Many blessings to everyone and especially to anyone planting seeds for peace, freedom, and wisdom (inside and outside).
For Those Who Missed It: This following was originally posted in 2023 as a “missing” post for July 5, 2023 (and also for 2022). It includes playlists for both sets of practices, some slight revisions, and some additional context related to the First Friday Night Special #45: “Seats for a ‘Rigid Body.’”You can request an audio recording of either 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.
“Every body continues in its state of rest, or uniform motion in a right line, unless compelled to change that state by forces impressed upon it.”
— “Law 1” quoted from “Axioms, or Laws of Motion” in Philosophiæ Naturalis Principia Mathematica by Sir Isaac Newton
NOTE: Some editions use the term “straight line.”
Take a moment to relax, maybe place your hand(s) on your belly, and observe what happens if nothing gets in the way. Notice how your tension-free belly rises and falls as the breath enters and leaves the body. Notice how the “force” of the breath, which is a symbol of our life and a symbol of our spirit, is an agent of change — physically, mentally, emotionally, and even energetically.
You can use your breath, forcefully, to break up and/or release tension. Similarly, lengthening the breath and observing the breath (all of which can be described as prāņāyāma) change things when we are practicing on the mat. The way we breathe and the awareness of our breath can also be an agent of change off the mat. We just have to pay attention and stay focused to things that are naturally occurring.
However, paying attention, staying focused, and even breathing deeply in and breathing deeply out can be challenging in certain situations… especially situations involving challenging people… rigid bodies, if you will.
“I most gladly embrace your proposal of a private correspondence. What’s done before many witnesses is seldom without some further concerns than that for truth; but what passes between friends in private, usually deserves the name of consultation rather than contention; and so I hope it will prove between you and me….
But in the mean time, you defer too much to my ability in searching into this subject. What Descartes did was a good step. You have added much several ways, and especially in considering the colours of thin plates. If I have seen farther, it is by standing on the shoulders of giants.”
— quoted from a letter marked “Cambridge, February 5, 1675-76” from Sir Isaac Newton to Dr. Robert Hooke, as published in Memoirs of the Life, Writings, and Discoveries of Sir Isaac Newton by David Brewster
Sir Isaac Newton was just a 43-year old “natural philosopher” when he published the first edition of his Philosophiæ Naturalis Principia Mathematica (Mathematical Principles of Natural Philosophy) today in 1687. The treatise included definitions of terms, his laws of motion, and a law of universal gravitation. It was partially based on Sir Isaac Newton’s own observations of the natural world and partially based on the theories, definitions, and observations of others. Those others, which Sir Isaac Newton referred to as “giants,” included Galileo Galilei and Johannes Kepler — whose laws of planetary motion were themselves modifications of the observations and heliocentric theory of Nicolaus Copernicus, yet another giant.
All of the aforementioned natural philosophers — or scientists, as we now call people who study matter and the mechanics of matter in space and time (i.e., physics) — started with phenomena that was naturally occurring; could be observe in nature; and could be duplicated on some level. Then they went deeper… or farther, depending on your perspective. For Sir Isaac Newton, going deeper and farther meant having discussions with some his peers and even with some people who were skeptical of his work. He even had an ongoing correspondence with one of his master teachers and precious jewels — someone we might refer to as a “rigid body.”
An object at rest remains at rest, and object in motion remains in motion (at the same speed and in the same direction, unless acted upon by an unbalanced force).
The acceleration of an object is dependent upon two variables – the net force acting upon the object and the mass of the object.
For every action there is an equal and opposite reaction.
— Sir Isaac Newton’s Laws of Motion
In physics, a “rigid body” (or “rigid object”) is a solid collection of matter that (a) does not change in size or shape or (b) changes at such a miniscule level that it is not perceptible. In quantum mechanics, the focus is on a collection of points — which, on a very rudimentary level, takes us back to the original definition. Focusing on a collection of points means highlighting a consistent distance between points that allows for the external appearance of stillness. In Albert Einstein’s theory of special relativity, nothing is absolutely rigid and, therefore, something is only considered “rigid” if it is not moving at the speed of light. This latter understanding means that the issue of something (or someone) being rigid becomes an issue of perception (and relativity).
Just like with the laws of motion — and, in particular with “The Law of Inertia” (i.e., the first law), the idea of a “rigid body” is physical science that can be observed on and off the mat. We can observe it in the way we move — physically, mentally, emotionally, and even energetically. We can observe it in the way holding a pose is perceived as “stillness,” even though there is movement and change. If we just go a little deeper, we start to notice cause-and-effect and how the laws of motion are also the laws of karma. For example, if we do something nice for someone, they can do something equally nice for someone else. When we really pay attention, we start to notice the the ways things (and people) change over time — even when they appear not to change.
“Every relationship you develop, from casual to intimate, helps you become more conscious. No union is without spiritual value.”
— quoted from “Morning Visual Meditation” (Chakra 2) by Caroline Myss
According to Eastern philosophies, like Yoga and Buddhism, everything is an opportunity for practice. In fact, the Yoga Sūtras include many reminders that everything is an opportunity to learn more about ourselves, about our true nature, and about the universe. Yoga Sūtra 2.18 specifically states that everything is an opportunity to liberate ourselves. Additionally, more than one Yoga teacher has made the connection between stiff minds and stiff bodies, as well as to how being too mechanical in our practice can lead to stagnation in the practice. This is basically the first law of motion (and a little bit of the third)
So, what do we do when we interact with someone who seems resistant to change and/or to seeing things from different perspectives?
We could view them as master teachers, precious jewels, and/or rigid bodies.
Master teachers give us a master classes in ourselves. Precious jewels — like a grain of sand or salt in the shell of an oyster, clam, or other shelled mollusks — can be that irritating source of something we eventually view as valuable. It’s all a matter of perspective. One way to cultivate this perspective is by viewing another person as our reflection. If we are interacting with someone who appears to be “hooked,” we might recognize that we are (possibly) also “hooked” — which is the first step in getting “unhooked.”Similarly, if we feel like we are banging our head up against a brick wall and start seeing someone as a “rigid body,” we might ask ourselves: What/where is the change we are not perceiving?
Remember, according to Albert Einstein’s theory of relativity, nothing is absolutely rigid. Ergo, change is always happening… somewhere.
It is happening inside the mind-body of people we may consider rigid; it is also happening inside of our own mind-body. We are not responsible for the change that is happening (or not happening) inside of someone else. However, when we notice the possibility of change inside of ourselves, the question then becomes, do you resist the change or embrace the change? Answering that question does not mean that we give up on our ideas or conform to the way someone else thinks. No, it means going deeper and farther… like Sir Isaac Newton.
“‘But this I immediately discovered in him,’ adds [Dr. Henry Pemberton*], still further, ‘which at once both surprised and charmed me. Neither his extreme great age, nor his universal reputation had rendered him stiff in opinion, or in any degree elated. Of this I had occasion to have almost daily experience. The remarks I continually sent him by letters on his Principia, were received with the utmost goodness. These were so far from being anyways displeasing to him, that, on the contrary, it occasioned him to speak many kind things of me to my friends, and to honour me with a public testimony of his good opinion.’ A modesty, openness, and generosity, peculiar to the noble and comprehensive spirit of Newton. ‘Full of wisdom and perfect in beauty,’ yet not lifted up by pride nor corrupted by ambition. None, however, knew so well as himself the stupendousness of his discoveries in comparison with all that had been previously achieved; and none realized so thoroughly as himself the littleness thereof in comparison with the vast region still unexplored.”
— quoted from “Life of Sir Isaac Newton” by N. W. Chittenden, as published in Newton’s Principia: The Mathematical Principles of Natural Philosophy; To which is added, Newton’s System of the World by Isaac Newton, translated into English by Andrew Motte (first American edition; New York: published [1848] Daniel Adee, c1846)
*NOTE: Dr. Henry Pemberton edited the third edition of the Philosophiæ Naturalis Principia Mathematica (Mathematical Principles of Natural Philosophy).
Up until the twentieth century (and the publication of Albert Einstein’s theory of relativity), the Philosophiæ Naturalis Principia Mathematica (Mathematical Principles of Natural Philosophy) was the starting point for many scientist as they observed and explored the natural movement of the world. In many ways, that first edition was also Sir Isaac Newton’s starting point.
After sharing his ideas and theories, Sir Isaac Newton went back, reviewed his work, and published a second edition of the Philosophiæ Naturalis Principia Mathematica (Mathematical Principles of Natural Philosophy), with annotation and corrections, in 1713. He published a third edition in 1726. Eventually, he was recognized as one of the world’s greatest mathematicians and physicists and his Principia became the foundation for classical mechanics — one of the cornerstones of modern physics.
Eventually, Sir Isaac Newton became one of the “giants.”
“A short time before his death he uttered this memorable sentiment: ‘I do not know what I may appear to the world; but to myself I seem to have been only like a boy playing on the sea-shore, and diverting myself in now and then finding a smoother pebble or a prettier shell than ordinary, while the great ocean of truth lay all undiscovered before me.’ How few ever reach the shore even, much less find ‘a smoother pebble or a prettier shell!’”
— quoted from “Life of Sir Isaac Newton” by N. W. Chittenden, as published in Newton’s Principia: The Mathematical Principles of Natural Philosophy; To which is added, Newton’s System of the World by Isaac Newton, translated into English by Andrew Motte (first American edition; New York: published [1848] Daniel Adee, c1846)
The July First Friday Night Special features a Restorative practice (** with a chair, table, or bench**). It is accessible and open to all.
Prop wise, as noted above, I recommend using a chair, table, or bench for this practice. It can also be a kitchen sink practice. You can practice without props or you can use “studio” and/or “householder” props. Example of “Studio” props: 1 – 2 blankets, 2 – 3 blocks, a bolster, a strap, and an eye pillow. Example of “Householder” props: 1 – 2 blankets or bath towels, 2 – 3 books (similar in size), 2 standard pillows (or 1 body pillow), a belt/tie/sash, and a face towel.
You may want extra layers (as your body may cool down during this practice).
Friday’s playlist is available onYouTube and Spotify. [Look for “07052024 Seats for a ‘Rigid Body’”]
NOTE: The first tracks are slightly different in length and duration on each platform. I set the practice to the YouTube track. Additionally, the YouTube playlist includes an extra video.
EXTRA MUSIC NOTES:
The playlist for Wednesday, July 5, 2023, is available on YouTube and Spotify. [Look for “10202020 Pratyahara”]
Happy 4th (for those who are celebrating). Many blessings to all!!
For Those Who Missed It: The following summary was originally posted in 2023. Some formatting and extra excerpts have been updated/added.
“Perhaps the sentiments contained in the following pages are not yet sufficiently fashionable to procure them general favor; a long habit of not thinking a thing wrong, gives it a superficial appearance of being right, and raises at first a formidable outcry in defense of custom. But the tumult soon subsides. Time makes more converts than reason.”
— quoted from the “Introduction” to Common Sense, signed by the “Author” (Thomas Paine, known as “The Father of the American Revolution”) and dated “Philadelphia, February 14, 1776
The following excerpt is from a 2020 post:
“On Wednesday, July 3, 1776, the future President of the United States, John Adams, wrote two letters to his wife Abigail. In one of the letters he theorized about the pros (like Canada being included in the declaration) and cons (like still having to deal with ‘The Hopes of Reconciliation, which were fondly entertained by Multitudes of honest well meaning tho weak and mistaken People…’) of making the declaration earlier. He then wrote, ‘The Second Day of July 1776, will be the most memorable Epocha, in the History of America.
I am apt to believe that it will be celebrated, by succeeding Generations, as the great anniversary Festival. It ought to be commemorated, as the Day of Deliverance by solemn Acts of Devotion to God Almighty. It ought to be solemnized with Pomp and Parade, with Shews, Games, Sports, Guns, Bells, Bonfires and Illuminations from one End of this Continent to the other from this Time forward forever more.’
Meanwhile, Caesar Rodney rested and, on Thursday, July 4, 1776, he wrote a letter to his younger brother Thomas indicating, ‘I arrived in Congress (tho detained by thunder and rain) time enough to give my voice in the matter of independence… We have now got through the whole of the declaration and ordered it to be printed so that you will soon have the pleasure of seeing it.’ He, like a good majority of the signers, would sign the finalized “Declaration of Independence” on August 4th – although others would sign all the way up until November.”
No Zoom practice today, but you can checkout the playlist that is available on YouTube and Spotify. [Look for “4th of July 2020”]
NOTE: The playlists are slightly different, but mostly with regard to the before/after class music. The biggest difference is that the videos below do not appear on Spotify.
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.
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.
Many blessings to everyone and especially to anyone cultivating peace, freedom, and wisdom (inside and outside).
“There is a story that the king of the gods, Indra, once became a pig, wallowing in mire; he had a she-pig and a lot of baby pigs, and was very happy. Then some gods saw his plight, and came to him, and told him, ‘You are the king of the gods, you have all the gods under your command. Why are you here?’ But Indra said, ‘Never mind; I am all right here; I do not care for heaven, while I have this sow and these little pigs.’ The poor gods were at their wits’ end….”
“Thus is it with us all in this Mâyâ, this dream world, where it is all misery, weeping and crying, where a few golden balls are rolled, and the world scrambles after them. You were never bound by laws, nature never had a bond for you. That is what the Yogi tells you. Have patience to learn it. And the Yogi shows how, by junction with nature, and identifying itself with the mind and the world, the Purusha thinks itself miserable. Then the Yogi goes on to show you that the way out is through experience. You have to get all this experience, but finish it quickly. We have placed ourselves in this net, and will have to get out. We have got ourselves caught in the trap, and we will have to work out our freedom. So get this experience of husbands, and wives, and friends, and little loves; you will get through them safely if you never forget what you really are. Never forget this is only a momentary state, and that we have to pass through it. Experience is the one great teacher — experience of pleasure and pain — but know it is only experience. It leads, step by step, to that state where all things become small, and the Purusha so great that the whole universe seems as a drop in the ocean and falls off by its own nothingness. We have to go through different experiences, but let us never forget the ideal.”
— quoted from the commentary on Yoga Sūtra 2.18 from Raja Yoga by Swami Vivekananda
In their commentary to Yoga Sūtras 2.17 – 2.18, Swami Prabhavananda and Christopher Isherwood referenced the story above and indicated that it was “Patañjali’s answer to the pig-people; to those who want to stay wallowing in their mire.” For the record, we are all in the mud and the mire and we all have the opportunity to “work out our freedom…. We [just] have to go through different experiences, but let us never forget the ideal.”
In addition to being the Tuesday in 1776 when Caesar Rodney cast his vote for independence, today is also the anniversary of the birth Thurgood Marshall (b. 1908) — a man who spent his entire life fighting for freedom — and the day then-President Lyndon B. Johnson signed the Civil Rights Act of 1964 into law. It is also the day John Adams expected us to celebrate!
The excerpts below are related to July 2nd and are continuations of the ongoing saga about freedom, liberty, and independence in the United States of America.
“As I believe the voice of my constituents and all sensible and honest men is in favor of independence, and as my own judgment concurs with them, I give my vote for independence.”
— Caesar Rodney, Delaware delegate to the Second Continental Congress, July 2, 1776
Please join me today (Tuesday, July 2nd) at 12:00 PM or 7:15 PM for a yoga practice on Zoom. You can use the link from the “Class Schedules” calendar if you run into any problems checking into the class. You can request an audio recording of this practice via a comment below or by emailing myra (at) ajoyfulpractice.com.
Tuesday’s playlist is available on YouTube and Spotify. [Look for “07012020 Caesar Rodney’s Ride”]
“None of us got where we are solely by pulling ourselves up by our bootstraps. We got here because somebody – a parent, a teacher, an Ivy League crony or a few nuns – bent down and helped us pick up our boots.”
— Supreme Court Justice (and former NAACP chief counsel) Thurgood Marshall referencing his SCOTUS successor in a Newsweek interview (dated October 28, 1991)
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.
In the spirit of generosity (“dana”), the Zoom classes, recordings, and blog posts are freely given and freely received. If you are able to support these teachings, please do so as your heart moves you. (NOTE: You can donate even if you are “attending” a practice that is not designated as a “Common Ground Meditation Center” practice, or you can purchase class(es).
Donations are tax deductible; class purchases are not necessarily deductible.
“This is about empowerment. This is about all of us coming together and empowering anybody that’s under the sound of my voice, talking about this. This is about empowerment to each and everyone of you. Ok? That’s the energy I want in this moment. We’re doing this together. I’m teaching you and then we’re teaching ‘the children.’ Ok? We’re all ‘the children.’ Ok? Right. So, it’s about hope. It’s hopeful. And I know there’s not a lot to be hopeful about; so we’re counteracting that on purpose. Ok? That’s what this is about.”
— quoted from the official video for the song “Children” by Billy Porter
I came into this PRIDE weekend chasing rainbows… and questions. Some of my questions were about rainbows (and yes, I am still working on that post). Then there were questions I kept hearing from others — some from inside the LGBTQIA+ community and some from outside the community.
The first questions are about the origins of PRIDE and why the celebration happens in June. And, well, there’s a post for that (and you can click on the titles below for that post and a dated-related post about the origins of the species).
Then there were questions about whether or not we still need PRIDE. While, I have posted a little about that (including in the post excerpted below), nothing highlights the need for and purpose of PRIDE like current events, such as the murder of Liara Tsai, a 35-year old transgender woman who loved music.
“Is it on your grandmother’s or grandfather’s side that you are descended from an ape?”
— Bishop Samuel Wilberforce to Thomas Henry Huxley (reportedly), June 30, 1860
“I asserted – and I repeat – that a man has no reason to be ashamed of having an ape for his grandfather. If there were an ancestor whom I should feel shame in recalling it would rather be a man – a man of restless and versatile intellect – who, not content with an equivocal success in his own sphere of activity, plunges into scientific questions with which he has no real acquaintance, only to obscure them with aimless rhetoric, and distract the attention of his hearers from the real point at issue by eloquent digressions and skilled appeals to religious prejudice.”
— Thomas Henry Huxley to Bishop Samuel Wilberforce (reportedly), June 30, 1860 (from Life and Letters of Thomas Henry Huxley, by his Son Leonard Huxley by Leonard Huxley (Volume I)
Please join mefor a 65-minutevirtual yoga practiceon Zoom today(Sunday, June 30th)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 recordingof this practicevia a comment belowor by emailing myra(at) ajoyfulpractice.com.
Sunday’s playlist is available on YouTube and Spotify. [Look for “06302024 PRIDE, redux”]
NOTE: The Spotify playlist includes an extra interlude track (since the message above is not part of the studio recording). The YouTube playlist includes additional videos, including the one below.
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.
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.
Happy Pride!Many blessings toeveryone and especiallyto anyone celebratingthe Apodosis of Pentecost,Pride, and/or embracing peace,freedom,and wisdom(inside andoutside).
Please join me today(Saturday, June 29nd)at 12:00 PMfor a yogapractice 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 belowor (for a slightly faster reply)you can email myra(at) ajoyfulpractice.com.
Saturday’s playlist is available on YouTube and Spotify. [Look for “06252023 PRIDE”]
NOTE: The Spotify playlist includes an extra interlude track (since the message from the playlist is not part of the studio recording).
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.
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.
Happy Pride! Many blessings to everyone and especially to anyone observing the Third Day Of the Holy Spirit, and/or cultivating peace, freedom, and wisdom (inside and outside).
“Anne Frank kept a diary from June 12, 1942, to August 1, 1944. Initially, she wrote it strictly for herself. Then, one day in 1944, Gerrit Bolkestein, a member of the Dutch government in exile, announced in a radio broadcast from London that after the war he hoped to collect eyewitness accounts of the suffering of the Dutch people under the German occupation, which could be made available to the public. As an example, he specifically mentioned letters and diaries.
Impressed by this speech, Anne Frank decided that when the war was over she would publish a book based on her diary.”
“The last entry in Anne’s diary is dated August 1, 1944. On August 4, 1944, the eight people hiding in the Secret Annex were arrested. Miep Gies and Bep Voskuijl, the two secretaries working in the building, found Anne’s diaries strewn all over the floor. Miep Gies tucked them away in a desk drawer for safekeeping. After the war, when it became clear that Anne was dead, she gave the diaries, unread, to Anne’s father, Otto Frank.”
— quoted from the Foreword to The Diary of a Young Girl: The Definitive Edition by Anne Frank (edited by Otto H. Frank & Mirjam Pressler, translated by Susan Massotty)
Diary of a Young Girl was first published today in 1947. CLICK ON THE TITLE BELOW for the philosophy-based 2020 post.
Please join me today (Tuesday, June 25th) at 12:00 PM or 7:15 PM for a yoga practice on Zoom. You can use the link from the “Class Schedules”calendar if you run into any problems checking into the class. You can request an audio recording of this practice via a comment below or by emailing myra (at) ajoyfulpractice.com.
Tuesday’s playlist is available on YouTube and Spotify. [Look for “06252022 A Young Girl’s Thoughts”]
NOTE:The opening tracks are slightly different as some music was not available on Spotify. Click on the excerpt title above for the entire “Anne No Nikki” soundtrack.
“The cheerful Anne laughs about it, gives cheeky answers, shrugs her shoulders indifferently, behaves as if she doesn’t care, but, oh dearie me, the quiet Anne’s reactions are just the opposite. If I’m to be quite honest, then I must admit that it does hurt me, that I try terribly hard to change myself, but that I’m always fighting against a more powerful enemy.
A voice sobs within me: ‘There you are, that’s what’s become of you: you’re uncharitable, you look supercilious and peevish, people dislike you and all because you won’t listen to the advice given you by your own better half.’ Oh, I would like to listen, but it doesn’t work; if I’m quiet and serious, everyone thinks it’s a new comedy and then I have to get out of it by turning it into a joke, not to mention my own family, who are sure to think I’m ill, make me swallow pills for headaches and nerves, feel my neck and my head to see whether I’m running a temperature, ask me if I’m constipated and criticize me for being in a bad mood. I can’t keep that up: if I’m watched to that extent, I start by getting snappy, then unhappy, and finally I twist my heart around again, so that the bad is on the outside and the good is on the inside and keep on trying to find a way of becoming what I would so like to be, and what I could be, if there weren’t any people living in the world.”
— quoted from the last entry by Anne Frank, written in her diary (“Kitty”) on Tuesday, August 1, 1944
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.
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.
Happy Pride! Many blessings to everyone and especially to anyone observing the Pentecost — Trinity Sunday, Midsummer’s Eve, and/or dreaming and working for more peace, freedom, and wisdom (inside and outside).
“BOTTOM: When my cue comes, call me, and I will answer. My next is ‘Most fair Pyramus.’ Heigh-ho! Peter Quince? Flute the bellows-mender? Snout the tinker? Starveling? God’s my life, stol’n hence, and left me asleep? I have had a most rare vision. I have had a dream—past the wit of man to say what dream it was. Man is but an ass if he go about to expound this dream. Methought I was—there is no man can tell what. Methought I was, and methought I had—but man is but a patched fool if he will offer to say what methought I had. The eye of man hath not heard, the ear of man hath not seen, man’s hand is not able to taste, his tongue to conceive, nor his heart to report what my dream was. I will get Peter Quince to write a ballad of this dream. It shall be called ‘Bottom’s Dream’ because it hath no bottom. And I will sing it in the latter end of a play before the duke. Peradventure, to make it the more gracious, I shall sing it at her death.”
— quoted from Act IV, Scene i of A Midsummer’s Night Dream by William Shakespeare
Tomorrow, June 24th, is Saint John’s Day (in Western Christian traditions*), also known as Midsummer — making today, June 23rd, Saint John’s Eve or Midsummer’s Eve. Another way to think of tonight is as Midsummer’s Night, since this is when the celebrations begin and, theoretically, could be the night made famous by William Shakespeare’s play.
CLICK ON THE TITLE BELOW for the entire 2020 post.
“They say a dream takes only a second or so, and yet in that second a man can live a lifetime. He can suffer and die, and who’s to say which is the greater reality: the one we know or the one in dreams, between heaven, the sky, the earth”
— quoted from the closing narration of The Twilight Zone, episode “Perchance to Dream” by Charles Beaumont (episode directed by Robert Florey, aired November 27, 1959)
Please join me for a 65-minute virtual yoga practice on Zoom today (Sunday, June 23rd) 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 “06232020 MidSummer’s Night Eve”]
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.
In the spirit of generosity (“dana”), the Zoom classes, recordings, and blog posts are freely given and freely received. If you are able to support these teachings, please do so as your heart moves you. (NOTE: You can donate even if you are “attending” a practice that is not designated as a “Common Ground Meditation Center” practice, or you can purchase class(es).
Donations are tax deductible; class purchases are not necessarily deductible.
*NOTE:In Orthodox Christian traditions, today is Pentecost — Trinity Sunday, which falls on the “fiftieth” day after Easter. Similar to (and related to) Shavuot, this is the feast day associated with the Holy Spirit descending on the apostles.
Happy Juneteenth! Happy Pride! “Eid Mubarak, Blessed Festival!” to anyone celebrating Eid al-Adha. Many blessings to everyone and especially to anyone celebrating the Afterfeast of the Ascension and/or working for more peace, freedom, and wisdom (inside and outside).
This is the “missing” post for Wednesday, June 19th. It includes a couple of excerpts and some previously posted quotes. You can request an audio recording of this practice or a related 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.
— Ms. Opal Lee, speaking during a Juneteenth concert on the South Lawn of the White House in Washington, June 13, 2023.
NOTE: Ms. Lee recently clarified that “young people” is anyone under 97 years old.
Don’t take this the wrong way. But, I am once again going to ask what you were celebrating today (Wednesday) — if you were celebrating — and why you were celebrating (or not celebrating). When I ask a similar question on the Fourth of July, I’m being kind of being cheeky. Today, I’m asking because I was reminded over the last week or so that some people are still not clear about the history of Juneteenth and about why it is being celebrated as a federal holiday.
I could say it’s about freedom and emancipation. I could say it’s about the United States living up to its intentional idea(l)s. I could say it’s about any number of things — all of which are true… and most of which you will probably forget, even if I tell you a story.
But, if I tell you a story, there’s a good chance more of it will stick.
“‘People think it’s a Black thing when it’s not. It’s not a Texas thing. It’s not that,’ [Opal] Lee said. ‘Juneteenth means freedom and I mean for everybody!’”
— quoted from the CBS News story, “‘Grandmother of Juneteenth’ Opal Lee reflects on her journey to secure a national holiday” by Nikole Killion (dated June 15, 2022)
This year, as I celebrated this day of freedom and emancipation, I was thinking about stories (what Matthew Sanford calls “healing stories”), myths, and a living legend — all related to Juneteenth.
The living legend is Ms. Opal Lee (née Flake), who was finally able to move (back) into her childhood home this year. Born in Marshall, Texas, and known as the “Grandmother of Juneteenth,” the 2024 Presidential Medal of Freedom honoree was 10 years old when her family moved into a house in a predominantly white part Fort Worth. Two years later, a mob ran the family out and destroyed their home.
That hate-fueled violence happened on June 19, 1939, also known as Juneteenth 1939 — exactly 74 years after General Gordon Granger stood on the balcony of the Ashton Villa and read General Order No. 3, which stated:
“The people of Texas are informed that, in accordance with a proclamation from the Executive of the United States, all slaves are free. This involves an absolute equality of personal rights and rights of property between former masters and slaves, and the connection heretofore existing between them becomes that between employer and hired labor. The freedmen are advised to remain quietly at their present homes and work for wages. They are informed that they will not be allowed to collect at military posts and that they will not be supported in idleness either there or elsewhere.”
— “General Order No. 3” read by General Gordon Granger in Galveston, Texas on June Nineteenth, 1865
“Juneteenth” is a portmanteau of June Nineteenth. Although some people still call it “Emancipation Day,” that moniker is also used on other dates (in other states) commemorating similar announcements. So, what makes June Nineteenth so special? As Galveston was the last part of the Confederacy to be officially notified, the announcement on June Nineteenth, 1865, meant that everyone was (theoretically) officially free.
CLICK ON THE TITLE BELOW FOR MORE ABOUT THE HISTORY OF EMANCIPATION.
While some folks have only recently started celebrating this day, Black Texans like me and Ms. Lee have been celebrating since we were kids. The fact that twelve year Opal Lee was traumatized on such on auspicious anniversary motivated her to live well, to be a teacher, and to engage in the workings of the country. She worked on several Democratic political campaigns, volunteered with some nonprofits, and joined the efforts to make Juneteenth a federal holiday. At one point, she started walking 2.5 miles each year to symbolize the 2.5 years people “waited” to be free. Eventually, she decided to walk from Fort Worth, Texas to Washington, D. C. — just to get people’s attention. In 2022, she told CBS News (and other outlets), “I decided that maybe if a little old lady, 89 years old, in tennis shoes [walked] from Fort Worth to Washington, somebody would pay attention.”
Her efforts paid off. Juneteenth became a United States federal holiday in 2021. Ms. Opal Lee’s story is inextricably linked to Juneteenth as an anniversary and, also, as a holiday. Now, her story has come full circle. She is back, living in a new home, on the land her family owned in the 1930s… celebrating Juneteenth.
As I thought about how that full circle moment makes for a great story — a story of mythical proportions — I started reflecting on how the human brain loves puzzles, patterns, rhythms, and stories and on how some of us love myths… and myth building. I certainly do. On a certain level, we all do. I’m not even sure we can help ourselves. I think it is human nature to take the facts, the details of a story or situation, and magnify them into something so grand that it is both memorable and inspirational.
Especially when the story is important.
And the most important stories in U. S. history are stories about freedom, liberty, and independence.
“When asked what she wants to be remembered for, [Opal Lee] responded, ‘I want them to know that the little old lady dreamed and they can dream too and that dreams can come to fruition.’”
— quoted from the CBS News story, “‘Grandmother of Juneteenth’ Opal Lee reflects on her journey to secure a national holiday” by Nikole Killion (dated June 15, 2022)
Myths and myth building are not, in and of themselves, bad things. Yet, when we see stories in history being built into myths we also have to look at what is getting magnified, why it is getting magnified, and how it is inspiring people.
In other words, what are people doing with the inspiration?
That last question is particularly important, because the best stories come out of conflict. Conflict is always a great source for myth building, especially when you combine a story with art. We see this all over world; we definitely see it here in the United States… especially in the South. Myths (and myth building) about the Civil War are the reason we ended up with statutes and places dedicated to the losing side and why we still see at least one of the Confederate flags out in the world. Myths are also the reason Alabama has three state holidays related to the Confederacy — and why none of them are Juneteenth.
Don’t get it twisted; I’m not saying myths or myth building are bad. After all, myths (and myth building) related to the Civil War are the reason William Tolman “W. T.” Carlton painted “Watch Meeting—Dec. 31st 1862—Waiting for the Hour” in 1863. It depicts a group of Black people focused on a pocket watch, waiting for the moment the Emancipation Proclamation became law. To this day, there are people who celebrate that moment on December 31st. However, “watch meetings” didn’t start with that moment. They predated 1862 and were secret church services in Protestant traditions. Additionally, it is unlikely that the moment in the painting happened as it is depicted.
Remember, the proclamation only applied to states that were in rebellion — states that had, for all intensive purposes, created their own country. At the “hour” in question, the proclamation had as much power as a current American law has over any other country in the world. Similarly, the painting is symbolic, meant to capture the feeling of the time and to inspire people to keep fighting for freedom. Abolitionists in Boston purchased the original painting as a gift for then-President Abraham Lincoln. A copy was placed in the Lincoln Bedroom during the 200-year celebrations of the Declaration of Independence in 1976. When he took office, then-President Barack Obama had the painting in the Lincoln Bedroom moved so that it could be seen by anyone entering or leaving the Oval Office.
“Just outside the Oval Office hangs a painting depicting the night of December 31, 1862. In it, African-American men, women, and children crowd around a single pocket watch, waiting for the clock to strike midnight and the Emancipation Proclamation to take effect. As the slaves huddle anxiously in the dimly lit room, we can sense how even two more minutes seems like an eternity to wait for one’s freedom. But the slaves of Galveston, Texas, had to wait more than two years after Lincoln’s decree and two months after Appomattox to receive word that they were free at last.
Today we commemorate the anniversary of that delayed but welcome news.”
— quoted from President Barack Obama’s “Statement by the President on the Observance of Juneteenth” (2016)
Remember, a myth is just a well-told story and a well-told story is why we have the United States of America. It’s also why we have Juneteenth.
Happy Juneteenth, everybody!
“Everything you do, every thought you have, every word you say creates a memory that you will hold in your body. It’s imprinted on you and affects you in subtle ways – ways you are not always aware of. With that in mind, be very conscious and selective.”
— Phylicia Rashād, née Ayers-Allen (born in Houston, Texas, June 19, 1948)
“Memory is the story. Our memories are what make us.”
— Tobias Wolff (born in Birmingham, Alabama, June 19, 1945)
Wednesday’s playlist is available on YouTube and Spotify. [Look for ”0619 Juneteenth 2021”]
If you are thinking about suicide, worried about a friend or loved one, or would like emotional support, you can dial 988 (in the US) or call 1-800-273-TALK (8255)for the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline. You can also call this TALK line if you are struggling with addiction or involved in an abusive relationship. The Lifeline network is free, confidential, and available to all 24/7. YOU CAN TALK ABOUT ANYTHING.
White Flag is a new app, which I have not yet researched, but which may be helpful if you need peer-to-peer (non-professional) support.
Happy Juneteenth! Happy Pride! “Eid Mubarak, Blessed Festival!” to anyone celebrating Eid al-Adha. Many blessings to everyone and especially to anyone celebrating the Afterfeast of the Ascension and/or working for more peace, freedom, and wisdom (inside and outside).
“The people of Texas are informed that, in accordance with a proclamation from the Executive of the United States, all slaves are free. This involves an absolute equality of personal rights and rights of property between former masters and slaves, and the connection heretofore existing between them becomes that between employer and hired labor. The freedmen are advised to remain quietly at their present homes and work for wages. They are informed that they will not be allowed to collect at military posts and that they will not be supported in idleness either there or elsewhere.”
— “General Order No. 3” read by General Gordon Granger in Galveston, Texas on June Nineteenth, 1865
NOTE: While I have previously posted about Juneteenth, I am working on a new post and will add a link here. CLICK HERE FOR THE 2024 POST.
Please join me today (Wednesday, June 19th) at 4:30 PM or 7:15 PM for a yoga practice on Zoom.You can use the link from the “Class Schedules”calendar if you run into any problems checking into the class. You can request an audio recording of this practice via a comment below or (for a slightly faster reply) you can email myra(at) ajoyfulpractice.com.
Wednesday’s playlist is available on YouTube and Spotify. [Look for ”0619 Juneteenth 2021”]
If you are thinking about suicide, worried about a friend or loved one, or would like emotional support, you can dial 988 (in the US) or call 1-800-273-TALK (8255)for the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline. You can also call this TALK line if you are struggling with addiction or involved in an abusive relationship. The Lifeline network is free, confidential, and available to all 24/7. YOU CAN TALK ABOUT ANYTHING.
White Flag is a new app, which I have not yet researched, but which may be helpful if you need peer-to-peer (non-professional) support.
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.
“Eid Mubarak, Blessed Festival!” to anyone celebrating Eid al-Adha. Happy Pride! Many blessings to everyone and especially to anyone celebrating the Afterfeast of the Ascension cultivating a good heart, peace, freedom, and wisdom (inside and outside).
“Blackbird singing in the dead of night Take these broken wings and learn to fly (learn to fly, learn to fly) All your life You were only waiting for this moment to arise”
— quoted from the song “Blackbird” by Paul McCartney (b. 1942) (with credit to Paul McCartney and John Lennon)
Please join me today (Tuesday, June 18th) at 12:00 PM or 7:15 PM for a yoga practice on Zoom. You can use the link from the “Class Schedules”calendar if you run into any problems checking into the class. You can request an audio recording of this practice via a comment below or by emailing myra (at) ajoyfulpractice.com.
I apologize for not posting before the Noon practice. Since I also goofed up, there is a separate playlist for the 2024 NOON practice.
Tuesday’s NOON playlist is available on YouTube and Spotify. [Look for “06182024 Defining Moments (NOON 2024 only)”]
Tuesday’s EVENING playlist is available on YouTube and Spotify. [Look for “06182024 Defining Moments (ALL)”]
NOTE: The YouTube playlists contain extra videos of featured songs. The “(ALL)” playlist can used for either practice; however, some things at the end will not synch up with the recording.
“Don’t let your heart get heavy, child
Inside you, there’s a strength that lies
Don’t let your soul get lonely, child
It’s only time, it will go
Don’t look for love in faces, places
It’s in you, that’s where you’ll find
Kindness
Be-
Be here now, here now”
— quoted from the song “Be Here Now” by Ray LaMontagne (b. 1973)
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.
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.
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A Joyful Practice 