Many blessings to everyone and especially to anyone dedicated to friendship, peace, freedom, understanding, and wisdom.
May you be peaceful and happy / May you be healthy and strong!
“So let us not be petty when our cause is so great. Let us not quarrel amongst ourselves when our Nation’s future is at stake. Let us stand together with renewed confidence in our cause–united in our heritage of the past and our hopes for the future – and determined that this land we love shall lead all mankind into new frontiers of peace and abundance.”
— quoted from a speech President John F. Kennedy had planned to deliver to the Texas Democratic State Committee in Austin, Texas, in the evening, on November 22, 1963
Today in 1963, U. S. President John F. Kennedy was assassinated on Dealey Plaza in Dallas, Texas.
“We did not ask for this room or this music. We were invited in. Therefore, because the dark surrounds us, let us turn our faces to the light. Let us endure hardship to be grateful for plenty. We have been given pain to be astounded by joy. We have been given life to deny death. We did not ask for this room or this music. But because we are here, let us dance.”
— a poem by Stephen King and Bridget Carpenter, featured in the miniseries 11.22.63
Please join me for a virtual yoga practice on Zoom, today (Saturday, November 22nd) at 12:00 PM. You can use the link from the “Class Schedules”calendar if you run into any problems checking into the class. You can request an audio recording of this practice via a comment below or (for a slightly faster reply) you can email me at myra(at) ajoyfulpractice.com.
Saturday’s playlist is available on YouTube and Spotify. [Look for “11/22/63”]
If you are thinking about suicide, worried about a friend or loved one, or would like emotional support, you can dial 988 (in the US) or call 1-800-273-TALK (8255)for the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline. You can also call this TALK line if you are struggling with addiction or involved in an abusive relationship. The Lifeline network is free, confidential, and available to all 24/7. YOU CAN TALK ABOUT ANYTHING.
White Flag is an app, which I have not yet researched, but which may be helpful if you need peer-to-peer (non-professional) support.
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 anticipation of the holiday(s), I have cancelled classes on November 26th – December 3rd.
Happy Diwali and Kali Puja! Happy Festival of the Twin Birthdays! Blessings, light, love, and peace to everyone, everywhere!
May you be healthy, wealthy, and wise!
This “missing” compilation post for Wednesday, October 22nd, features some new and previously posted content, plus related excerpts. Please note that linked excerpts direct you to posts that will include content related to a specific year and, therefore, may include references to different holidays/events. You can request an audio recording of this practice or a previous practice via a comment below or (for a slightly faster reply) you can email myra(at) ajoyfulpractice.com.
In the spirit of generosity (“dana”), the Zoom classes, recordings, and blog posts are freely given and freely received. If you are able to support these teachings, please do so as your heart moves you. (NOTE: You can donate even if you are “attending” a practice that is not designated as a “Common Ground Meditation Center” practice, or you can purchase class(es).
Donations are tax deductible; class purchases are not necessarily deductible.
“Yama said: ‘The goal which all the Vedas declare, which all austerities aim at and which men desire when they lead the life of continence, I will tell you briefly: it is Om.’”
— quoted from Katha Upanishad (Part I – Chapter II, Verse 15) translated by Swami Nikhilananda
Since Diwali, the Indian festival of lights, is a lunar calendar-based holiday, it falls at different times on the Gregorian calendar. In 2025, the fifth day of Diwali — which continues the focus on relationships, this time between siblings — overlaps the Festival of the Twin Birthdays (on the Baháʼí Faith calendar); the anniversary of the birth of Franz Listz (b. 1811)1; and a successful lightbulb moment (for Thomas Edison, in 1879).
Click on the excerpt title below for more about how the fifth day of Diwali shines light on siblings.
“Brighten our hearts, O my Lord, with the splendor of Thy knowledge, and illumine our sight with the light of such eyes as are fixed upon the horizon of Thy grace and the Dayspring of Thy glory.”
— quoted from “– XXXI –” in Prayers and Meditations by Bahá’u’lláh (Translated by Shoghi Effendi from the original Persian and Arabic)
As I mentioned earlier in the year, the Baháʼí Faith is a monotheistic faith that believes in the oneness of God and religion, as well as the oneness and nobility of humanity. The community believes that, historically, there has been a “progressive revelation of religious truth” which has been shared with the world through the voices of the prophets or Divine Messengers, known as “Manifestations of God” (which include “Braham, Krishna, Zoroaster, Moses, Buddha, Jesus Christ, Muhammad, and, in more recent times, the Báb and Bahá’u’lláh”). People within the faith are taught to honor the value of different religious and philosophical traditions as well as the value of education, especially in science (which is viewed by some faiths as being contrary to religion).
The Bahá’í calendar begins around the Vernal (Spring) Equinox in the Northern Hemisphere and has 19 months with 19 days — each named for one of the 19 names/manifestations/attributes of God. For example, “Knowledge” is the English translation for ‘Ilm, the current month of this solar calendar.2 The fact that light can represent knowledge is one of the reasons I find this year’s overlap with Diwali particularly auspicious.
This last two days of Diwali (2025) overlap two of the nine Bahá’í Holy Days: the birthdays of the twin founders of the faith. Known as the Festival of the Twin Birthdays (or the Twin Holy Birthdays), the birthdays of the the Báb and Bahá’u’lláh started at sunset on Tuesday night and continue through sunset on Thursday night. The birthdays are celebrated as one continuous 48-hour “day” — even though the two prophets were born two years apart.
Born in Shiraz, Iran, on October 20, 1819,3 the Báb founded the Babi faith (or Bábism), which evolved into the Bahá’í Faith. While there are still people who follow the original messianic tradition, most people within the Babi community converted to the Bahá’í Faith. The Báb is sometimes compared to John the Baptist, in that he is seen as the herald or messenger born to announce the importance of Bahá’u’lláh.
Recognized as the founder of the Bahá’í Faith, Bahá’u’lláh was actually born two years earlier than his religious predecessor, in Tehran, Iran, on November 12, 1817.4 He outlined the laws, practices, and holy days of the Bahá’í Faith in the Kitáb-i-Aqdas (the “Most Holy Book”) and later explained that the Twin Holy Birthdays were seen as one (by God) and that “… two great festivals have been joined into one, auguring a brilliant future.” These are work-free feast days full of joy and considered a celebration of the twin founders as well as of the unity of community.
“O peoples of the earth! Verily the resplendent Light of God hath appeared in your midst, invested with this unerring Book, that ye may be guided aright to the ways of peace and, by the leave of God, step out of the darkness into the light and onto this far-extended Path of Truth.”
— quoted from the Qayyúmu’l-Asmá’ (cf. Qur’án 5:15–18), as printed in Selections From the Writings of the Báb by the Báb (Compiled by the Research Department of the Universal House of Justice and translated by Habib Taherzadeh with the assistance of a Committee at the Bahá’í World Centre)
Click on the excerpt below for more about Thomas Edison’s 1879 “lightbulb moment”.
“However, the fact is that during the night season everyone perceiveth the light which he himself, according to his own capacity, giveth out, oblivious that at the break of day this light shall fade away and be reduced to utter nothingness before the dazzling splendor of the sun.
The light of the people of the world is their knowledge and utterance….”
— quoted from the Persian Bayán (VIII, 1.), as printed in Selections From the Writings of the Báb by the Báb (Compiled by the Research Department of the Universal House of Justice and translated by Habib Taherzadeh with the assistance of a Committee at the Bahá’í World Centre)
Wednesday’s playlist is available on YouTube andSpotify. [Look for “Diwali (Day 5) for 10222025”]
NOTES:
1My only commentary about Franz Listz was that his music and biography brought a little light to Anne Frank (and her family) during the darkness that was the Holocaust.
2Since it is a moveable feast, the Festival of the Twin Birthdays can fall a month earlier or later, during Mashíyyat (“Will”) or Qudrat (“Power”). Bahá’u’lláh originally indicated that if the festival coincided with a fast, the feast would take precedent.
3The birthdays of the Báb and Bahá’u’lláh occur on the first and second days of Muharram, the first month on the Islamic calendar.
4Prior to 2015, Baháʼí living in the Middle East celebrated the Twin Holy Birthdays according to the Islamic calendar (as noted above), while members of the community in other parts of the world used the Gregorian calendar dates.
Yoga Sūtra 1.36: viśokā vā jyotişmatī
— “Or [fixing the mind] on the inner state free of sorrow and infused with light, anchors the mind in stability and tranquility.”
If you are thinking about suicide, worried about a friend or loved one, or would like emotional support, you can dial 988 (in the US) or call 1-800-273-TALK (8255)for the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline. You can also call this TALK line if you are struggling with addiction or involved in an abusive relationship. The Lifeline network is free, confidential, and available to all 24/7. YOU CAN TALK ABOUT ANYTHING.
White Flag is an app, which I have not yet researched, but which may be helpful if you need peer-to-peer (non-professional) support.
Please join me today (Wednesday, October 22nd) 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 andSpotify. [Look for “Diwali (Day 5) for 10222025”]
If you are thinking about suicide, worried about a friend or loved one, or would like emotional support, you can dial 988 (in the US) or call 1-800-273-TALK (8255)for the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline. You can also call this TALK line if you are struggling with addiction or involved in an abusive relationship. The Lifeline network is free, confidential, and available to all 24/7. YOU CAN TALK ABOUT ANYTHING.
White Flag is an app, which I have not yet researched, but which may be helpful if you need peer-to-peer (non-professional) support.
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 International Jazz Day! “Happy Riḍván!” to those getting ready to celebrate “the Most Great Festival.” Many blessings to anyone Counting the Omer or observing the second week of Pascha!
Peace and many blessings to everyone!! Happy Poetry Month!!
Please join me today (Wednesday, April 30th) 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 “04302022 International Jazz Day”]
NOTE: Since this playlist is not specific to any aforementioned holiday, feel free to email or message me for a different playlist.
Today is International Jazz Day! This year the All-Star Global Concert is hosted in Abu Dhabi, UAE.
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 Riḍván!” to those getting ready to celebrate “the Most Great Festival.” Many blessings to anyone Counting the Omer or celebrating/observing the Commemoration of the Dead!
Peace and many blessings to everyone!! Happy Poetry Month!!
Please join me today (Tuesday, April 29th) 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 “04292020 Fearless Play with Duke & Satchmo”]
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 Riḍván!” to those getting ready to celebrate “the Most Great Festival.” Many blessings to anyone Counting the Omer or celebrating/observing Eastertide / the Octave of Easter / Bright Week!
Peace and many blessings to everyone!! Happy Poetry Month!!
“‘My main point today is that usually one gets what one expects, but very rarely in the way one expected it.’”
— quoted from a draft of Charles Richter’s 1970 retirement speech, as printed in the Appendix of Richter’s Scale: Measure of an Earthquake, Measure of a Man by Susan Elizabeth Hough
Today is the anniversary of the birth of Ludwig Wittgenstein (b. 1889) and Charles Richter (b. 1900) and the 92nd birthday of Carol Burnett (b. 1933).
Click on the excerpt title below to find out what they have to do with yoga and the Lock Picking Lawyer.
Please join me today (Saturday, April 26th) at 12:00 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.
Saturday’s playlist is available on YouTube and Spotify. [Look for “04262020 Philosophy of Locks”]
NOTE: The playlists are slightly different in timing, but work out in the end.
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 Riḍván!” to those getting ready to celebrate “the Most Great Festival.” Many blessings to anyone Counting the Omer or celebrating/observing Eastertide / the Octave of Easter / Bright Week!
Peace and many blessings to everyone!! Happy Poetry Month!!
“People ask me how I find hope. I answer that I don’t believe in hope, and I don’t believe in hopelessness. I believe in compassion and pragmatism, in doing what is right for its own sake. Hope can be lethal when you are fighting an autocracy because hope is inextricable from time. An enduring strategy of autocrats is to simply run out the clock.”
— quoted from Hiding in Plain Sight by Sarah Kendzior
Please join me today (Wednesday, April 23rd) 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 YouTubeand Spotify. [Look for “04232023 The Language of Hope”]
NOTE: Since this playlist is not specific to any aforementioned holiday, feel free to email or message me for a different playlist.
If you are thinking about suicide, worried about a friend or loved one, or would like emotional support, you can dial 988 (in the US) or call 1-800-273-TALK (8255)for the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline. You can also call this TALK line if you are struggling with addiction or involved in an abusive relationship. The Lifeline network is free, confidential, and available to all 24/7. YOU CAN TALK ABOUT ANYTHING.
White Flag is 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 Riḍván!” to those getting ready to celebrate “the Most Great Festival.” Many blessings to anyone Counting the Omer or celebrating/observing Eastertide / the Octave of Easter / Bright Week!
Peace and many blessings to everyone!! Happy Poetry Month!!
Yoga Sūtra 3.16: sthirasukham āsanam
— “By samyama [focus-concentration-meditation] on the three-fold changes in form, time, and characteristics, there comes knowledge of the past and future.”
How long does it take you to notice that you’ve been sitting too long?
Ideally you would notice that you’ve been sitting a long time — as opposed to too long — and you take a break… a sitting break.
The video above is part of my 2025 offering for the 12th annual Kiss My Asana yogathon, which benefits Mind Body Solutions (MBS), has begun and I am super excited to dedicate this week (April 19th — 25th) to raising awareness and resources for MBS’ life-affirming work “to help people live better in the body they have.”
Mind Body Solutions provides live, online resources to people with disabilities worldwide. Through daily adaptive yoga classes, special programming, a comprehensive video library, and an online space exclusively for students, Mind Body Solutions is helping people make vital connections within and with others. You can help by joining me as we practice with purpose, by sharing this page, and/or by making a donation that creates opportunities for more people to practice yoga.
Each year, in addition to hosting my fundraising page and making my own personal donation, I offer a blog post and/or a YouTube post — sometimes even a whole practice. This year, I combined an idea I have had for a while with the suggestion/challenge of my yoga buddy Meghan and am offering a series of practice videos. These YouTube videos (of various lengths) underscore the fact that participating in the Kiss My Asana yogathon is just a tangible way to do what we do in every practice: set an intention and dedicate the merits of the practice to someone other than ourselves. Finally, I wanted to offer something that meets the moment and where you may be in this moment: “Swaying between joy and sorrow” (and all the other emotions).
“Happy Riḍván!” to those getting ready to celebrate “the Most Great Festival.” Many blessings to anyone Counting the Omer or celebrating/observing Eastertide / the Octave of Easter / Bright Week!
Peace and many blessings to everyone!! Happy Poetry Month!!
“In these troubled times it is a wholesome and necessary thing for us to turn again to the earth and in the contemplation of her beauties to know the sense of wonder and humility. There is modern truth to the ancient wisdom of the psalmist: `I will lift up mine eyes unto the hills, from whence cometh my help.’”
— quoted from Rachel Carson’s original submission to “Words to Live By” for This Week Magazine (1951)
Today is Earth Day. It is also the third day of Riḍván (“the Most Great Festival” in the Bahá’i Faith); Easter Tuesday or Bright Tuesday (in Western and Orthodox Christian communities); and “one week and two days” (for people who are Counting the Omer).
Additionally, Roman Catholics around the world have started praying a novena in memory of Pope Francis, who encouraged us to “keep looking up”. Today, I encourage you to look up… and down… and all around you.
Notice what you notice. Notice how you the world affects you and how you affect the world. Notice how just noticing is the beginning of change.
“We often make do with looking at the ground: it’s enough to have our health, a little money and a bit of entertainment. I wonder if we still know how to look up at the sky. Do we know how to dream, to long for God, to expect the newness he brings, or do we let ourselves be swept along by life, like dry branches before the wind? The Magi were not content with just getting by, with keeping afloat. They understood that to truly live, we need a lofty goal and we need to keep looking up.”
— quoted from “Solemnity of the Epiphany of the Lord,” Papal Mass, Homily of Pope Francis (Vatican Basilica, Saturday, 6, January 2018)
CLICK ON THE EXCERPT TITLE BELOW FOR MORE ABOUT EARTH DAY!
Please join me today (Tuesday, April 22nd) 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 “04222020 Earth Day”]
If you are thinking about suicide, worried about a friend or loved one, or would like emotional support, you can dial 988 (in the US) or call 1-800-273-TALK (8255)for the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline. You can also call this TALK line if you are struggling with addiction or involved in an abusive relationship. The Lifeline network is free, confidential, and available to all 24/7. YOU CAN TALK ABOUT ANYTHING.
White Flag is 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 Riḍván!” to those getting ready to celebrate “the Most Great Festival.” Happy Easter! to those who are celebrating! Many blessings to anyone Counting the Omer or celebrating/observing Eastertide / the Octave of Easter!
Peace and many blessings to everyone!! Happy Poetry Month!!
“Success of asanas is dependent upon your being relaxed and calm and centered. It’s going to start by relaxing yourself, just with breathing. Spread your arms wide, take in a breath, and then bring your arms across your chest and let the breath out.”
— quoted from the “Asanas” section of “3 — Cook Book For A Sacred Life: A Manual For Conscious Being” in Be Here Now by Dr. Richard Alpert, Ph.D into Baba Ram Dass
Have you ever noticed what people do before a yoga class begins?
Some people might be talking to their neighbors — which is “coming together” and, therefore, yoga.
Other people are just sitting or lying still, breathing, scanning their mind-body and cultivating awareness — which is the meditation part of yoga.
Still others will do an āsana like Hanumānāsana (the “seat/pose of Hanumān [the Monkey King]”) or movement like rotating their arms and shoulders or simply stretch out their legs — which is part of what we do when we practice vinyasa krama (“placing things in a special way for a step-by-step progression towards a goal”).
And, yes, there are people rushing in at the last minute, because they had obstacles to overcome — which, again, is also part of yoga.
In other words, there are as many different ways to get ready to practice as there are ways to practice.
The video above is part of my 2025 offering for the 12th annual Kiss My Asana yogathon, which benefits Mind Body Solutions (MBS), has begun and I am super excited to dedicate this week (April 19th — 25th) to raising awareness and resources for MBS’ life-affirming work “to help people live better in the body they have.”
Mind Body Solutions provides live, online resources to people with disabilities worldwide. Through daily adaptive yoga classes, special programming, a comprehensive video library, and an online space exclusively for students, Mind Body Solutions is helping people make vital connections within and with others. You can help by joining me as we practice with purpose, by sharing this page, and/or by making a donation that creates opportunities for more people to practice yoga.
Each year, in addition to hosting my fundraising page and making my own personal donation, I offer a blog post and/or a YouTube post — sometimes even a whole practice. This year, I combined an idea I have had for a while with the suggestion/challenge of my yoga buddy Meghan and am offering a series of practice videos. These YouTube videos (of various lengths) underscore the fact that participating in the Kiss My Asana yogathon is just a tangible way to do what we do in every practice: set an intention and dedicate the merits of the practice to someone other than ourselves. Finally, I wanted to offer something that meets the moment and where you may be in this moment: “Swaying between joy and sorrow” (and all the other emotions).
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A Joyful Practice 