Posted by ajoyfulpractice in Changing Perspectives, Faith, Healing Stories, Life, Music, New Year, One Hoop, Philosophy, Religion, Rosh Hashanah, Science, Wisdom, Yoga.
Tags: Ganesh Chaturthi, High Holidays, Los Lobos, Rabbi Yaakov Salomon, Ten Days of Atonement, Ten Days of Awe
Happy Equinox and many blessings, to everyone and especially those celebrating Ganesh Chaturthi!! “Chag sameach!” to those observing the High Holidays.
This is a “missing” post for Saturday, September 23rd. NOTE: Some information has previously been posted in a (slightly) different context. You can request an audio recording of either practice via a comment below or (for a slightly faster reply) you can email myra (at) ajoyfulpractice.com.
In the spirit of generosity (“dana”), the Zoom classes, recordings, and blog posts are freely given and freely received. If you are able to support these teachings, please do so as your heart moves you. (NOTE: You can donate even if you are “attending” a practice that is not designated as a “Common Ground Meditation Center” practice, or you can purchase class(es). Donations are tax deductible; class purchases are not necessarily deductible.
Check out the “Class Schedules” calendar for upcoming classes.)
“Because there’s a lot of work out there
Everything will be fine
And I’ll send for you baby
Just a matter of time”
— quoted from the song “A Matter of Time” by Los Lobos
Do you ever wish for a little more time?
Or, for similar reasons, do you ever wish certain things didn’t take up so much of your daylight hours?
There are certain times of year — like at the beginning of a new year and/or the beginning of a new season — when I think about this quite a bit. When observations related to a new year overlap with a change in the astronomical seasons, I do more than think about how I actually spend my time. I also start considering what I could do with more time — even if the actual time is only a little more.
This year, the eighth day of the High Holidays (and the fifth day of Ganesh Chaturthi) overlapped the Autumnal Equinox in the Northern Hemisphere on Saturday, September 23rd. Along with Winter Solstice, Vernal (or Spring) Equinox, and Summer Solstice, the Autumnal Equinox is one of four noteworthy (and marked) dates that are, theoretically, produced because of the angle of the Earth as it rotates around the sun. I say, “theoretically,” because the terms solstice and equinox refer to phenomena that don’t happen exactly as they are described.
While most people know that the sun does not, literally, “stand still” on the solstices, we still like to think that everyone around the world has equal amounts of day and night on the equinoxes — and that these appreciable moments in time are actually that: appreciable and notable. The truth, however, is that there is no sudden/automatic change in how much light and how much darkness we get. It’s not a dimmer switch. Additionally, we can notice changes much earlier than indicated by the celestial calendar. Furthermore, no one is really getting 12 hours of daylight and 12 hours of night on the actual equinox.
We perceive daylight long after the sun has moved below the horizon and, therefore, daytime is longer at latitudes above the equator than below. Here in Houston, I got 12 hours and 7 minutes (as did people in the Twin Cities; Cairo, Egypt; and Shanghai, China). On the flip side, someone in Anchorage, Alaska got 12 hours and 10 minutes (as did people in Helsinki, Finland). Even at the equator, a true 12-hour split doesn’t happen on the equinox: It happens on the equilux (“equal light”), which this year falls between September 25th and October 17th, depending on how close you are to the equator. The closer you are to the equator, the later the date.
So, for a few more days (or weeks) we all have more daylight than usual.
How could you spend your time?
“And then we spoke about Rosh Hashana… finally.
People always talk about making big changes – New Year resolutions.
‘I want to lose 50 pounds.’
‘I want to finish the entire Talmud.’
‘I’m going to spend 90 minutes of quality time with my daughter every night.’
It doesn’t work. It never does. And if it does, it peters out. You have no choice. You must start small.”
— quoted from “Preparing for Rosh Hashana: The secret to an inspiring new year” by Rabbi Yaakov Salomon
If you are anything like me, there’s a good chance that when you decide you want to do something (or stop doing something), you want one of those handy-dandy “time slips” — not because you don’t want to do the work, but because once you make up your mind you’re ready for the change. However, we can’t snap our fingers and “skip to the good part.” We do not have a magical, fantastical (theoretically possibly) way of skipping ahead. Even if we did, it wouldn’t be advisable, because we wouldn’t (necessarily) be ready on every level. Just because some part of our mind is ready, doesn’t mean our whole being is ready. We get ready during the time that we’re taking the steps to make something happen (or to make something stop happening).
Those steps — even when they are little baby steps — make a big difference.
The following excerpt was originally posted in 2021. Due to the sequences, the order of the “little things” is different each year. The order below is the 2021 order. Some embedded links connect outside of this blog.
“The key to getting the most out of any experience is preparation before the event. You cannot expect to leap from the shower to the shul and instantly feel holy. It just doesn’t work that way.”
— quoted from “Preparing for Rosh Hashana: The secret to an inspiring new year” by Rabbi Yaakov Salomon
Just as you can’t jump up off the coach and run a marathon, without some training, Rabbi Yaakov Salomon once pointed out that the desire for a deep spiritual connection requires some preparation. The means he mentioned included introspection, meditation, and prayer — all methods also mentioned in other traditions, including in Indian philosophies like yoga. A lot of people, however, aren’t familiar with all 8-limbs of the Yoga Philosophy; they just know about the two limbs that form the postural practice: āsana and prāņāyāma. But, just practicing those two little things can take you deeper into the overall practice and help cultivate big connections.
In many ways, hatha yoga (the physical practice of yoga, regardless of the style or tradition) is all about little things and about bringing awareness to the little things. The way we sit or stand determines how we breathe; the way we breathe in different positions determines how we feel. When we bring our awareness to how we feel we can go deeper into the pose as well as into ourselves. It all starts with little things. Little things, like how we place our hands or engage our core, can make the difference between going deeper into a pose and deeper into ourselves versus getting injured.
Although, sometimes we learn a lot about ourselves from getting injured; but that’s another story for another day.
Using the practice to notice little things can give us insight into why we think the way we think and do (and say) the things we do (and say) — on and off the mat. It can also help us bring awareness to how little things get us ready for the big things. For instance, next time you’re on the mat, give yourself the opportunity to notice these “little things” – one at a time and then all together:
- Make sure your legs are in a position that’s comfortable for your low back and that your arms are in a position that’s comfortable for neck and shoulders.
- Breathe deeply in and breathe deeply out.
- Notice the “L” of your hands, especially when you have weight in your hands and arms. (In grade school you might have learned that one “L” on your forehead means loser, but if you put two “L”s together you have a shot at a goal; if you tip the ends out, you have a “W” — which means winner.)
- For a vinyāsa practice, match the movement to the breath. For all practices, notice the natural internal movement that happens as you breathe.
- Press your shoulders down and squeeze the tips of your shoulder blades together. Notice how the engagement in the back body affects the front of the body.
- Engage the inside (starting at your feet and engage your core by squeezing into your midline).
- Focus on something that’s not moving so that your mind-body stays present. Remember, where your eyes go, your mind goes; where your mind goes, your body goes — especially in a balancing pose.
- SMILE!
- Notice what happens when you put it all together.
- Change your perspective and look at things in a slightly different way. (If you are working on a peak and/or advanced pose, practice a pose that looks and feels similar and, therefore, may require similar engagement.)
- Don’t panic! Be present and trust your practice in this moment.
This practice also featured the personal story from Rabbi Yaakov Salomon. It’s a story about little things and is a great reminder that while we may not always notice the little things until they become the big things, the little things matter. In fact, every little thing we feel, think, say, and do is the possibility of a big thing we’re in the habit of feeling, thinking, saying, or doing.
“Believe in what you’re doing”
— quoted from the song “A Matter of Time” by Los Lobos
Saturday’s playlist is available on YouTube and Spotify. [Look for “High Holidays: Little Things”]
### MAY YOUR NAME BE WRITTEN AND SEALED IN THE BOOK OF LIFE & MAY YOU HAVE FEW OBSTACLES ###
Posted by ajoyfulpractice in Music, Philosophy, Wisdom, Yoga.
Tags: Ganesh Chaturthi, High Holidays, Rabbi Yaakov Salomon, Ten Days of Atonement, Ten Days of Awe
Happy Equinox and many blessings, to everyone and especially those celebrating Ganesh Chaturthi!! “Chag sameach!” to those observing the High Holidays.
“And then we spoke about Rosh Hashana… finally.
People always talk about making big changes – New Year resolutions.
‘I want to lose 50 pounds.’
‘I want to finish the entire Talmud.’
‘I’m going to spend 90 minutes of quality time with my daughter every night.’
It doesn’t work. It never does. And if it does, it peters out. You have no choice. You must start small.”
— quoted from “Preparing for Rosh Hashana: The secret to an inspiring new year” by Rabbi Yaakov Salomon
Please join me today (Saturday, September 23th) at 12:00 PM, for a 90-minute yoga practice on Zoom. Use the link from the “Class Schedules” calendar if you run into any problems checking into the class. You can request an audio recording of this practice via a comment below or by emailing myra (at) ajoyfulpractice.com.
Saturday’s playlist is available on YouTube and Spotify. [Look for “High Holidays: Little Things”]
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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Posted by ajoyfulpractice in Changing Perspectives, Faith, Healing Stories, Hope, Life, Music, New Year, Philosophy, Religion, Rosh Hashanah, Science, Wisdom, Yoga.
Tags: Amos I. Root, Ganesh Chaturthi, High Holidays, Orville Wright, Pearl Jam, Pink Floyd, Tchuvah, Ten Days of Atonement, Ten Days of Awe, Teshuvah, Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers, Wilbur Wright
“Chag sameach!” to those observing the High Holidays. “Many blessings,” to everyone and especially those celebrating Ganesh Chaturthi!
This is a “missing” post for Wednesday, September 20th. NOTE: Portions of the following were previously posted in a (slightly) different context. You can request an audio recording of either practice via a comment below or (for a slightly faster reply) you can email myra (at) ajoyfulpractice.com.
In the spirit of generosity (“dana”), the Zoom classes, recordings, and blog posts are freely given and freely received. If you are able to support these teachings, please do so as your heart moves you. (NOTE: You can donate even if you are “attending” a practice that is not designated as a “Common Ground Meditation Center” practice, or you can purchase class(es). Donations are tax deductible; class purchases are not necessarily deductible.
Check out the “Class Schedules” calendar for upcoming classes.)
“Well, some say life will beat you down
Break your heart, steal your crown
So I’ve started out for God knows where
I guess I’ll know when I get there”
— quoted from the song “Learning to Fly” by Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers
“We could hardly wait to get up in the morning.”
— Wilbur Wright
Odds are, you can relate to the idea of life beating you down, of having your heart broken, and of feeling disappointed that some great achievement was within your grasp in one moment and then gone in the next moment. Maybe it was just a moment. Maybe it was a series of moments. Similarly, you’ve probably had a moment — hopefully, several moments in your life — when you were so excited that you couldn’t wait to get started. So, the important question isn’t whether you understand the emotions express above. The important question is: How do experience the latter every day?
Just imagine, for a moment, waking up every morning and being excited about the day ahead. Don’t discount the fact that no day is absolutely, 100% perfect and don’t ignore the fact that sometimes we all have to deal with those master teachers and precious jewels that push our buttons. Instead, keep those imperfections and obstacles in mind and envision a day full of things and people that energize you. Actually visualize yourself moving through a day when you not only learn from your mistakes and your obstacles, you’re excited about the implementing the knowledge that comes from your experiences.
What would such a day look like for you? For that matter, what would a whole year of days like that feel like to you?
“There’s no sensation to compare with this
Suspended animation, a state of bliss”
— quoted from the song “Learning to Fly” from Pink Floyd
Now, what would be the first step in a plan to have such a day, such a year, such a life?
It’s the step I just suggested you take: Envision it.
Personally, I think any time is a good time to “dwell in possibility.” This week feels like a particularly auspicious time since it is the middle of the High Holidays and the beginning of Ganesh Chaturthi — which means that, all over the world, there are people making plans for a new year and new beginnings with less obstacles.
So, I invite you to consider what it would be like to wake up as excited, energized, and motivated as the Wright Brothers were back in 1904. Keeping in mind, of course, that they were “given to fly” and, also, planned for their success by learning from what didn’t work, figuring out ways to overcome obstacles, and making adjustments as needed to always (re)turn to their goal.
“And he still gives his love, he just gives it away
The love he receives is the love that is saved”
— quoted from the song “Given to Fly” by Pearl Jam
Versions of the following excerpt were posted during Rosh Hashanah (2020/5781) and Sukkot (2021/5782). Some additional context has been added.
On September 20, 1904, in a cow pasture known as “Huffman Prairie,” just outside Dayton, Ohio, Orville and Wilbur Wright completed their 49th flight. They had moved their flights from Kitty Hawk and the Kill Devil Hills of North Caroline, in part because of the windy weather and in part because cutting their (land-based) travel time gave them more opportunities to fly. For the Flyer II, they used white pine instead of spruce and added weight to strengthen the frame. They also added a more powerful engine, shifted the center of gravity forward, and adjusted the plane’s wings configuration to create more pitch stability — all of which made it easier to fly. Finally, because they had less wind than at Kitty Hawk, they devised a catapult to pull the airplane down a wooden track. The catapult dropped a 1,000-pound (544 kilograms) weight from 20 feet (6.1 meters) in order to achieve a greater speed at takeoff.
Wilbur Wright was flying the newsworthy flight, which was remarkable not only because it lasted 1 minute, 36 seconds (covering 4,080 feet), but also because it was the first time they flew in a complete circle. 360 degrees! [In other words, they returned to their original position.] Amos I. Root, a beekeeper, drove 175 miles (from Medina, Ohio) just to see the Wright Brothers fly. He published his eyewitness account of that first circle in his magazine, Gleanings in Bee Culture.
“When it turned that circle, and came near the starting-point, I was right in front of it, and I said then and I believe still, it was . . . the grandest sight of my life. Imagine a locomotive that has left its track, and is climbing right toward you – a locomotive without any wheels . . . but with white wings instead. . . Well, now, imagine that locomotive with wings that spread 20 feet each way, coming right toward you with the tremendous flap of its propellers, and you have something like what I saw.”
— quoted from an article dated a January 1, 1905, in the Gleanings in Bee Culture by Amos I. Root
Amos Root’s words painted a vivid picture of a successful moment. He put the reader right smack dab in the middle of the moment. But what of all the crashes; what about all of the missed take offs and landings? Can we picture a moment some might consider a failure? What keeps someone going in those moments — especially when they are in the process of trying doing something that has never been done? What’s the secret to that kind of tenacity and resilience?
Now, go deeper and make it personal. As you make your plan for this next year of life — as you invite yourself to be the best version of yourself, fully present in your own life — turn those questions towards yourself.
- Picture yourself during a moment some might consider a failure. How do you plan to learn from that moment?
- What keeps you “up” (metaphorically speaking)? What keeps you motivated, and focused on (re)turning to your goal again and again?
- With whom do you like to collaborate (and with whom do you make a good team)?
- BONUS QUESTION #1: Who is “Root[ing]” for you? (Besides me; because “I Root” for you!)
- BONUS QUESTION #2: What would a beekeeper write about your moment of success?
“The airplane stays up because it doesn’t have the time to fall.”
— Orville Wright
Wednesday’s playlist is available on YouTube and Spotify. [Look for “Rosh Hashanah 09202020 only”]
“The desire to fly is an idea handed down to us by our ancestors who, in their grueling travels across trackless lands in prehistoric times, looked enviously on the birds soaring freely through.”
— Orville Wright
### MAY YOUR NAME BE WRITTEN AND SEALED IN THE BOOK OF LIFE & MAY YOU SOAR OVER OBSTACLES ###
Posted by ajoyfulpractice in Art, Bhakti, Books, Faith, Healing Stories, Hope, Kirtan, Life, Mantra, Music, Mysticism, One Hoop, Pain, Philosophy, Religion, Suffering, Tragedy, Wisdom, Writing, Yoga.
Tags: 4859, A. R. Rahman, Ganesh Chaturthi, Ganesha, High Holidays, Jarek Garliński, Khatija Rahman, Kirtan, Michael Schudrich, Norman Davies, Raheema Rahman, Righteous Among Nations, Ruth Bader Ginsburg, Sacred Couplets, Secret Polish Army, Ten Days of Atonement, Ten Days of Awe, Theodore Parker, Thirukkural, Tomasz Serafiński, U2, Unetaneh Tokef, Witold Pilecki
“Chag sameach!” to those observing the High Holidays. “Many blessings,” to everyone and especially those celebrating Ganesh Chaturthi!
“When marching along the gray road towards the tannery in a column raising clouds of dust, one saw the beautiful red light of the dawn shining on the white flowers in the orchards and on the trees by the roadside, or on the return journey we would encounter young couples out walking, breathing in the beauty of springtime, or women peacefully pushing their children in prams — then the thought uncomfortably bouncing around one’s brain would arise . . . swirling around, stubbornly seeking some solution to the insoluble question: Were we all . . . people?”
— quoted from The Auschwitz Volunteer: Beyond Bravery by Captain Witold Pilecki (Auschwitz Prisoner No. 4859), translated from Pilecki’s original 1945 Auschwitz Report by Jarek Garliński (with an Introduction by Norman Davies & a Forward by Michael Schudrich (Foreword)
It is all to easy to focus on our differences, but what happens when we focus on our similarities? What happens when we focus — or just take a moment to notice — the things we have in common? I think good things happen. I think it makes us more fully human and, possibly, more appreciative of what it means to human. This is why it always feels particularly auspicious when two or more completely different groups of people (from vastly different communities, faiths, and cultures) are celebrating and/or observing sacred times at the same time. It feels particularly notable (to me) when these “holy” times are the same length of time. Take right now, for instance, when two very different 10-day celebrations/observations are overlapping around the world.
Today is the fourth day of the High Holidays (and of the new year) according to the Hebrew calendar and, according to the Hindu calendar, today is the first day of Ganesh Chaturthi, the festival celebrating the birthday of Ganesha. I referred to these as “very different” — and it is true that the rituals, traditions, and faiths are different. However, underlying both holidays is something very human: a desire for new beginnings and less obstacles. Additionally, both observations require people to do something in preparation for the better days. Whether it is making an offering and/or offering (or asking for) forgiveness, these auspicious times require people to act. So, there is prayer, there is reflection, there is prayer, and there is a dissolution (or dissolving) or something.
In both cases there is also something sweet.
“ॐ गजाननाय नमः।
Aum Gajānanāya Namaḥ।”
— This mantra honoring “the One who carries the elephant head” is a reminder that if Ganesha can carry the elephant’s head to survive and fulfill his duties, we can all put aside our egos and live dutifully.
Ganesha is depicted as having a human body (with extra arms) and an elephant head. In Hinduism, he is the Remover of Obstacles and the God of New Beginnings. He is also associated with wisdom and intelligence, as well as the arts and sciences. For his birthday celebrations, people chant Vedic hymns and shastras (including sacred texts and scriptures). There will also be kirtan (chanting with music), which is a form of bhakti yoga or union through devotion/love. In addition to offering Ganesha his favorite sweets, people host Ganesha for one day, three days, seven days, or all ten days. They host him by displaying a clay statue of him in their homes and/or in public.
On the tenth day, the idols are carried to a nearby body of water and dissolved so that Ganesha can return to his heavenly home, carrying people’s obstacles/burdens away in the process. In some places, hundreds of thousands of statues are dissolved at the end of the festival. Over the years, people moved away from traditional materials and started using plaster of Paris (Gypsum plaster), which created environmental concerns. Some cities have now banned using plaster of Paris and encouraged people to return to using local clay (and sometimes clay and cow dung). There are also people who will dissolve their Ganesha statue in a barrel of water and then spread the dissolved clay in their garden — which may not seem like much, but can be way for a person’s actions and faith-based beliefs to make a difference in the world.
We can all do something little that makes a difference. Some, however, do big things that make a difference.
“I do not pretend to understand the moral universe. The arc is a long one. My eye reaches but little ways. I cannot calculate the curve and complete the figure by experience of sight. I can divine it by conscience. And from what I see I am sure it bends toward justice.”
— quoted from an 1853 sermon by abolitionist and Unitarian minister Theodore Parker
The following is a (slightly revised) excerpt from a 2020 post.
Calvary Captain Witold Pilecki (also known as Tomasz Serafiński) made such a big sacrifice and such a difference in the world that some believe he should be recognized by Yad Vashem (The World Holocaust Remembrance Center) as “Righteous Among Nations.” Today in 1940, he allowed himself to be captured by the Nazis. He did this in order to report the truth about what was going on in concentration camps like Auschwitz.
Captain Pilecki, served as an officer in the Polish Army during the Polish-Soviet War (1919 – 1920) and during World War II. As part of the Resistance to Nazi Occupied Poland, he co-founded the Secret Polish Army (along with Lieutenant Colonel Jan Henryk “Darwicz” Włodarkiewicz and Lieutenant Colonel Władysław “Stefan” Surmacki ), which eventually became part of the Home Army. When Germany invaded Poland at the end of 1939, very little was known about the concentration camps, but Captain Pilecki had a plan. His idea, which was approved by his Polish Army superiors, was to come out of hiding during a Warsaw roundup in order to be arrested and shipped to Auschwitz, where he could organize the resistance and report on the situation from the inside.
“I’ve been trying to live my life so that in the hour of my death I would rather feel joy, than fear.”
— Witold Pilecki’s statement to the judge after his sentencing, May 15, 1948
He was given a false identity card and was arrested on September 19, 1940. Arrested along with him were 2,000 civilians, including journalist and historian Władysław Bartoszewski (who was designated “Righteous Among Nations” in 1965). After being detained for two days, “Tomasz Serafiński” was assigned number 4859, and shipped to Auschwitz, where he documented the difference between the way the Nazis treated Jewish people versus non-Jewish people. He also documented the escalating move towards genocide.
During his two and a half years at Auschwitz, Witold Pilecki formed Union of Military Organizations (ZOW), a resistance organization within the camp, which set up intelligence networks; distributed extra food, clothing, and medical supplies; boosted morale; and prepared for a possible Home Army coup. At one point, ZOW was even able to construct and use a secret radio receiver and help at least 4 Polish men escape (with one of Captain Witold’s reports).
“Witold’s Report” (also known as “Pilecki’s Report”) was information that was regularly smuggled through the Polish resistance to London and even to the British government. It provided the outside world with the first “official” documentation of the Nazi’s atrocities. For much of the war, however, the reports of genocide were considered too unbelievable. As the Nazi’s plans became more and more obvious, and as his calls for the Allies to bomb the camps were denied, Captain Pilecki realized he was running out of time. He was receiving news from the outside that the Allies supported the idea of a prisoner insurrection — which he too had suggested at one time. However, by 1943, the people inside the camp were too weakened to mount an attack. He thought could be more convincing in person, so he put a new plan into action.
After he escaped in April 1943, Captain Pilecki wrote “Report W,” outlining the conditions of the camps, as well as details about the gas chambers, the selection process, the crematoria, and the sterilization experiments. His report was signed by other escapees and included the names of ZOW members. He continued to work and organize the resistance, while also expanding “Report W.” He participated in the Warsaw Uprising and was reassigned to Italy, but eventually returned to Communist-controlled Poland. In May of 1947, he was arrested by the Communist government and tortured, but he would not reveal other members of the resistance. He was eventually “tried” and executed. His most comprehensive version of the “W Report” (from 1945) was published in 2012, as The Auschwitz Volunteer: Beyond Bravery, and his life has been the subject of a number of books, songs, and articles.
“Who will be calm and who will be tormented?
Who will become poor and who will get rich?
Who will be made humble and who will be raised up?
But teshuvah and tefillah and tzedakah [return and prayer and righteous acts]
deflect the evil of the decree.”
— quoted from the poem “Unetaneh Tokef” (“Let Us Speak of the Awesomeness”)
Please join me today (Tuesday, September 19th) at 12:00 PM or 7:15 PM for a yoga practice on Zoom. You can use the link from the “Class Schedules” calendar if you run into any problems checking into the class. You can request an audio recording of this practice via a comment below or (for a slightly faster reply) you can email myra (at) ajoyfulpractice.com.
Tuesday’s playlist is available on YouTube and Spotify. [Look for “High Holidays: Bending the Arc”]
NOTE: The YouTube playlist contains extra videos of some of the songs featured during the practice.
“Even when a man takes revenge on others who hate him, in spite of him not hating them initially, the pain caused by his vengeance will bring him inevitable sorrow.” (313)
“When a man inflicts pain upon others in the forenoon, it will come upon him unsought in the afternoon.” (319)
— quoted from the English translation of the Tamil lyrics of the song “Ahimsa” by U2 and A. R. Rahman, featuring Khatija and Raheema Rahman (translation from IntegralYoga.org)
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.)
### MAY YOUR NAME BE WRITTEN & SEALED IN THE BOOK OF LIFE / MAY YOU HAVE FEW OBSTACLES AHEAD ###
Posted by ajoyfulpractice in Books, Changing Perspectives, Faith, Healing Stories, Hope, Karma, Life, Music, New Year, One Hoop, Philosophy, Religion, Rosh Hashanah, Wisdom, Writing, Yoga.
Tags: Batman, guru, guru kripa, H. A. Rey, High Holidays, Kelly Bartlett, kripa, Margaret Rey, Pandit Rajmani Tigunait, Rosh Hashanah, Tchuvah, Ten Days of Atonement, Ten Days of Awe, Teshuvah, Unetaneh Tokef, Yoga Sutra 2.1
“L’Shana Tovah U’Metukah!” to anyone who is observing Rosh Hashanah and many blessings to all!
This is a “missing” post for Saturday, September 16th. NOTE: Portions of the following were previously posted in a (slightly) different context. You can request an audio recording of either practice via a comment below or (for a slightly faster reply) you can email myra (at) ajoyfulpractice.com.
In the spirit of generosity (“dana”), the Zoom classes, recordings, and blog posts are freely given and freely received. If you are able to support these teachings, please do so as your heart moves you. (NOTE: You can donate even if you are “attending” a practice that is not designated as a “Common Ground Meditation Center” practice, or you can purchase class(es). Donations are tax deductible; class purchases are not necessarily deductible.
Check out the “Class Schedules” calendar for upcoming classes.)
“Although both kriya and karma can be translated as ‘action,’ there is a vast difference between them. Both are derived from the verb root kri…, which means ‘to do.’ Kriya refers to an action in process as well as to the dynamic force propelling the action. Karma refers to completed action. Unless a fresh wave of action is exerted on karma, it remains unchanged. Karma is an unchanging field of completed action waiting to be harvested by the performer of the action, while kriya is ever-moving, ever-changing energy. Kriya yoga is yoga in action, not yoga of action, and should not be confused with karma yoga.”
— quoted from the commentary on Yoga Sūtra 2.1 from The Practice of the Yoga Sutra: Sadhana Pada by Pandit Rajmani Tigunait, PhD
According to the Hebrew calendar, Rosh Hashanah, “the Head of the Year” started at sunset on Friday night (making Saturday the first day of the new year and beginning of the High Holidays). The High Holidays, also known as the “Ten Days of Awe” or “Ten Days of Repentance” culminate with Yom Kippur, the Day of Atonement and are one of the holiest times of the year. This period is so auspicious that it is celebrated by very devout people as well as by people who might not typical go to services. Unlike a secular new year, this is more than a celebration — it is an observation: a time for reflection, remembrance, and repentance.
For Jewish people around the world (and for people who observe the commanded holidays outlined in Deuteronomy), the High Holidays are time for a specific kind of action. This is a time to actively get ready for a new year of life — beginning anew, with a clean slate — and that requires some effort (to combat the effort). From a yoga (and yoga philosophy) perspective, we can think of this as kriyā to combat karma — in other words “doing” to combat “what has been done.”
In Yoga Sūtra 2.1, Patanjali defined kriyā yoga (“union in action”) as a combination of the final three niyamas (internal “observations”): discipline/austerity, self-study, and trustful surrender to a higher power (other than one’s self). In this context, kriyā yoga is a purification ritual. It is an opportunity to let go of what no longer serves us and move with more strength, focus, and determination. In the Kundalini Yoga tradition, “kriyā” is the term applied to sequences with specific energetic intentions. I think either understanding can be considered a prescription and, as I often mention, there are rituals and traditions outside of yoga that fall within this rubric.
“Who will be calm and who will be tormented?
Who will become poor and who will get rich?
Who will be made humble and who will be raised up?
But teshuvah and tefillah and tzedakah [repentance and prayer and righteous acts]
deflect the evil of the decree.”
— quoted from the poem “Unetaneh Tokef” (“Let Us Speak of the Awesomeness”)
Even if you are not Jewish, even if you’ve never attended services during the High Holidays, there’s a good chance you’ve heard some of the words from the liturgical poem “Unetaneh Tokef” (“Let Us Speak of the Awesomeness”). It begins with the belief that on Rosh Hashanah G-d writes people’s names and fates in the “Book of Life” and that the book is sealed on Yom Kippur. Then there is a litany of fates. Some people will go to services specifically to hear the poem, some will avoid it (as parts are explicit and can be triggering). Many of the fates are included in a beautifully haunting song by a young Leonard Cohen — which has a tendency to stick with you! However, outside of the tradition, people don’t really focus on the end of the poem, which highlights the fact that (in theory) we each have 10 days to ensure our name and fate are sealed favorably. The end of the poem outlines three key elements to the observation of this holiest of times. These three key elements can also be described as key elements to living a good life: repentance/return, prayer (or reflection), and righteous acts.
Teshuvah (or Tchuvah), Hebrew for “return” and also “repentance,” is not about self flagellation; it’s not about beating yourself up. It’s about recognizing when you’ve made a mistake — even the same mistake again and again — and then taking the steps to stop making the mistake, express remorse for making the mistake, and planning how to not make the mistake (again and again) in the future. It’s about returning to G-d, to community, and/or to your true self.
“After the day is gone we shall go out, breathe deeply, and look up – and there the stars will be, unchanged, unchangeable.”
— quoted from The Stars: A New Way to See Them by H. A. Rey
At the end of the day, we each have some work that only we can do. Sometimes, we can do that work all on our own (even though it may be easier in community). Sometimes, however, we need to actually ask for and/or offer forgiveness. Sometimes, we need the grace of an outside perspective, the insight of a someone who can help us see the light.
It is up to the Saturday “irregulars” to determine if I am succeeding or not, but one of my goals in focusing on the four kinds of kripa (“grace”) has been to convey that kripa — and, in particular, guru kripa — is an energy. It is an energy that can manifest in different ways, which means that “the remover of darkness” (or “light”), i.e., the guru, can show up in different ways and places. In other words, we can learn valuable lessons from a curious teacher (or two).
The following is an abridged (and slightly revised) version of a 2020 post.
“Now run along and play, but don’t get into trouble.’ George promised to be good. But it is easy for little monkeys to forget.”
— quoted from Curious George by Margaret and H. A. Rey
Hans Augusto Reyersbach, better known as H. A. Rey, was the author of The Stars: A New Way to See Them and the co-author of children’s books featuring Curious George and The Man in the Yellow Hat. Born today in 1898, he and his wife Margaret (born Margarete Elisabeth Waldstein, on May 16, 1906) were German Jews who originally met in their hometown of Hamburg, but then both ended up in Brazil and reconnected in Rio de Janeiro. It was in Brazil that H. A. changed his last name to Rey and Margarete changed her first name to Margaret. They married in Brazil and took a honeymoon cruise to Europe before settling in Paris, France. During the cruise, their pet marmoset monkeys died. These pets may have been the beginning of the idea that became George; because, when they settled in France, they began creating the drawings and stories that would become “Curious George and Friends.”
George, however, did not start off as “George.” Like the Reys, he went through a series of name changes, starting with “Fifi” and “Zozo.” He also has different names in different translations, including (but not limited to) Jordi (in Catalan), Peter Pedal (in Danish), Coco (in German), Golgol in Galacian), and Nicke Nyfiken (in Swedish). I am particular fond of “Peter Pedal,” because it makes me think of how Curious George, and his creators, escaped the Nazis. A back story that is as much of an adventure as the stories themselves.
“It seems ridiculous to be thinking about children’s books. [But] life goes on, the editors edit, the artists draw, even during wartime.”
— H. A. Rey
Margaret, who H. A. originally remembered as the kid sister who slid down banisters, ended up in Brazil specifically because she was escaping the Nazi’s rise of power in Germany. In 1939, the now married Reys wrote and illustrated a book called Rafi and the 9 Monkeys. From the beginning it was an equal collaboration, but only H. A.’s name appeared on the original publications. (On a side note, Rafi would become “Raffi” when the book was published in the United Kingdom and “Cecily” when it was published in the United States.) Rafi was a giraffe whose friends and family had been captured and placed in a zoo. She made friends with a family of nine monkeys — the most prominent of whom would become “George.”
By the time the war broke out, the Reys had been contracted to publish a book featuring the gregarious monkey. They were working on other books as well; however, in June of 1940, the couple decided to put everything on hold and flee from the Nazi invasion. H. A. built two bicycles and, taking little more than the drawings and manuscript for “Fifi,” they headed south. Their four-month journey eventually landed them in New York City, where the first Curious George book was published (in 1941).
One of the things that aided their escape was the fact that they were officially Brazilian citizens. Another thing that helped them was “Fifi.” At one point in their escape, an official suspected them of being German spies (because they were Jewish people with German accents and Brazilian visas), but let them go when he searched their belongings and found nothing more than a children’s story.
“George can do what kids can’t do. He can paint a room from the inside. He can hang from a kite in the sky. He can let the animals out of their pens on the farm. He can do all these naughty things that kids would like to do.”
— Margaret Rey
“Curious George does exactly what he’s supposed to do for his age and development (and species)! By nature and by name, he is curious. He explores his world fully and completely. This is his job as a young, continually developing little person, er, monkey. This is why my kids love the show–they relate so well to George’s genuinely curious nature and all of the honest (and funny) mistakes that ensue. But what I find most refreshing about ‘Curious George’ is The Man in the Yellow Hat.
The Man in the Yellow Hat never punishes George for his mistakes. He is more concerned with solving the problem. The man helps George put things away, fix things that broke, apologize to people who were involved in any indiscretions, and generally restore order.”
— quoted from “Why I Like Curious George” posted on the blog Parenting From Scratch by Kelly Bartlett
Saturday’s playlist is available on YouTube and Spotify. [Look for “Rosh Hashanah 2021”]
### MAY YOUR NAME BE WRITTEN & SEALED IN THE BOOK OF LIFE ###
Posted by ajoyfulpractice in Books, Healing Stories, Hope, Music, New Year, One Hoop, Religion, Rosh Hashanah, Wisdom, Writing, Yoga.
Tags: H. A. Rey, High Holidays, Margaret Rey, Rosh Hashanah
“L’Shana Tovah U’Metukah!” to anyone who is observing Rosh Hashanah and many blessings to all!
Please join me today (Saturday, September 16th) at 12:00 PM, for a 90-minute yoga practice on Zoom. Use the link from the “Class Schedules” calendar if you run into any problems checking into the class. You can request an audio recording of this practice via a comment below or by emailing myra (at) ajoyfulpractice.com.
Saturday’s playlist is available on YouTube and Spotify. [Look for “Rosh Hashanah 2021”]
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.)
### MAY YOUR NAME BE WRITTEN & SEALED IN THE BOOK OF LIFE ###
Posted by ajoyfulpractice in "Impossible" People, Art, Changing Perspectives, Faith, Healing Stories, Hope, Life, Music, Philosophy, Religion, Wisdom, Yoga.
Tags: 1 Samuel, Cristian Mihaila, David, Michaelangelo
May you be safe and protected. May you be healthy and strong. May you be peaceful and happy. May you know what is inside of you.
“David said to Saul, ‘Let no one lose heart….’”
— quoted from The First Book of Samuel (or Shmuel I – I Samuel) 17:32 (NIV)
The following excerpt is from a 2022 post:
“Today, I offer you a story about David. It’s actually two stories… about the same David – even though it is simultaneously the same story about two different Davids… with a little side note about two additional Davids….
To clarify today’s offering(s), the first story and the first David is the one from the Bible, specifically the Hebrew Bible and the Christian Old Testament. You remember that David?
People love the story of that David, because it is the story of the underdog. When faced with the towering figure of Goliath, David used his inner resources. He drew from the experience he had as a shepherd (rather than being preoccupied by the experience he didn’t have as a soldier). He focused on what he could do (not on what he was ‘trying’ to do). His inner strength, courage, and wisdom were what he took into his reign as king. Yes, King David made mistakes – he was human; but his legacy is firmly established by the story of his victory against Goliath, his son Solomon (who is considered the ruler with the wisest heart in the history of the world), and the statue by Michelangelo.
This brings me to the ‘second’ David and the second story: the story of Michelangelo’s David.”
Please join me for a virtual yoga practice on Zoom, today (Wednesday, September 13th) at 4:30 PM or 7:15 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.
Wednesday’s playlist is available on YouTube and Spotify. [Look for “09132020 What Is Inside, II”]
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.)
### DREAM. BREATHE. DREAM. BREATHE. ###
Posted by ajoyfulpractice in Art, Hope, Life, Music, Philosophy, Twin Cities, Wisdom, Yoga.
Tags: Ariel Kendall, Battle of Marathon, Dr. Reena Kotecha, marathon, Mindfulness, Run like Rel, running
May you be safe and protected. May you be healthy and strong. May you be peaceful and happy.
“Start with a dream. Chase after it. Run with it. Hold FAST to Your Dreams. (Your dream is worth chasing.)”
– A little inspiration from Run Like Rel
The following excerpt is from a 2022 post:
“The Battle of Marathon makes for a good story. It’s one of those inspiring stories of the underdogs prevailing and it’s one of the stories that bolstered the ancient Greeks morale. In fact, the story of how the Athenians, with the assistance of a relatively small group of Plataeans, conquered the enormous Persian army is also notable because it is one of the earliest recorded battles. There are, however, some discrepancies in what’s recorded. For instance, depending on who you ask (and how they track time), the Battle of Marathon either happened on August 12th or it happened today, on September 12th, 490 BEC. Then there’s….”
Please join me today (Tuesday, September 12th) at 12:00 PM or 7:15 PM for a yoga practice on Zoom. You can use the link from the “Class Schedules” calendar if you run into any problems checking into the class. You can request an audio recording of this practice via a comment below or (for a slightly faster reply) you can email myra (at) ajoyfulpractice.com.
Tuesday’s playlist is available on YouTube and Spotify.
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.)
### P. A. C. E. & P. A. U. S. E. ###
Posted by ajoyfulpractice in "Impossible" People, Books, Changing Perspectives, Hope, Life, Love, Music, One Hoop, Pain, Peace, Philosophy, Poetry, Suffering, Wisdom, Women, Writing, Yoga.
Tags: Mary Oliver
May you be safe and protected. May you be healthy and strong. May you know you are loved.
“You do not have to be good
You do not have to walk on your knees
for a hundred miles through the desert repenting.
You only have to let the soft animal of your body
love what it loves.”
— quoted from the poem “Wild Geese” by Mary Oliver
The following excerpt is from a 2022 post:
“Consider how much lovelier and simpler the world would be if we all accepted each other as we are; supported the ones we love as they are; allowed others in the world to get what they wanted/needed from us without compromising our own wants/needs, and let go of all the rest.
Simply stated: Consider how much lovelier and simpler the world would be if we love/respected each other, helped each other out, and let go of all the rest.”
Please join me for a 65-minute virtual yoga practice on Zoom today (Sunday, September 10th) 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 “05252022 Pratyahara II”]
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.)
### SO HUM, HAM SA ###
Posted by ajoyfulpractice in Books, Changing Perspectives, Faith, Healing Stories, Hope, Life, Love, Music, Mysticism, One Hoop, Pain, Philosophy, Religion, Suffering, Tragedy, Wisdom, Writing, Yoga.
Tags: Ahimsa, Christopher Isherwood, Leo Tolstoy, Rainer Maria Rilke, satya, Siddhartha, Sophia Tolstoya, Swami Prabhavananda, Swami Vivekananda, Tarak Nath Das, Tolstoyans, Yoga Sutra 1.33
May you be safe and protected. May you know you are loved.
For Those Who Missed It: The following was originally posted in 2020. Class details and links (some of which direct you outside of this blog) have been updated.
“Love is the only way to rescue humanity from all ills, and in it you too have the only method of saving your people from enslavement. In very ancient times love was proclaimed with special strength and clearness among your people to be the religious basis of human life.”
– quoted from section V of “A Letter to a Hindu” by Leo Tolstoy (dated 12/14/1908)
Consider that if you practice ahimsā (“non-harming” or “non-violence”) and satya (a dedication to “truth”), there are times when telling the brutal honest truth, creates harm. So, the questions become (1) how to mitigate the harm – while also being dedicated to the truth – and (2) how to be honest without telling the truth. Someone who would have strived to find the balance was Leo Tolstoy who, in my humble opinion, sometimes failed miserably to find the balance.
Going by the Gregorian calendar, Leo Tolstoy was born today in 1828. He was born into nobility near Tula, Russia and, in many ways, his story could mirror that of Prince Siddhartha’s story of enlightenment… if it weren’t for those pesky trips to the brothel. Yes, born into wealth and privilege, Tolstoy indulged himself. Then he fell in love and very quickly married the 18-year old Sophia Behrs, the daughter of a court physician. There was a difference in their social status and a 16-year age difference; however, those were not the problems. Their marital strife started before they even got married when, under the guise of full disclosure, Tolstoy forced Sophia to read his diaries – filled with his sexual exploits – the night before their wedding. In a similar vein, he would later tell his favorite daughter Maria, known as “Masha,” that although it was sad that she had experienced another failed birth, “it is clearly a benefit to your spiritual life.”
Yeah, Tolstoy kinda sucked like that.
He was also, by all accounts, incredibly moody.
If you only know of Tolstoy as the Nobel Prize nominated author of giant Russian novels that many consider the greatest literature ever written, then my earlier statement about his story mirroring the Buddha’s story may come as a surprise – especially given his interpersonal skills as described above.
I completely understand if, given the above information, you don’t want to read anything more. (Especially considering the fact that I don’t think the rest of the story redeems him.) Here’s the thing though: Tolstoy spent much of his adult life in the middle of a spiritual crisis and his efforts to resolve this crisis led him to “start” a spiritual movement that inspired people from all over the world – including Mahatma Gandhi, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., & Rev. James Bevel. Gandhi even named a spiritual settlement in South Africa after Tolstoy.
“I believe that such a time has now arrived—not in the sense that it has come in the year 1908, but that the inherent contradiction of human life has now reached an extreme degree of tension: on the one side there is the consciousness of the beneficence of the law of love, and on the other the existing order of life which has for centuries occasioned an empty, anxious, restless, and troubled mode of life, conflicting as it does with the law of love and built on the use of violence. This contradiction must be faced, and the solution will evidently not be favourable to the outlived law of violence, but to the truth which has dwelt in the hearts of men from remote antiquity: the truth that the law of love is in accord with the nature of man.
But men can only recognize this truth to its full extent when they have completely freed themselves from all religious and scientific superstitions and from all the consequent misrepresentations and sophistical distortions by which its recognition has been hindered for centuries.”
– quoted from section VI of “A Letter to a Hindu” by Leo Tolstoy (dated 12/14/1908)
But, I’m jumping ahead. So, let’s back up a minute. Before we get to the part where Leo Tolstoy was rooted in pacifism and Christian anarchism, we have to go back…even before the brothels.
At an early age, Tolstoy’s teacher wrote him off as not being too smart. Yet, he taught himself twelve languages. His brother suggested that he enlist in the army and also encouraged him to write. The fighting that he saw at the front during the Crimean War, combined with an execution he witness in Paris (1857), and his brother’s death around 1859, caused Tolstoy to question his faith and his place in the world. In particular, he questioned “superstitious belief in progress,” which led to a moral crisis and spiritual awakening.
Part of his questioning led him to the desire to marry and have a family. His marriage with Sophia, while full of conflict, was instrumental in the completion and publication of the novel “1805,” which was renamed War and Peace. Sophia Tolstoya rewrote each revision of the novel by hand. She wrote out the entire novel eight times in seven years, although she had to rewrite some sections 30 times – all while giving birth to four of their 13 children and taking care of the day-to-day operations of their home and business affairs. Despite their personal conflicts (which included Tolstoy’s insistence that she continue having children even after a doctor said it was detrimental to her health), Tolstoya continued to support her husband’s literary efforts throughout their marriage.
The couple’s ultimate split occurred after their estate was essentially turned into a de-facto settlement for “Tolstoyans” (who wanted to be closer to their “spiritual leader”) and Sophia Tolstoya demanded Tolstoy sign over control of his publishing royalties (because she feared he would bankrupt the family). The ultimate split between the couple caused quite a public scandal, but that’s towards the end of the story. In between, there were the novels (including Anna Karenina, which Tolstoy considered his “first novel”). The Kingdom of God is Within You (the title of which references John 17:21), a series of short stories collected under the title What Men Live By (which includes more questions), and his 1908 “Letter to a Hindu” (addressed to Tarak Nath Das).
“All that exists is One. People only call this One by different names. ~The Vedas
God is love, and he who abides in love abides in God, and God abides in him. ~ 1 John 4:16
God is one whole; we are the parts. ~ Exposition of the teaching of the Vedas by Vivekananda”
– quoted from “A Letter to a Hindu” by Leo Tolstoy (dated 12/14/1908)
All of Leo Tolstoy’s work can come under that heading of “what men live by.” The Kingdom of God is Within You highlights Jesus’ teaching to turn the other cheek. It also questions what Tolstoy viewed as hypocrisy, corruption, and moral contradictions within organized religion. Although it was banned in Russia, it was published in Germany several years after Tolstoy was placed under police surveillance by the czarist government and excommunicated by the Russian Orthodox Church. “A Letter to a Hindu” draws quotes from a plethora of sacred text and shows the parallels between religious traditions many people may not realize have shared teachings.
There’s more to the story, of course there is more, but just this little bit brings up the original questions above plus some particular to the author: Was Tolstoy the ultimate hypocrite? Is he the perfect cautionary tale? Did he spend his life becoming/being what he most despised and criticized?
Then, there are the questions that, perhaps, you have found yourself asking over the last few years: Do we disregard the message/teaching because of the messenger’s bad behavior? Should we excuse bad behavior because nobody is perfect, but some people have good intentions? How much should someone be condemned if they are doing their best to work towards a better world, but their bad (suffering-causing) behavior is rooted in years of privilege?
At each point, I think we have to come back to the beginning: ahimsā and satya. At each point, we have to turn inward and ask ourselves: What creates the least amount of harm while simultaneously allowing us to maintain our dedication to the truth?
“Undisturbed calmness of mind is attained by cultivating feelings of friendliness toward the happy, compassion for the unhappy, delight in the virtuous, and indifference toward the wicked [ or non-virtuous].”
– quoted from How to Know God: The Yoga Aphorisms of Patanjali (1.33), translated and with commentary by Swami Prabhavananda and Christopher Isherwood
“As soon as men live entirely in accord with the law of love natural to their hearts and now revealed to them, which excludes all resistance by violence, and therefore hold aloof from all participation in violence —as soon as this happens, not only will hundreds be unable to enslave millions, but not even millions will be able to enslave a single individual. Do not resist the evil-doer and take no part in doing so, either in the violent deeds of the administration, in the law courts, the collection of taxes, or above all in soldiering, and no one in the world will be able to enslave you.”
– quoted from section V of “A Letter to a Hindu” by Leo Tolstoy (dated 12/14/1908)
Please join me today (Saturday, September 9th) at 12:00 PM, for a 90-minute yoga practice on Zoom (featuring “Three Questions,” one of Tolstoy’s short stories). 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.
Saturday’s playlist is available on YouTube and Spotify. [Look for “09092020 Tolstoy’s Theory”]
NOTE: The penultimate track is different in the before/after music on each platform.
“O ye who sit in bondage and continually seek and pant for freedom, seek only for love. Love is peace in itself and peace which gives complete satisfaction. I am the key that opens the portal to the rarely discovered land where contentment alone is found.” ~KRISHNA.
– quoted from section VI of “A Letter to a Hindu” by Leo Tolstoy (dated 12/14/1908)
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.)
### “LIVE THE QUESTION NOW” (RMR) ###
A Joyful Practice 