OR OUT)! ###

Reflections on the Figure of a Father (a prologue) June 18, 2023

Posted by ajoyfulpractice in Art, Books, Changing Perspectives, Gratitude, Healing Stories, Hope, Karma, Life, Love, Men, Music, One Hoop, Pain, Suffering, Wisdom, Yoga.
Tags: Dad's Big Day, Father's Day, Jason Momoa, P!nk, Vihari-Lal Mitra, Yoga Vasishtha
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Happy Pride! Happy Dads’ Day!! Many blessing to all!!!

“15. You see a man in two ways, the one with his body and the other in his representation in a picture or statues, of these the former kind is more frail than the latter; because the embodied man is beset by troubles and diseases in his fading and mouldering, decaying and dying body, whereby the other is not. (The frame of the living man, is frailer than his dead resemblance).”

– quoted from (Book 6) “CHAPTER XXIX. Pantheism. Description of the World as Full with the Supreme Soul.” of The Yoga-Vasishtha Maharamayana of Valmiki (translated from the original Sanskrit by VIHARI-LALA MITRA)

June 18^th is a day when I often focus on “defining moments.” For some people, one of the most defining moment of their lives is when they decide to be a parent. To be clear, I’m not talking about the moment they starting trying to conceive or even the moment they discover the conception – although, for some, the moments are one and the same. No, here, I am specifically talking about the moment a person decides they are going to do the work required to be the best parent they can be. As indicated by the quote above, today, I am also specifically talking about “a man.”

We can see (i.e., understand) Yoga Vasishtha 29.15 as referring to men-folk and also to human beings in general. The concept holds true, either way. The statement also holds true if we tweak the language a bit and recognize that “You can see a father in two ways….” There is the the frail, embodied being that begets a child and then there is the representation, the father-figure: the ones we call dad, pa, da, papa, daddy, pappi, paw-paw, gran-daddy, pepaw, uncle-pappy, hey, and any number of names I haven’t listed (including father, if your family is formal like that).

This is not a perfect metaphor, because a picture or a statue does little in the way of active action. Art can, however, leave an impression. It can touch our souls and leave an impression in our hearts and mind. A picture or a statue can even influence the way we see ourselves and the world and, therefore, the way we interact with ourselves and the world. In fact, leaving an impression is one of the intentions of the artist, the creator – and that’s really where I’m going with this idea:

A good parent is someone who intentional (and sometimes unintentionally) leaves a positive impression that influences the way we see ourselves and the world and, therefore, the way we interact with ourselves and the world.

So, as I have said before – and will say again and again, this so-called “Fathers’ Day” is not a fertility celebration. It is a celebration of the ones we call dad, pa, da, papa, daddy, pappi, paw-paw, gran-daddy, pepaw, uncle-pappy, hey, and any number of names I haven’t listed (including father, if your family is formal like that). It is a celebration of those who do the work to raise us up. It is a celebration of those who do the care and the feeding. It is a celebration of the ones whose influence “…lasts for ages with its undiminished beauty.” (YV 29.16)

Click here for the 2020 blog post about Dad’s Day (a.k.a Father’s Day) when it coincided with a bunch of different observations, including International Yoga Day – which falls on the anniversary of the birth of the T. K. V. Desikachar (b. 06/21/1938). NOTE: I have not yet updated the post to reflect the fact that there were religious observations in the Middle Ages that celebrated mothers and maternal figures.

Click here for the slightly more personal 2022 blog post about Dad’s Day (a.k.a Father’s Day) when it coincided with Juneteenth.

There is no class today, but I will be back on schedule (and on Zoom) tomorrow. If you are on my Sunday recording list, I have sent you a copy of the 2020 Dad’s Day practice and a copy of the philosophical 90-minute practice from June 18, 2022. If you want to be added to my Sunday list (or any other list), please email me or comment below.

The “Dad’s Big Day” playlist is available on YouTube and Spotify.

The playlist for June 18, 2022, practice is also available on on YouTube and Spotify. [Look for “09042021 Experiencing the Mind”]

A Mother’s Ode to Her Father

A Father’s Ode to His Mother

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.

Errata: The original posting incorrectly referenced the “Father of Modern Yoga,” which is how T. K. V. Desikachar’s father is often remembered.

### CELEBRATE THE PATTERN ###

Starting with the Foundation (a prelude) June 11, 2023

Posted by ajoyfulpractice in Books, Buddhism, Changing Perspectives, Faith, First Nations, Healing Stories, Life, Meditation, Men, Music, One Hoop, Philosophy, Wisdom, Women, Writing, Yoga.
Tags: asana, Benjamin Franklin, Committee of Five, Constitution, Declaration of Independence, John Adams, Lee Resolution, Robert Livingston, Roger Sherman, Thomas Jefferson, Thomas Paine, William Butler Yeats, yoga, Yoga Sutra 1.32, Yoga Sutras 1.30-1.32, Yoga Sutras 2.46-2.50
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Happy Pride! Many blessings to everyone!!

Yoga Sūtra 1.32: tat pratiṣedhārtham eka tattvābhyāsaḥ

– “To prevent or deal with these nine obstacles and their four consequences, the recommendation is to make the mind one-pointed, training it how to focus on a single truth, principle, or object.”

On and off the mat, we start with the foundation. We build from the ground up. This is standard operating procedure whether we are building an asana; building a life for ourselves; building a relationship; building an edifice; building an organization or a business; and/or building a country. We may have an idea(l) in mind and our desire may be to build from the concept (i.e., that may be what motivates us to build); however, to make the dream come true – to make the idea(l) a reality – we need awareness and material/matter.

That’s the practice. On and off the mat (or cushion), we bring awareness to the foundation and then establish a foundation that allows us to bring awareness to our awareness… or to any number things which can be our point of focus. In mindfulness-based practices, like Yoga and Buddhist meditation, we are very intentional, very deliberate about this method of building. In fact, Patanjali outlined this practice in the Yoga Sūtras. (YS 2.46-50) More detailed instructions (on building asanas) can be found in texts like the Hatha Yoga Pradipika. Shastras, like Yoga Vasistha, and many modern texts also include details on building a practice. And, we can extrapolate from there – taking the practice off of the mat/cushion and into the world.

On a certain level, reality forces us to build from the ground up. However, there is a difference between just doing it and being deliberate and intentional about it. There is also a difference between deliberately and intentionally building from the ground up and starting [everything] with the foundation in mind. For example, in a seated (or moving) meditation practice, when you loose the “thread,” you go back to the beginning – back to the foundation.

Are you still “sitting” in a way that balances effort and relaxation? If the answer is no, adjust. If the answer is yes, bring awareness to the parts of the breath. Notice when (and what) distracts you. Remind yourself that you are “sitting” and breathing. That’s the practice.

Off the mat/cushion, there is a tendency to forget about the foundation once we really get going. No, I’m not ignoring the fact that this also happens in yoga practices where there is a lot of movement and momentum. What I would like to point out, however, is that part of a practice like vinyasa is being mindful of the pace. Being mindful of the pace requires noticing when you are not breathing deeply; when you are moving faster than your breath; and/or when you are “flowing,” but not “placing things in a special way” (which is the literal meaning of vinyasa). Also, over time, not being mindful of the foundation may lead to injuries and/or obstacles to the practice. (YS 1.30-31)

Off the mat/cushion, the tendency to forget about the foundation also has consequences. People get hurt – on a lot of different levels. And, also, obstacles arise that prevent the fulfilment of the original idea(l). What I mean by that is: Sometimes we end up with a final product that looks nothing like the intention. And, sometimes, things fall apart because the center (which is the foundation) could not hold… was not designed to hold without attention/awareness.

“Turning and turning in the widening gyre
The falcon cannot hear the falconer;
Things fall apart; the centre cannot hold;
Mere anarchy is loosed upon the world,
The blood-dimmed tide is loosed, and everywhere
The ceremony of innocence is drowned;
The best lack all conviction, while the worst
Are full of passionate intensity.

Surely some revelation is at hand;”

– quoted from the poem “The Second Coming” by William Butler Yeats

Today in 1776, the Committee of Five started discussing and drafting a document which would be approved by the Second Continental Congress and presented to England as a Declaration of Independence. Representatives John Adams (Massachusetts), Roger Sherman (Connecticut), Robert Livingston (New York), Benjamin Franklin (Pennsylvania), and Thomas Jefferson (Virginia), worked until July 5^th building what became the foundation of the United States of America.

The final document was approved on July 2^nd, printed on July 4^th, and signed by the delegates of the Second Continental Congress over the course of several months. It contains some of the best and most quoted language associated with democracy and freedom. It is considered, by some, to be the best language regarding an ideal government. Yet, the original language is interesting – as is the language of the final draft. First, the committee originally included language criticizing English people, slavery, and the British slave trade. Ultimately, they decided to exclude the language about slavery, because they thought including it would cost them votes. Another interesting point (of exclusion) is that the words didn’t exactly mean what they said. The words “all men” was not, in fact, applied to all men (let alone all humans).

A portion of the following is an excerpt from a July 2020 post.

“We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.”

– from “The Declaration of Independence” drafted by the Committee of Five and (eventually) signed by delegates of the Second Continental Congress

The Declaration of Independence was the formal announcement and explanation of the “Lee Resolution” (aka “The Resolution for Independence).” Its second sentence is often referenced as “one of the best-known sentences in the English language” and is possibly the most quoted sentence in American history. It provided justification for revolution and the building blocks for a new nation. It was, however, not completely true. While we may want to delude ourselves into thinking the founding fathers meant all humans when they signed off on the declaration – or even all males – the “all men” was very specific in that it meant “white men only.” And, if we are being honest, there was also a religious subtext which further restricted who would be granted the subsequently mentioned Rights. (Yes, yes, we can go around and around about religious freedom, but there was a definite assumption within the text that “all men,” see above, believed in one God – even if they had slightly different ways of worshiping said God.)

The Second Continental Congress approved the resolution and the declaration unanimously, but it was never a sure thing. There was debate with the Committee of Five as to how to present their argument to the other delegates in a way that would sway things in their favor. Remember, everyone on the committee and every one of the delegates was, at the time, a subject of the Crown – meaning they were citizens of the British Commonwealth – and what they were proposing was straight-up treason. They knew this would be evidence of treason. Furthermore, they knew that they were placing their family, friends, and neighbors at great risk. They also thought freedom, liberty, and independence were worth the risk.

The Declaration of Independence and the Constitution of the United States can be seen as the cornerstone of our democracy or the two visible sides of that cornerstone. Included within the Constitution is the governments ability to propose, ratify, and implement amendments. One could argue that providing such a proviso was the 1787 Constitutional Convention’s way of strengthening the foundation and of making sure future leaders (and their descendants) kept the foundation in mind.

“It is the duty of every man, as far as his ability extends, to detect and expose delusion and error. But nature has not given to everyone a talent for that purpose; and among those to whom such a talent is given, there is often a want of disposition or of courage to do it.”

– quoted from the “Preface” (addressed “To the Ministers and Preachers of all Denominations of Religion.”) of “Part III” in The Age Of Reason by Thomas Paine

Please join me for a 65-minute virtual yoga practice on Zoom today (Sunday, June 11^th) at 2:30 PM. Use the link from the “Class Schedules” calendar if you run into any problems checking into the class. You can request an audio recording of this practice via a comment below or by emailing myra (at) ajoyfulpractice.com.

Sunday’s playlist is available on YouTube and Spotify. [Look for “07012020 Caesar Rodney’s Ride”]

Errata: The sūtra quoted at the beginning of this post was originally identified with the wrong chapter number.

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.)

### OM FREEDOM AUM ###

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A Joyful Practice

Remember, “It’s Much More Than Just a Candlelight”* (the “missing” Saturday post w/excerpts) December 9, 2023

— quoted from Mishneh Torah, Scroll of Hanukkah (Halakhah) by Rambam (translation by Eliyahu Touger. Jerusalem, Moznaim Pub. c1986-c2007, Dedicated in memory of Irving Montak, z”l)

“It’s much more than just a candlelight ’cause we’ve fought more than just a little fight”

— quoted from the song “Victory” by Nissim Black

“(1) Rabbi [Judah HaNassi] would say: Which is the right path for man to choose for himself? Whatever is harmonious for the one who does it, and harmonious for mankind.

Be as careful with a minor mitzvah as with a major one, for you do not know the rewards of the mitzvot. Consider the cost of a mitzvah against its rewards, and the rewards of a transgression against its cost….

(3) Be careful with the government, for they befriend a person only for their own needs. They appear to be friends when it is beneficial to them, but they do not stand by a person at the time of his distress.”

— quoted from Pirkei Avot (Ethics of the Fathers) (2:1 & 2:3)

“And God said, ‘Light will be,’ and light was.”

— Transliteration of the Hebrew from Bereishit – Genesis (1:3), most commonly translated as “And God said, ‘Let there be light,’ and there was light.

“The world that we live in, so much cold and strife One little light to warm another life Fill the darkest night with the brightest light Cause it’s time for you to shine A little dedication, a small illumination Just one person to change a whole nation Let me see the light”

— quoted from the song “Shine” by the Maccabeats

“But when they saw the army coming to meet them, they said to Judas: How shall we, being few, be able to fight against so great a multitude, and so strong, and we are ready to faint with fasting today?

And Judas said: It is an easy matter for many to be shut up in the hands of a few: and there is no difference in the sight of the God of heaven to deliver with a great multitude, or with a small company:

For the success of war is not in the multitude of the army, but strength cometh from heaven.”

— 1 Maccabees 3:17-19 (DRB)

Letters on dreidels (outside of Israel): nun (נ), gimel (ג), hei (ה), and shin (ש)

Letters on dreidels (in Israel): nun (נ), gimel (ג), hei (ה), and pei, (פ)

— Hebrew letters symbolizing the phrases (in Hebrew) “A great miracle happened there” and “A great miracle happened here”

Click here for the 2020 post about the person who often gets the credit when we say we have a “bug” in the system.

### PEACE ###

One Mo *Extra* Seat (mostly an index with music & links) November 21, 2023

— quoted from Revolution of the Soul: Awaken to Love Through Raw Truth, Radical Healing, and Conscious Action by Seane Corn

Click here to learn why sometimes (like today) I’m just a little extra.

Click here to learn a little mou’ about Movember.

Click here to to learn about this type of practice (in general).

### Inhale / Exhale ###

I Don’t Mou’ About You, But… (a note with links) November 8, 2023

— Brendan Maher, Global Director of Mental Health and Suicide Prevention, Movember

Click here to read my 2020 post about checking in.

### But, No, How Mou You, Really? ###

The Mo You Know (a mini-post w/ music) November 5, 2023

“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

“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

“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

### The mo you know, the betta! ###

The Grace of a Cowboy (just a snippet of a post w/links) November 4, 2023

“When the Oakies left Oklahoma and moved to California, it raised the I.Q. of both states.”

— Will Rogers

Click here to read about the man who was known as “America’s Cowboy Philosopher,” “Oklahoma’s Favorite Son,” and “Ambassador to the World” — and the Movember-related science that bears his name.

### MOU’ ALONG, LITTLE DOGGIE ###

UPDATED 2023: I Moustache You An Important Question November 3, 2023

“‘As long as records have been kept in all countries, women have lived longer than men,’ said Amelia Karraker, a program official at the National Institute on Aging. ‘Across, basically, almost every major cause of death, men are more likely to die than women are.’”

— quoted from the March 2023 CNBC Health and Science article entitled, “Here’s why American men die younger than women on average and how to fix it” by Charlotte Morabito

“Globally, men die an average of six years earlier than women, and for reasons that are largely preventable. Which means that it doesn’t have to be that way: we can take action to live healthier, happier and longer lives.”

“Mo your own way….”

— quoted from the (US) Movember website

Spend time with people who make you feel good.

Talk, more.

Know the numbers. (If you are male and over 45, ask your doctor if you need a PSA test.)

Know thy nuts. Simple.

Move, more.”

— quoted from the (US) Movember website

Get your annual physical.

Don’t smoke.

Stay active.

Eat heart healthy foods.

Manage your stress.

Drink in moderation.

Know your family history.”

— Tips printed in Men’s Health

### MO BREATH, MO BETTA ###

Big Gold 2 (the “missing” Wednesday post) August 18, 2023

“16. Hence whatever is obtainable by anyone at any time, is often missed and lost sight of by either his ignorance or negligence of it; as the precious gem in the parable, which was proffered and lay palpable in full view.”

— quoted from (Book 6) “CHAPTER LXXXVIII. The Tale of the crystal Gem. (Argument:—The slipping of a precious stone in ignorance, and picking of a glossy glass in view of it.)” in The Yoga-Vasishtha Maharamayana of Valmiki (translated by Vihari-Lala Mitra)

“2709: Sivayanama is Alchemic In slighting terms they speak of our Lord; With thoughts centering on the Light And hearts melting in love Let them chant His name; With the alchemic pill of Sivaya Nama He will turn thy body gold.”

— quoted from “Tantra Nine – 6 SUKSHMA (INARTICULATE) PANCHAKSHARA” in Tirumantiram: English Translation of the Tamil Spiritual Classic by Saint Tirumular (complete English translation by Dr. B. Natarajan)

“skookum [Chinook, Chinuk Wawa], adjective

Good, excellent, impressive, best.

Big, strong, durable, tough, reliable, trustworthy.

Powerful, brave.

Really good, right on.”

— definitions from Wiktionary, Wikipedia, and other sources

“GOLD! GOLD! GOLD! GOLD! — Sixty-Eight Rich Men on the Steamer Portland. — STACKS OF YELLOW METAL! — Some Have $5,000, Many Have More, and a Few Bring Out $100,000 Each. — THE STEAMER CARRIES $7000,000. — Special Tug Chartered by the Post-Intelligencer to Get the News.”

— quoted from the “extra” published on July 17, 1897, by the Seattle Post Intelligencer – Klondike Edition

**— quoted from Mishneh Torah, Scroll of Hanukkah (Halakhah) by Rambam (translation by Eliyahu Touger. Jerusalem, Moznaim Pub. c1986-c2007, Dedicated in memory of Irving Montak, z”l)**

“It’s much more than just a candlelight
’cause we’ve fought more than just a little fight”

“The world that we live in, so much cold and strife
One little light to warm another life
Fill the darkest night with the brightest light
Cause it’s time for you to shine
A little dedication, a small illumination
Just one person to change a whole nation
Let me see the light”

**Letters on dreidels (outside of Israel): nun (נ), gimel (ג), hei (ה), and shin (ש)**

**Letters on dreidels (in Israel): nun (נ), gimel (ג), hei (ה), and pei, (פ)**

One Mo Extra Seat (mostly an index with music & links) November 21, 2023

**Click here to learn why sometimes (like today) I’m just a little extra.**

“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.”

“So do not wait for aches and pains
To have a surgeon mend your drains;”

“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.”

“2709: Sivayanama is Alchemic
In slighting terms they speak of our Lord;
With thoughts centering on the Light
And hearts melting in love
Let them chant His name;
With the alchemic pill of Sivaya Nama
He will turn thy body gold.”

“GOLD! GOLD! GOLD! GOLD!
—
Sixty-Eight Rich Men on the Steamer Portland.
—
STACKS OF YELLOW METAL!
—
Some Have $5,000, Many Have More, and a Few Bring Out $100,000 Each.
—
THE STEAMER CARRIES $7000,000.
—
Special Tug Chartered by the Post-Intelligencer to Get the News.”

“I’ve been fooled before
But now I know
I’ve made the mistake in the past
But now I know the difference
From gold and brass

Not the kind of gold you wear
But the kind that can feel my care
You look like gold”