A Song or 2 For You (but this is only the music) December 2, 2020
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Please join me today (Wednesday, December 2nd) 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 will need to register for the 7:15 PM class if you have not already done so. Give yourself extra time to log in if you have not upgraded to Zoom 5.0. 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.
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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Build here, now November 30, 2020
Posted by ajoyfulpractice in Uncategorized.2 comments
“Practice is absolutely necessary. You may sit down and listen to me by the hour every day, but if you do not practice, you will not get one step further. It all depends on practice. We never understand these things until we experience them. We will have to see and feel them for ourselves. Simply listening to explanations and theories will not do.”
– quoted from “Chapter III: First Steps” in The Complete Works of Swami Vivekananda, Volume 1, Raja-Yoga by Swami Vivekananda
If you are anything like me… Scratch that. If you are living in 2020, you’re going through something private and personal that is being made worse by the public problems of the pandemic while, simultaneously, dealing with public and social issues made more challenging by your personal and private circumstances. This is just the way it is and, while your socioeconomic level and/or relationship may create a buffer, insulating you from certain hardships, there is no escaping challenge. Additionally, what some people may view as a blessing, you may – at this very moment – see as an extra burden. I can say that it’s all a matter of perspective; however, even more than perspective, I think this is where practice comes into play.
What we believe, practice, and integrate into our lives becomes the fabric of our lives. It becomes how we deal with challenging times (and people). It is how we move get up and move forward after we’ve fallen and, even more importantly, it is how we rebuild when things fall apart. I know, this may seem like a trope or platitude, but take a moment to consider how it plays out in your own life… in this very moment.
When practicing āsana (“seat” or posture), I emphasize the importance of “building from the ground up” and often make getting your body into different shapes as being analogous to building a house: You don’t start with the chandelier, hanging in space; you start with the foundation. Even if you have some lofty goals, ideas, and ideals – that can be like a fancy chandelier – and you are building this edifice around this centerpiece, you still have to (physically) start with a stable foundation. The very stability of the foundation is determined by the location of the building and external factors such as any extreme weather and/or environmental issues that may be normal to a certain climate. Somewhere, underlying this structure is also a concept. (Why are we building this, again? What’s the purpose of building something just to show off this chandelier?) And, ultimately, the foundation has to support not only the walls, ceiling, and other apparatus that will hold the chandelier up it also has to hold up the purpose.
“Take up one idea. Make that one idea your life; dream of it; think of it; live on that idea. Let the brain, the body, muscles, nerves, every part of your body be full of that idea, and just leave every other idea alone. This is the way to success, and this is the way great spiritual giants are produced. Others are mere talking machines. If we really want to be blessed, and make others blessed, we must go deeper. The first step is not to disturb the mind, not to associate with persons whose ideas are disturbing. All of you know that certain persons, certain places, certain foods, repel you. Avoid them; and those who want to go to the highest, must avoid all company, good or bad. Practice hard; whether you live or die does not matter. You have to plunge in and work, without thinking of the result. If you are brave enough….”
– quoted from “Chapter VI: Pratyahara and Dharana” in The Complete Works of Swami Vivekananda, Volume 1, Raja-Yoga by Swami Vivekananda
Flip things around and the “building poses” analogy (based on Patanjali’s instructions in the Yoga Sūtras) works the other way too – and not just with a physical building. It can also be applied to building or rebuilding a company, a life, a relationship, a country… or any other change and challenge that you are facing. In commentary 2.47 of the Yoga Sūtra, Pandit Rajmani Tigunait, PhD, writes, “Stability and comfort go hand in hand, allowing us to remain relaxed during the peak moments of the posture.” I often only look at this in terms of the physical practice, but today I consider it in a practical way. For instance, ask yourself the following questions:
- What do I / What does my heart need, in this moment to feel stable and comfortable?
- What is the one thing I can do, in this moment, to fulfill that need?
- What is the next step, or second thing, I can do to provide myself with stability and comfort?
Last year, I participated in a panel discussion about self care that was specifically directed towards professional women. During the brainstorming session, the small group of us that were on the panel talked about “action items” or homework we could give the participants. Some of us thought we should just offer suggestions, hold space for new ideas, and encourage people to share 5 (or so) things that they could start doing to promote better well-being for themselves, their families, and colleagues. Others (myself included) thought we should encourage people to pick 1, maybe 2 things, they could start doing.
My thinking was that many, maybe most, of the people in the room would be pretty ambitious and possibly Type A personality – in other words, achievers… maybe even overachievers. As I resemble that description, I know that when given an opportunity or a challenge I tend to either (a) do more than is expected; (b) get bored by the lack of challenge (as if somehow I need more than what’s being offered); and/or (c) get overwhelmed because I bit off more than I could chew. My expectation was that if we said, “Pick 5 of these suggestions,” some people would pick 10 and not make the time to do any of them. On the flip side, if we said, “Pick 1, maybe 2,” and they were complimentary, then people would be more likely to practice and integrate the changes. This last part is important, because practice and integration, like stability and comfort, go hand in hand – and they are key ingredients in our successful transition out of the challenging situation and into something sustainable.
It is easy to see how practice and integration go together and how one leads into the other, and back again – kind of like our breath. Consider, for a moment, that the same is true for stability and comfort. If there is too much stability, too much rigidity, things (and people) break and crumble. If there is too much comfort, not enough structure, things can collapse and people cease to grow. Additionally, what feels comfortable changes as stability increases – and the effort to maintain a certain level of comfort changes how we maintain stability. Finally, the longer we are in a certain situation (or pose) the more uncomfortable and unstable it becomes… unless we are making adjustments as we are holding the “status quo.” In other words, we have to change on the inside even as we appear not to change on the outside.
Remember, Sir Isaac Newton’s “Law of Inertia” applies to objects at rest as well as objects in motion. The thing we sometimes need to consider is that time (and other things we can feel, but not see) can be “an unbalanced force.” Ergo, we must feel and then we must take the steps that move us through whatever we’re feeling.
“All the different steps in Yoga are intended to bring us scientifically to the superconscious state, or Samadhi. Furthermore, this is a most vital point to understand, that inspiration is as much in every man’s nature as it was in that of the ancient prophets. These prophets were not unique; they were men as you or I. They were great Yogis. They had gained this superconsciousness, and you and I can get the same. They were not peculiar people. The very fact that one man ever reached that state, proves that it is possible for every man to do so. Not only is it possible, but every man must, eventually, get to that state, and that is religion. Experience is the only teacher we have. We may talk and reason all our lives, but we shall not understand a word of truth, until we experience it ourselves. You cannot hope to make a man a surgeon by simply giving him a few books. You cannot satisfy my curiosity to see a country by showing me a map; I must have actual experience. Maps can only create curiosity in us to get more perfect knowledge. Beyond that, they have no value whatever.”
– quoted from “Chapter VII: Dhyana and Samadhi” in The Complete Works of Swami Vivekananda, Volume 1, Raja-Yoga by Swami Vivekananda
Please join me on the virtual mat today (Monday, November 2nd) at 5:30 PM for a 75-minute virtual yoga practice on Zoom.
This is a 75-minute Common Ground Meditation Center practice that, in the spirit of generosity (dana), is freely given and freely received. 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.
If you are able to support the center and its teachings, please do so as your heart moves you. (NOTE: You can donate even if you are “attending” my other practices, or you can purchase class(es). Donations are tax deductible, class purchases are not necessarily deductible.)
There is no playlist for the Common Ground practices.
“There are much higher states of existence beyond reasoning. It is really beyond the intellect that the first state of religious life is to be found. When you step beyond thought and intellect and all reasoning, then you have made the first step towards God; and that is the beginning of life. What is commonly called life is but an embryo state.”
– quoted from “Patanjali’s Yoga Aphorisms – Introduction” in The Complete Works of Swami Vivekananda, Volume 1, Raja-Yoga by Swami Vivekananda
Yoga Sūtra 2.46: sthirasukham āsanam
– “Cultivate a steady [or stable], easy [comfortable or joyful] seat [or pose].”
Yoga Sūtra 2.47: prayatnaśaithilyānantasamāpattibhyām
– “[The way to perfect the seat or pose] is by relaxing [or loosening] effort and by merging with the infinite.”
Yoga Sūtra 2.48: tato dvandvānabhighātāh
– “From that (perfected posture) comes lack of injury (or suffering) caused by the pairs of opposites.”
### Mo’ practice, Mo’ life ###
Do This, Do That… Now Breathe! November 28, 2020
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“‘There are yet others whose way of worship is to offer up wealth and possessions. Still others offer up self-denial, suffering, and austerities (purifications). Others take clerical or monastic vows, offering up knowledge of the scriptures. Some others make their meditation itself an offering. Some offer up prana, the mysterious vital energy force within them. They do this through control of the breath….’”
– Krishna speaking to Arjuna (4.28 – 29) in The Bhagavad Gita: A Walkthrough for Westerners by Jack Hawley
If you’ve heard it once, you’ve heard it a million times: what happens in the body happens in the mind; what happens in the mind happens in the body; and both affect the breath. It’s like our mind, body, and spirit are conjoined triplets, constantly and consistently interacting and dependent on one another. Pandit Rajmani Tigunait, PhD, points out that “The stability of one stabilizes the other.” So it makes sense that if we can master and control the “roaming tendencies” of one, we can master and control the “chaotic tendencies” of the others. The problem we have is where to begin – especially when everything is out of wack.
It is a classic chicken-and-egg scenario, but Patanjali is very clear on where to begin and how to proceed. Step 1: Cultivate stability and ease in the body. Step 2: Control the breath. Step 3: Harness the power of the mind. Simple right? Of course, along the way, we are constantly and consistently engaging all three and, in doing so, harnessing the power of all three just as we would harness ox to a plow in order to farm.
Yoga Sūtra 2.46: sthirasukham āsanam
– “Cultivate a steady [or stable], easy [comfortable or joyful] seat [or pose].”
Yoga Sūtra 2.47: prayatnaśaithilyānantasamāpattibhyām
– “[The way to perfect the seat or pose] is by relaxing [or loosening] effort and by merging with the infinite.”
Yoga Sūtra 2.48: tato dvandvānabhighātāh
– “From that (perfected posture) comes lack of injury (or suffering) caused by the pairs of opposites.”
Yoga Sūtra 2.49: tasminsati śvāsapraśvāsayorgativicchedah prāņāyāmahah
– “Prāņāyāma, which is expanding the life force by controlling the movement of the inhalation and exhalation, can be practiced after completely mastering [the seat or pose].”
A literal translation of this week’s sūtra specifically refers to the benefit of controlling the movement and speed of the inhalation and exhalation. It also hints at the dangers of practicing prāņāyāma without having “perfected the pose.” Just as there are thousands of poses, and hundreds of trillions of ways to practice and sequence those poses, there are a variety of ways to practice awareness and extension of the breath.
First, there is basic awareness, the awareness that you are breathing here – which in and of itself can change and erratic breathing pattern. Then there is cultivating a calming breath, where the exchange is deep and even, and without interruption. Moving on, there is awareness of how the breath feels and affects different parts of the body. This final type of awareness (and control) can include directing the breath to certain areas of the body (prāņā samrōdha and prāņā samvedanā) and also changing the pattern of the breath (prāņā anusandhāna). There are seven classic types of prāņāyāma which fall under that finally classification. One common, and highly recommended, example of the latter is controlling the length and duration of the exhale.
Please keep in mind that I am using the English words “breath” and “spirit” interchangeably with the Sanskrit word “prāņā.” However, prāņā is actually “life force” and is inextricably connected to everything that flows and moves in the mind-body and everything that allows the mind-body to flow and move. It has been described as “the fundamental principle of pulsation” – which is connected to every aspect and function of the mind-body. But breath becomes the focus, because it is what most people can easily access and it too is connected to every aspect and function of the body.
“The breath is the link between the body and the mind, as well as the balancing factor. When a disturbed thought arises in the mind, our breathing pattern becomes erratic – shaky, noisy, and shallow. Erratic breathing triggers a chaotic response in our nervous system, gastrointestinal tract, endocrine glands, and heart. If left unchecked, the chaotic response intensifies, throwing us into a state of physical and mental turmoil. This process can be checked only if the breath summons its innate wisdom and the power to calm itself.”
– commentary on Yoga Sūtra 2.49 from The Practice of the Yoga Sūtra: Sadhana Pada by Pandit Rajmani Tigunait, PhD
Please join me for a 90-minute virtual yoga practice on Zoom today (Saturday, November 28th) at 12:00 PM. You can use the link from the “Class Schedules” calendar if you run into any problems checking into the class. Give yourself extra time to log in if you have not upgraded to Zoom 5.0.
You can request an audio recording of Saturday’s 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.)
Today’s playlist is available on YouTube and Spotify. [Look for “10272020 Pranayama II”]
### INHALE, EXHALE (AGAIN) ###
One Mou’ Time November 23, 2020
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“‘People who eat too much or too little or who sleep too much or too little will not succeed in meditation. Eat only food that does not heat up the body or excite the mind. When you balance and regulate your habits of eating, sleeping, working, and playing, then meditation dissolves sorrow and destroys mental pain.’”
– Krishna speaking to Arjuna (6.16 – 6.17) in The Bhagavad Gita: A Walkthrough for Westerners by Jack Hawley
Consider the human body. It is designed to change. It grows, expands, shrinks, and processes a variety of materials – using what is useful and discarding what is not. The human body has ways of healing itself; this is a proven and accepted fact, as is the fact that certain things can help the healing process – while certain things might help… if they don’t kill us first. When you look back through the history of the human race, and take into consideration all the different cultures and climates, you will find that every culture, in every climate, has had some kind of understanding about the way the mind-body works and some kind of medicine to help sustain, retain, and repair/enhance the vitality of the mind-body. In traditional and indigenous medicines, the proof was in the fact that people survived. In the modern world, however, research and empirical evidence (above and beyond survival) become critical and it’s not enough to know that something works; modern scientists want to know why something works.
Three things always stick out to me when I compare different types of medicine. First, I am struck by how much health care practitioners don’t know. This is not a criticism or intended as an insult, this is just fact – even modern scientists don’t know everything there is to know about the mind-body. Researchers are constantly discovering new ways that our mind-bodies work and don’t work; new organs; new treatments; new ailments; and they are continuously “discovering” the benefits of traditional and indigenous medicines.
“Normally, the body of an unenlightened person is like a dead wood, covered with a blanket of unawareness. For most people, the internal awareness is almost zero, unless there is pain in the body. Ordinarily human awareness keeps itself fully busy with the external environment.”
– quoted from OM Sutra: The Pathway to Enlightenment by Amit Ray and Banani Ray
The second thing that always sticks out to me is that the systems with which I’m familiar all involve an energetic mapping of the mind-body and its organs. The mapping systems are not the same, but there are similarities. For instance, in “Western” science (or modern science) the operation of the body relies on electrical signals transmitted to and from the brain traveling along neural pathways and through the central nervous system’s network of nerves connected to the spinal cord (in the center of the body) and the peripheral nervous system’s network of “unprotected” nerves and ganglia (bundles of cells).
As I am keeping this simple, let’s just say that there are 30 nerve-related segments of the spine, divided into four sections, that connect to every part of the body and that the peripheral nervous system is divided into two parts – the autonomic nervous systems (which is further divided into sympathetic and parasympathetic) and the somatic nervous systems. Also, important to note is the fact that some ganglia are bundled along the outside of the spine (hence why I refer to them as “unprotected”). Additionally, there are, of course, some reflex movements which can occur independent of the brain, but these still require connection to the spinal cord.
“Enormous activities are going on in our body; in our brain, in our heart, in our digestive system and in every cell of the body. Few people are aware of their physical beings. Body is the starting point in the spiritual journey.
The dynamic play of the energy of pure consciousness is taking place in each cell of our body, in every moment. The subtle vibrations and the movement of the energies in the body are the doorways to realize the Divine union.”
– quoted from OM Sutra: The Pathway to Enlightenment by Amit Ray and Banani Ray
In Eastern sciences, like Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) and Āyurveda, there are also energetic mapping systems. The former, for instance, involves meridians that it is believed are located in the deep tissue and fascia or connective tissue. Yin Yoga, which is based on TCM, focuses on 12 primary meridians connected to 12 organs. Unlike an early British doctor I once read about (who believed the meridian system was based on traditional doctors not knowing where organs were located) the TCM focus isn’t on the organs as much as it is on balancing the flow of energy to and from the organs. Particular attention is paid to the joints and various points along the meridians as this is where energy can become blocked, stagnate, or overactive – and these are also the points/places where the energy can be accessed. TCM meridians are paired with each other, specific organs, emotions, time of day, seasons, colors, minerals, elements, and types of energy – and there is a pair that runs down the central part of the body.
One of my favorite meridians is the Kidney meridian as Kidney energy is related to overall vitality and starts with K1, which is sometimes referred to as “the Well Spring of Life” or “Gushing Spring.” Along with Urinary Bladder meridian, Kidney meridian regulates the flow of water in the body and, as we are mostly water, it becomes critical to not only physical health but also mental clarity and emotional well-being.
In Āyurveda, Yoga’s sister science, the energy of the body is mapped along nādis (which I was taught means “rivers” or “channels” but can also be translated as “nerves” or “tubes”). Similar to the (pressure) points along the TCM meridians, there are marma points (marmāni) described in Āyurveda; however, most people in the West are more familiar with the idea of chakras (energy “wheels”). Marma literally means “a point that can kill” and they are the points where flesh, veins, arteries, tendons, bones, and joints come together. In other words, they are the points of life. In all, there are 107 marmāni (11 in each limb, 12 on the front of the torso, 14 on the back and 27 on the head and neck), with the mind being the 108th marma. There are at least 10 methods to promote good health and well-being by stimulating marmāni, including various types of massage, binding, and application of oil, paste, and/or various temperatures. Additionally, meditation and breathing practices can be applied.
Ancient Indian texts reference thousands of nādis throughout the body – and many of them intersect. For instance, some sources say that there are a 108 nādis that intersect at the heart chakra. (Others say 101.) Normally, however, when people (especially in the West) talk about these energy channels, they are referencing the three primary nādis that overlap at the center of the body (right around the same area as the spinal column), creating a spiral shape often compared to the double helix shape of DNA and/or the caduceus symbol associated with the medical arts.
Like the TCM meridians, the primary nādis are paired with specific types of energy (i.e., “Ida” being lunar, cool, feminine, left, yin energy; “Pingala” being solar, warm, masculine, right, yang energy; and “Sushumna” being non-dual, divine energy). They not only overlap in the same general area as the spine, some people have associated the location of those overlapping points – the chakras – with the basal ganglia (which are bundled along the spine). Like the TCM meridian pairing referenced above, chakras are also paired with emotions, colors, minerals, and elements. They are associated with parts of the body, functions of the body, and various aspects of our lives.
“If you believe you are a body, then you are consenting to the belief that you are your ego, which is the root of all your suffering. Bodies age and get sick. They experience aches and pains and have many limitations. Bodies are confined in time and space and, if all that weren’t proof enough, bodies eventually die.
If you believe you are a body, then you believe you’re a temporary being that is weak and subject to age, illness and death. Of course, yoga teaches us that we are not the body, but this is a difficult case to make when it feels so real to be in this body. It’s hard to say, ‘The body is an illusion,’ when your head hurts or your stomach is upset.”
– quoted from Yoga and the Path of the Urban Mystic by Darren Main
The third thing that always sticks with me is how traditional and indigenous sciences always seem to treat the whole being, while – up until recently – Western science focused on a single aspect of the body. Not even the mind-body… just a single part of the body, or a single part of the mind. What we find again and again, however, is that disconnecting the mind from the body leads to more discomfort, more dis-ease, and eventually death. Separating each part of the body from itself creates imbalance, which must be addressed in the rest of the mind-body.
The Sanskrit word yoga means “union” and the practice (physically, mentally, and energetically) is a way to address the whole mind-body and cultivate balance in the whole mind-body. It is a philosophy, not a medical science as we think of it today, but definitely a science of being. Dr. Amit Ray calls it a “science of well-being, science of youthfulness, science of integrating body, mind and soul.” As such a science it can be applied and paired with traditional, indigenous, and/or modern medicine to promote overall well-being.
“When we are aware about our body’s sensations, we can release physical pain, tensions or stress through slow movements.”
– quoted from Yoga The Science of Well-Being by Amit Ray
Tonight (Monday the 23rd) I taught my last (scheduled) Movember class of 2020. I choose poses B. K. S. Iyengar identified as being good for Kidney health and sequenced the vinyāsa practice with an awareness of the Kidney and Bladder meridians in TCM. You can request an audio recording of Monday’s practice via a comment below or (for a slightly faster reply) you can email me at myra (at) ajoyfulpractice.com.
(Practice Note: There’s no music on Monday nights so the content sync up with the Movember playlists, but it will still make sense if you decide to use music from one of the earlier practices.)
The 75-minute Common Ground Meditation Center practice, in the spirit of generosity (“dana”), is freely given and freely received. If you are able to support the center and its teachings, please do so as your heart moves you. (NOTE: You can donate even if you are “attending” my other practices, or you can purchase class(es). Donations are tax deductible; class purchases are not necessarily deductible.)
Check out the “Class Schedules” calendar for upcoming classes.
“I want to be present and really in my body, grounded and open minded and open hearted, no matter what the conflict or the crisis is. And if I am numbing myself with food and with alcohol, I can’t then know that my emotional response is going to be authentic, is going to be in truth. My guess is that it is going to be reactive.”
– quoted from Revolution of the Soul: Awaken to Love Through Raw Truth, Radical Healing, and Conscious Action by Seane Corn
### SLÁINTE ###
My apologies for missing some blog weirdness November 18, 2020
Posted by ajoyfulpractice in Uncategorized.2 comments
Please note that as I was rushing to post today I missed the fact that some names were truncated and some of the post was missing. The original post has now been corrected (as far as I can tell). The changes will appear automatically if you are on WordPress, but if you are an email subscriber don’t quote (or forward) the email.
Peace to you and yours, Myra
“The Most Intense Part of Your Day” November 17, 2020
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“Let us first teach little children to breathe, to vibrate, to feel, and to become one with the general harmony and movement of nature. Let us first produce a beautiful human being, a dancing child. [Friedrich] Nietzsche has said that he cannot believe in a god that cannot dance. He has also said, ‘Let that day be considered lost on which we have not danced.’ But he did not mean the execution of pirouettes. He meant the exaltation of life in movement.”
– Isadora Duncan (b. 05/26/1877)
According to Indian mythology, Shiva created the world with a dance. Some say it was a dance with 108 steps or poses (others say there were over 8 million). Can you imagine? People have and it always seems quite intense.
Paul B, one of my first yoga teachers, said that our yoga practice should be the “most intense” part of our day. Some people hearing that or reading that might find that really appealing, “Ooo, I want that kind of practice!” Others may be immediately turned off – for the exact same reason others get turned on. But, the practices with Paul B might not be what either group expects. In fact, his classes were the reason I always wanted to go deeper.
Take at face value, surface value, the statement seems to indicate a need for a physically vigorous or strenuous practice. But, what if that’s not what you need? The physical practice of yoga (haţha yoga, regardless of the style or tradition) was originally taught as an individual practice. Yes, it’s true that people might have practiced in a group. However, each person practiced in a way that was appropriate for their body with the awareness that the physical practice was preparing the body for deep seated meditation.
Yoga Sūtra 2.46: sthirasukham āsanam
– “Cultivate a steady [or stable], easy [comfortable or joyful] seat [or pose].”
Yoga Sūtra 2.47: prayatnaśaithilyānantasamāpattibhyām
– “[The way to perfect the seat or pose] is by relaxing [or loosening] effort and by merging with the infinite.”
Yoga Sūtra 2.48: tato dvandvānabhighātāh
– “From that (perfected posture) comes lack of injury (or suffering) caused by the pairs of opposites.”
Patanjali’s instructions for the third limb of the Yoga Philosophy, āsana (“seat” or pose), in some ways relies on the foundation of the first two limbs, the ethical limbs of yama (external “restraints” or universal commandments) and niyama (internal “observations”) – which require, nay demand, that we turn inward. To truly practice āsana there has to be an awareness of what the body needs and what is appropriate for the body. There also needs to be breath, and the awareness of breath, which is practiced with prāņāyāma (the fourth limb). One could argue that if you are not truly aware of your life force, you are not extending it (the other aspect of the fourth limb) and, therefore, you are not actually practicing yoga.
Classic texts like the Haţha Yoga Pradīpikā (15th century) describe 84 “seats” – and they are, in fact, mostly sitting on your sits bones poses – but not all the texts from the 10th through the 17th centuries list the same 84 (although, there is some general consensus). Light On Yoga (Yoga Dipika) was first published in 1966 and lists over 200 variations. Others will tell you there are thousands, millions even – especially when you consider different variations of a similar pose to actually be different poses. So, perhaps there are 84, perhaps there are 2 or 200, perhaps there are over 8 million, or several billion. Who can know? Ultimately, it’s not what you practice; it’s how you practice.
Over the years, Paul B’s words have echoed in my brain; but I don’t take them at face value. I recognize that sometimes I need an intensely physical (and vigorous) practice and sometimes I need an intensely relaxing practice. Sometimes I need something that is mentally intense – not so much in that I’m constantly thinking, but in that it engages my mind – and sometimes I need something intensely energetic and/or spiritual. Sometimes I need all of the above. My guess is that if you practice regularly you will discover the same truth: your yoga practice must be the most intense part of your day.
“Stability and comfort go hand in hand, allowing us to remain relaxed during the peak moments of the posture.”
– commentary on Yoga Sūtra 2.47 from The Practice of the Yoga Sūtra: Sadhana Pada by Pandit Rajmani Tigunait, PhD
Please join me today (Tuesday, November 17th) at 12 Noon or 7:15 PM for a virtual yoga practice on Zoom, where we will do what we do. Use the link from the “Class Schedules” calendar if you run into any problems checking into the class. Give yourself extra time to log in if you have not upgraded to Zoom 5.0. You can request an audio recording of this practice via a comment below.
Tuesday’s playlist is available on YouTube and Spotify. [Look for “10202020 Pratyahara”]
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.)
“We are living in a body imbued with vast potential, and yet our mental faculty is so dull and dense that we are only dimly aware of its internal dynamics.
We have become disconnected from our body’s intrinsic intelligence. This dims our recognition of our inherent beauty, charm, vigor and vitality, and healing power, and eventually blocks their flow completely. As a result, our ability to be happy with what we are and what we have, our ability to embrace all and exclude none, our ability to cultivate and retain a robust and energetic body, and our ability to heal ourselves and each other plummet. This disconnection also disrupts the incessant flow of information among the body’s various systems and organs, and so they begin to function chaotically. This is how we become unhealthy and succumb to disease.”
– commentary on Yoga Sūtra 2.46 from The Practice of the Yoga Sūtra: Sadhana Pada by Pandit Rajmani Tigunait, PhD
### JUST SITTING & BREATHING ###
There Was A Light November 14, 2020
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[“Happy Diwali!” to anyone celebrating! May you be healthy, wealthy, and wise!]
“oṃ bhūr bhuvaḥ svaḥ
tat savitur vareṇyaṃ
bhargo devasya dhīmahi
dhiyo yo naḥ pracodayāt”
[Conscious, subconscious, unconscious mind, and every plane of existence, we meditate on the (adorable) Light, that it may inspire us, enlighten us, and remove our obstacles.]
– “Gāyatrī Mantra” from the Rig Veda (from Mandala 3.62.10)
During the darkest times of the year, people all over the world celebrate light. In each culture’s stories and traditions, light overcoming darkness is a metaphor for good overcoming evil; life overcoming death, wisdom overcoming fear; love overcoming hate; hope overcoming despair, and knowledge overcoming ignorance. This year, the celebrations kick off with Diwali, the Indian festival of lights.
Diwali is a five-day celebration which takes its name from Deepavali, which are rows and rows of lamps. It is a lunar calendar based holiday observed throughout India, parts of Southeast Asia, and the diaspora by Hindus, Sikhs, Jains, and Newar Buddhists. Each day has different rituals and customs, which may vary between religious, cultural, and regional traditions. But, the common threads are the (clay) lamps and other great displays of light; pujas (“offerings”); feasts and sweets; epic tales of heroes and heroines prevailing; and a focus on relationships and also on wealth.
Today (the third day) is the biggest day: Diwali! It is a day that is normally marked by people getting together, feasting and celebrating. It is a day of new beginnings. It is a day, once again, when 2020 and the pandemic require people to figure new ways to honor old customs. People, once again, are finding their way through the darkness and into the light.
“A moment comes, which comes but rarely in history, when we step out from the old to the new, when an age ends, and when the soul of a nation, long suppressed, finds utterance.”
– quoted from “Tryst with Destiny” address to the Constituent Assembly of India in New Dehli, August 14 – 15, 1947, by Jawaharlal Nehru
This year, the primary day of Diwali coincides with India’s Children’s Day (Bal Diwas), which is observed every year on the anniversary of the birth of Jawaharlal Nehru, India’s First Prime Minister. Prime Minister Nehru was born today in 1889 and was a prominent figure in India’s independence movement. He was known as “Pandit Nehru,” because of his Kashmiri Pandit heritage, and had such an affinity for the children of his country (and they for him) that Indian kids called him Chacha Nehru (Hindi for “Uncle Nehru”). He advocated for the rights, care, and education of children – who are the light of the world.
So, in honor of all these convergences, here‘s a quick lesson about light… and the laws of motion: light moves and light bends, just like us.
Want a little bit more? OK. Think about Newton’s first law of motion (also known as the law of inertia), what happens if the object in motion is a wave of light? Just like anything else, it will keep moving until it meets with resistance. Then what? Does it stop? Not really. Instead of stopping, light bends.
Well, technically speaking, light waves do more than just “bend.” It also bounces, or changes direction; which is what happens when it hits a reflective surface and it skips (over and around things).
Refraction is the most common term used when light bends and it applies to the change in direction that takes place when light waves (or other kinds of waves) move from one type of surface to another. Typically these surfaces would be transparent – so, think of how a straw in a half full (or half empty) glass of water appears above and below the water line. The optical illusion that makes the straw appear disjointed is refraction caused by the difference in density between the air (in the top of the glass) and the water (at the bottom). Optical fibers, glass lenses, and crystals or prisms are the types of objects used to create refraction. In fact, “correcting” someone’s vision with eyeglasses or contacts is a practical implementation of refraction. Dispersion is a special type of refraction that occurs when different wavelengths are refracted different amounts; which is how we get rainbows. Finally, diffusion is a softening effect created from dispersion.
On the flip side, diffraction occurs when light “bends” around or through something. For instance, if there is a wall with a partially open window and light is shining on one side of the wall, that light can be seen through the glass of the window and through the part of the window that’s opened.
Sometimes, when we move through the physical practice, I will suggest visualizing the breath as light. Of course, to really focus, concentrate, meditate on your breath as light, you have to understand how light works. In other words, what happens to the light when you bend forward, back, and side to side? Does it reflect (bounce)? Does it refract (bend) – and if it does, is there dispersion or diffusion? Where does it diffract (or skip)? Finally, where does it seem like the light ends, because it’s completely blocked (and did you block it on purpose)?
Yoga Sūtra 2.46: sthirasukham āsanam
– “Cultivate a steady [or stable], easy [comfortable or joyful] seat [or pose].”
Yoga Sūtra 2.47: prayatnaśaithilyānantasamāpattibhyām
– “[The way to perfect the seat or pose] is by relaxing [or loosening] effort and by merging with the infinite.”
Jumping off from last week, this week’s sūtra takes us a little deeper into the practice of āsana. It explains that while we need effort to get into the pose, once we are there, mastery (or perfection) comes from “effortless effort” and the ability to focus the mind on something that does not end – like light. While some translations specifically reference “effortless effort” (that concept that pops up again and again in Taoism and Buddhism), other translations refer to “special stress-free effort.” If you’ve practiced with me, you’ve heard me refer to that “balance between effort and relaxation.” Maybe you’ve thought you need to have as many parts of your body relaxed as you have engaged. Well, yes, and no…. Ultimately, you want everything simultaneously engaged and relaxed. However you describe it, you want to find that state where you are creating inertia.
I know, I know, “creating inertia” sounds a little weird if you take it out of context. But, if you think about it in terms of basic physics and the laws of motion, you are finding Friedrich Nietzsche’s definition of happiness: cultivating a state whereby you continuously stay in motion (and/or stay still) by overcoming resistance.
When you engage your muscles, by contracting (or shortening/tightening) them, there is resistance. When you “stretch” or lengthen the muscles, which is another form of engagement, there will ultimately be resistance – unless you can relax into the pose. Once you can relax in a pose, you eliminate fatigue and “our ability to be happy with what we are and what we have, our ability to embrace all and exclude none, our ability to cultivate and retain a robust and energetic body, and our ability to heal ourselves and each other” rises. Once you can relax into a pose, the only resistance you meet is the ground and gravity – both of which you can use to go deeper. (Which, in this case, is softer.)
“Somebody must have sense enough to dim the lights, and that is the trouble, isn’t it? That as all of the civilizations of the world move up the highway of history, so many civilizations, having looked at other civilizations that refused to dim the lights, and they decided to refuse to dim theirs. And [Arnold Joseph] Toynbee tells that out of the twenty-two civilizations that have risen up, all but about seven have found themselves in the junk heap of destruction.”
– quoted from “Loving Your Enemies” sermon at Dexter Avenue Baptist Church by Rev. Martin Luther King, Jr. (11/17/1957)
“Oh, my friends, it may be that Western civilization will end up destroyed on the highway of history because we failed to dim our lights with the great light of love at the right time.”
– quoted from “Loving Your Enemies” sermon at Andrew Rankin Memorial Chapel at Howard University by Rev. Martin Luther King, Jr. (11/10/1957)
Please join me for a 90-minute virtual yoga practice on Zoom today (Saturday, November 14th) at 12:00 PM. You can use the link from the “Class Schedules” calendar if you run into any problems checking into the class. Give yourself extra time to log in if you have not upgraded to Zoom 5.0.
You can request an audio recording of Saturday’s 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.)
Today’s playlist is available on YouTube and Spotify. [Look for “Diwali (Day 3) 2020”]
“There is an indefinable mysterious Power that pervades everything. I feel it, though I do not see it. It is this unseen Power which makes itself felt and yet defies all proof, because it is so unlike all that I perceive through my senses. It transcends the senses. But it is possible to reason out the existence of God to a limited extent….
And is this Power benevolent or malevolent? I see it as purely benevolent. For I can see, that in the midst of death life persists, in the midst of untruth truth persists, in the midst of darkness light persists. Hence I gather that God is Life, Truth, Light. He is Love. He is the Supreme Good.”
– quoted from Young India issue dated 11-10-1928, by Mahatma Gandhi
### “There will be light.” (B-G 1:3) ###
Here’s To Those Who Serve(d) November 11, 2020
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“Compassion. Respect. Common Sense.”
– Retired Marine Staff Sergeant Time Chambers (a.k.a The Saluting Marine) when asked what he wanted to inspire in people who see him standing/saluting
At “the eleventh hour of the eleventh day of the eleventh month,” Paris time, 1918, all was quiet on the Western Front. At least in theory, it wasn’t as neat and tidy as it sounds; however, there was an official cease fire, an armistice that was scheduled to last 30 days. It was, for all intensive purposes, the end of World War II. Exactly a year later, Buckingham Palace hosted the first official Armistice Day event in England – and, thanks to the suggestion of South African author and politician Sir Percy Fitzpatrick, people around Europe began observing two minutes of silence in honor of those who had died during the war and those who were left behind.
The practice of observing two minutes of silence (in honor of people lost during conflict) had started as a daily practice in Cape Town, South Africa beginning in the spring of 1918. Today, those two minutes are one of the rituals shared by people who are observing Armistice Day (in the Britain and the Commonwealth, France, Belgium, and Poland) and Veterans Day (in the USA and Canada). These observations are sometimes, like in the case of England, focused on those who served and were impacted by World War I. However, in the United States and Canada it is a day to honor all veterans and their families. (The UK, USA, and Canada all have separate days to honor those who died while serving in any military conflict.)
“They shall grow not old, as we that are left grow old;
Age shall not weary them, nor the years condemn.
At the going down of the sun and in the morning
We will remember them”
– “Ode of Remembrance” quoted from the poem “For the Fallen” by Laurence Binyon, published September 1914 (in honor of the casualties of the British Expeditionary Force in the opening action of the war on the Western Front, WWI)
We have so many rituals and traditions around remembering those who were lost during conflict and tragedy. But, consider how we honor the living – those who return with wounds we can see, as well as wounds we cannot. Because today is a day, in the United States, when we remember all those who served – living and dead – it is a good time to really consider the experiences and challenges of those who return home different from the way they left.
During Movember classes, I talk about mental health and the fact that middle aged white men make up the highest percentage of suicides in America. Add to that, the increase in the percentages when someone has served in the military. Every 72 minutes, a veteran or active service member takes their own life; that works out to ~17 – 20 people a day or ~140 a week. These numbers do not include people who attempt suicide or consider it.
As I’ve pointed out before, we must keep in mind, that there are a lot of different things people feel when they consider suicide. It’s emotional. There are, also, a lot of different things that pull people back away from the edge. It’s personal. Some people may not want to talk about the details of their service and the things that they experienced. They may, however, want to talk about something else. We can honor them by listening.
Please join me today (Wednesday, November 11th) 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 will need to register for the 7:15 PM class if you have not already done so. Give yourself extra time to log in if you have not upgraded to Zoom 5.0. 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.
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.)
If you are thinking about suicide, worried about a friend or loved one, or would like emotional support, you can call 1-800-273-TALK (8255). You can also call the 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.
### PEACE IN, PEACE OUT ###
I Moustache You to Remember to Breathe November 6, 2020
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This is just a reminder that it’s the First Friday and tonight at 7:15 PM (CST) is the first “Friday Night Special!” I hope you can join us in a little breath work. The blog entry below was originally posted on October 31st.
In addition to the items listed below, you may need tissues (or something you can use to blow your nose) and a key ring. I would also highly recommend that you wash your hands and face just before the practice. Namaste.
“Yes I understand
That every life must end
As we sit alone
I know someday we must go
Oh, I’m a lucky man
To count on both hands
The ones I love
Some folks just have one
Yeah, others they got none
Stay with me
Let’s just breathe”
– quoted from “Just Breathe” by Pearl Jam
Coincidentally, the lyrics of the (above quoted) Pearl Jam song could be a great way to start off an October 31st class that also happens to be a class about Yoga Sūtra 2.45 – but that’s not this post. (That post is coming in a few hours.) But this post…. This post is to officially announce that I am offering the first in a series of “Friday Night Specials” on Friday, November 6th. These specialty practices, offered periodically (maybe once a month), will focus on a particular element of the practice or a style of practice other than vinyasa. First up: Prānāyāma.
“Let us go forth a while and get better air in our lungs. Let us leave our close rooms.”
– Walt Whitman (writing about baseball in the Brooklyn Eagle, 1834)
We are living in interesting (a.k.a. challenging and stressful) times – times which can make it harder and harder to breathe. When bad breathing becomes a habit, it compromises our physical, mental, and emotional health. On the flip side, proper breathing lowers stress, cultivates clarity, and supports our nervous system. And it all starts with the awareness and extension of breath, or prānāyāma, which is the 4th limb in the Yoga Philosophy.
Please join me for a 65-minute virtual yoga practice on Friday, November 6th at 7:15 PM (CST). The meeting ID and link are available in the “Class Schedules” calendar. (You will need to open the event entry for details). You can request a link by emailing myra(at)ajoyfulpractice(dot)com.
This practice will begin with limited movement, includes several breathing techniques you can practice on and off the mat, and concludes with a breath-focused meditation. It is accessible and open to all, regardless of age, experience, or fitness level. You will need something on which you can sit comfortably (chair, mat, and/or cushion, etc.) and possibly a mat or something on which you can recline. It is best if you begin the practice with a (relatively) empty stomach.
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. You can also purchase a drop in class.
### “MEET YOU ON THE OTHER SIDE” PJ ###
Drum roll, please… (& breathe) October 31, 2020
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“Yes I understand
That every life must end
As we sit alone
I know someday we must go
Oh, I’m a lucky man
To count on both hands
The ones I love
Some folks just have one
Yeah, others they got none
Stay with me
Let’s just breathe”
– quoted from “Just Breathe” by Pearl Jam
Coincidentally, the lyrics of the (above quoted) Pearl Jam song could be a great way to start off an October 31st class that also happens to be a class about Yoga Sūtra 2.45 – but that’s not this post. (That post is coming in a few hours.) But this post…. This post is to officially announce that I am offering the first in a series of “Friday Night Specials” on Friday, November 6th. These specialty practices, offered periodically (maybe once a month), will focus on a particular element of the practice or a style of practice other than vinyasa. First up: Prānāyāma.
“Let us go forth a while and get better air in our lungs. Let us leave our close rooms.”
– Walt Whitman (writing about baseball in the Brooklyn Eagle, 1834)
We are living in interesting (a.k.a. challenging and stressful) times – times which can make it harder and harder to breathe. When bad breathing becomes a habit, it compromises our physical, mental, and emotional health. On the flip side, proper breathing lowers stress, cultivates clarity, and supports our nervous system. And it all starts with the awareness and extension of breath, or prānāyāma, which is the 4th limb in the Yoga Philosophy.
Please join me for a 65-minute virtual yoga practice on Friday, November 6th at 7:15 PM (CST). The meeting ID and link are available in the “Class Schedules” calendar. (You will need to open the event entry for details). You can request a link by emailing myra(at)ajoyfulpractice(dot)com.
This practice will begin with limited movement, includes several breathing techniques you can practice on and off the mat, and concludes with a breath-focused meditation. It is accessible and open to all, regardless of age, experience, or fitness level. You will need something on which you can sit comfortably (chair, mat, and/or cushion, etc.) and possibly a mat or something on which you can recline. It is best if you begin the practice with a (relatively) empty stomach.
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. You can also purchase a drop in class.
A Joyful Practice 