Anne Marie’s Life & EXCERPT: “Accepting Rachel’s Challenge & Entering the Garden” (the “missing” post-practice Monday post) *w/CORRECTION* April 20, 2026
Posted by ajoyfulpractice in Baha'i, Changing Perspectives, Depression, Faith, Healing Stories, Hope, Life, Loss, One Hoop, Pain, Peace, Philosophy, Religion, Riḍván, Suffering, Tragedy, Wisdom, Women, Writing, Yoga.Tags: 988, Anne Marie Hochhalter, by Jessie Van Amburg, Columbine High School, Commemoration of the Dead, mass shootings, mental health, Provody, Rachel Joy Scott, Radonitsa, Riḍván, Ridvan, Second Week of Pascha, Thornton Wilder
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“Happy Riḍván!” to those celebrating “the Most Great Festival.” Peace and many blessings to everyone and especially to anyone Counting the Omer and/or celebrating and/or observing the Second Week of Pascha & Radonitsa or Provody (Day of Rejoicing / Commemoration of the Dead)!
Happy Poetry Month!!
This is the “missing” (and backdated) post-practice for Monday, April 20th. The 2026 prompt question was, “What is on your heart and on your mind?”
WARNING: This post and the excerpted post reference Columbine High School and mass shootings. This post also references suicide. You can request an audio recording of this practice or a previous practice via a comment below or (for a slightly faster reply) you can email myra (at) ajoyfulpractice.com.
In the spirit of generosity (“dana”), the Zoom classes, recordings, and blog posts are freely given and freely received. If you are able to support these teachings, please do so as your heart moves you. (NOTE: You can donate even if you are “attending” a practice that is not designated as a “Common Ground Meditation Center” practice, or you can purchase class(es).
Donations are tax deductible; class purchases are not necessarily deductible.
Check out the “Class Schedules” calendar for upcoming classes.
“ANTROBUS: …. Oh, I’ve never forgotten for long at a time that living is struggle. I know that every good and excellent thing in the world stands moment by moment on the razor-edge of danger and must be fought for — whether it’s a field, or a home, or a country. All I ask is the chance to build new worlds and God has always given us that second chance, and has given us [opening the book] voices to guide us; and the memory of our mistakes to warn us. Maggie, you and I must remember in peace time all those resolves that were clear to us in the days of war. Maggie, we’ve come a long ways. We’ve learned. We’re learning. And the steps of our journey are marked for us here.”
— quoted from The Skin of Our Teeth by Thornton Wilder
Seventeen-year old Rachel Joy Scott was one of the “voices to guide us”. After she and twelve others were killed, on April 20, 1999, her family found her notebooks full of messages that have stood the test of time. If you click on the excerpt title below, you will find a little of her story and the names of the others who were killed 27 years ago.
What you will not find is the name of Anne Marie Hochhalter, who was also a 17-year old at Columbine High School on April 20, 1999. Ms. Hochhalter was shot and left paralyzed from the waist down by the same person who killed Ms. Scott. She died on February 16, 2025, at the age of 43, because of sepsis complicated by the gunshot wounds she sustained in 1999. Her death is officially listed as a homicide — making her the fourteenth homicide victim.1
“Hindsight is always 20/20. We’re 20 years past the point of Columbine, and I can see where I went wrong [in coping], and that was in delaying counseling. I cannot stress that enough. Students and teachers that were there at Columbine, the people that didn’t lose a loved one or who weren’t injured, that they weren’t ‘that bad,’ they might have thought that they didn’t need it. That’s a lie, and it’s come back to bite a lot of us in the butt 20 years later because we put it off.”
— Anne Marie Hochhalter, quoted from the (Feb 16, 2018) Women’s Health interview, “‘I Survived Columbine And It Feels Like Nothing Has Changed: We haven’t addressed mass shootings at all.’” by Jessie Van Amburg
I don’t remember hearing about Anne Marie Hochhalter’s death last year. When I did hear about it, I thought about editing the earlier post(s); but then I thought about her life. See, despite her paralysis and the fact that she lived with severe pain for the rest of her life, Anne Marie Hochhalter also became one of those “voices to guide us”. She spent the rest of her life advocating against gun violence, supporting other survivors of gun violence, advocating for supplemental Social Security payments for people with disabilities, and training rescue dogs. She did all of that while also working and establishing her own independence. She did all that while also dealing with her own physical and emotional pain and trauma from the attack that left her paralyzed, as well as the trauma and grief related to her own mother dying by suicide (and using a gun, no less) six months after the Columbine High School shooting.
Anne Marie Hochhalter was an avid proponent of the NoNotoriety Movement and the “Don’t Name Them” campaign. When I wrote the earlier posts, I did so with that movement and campaign in mind. And that’s the other reason I’m only going to add an extra link to those earlier posts: Anne Marie’s voice is heard (and one of her challenges accepted)…in the silence.
Click on the excerpt title below to learn about Rachel’s Challenge and a little bit about Riḍván, “the Most Great Festival”
“I had counseling in the very beginning, but I was still in such a fog and a daze so I thought that I was okay. But I recently started it up again this year. I figured, Better late than never! But now, looking back, I wish I had been in counseling that whole time. It has a greater effect on you than you think, and it’s a delayed reaction. So many of my classmates have said the same exact thing.”
— Anne Marie Hochhalter, quoted from the (Feb 16, 2018) Women’s Health interview, “‘I Survived Columbine And It Feels Like Nothing Has Changed: We haven’t addressed mass shootings at all.’” by Jessie Van Amburg
The post excerpted above includes statistics about mass shootings. This year, I didn’t find reliable updates; however, from Friday the 17th until the morning of Monday the 19th, there were 11 shootings (that I know about) directly affecting 58 people (that I know about). Clearly, some of us are not listening to the right voices and accepting the right challenges. But/and, it is also true that sometimes we need to ask for help.
So, here is a third challenge: If you or someone you know is thinking about suicide, dealing with depression, and/or struggling with addiction, I dare you to ask for help. It might be the hardest thing you do. It can also be the best thing you do.
“Having a support system around you of your friends and family is so important. Having people just to sit there when you’re feeling down—not to offer advice, just to sit beside you. Or take you out of the house, find you something that you like to do. Because if you just sit ay home and don’t go out, it just destroys you. It can destroy you. So counseling and having that support system are the two most important things I can think of.”
— Anne Marie Hochhalter, quoted from the (Feb 16, 2018) Women’s Health interview, “‘“I Survived Columbine And It Feels Like Nothing Has Changed: We haven’t addressed mass shootings at all.”’” by Jessie Van Amburg
There is no playlist for the Common Ground Meditation Center practices.
If you are thinking about suicide, worried about a friend or loved one, or would like emotional support, you can dial 988 (in the US) or call 1-800-273-TALK (8255) for the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline. You can also call this TALK line if you are struggling with addiction or involved in an abusive relationship. The Lifeline network is free, confidential, and available to all 24/7. YOU CAN TALK ABOUT ANYTHING.
White Flag is an app, which I have not yet researched, but which may be helpful if you need peer-to-peer (non-professional) support.
If you are a young person in crisis, feeling suicidal, or in need of a safe and judgement-free place to talk, you can also click here to contact the TrevorLifeline (which is staffed 24/7 with trained counselors).
You’re Invited to Bend… & To Take The Deepest Breath You’ve Taken — On Retreat!
September 25 — 27, 2026
CORRECTION:1 As noted in the original post, 36 people were killed or injured on April 20, 1999. In addition to the 14 whose deaths are officially homicides, at least two other victims (Austin Eubanks and Greg Barnes) have died in ways that are related to this traumatic tragedy.
### I DARE YOU TO LOVE, BE NICE, & ASK FOR HELP! ###
Where We Begin… & Understanding How Things Work, Redux (the “missing” compilation post for Sunday) April 12, 2026
Posted by ajoyfulpractice in Healing Stories, Lent / Great Lent, One Hoop, Poetry, Religion, Women, Writing, Yoga.Tags: 988, Bright Week, Easter, Gary Soto, Octave of Easter, Paschalion, Poetry, poetry month
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Happy Pascha, to those who are celebrating Bright Week!! Peace and many blessings to everyone and especially to anyone Counting the Omer and/or celebrating and/or observing Eastertide and the Octave of Easter or Bright Week.
Happy Poetry Month!!
This “missing” compilation post for Sunday, April 12th , contains new and “renewed” content. Links to the related Kiss My Asana offerings can be found at the of this post. Poetry links in the final notes section will direct you to sites outside of this blog. NOTE: There is a passing reference to an accidental death.
You can request an audio recording of this practice or a previous practice via a comment below or (for a slightly faster reply) you can email myra (at) ajoyfulpractice.com.
In the spirit of generosity (“dana”), the Zoom classes, recordings, and blog posts are freely given and freely received. If you are able to support these teachings, please do so as your heart moves you. (NOTE: You can donate even if you are “attending” a practice that is not designated as a “Common Ground Meditation Center” practice, or you can purchase class(es).
Donations are tax deductible; class purchases are not necessarily deductible.
Check out the “Class Schedules” calendar for upcoming classes.
“Beneath my steps, my breath”
— quoted from the poem “Oranges” by Gary Soto
(for my twin and her best friend)
This is how we begin. On the mat (and, ideally, off the mat), we build from the ground up. We establish a foundation by placing some part(s) of our body on the floor, on the mat, on a prop, or even on a chair. Everything else stacks up from there.
We find the balance between effort and relaxation that allows us to focus on the breath — and not be distracted by the possibility of falling over and/or by some random pain, discomfort, and/or disease.
Then we breathe… and pay attention to the breath. We also pay attention to how it feels to breath in the pose, the asana, the seat.
Then, we do it all over again.
In the process, we start to notice cause and effect. We start to notice that where — and how — we begin determines how things unfold.
We start to notice how things work.
“Today it’s going to cost us twenty dollars
To live….”
— quoted from the poem “How Things Work” by Gary Soto
For Those Who Missed It: Variations of the following have been previously posted.
“As far as I can tell, daughter, it works like this:
You buy bread from a grocery, a bag of apples
From a fruit stand, and what coins
Are passed on helps others buy pencils, glue,
Tickets to a movie in which laughter
Is thrown into their faces.
If we buy a goldfish, someone tries on a hat.
If we buy crayons, someone walks home with a broom.
A tip, a small purchase here and there,
And things just keep going. I guess.”
— quoted from the poem “How Things Work” by Gary Soto
Born April 12, 1952, in Fresno, California, Gary Soto is a poet, novelist, playwright, essayist, memoirist, and film director/producer, who also writes literature for children and young adults. He was the first Mexican-American to earn a Master of Fine Arts (MFA, 1976), at the University of California, Irvine, and taught at both the University of California, Berkeley, and at the University of California, Riverside. In addition to being a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize and the National Book Award, he won Before Columbus Foundation’s American Book Award for his memoir Living Up the Street (1985); the 2014 Phoenix Award for his children’s book Jesse (1994); and a Nation/Discovery Award and the Levinson Award from Poetry.
Mr. Soto is a two time recipient of both the California Library Association’s John and Patricia Award and fellowships from the National Endowment for the Arts and was once named NBC Person of The Week (1995). Eight of his books have been translated into French, Hindi, Italian, Japanese, Korean, and Spanish. Additional accolades have come from his work on movies like The No-Guitar Blues, based on the story of the same name in his collection Baseball in April and other stories (1990) and the movie based on his book The Pool Party (1993, illustrated by Robert Casilla). He wrote the libretto to the Los Angeles Opera’s Nerdlandia and has also collaborated with the illustrator Susan Guevara on the bilingual Chato series (about “the coolest low-riding cat in East L.A… and his best friend, Novio Boy”).
“Ellen Lesser, writing in Voice Literary Supplement, was charmed by Soto’s poetic tone, ‘the quality of the voice, the immediate, human presence that breathes through the lines.’”
— quoted from the Poetry Foundation profile “Gary Soto”
Gary Soto’s work mirrors the Mexican-American communities of his youth (and his adulthood) as well as his early fascination with English (Western canon) literature, which did not reflect his lived experience. His parents were immigrants and day labors. When his father died, when Mr. Soto was five years old, the future award-winning author worked in the fields in San Joaquin and had little time for school. Later, he worked in factories of Fresno to help support his family. By high school, however, he had discovered his love of fiction and poetry and wanted to create literary worlds that felt like home. He mixed dirt with philosophy; English with Spanish; reality with fantasy. His fiction and poetry have the feel and texture of real life being lived in the moment or, they are, as he puts it, “portraits of people in the rush of life.”
In answering a question about what inspires him, he wrote, “I’m also a listener. I hear lines of poetry issue from the mouths of seemingly ordinary people. And, as a writer, my duty is not to make people perfect, particularly Mexican Americans. I’m not a cheerleader. I’m one who provides portraits of people in the rush of life.” And, in writing about people’s day-to-day experiences, he writes about cause and effect, and about “how things work”.
Gary Soto’s portraits also illustrate how we are all connected, how our stories are all interconnected, and how it all comes back to what we believe.
“How strange that we can begin at any time.
With two feet we get down the street.
With a hand we undo the rose.
With an eye we lift up the peach tree
And hold it up to the wind – white blossoms
At our feet. Like today. I started”
— quoted from the poem “Looking Around, Believing” by Gary Soto
As someone who loves stories and loves yoga, I often quote Maty Ezraty who said, “A good sequence is like a good story. There is a beginning (an introduction), the middle (the heart of the story), and the end (the conclusion).” However, as I have pointed out before, life is a little different in that we meet each other in the middle of our stories and simultaneously progress forward and back (as we learn about each other’s back stories). We are also, simultaneously, living the middle, beginning, and end of some part of our stories — while also telling the beginning, middle, and end of some part of our stories — every time we inhale and every time we exhale. As Gary Soto put it, “We’re here in the day. One step, / A simple hello, and we’re involved.”
When we are sharing our stories with each other, we pick where we begin. Where we begin, when we tell a story, is based on what we know/understand about the story and may change the way the story is understood (by ourselves and others).
“Light in her eyes, a smile
Starting at the corners
Of her mouth. I fingered
A nickle in my pocket,
And when she lifted a chocolate
That cost a dime,
I didn’t say anything.
I took the nickel from
My pocket, then an orange,
And set them quietly on
The counter. When I looked up,
The lady’s eyes met mine,
And held them, knowing
Very well what it was all
About.”
— quoted from the poem “Oranges” by Gary Soto
Gary Soto’s birthday often overlaps with one or more religious holidays. Although April 12, 2026, was the Great and Holy Pascha in Orthodox Christian communities; the Second Sunday of Easter / the Octave of Easter in some Western Christian traditions; and the Counting of the Omer in some Jewish traditions, no holiday-related stories were central to this year’s practice. I stayed focused on Gary Soto, the poems, and the physical aspects of the poetry-inspired practice. At the end, however, I shared a little snippet of a story about my encounters with the poem “Oranges”.
For context, I should mention that (back in 2021) I used the first line of the poem “How Things Work” (quoted above) to illustrate how our experiences (re)frame understanding. I should also mention that I hadn’t read Gary Soto’s poem “Oranges” in years. So, when I was getting ready for the (2026) class and I went back to the 2019 post, where I originally quoted the line about steps and breath, I was not surprised that those were the words that jumped out at me. However, I couldn’t remember why I dedicated the line to “my twin and her best friend”.
What was I thinking? What was the story?
Re-reading the poem about a first date, I thought about how much has changed. My twin and her best friend got married several months after I wrote that post and now they have a little girl. At the end of practice, I said I didn’t know if the little girl likes oranges and/or chocolate. But, if I hadn’t gotten choked up by the memories, I would have mentioned that she had s’mores for the first time this week — and she seemed to enjoy that well enough.
“Love,
The moon is between clouds,
And we’re between words
That could deepen
But never arrive.”
— quoted from the poem “Between Words” by Gary Soto
Sunday’s playlist is available on YouTube and Spotify. [Look for “10202020 Pratyahara”]
If you are thinking about suicide, worried about a friend or loved one, or would like emotional support, you can dial 988 (in the US) or call 1-800-273-TALK (8255) for the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline. You can also call this TALK line if you are struggling with addiction or involved in an abusive relationship. The Lifeline network is free, confidential, and available to all 24/7. YOU CAN TALK ABOUT ANYTHING.
White Flag is an app, which I have not yet researched, but which may be helpful if you need peer-to-peer (non-professional) support.
If you are a young person in crisis, feeling suicidal, or in need of a safe and judgement-free place to talk, you can also click here to contact the TrevorLifeline (which is staffed 24/7 with trained counselors).
PRACTICE & POETRY NOTES:
If you are interested, click on the year for the Kiss My Asana offerings in 2018 and 2019, which feature practices inspired by Gary Soto’s poems. You can also click here (or above) for the aforementioned 2021 post.
I also encourage you to click on the titles below to read the highlighted poems:
You’re Invited to Bend… & To Take The Deepest Breath You’ve Taken — On Retreat!
September 25 — 27, 2026
### A LITTLE MORE KINDNESS, PLEASE ###
Where We Begin… & Understanding How Things Work, Redux (mostly the music & blessings) April 12, 2026
Posted by ajoyfulpractice in Healing Stories, Lent / Great Lent, One Hoop, Poetry, Religion, Women, Writing, Yoga.Tags: 988, Bright Week, Easter, Gary Soto, Octave of Easter, Paschalion, Poetry, poetry month
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Happy Pascha, to those who are celebrating Bright Week!! Peace and many blessings to everyone and especially to anyone Counting the Omer and/or celebrating and/or observing Eastertide and the Octave of Easter or Bright Week.
Happy Poetry Month!!
“Beneath my steps, my breath”
— quoted from the poem “Oranges” by Gary Soto (b. 1952)
(for my twin and her best friend)
Please join me today (Sunday, April 12th) at 2:30 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 in 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 “10202020 Pratyahara”]
If you are thinking about suicide, worried about a friend or loved one, or would like emotional support, you can dial 988 (in the US) or call 1-800-273-TALK (8255) for the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline. You can also call this TALK line if you are struggling with addiction or involved in an abusive relationship. The Lifeline network is free, confidential, and available to all 24/7. YOU CAN TALK ABOUT ANYTHING.
White Flag is an app, which I have not yet researched, but which may be helpful if you need peer-to-peer (non-professional) support.
If you are a young person in crisis, feeling suicidal, or in need of a safe and judgement-free place to talk, you can also click here to contact the TrevorLifeline (which is staffed 24/7 with trained counselors).
In the spirit of generosity (“dana”), the Zoom classes, recordings, and blog posts are freely given and freely received. If you are able to support these teachings, please do so as your heart moves you. (NOTE: You can donate even if you are “attending” a practice that is not designated as a “Common Ground Meditation Center” practice, or you can purchase class(es).
Donations are tax deductible; class purchases are not necessarily deductible.
Check out the “Class Schedules” calendar for upcoming classes.
You’re Invited to Bend… & To Take The Deepest Breath You’ve Taken — On Retreat!
September 25 — 27, 2026
### A LITTLE MORE KINDNESS, PLEASE ###
A Quick Note & EXCERPTS: “Make a Commitment to Imagination” & “More Stories and Music [the 2025 version]” (*revised*) March 22, 2026
Posted by ajoyfulpractice in "Impossible" People, 9-Day Challenge, Art, Books, Changing Perspectives, Faith, Healing Stories, Hope, Lent / Great Lent, Life, Music, One Hoop, Religion, Wisdom, Women, Writing, Yoga.Tags: 988, Ananta Ripa Ajmera, Andrew Lloyd Webber, B. Alan Orange, Billy Collins, Chaitra Navaratri, equality, Hugh Wheeler, James Patterson, Keegan-Michael Key, Kushmanda, Lent / Great Lent, Maty Ezrarty, Navaratri, Season for Nonviolence, Stephen Sondheim, storytellers, Writing
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“Nowruz Mubarak!” Happy New Year to those who are celebrating! “Nine days and nine nights of blessings and happiness if you are celebrating Chaitra Navaratri!” Many blessings to all, and especially to those observing Lent or Great Lent!
Peace, ease, and equality to all, throughout this “Season for Nonviolence” and all other seasons!
“Practicing yoga is a privilege. And with this privilege comes a duty to be kind, to share a smile, and to offer yoga from the mat into the rest of your life.”
— Maty Ezraty
Everyone has a series of stories — and each of our stories make up part of other people’s stories. These collections of stories overlap and converge with each other and with the stories of the community. Every community has a collection of stories. How we tell those stories makes a difference — and our experiences (i.e., our stories) play a part in how we tell our stories.
For years, I have told stories about storytellers born on this date. I would, of course, make room for sacred stories when they overlapped this date. For example, today is the fourth day of Navaratri, the Hindu festival of “nine nights” celebrating divine feminine energy in various manifestations. While some people see the manifestations as nine different women, they are also seen by some as the same woman at different points in her story.
Click on the excerpt below for a short post about the Goddess Kushmanda who, it is said, “created the world with her divine smile” — a smile that also powers the sun.
“[Kushmanda] also lives in our hearts. The fact that she is smiling reminds us that we too are our most creative when we are smiling and feeling positive, courageous (a quality of heart), and strong. The fact that this goddess, like Chandraghanta, rides a lion shows that the power of love is just as potent as the fire of transformation. It reminds us that the ability to love comes from inner strength. When we feel clouded by fear, anger, and grief, it can be difficult to imagine one day having the strength to love again. But Kushmanda is here to remind us that, no matter how brokenhearted we may feel at time, the power of love lives within us, and we can tap into it and become our creative best at any time.”
— quoted from the “Knowing Kushmanda” section of “Chapter 4 — The Art of Loving Your True Self” in The Way of the Goddess: Daily Rituals to Awaken Your Inner Warrior and Discover Your True Self by Ananta Ripa Ajmera
So, for years, even when I made room for other stories, sacred stories, I kept coming back to four storytellers. As I mentioned in the post excerpted below: These storytellers tell/told their stories in different ways. However, the storytellers themselves have something in common — other than the fact that they are all, as it turns out, the same gender and race and share the same profession and birthday. They all know/knew how to tell a good story.
Last year, I added a storyteller. Same gender, profession, and birthday. Different racial identity. Different way of telling a good story.
Again, as noted below (and since someone asked after the 2025 class): While there are other storytellers I could have highlighted, the original focus was always the last 4 storytellers referenced above. I didn’t replace anyone, just added a storyteller and adjusted the narrative accordingly. Similarly, the playlist has room, time, and space, for another song (or two).
“Don’t you love farce?
My fault, I fear
I thought that you’d want what I want
Sorry, my dear
But where are the clowns?
Quick, send in the clowns
Don’t bothеr, they’re herе”
— quoted from the song “Send in the Clowns” from the musical A Little Night Music, music and lyrics by Stephen Sondheim, book by Hugh Wheeler
CLICK ON THE EXCERPT TITLE BELOW FOR MORE OF THE STORY.
More Stories and Music [the 2025 version] (the “missing” Saturday post)
NOTE: In the March 22nd post excerpted above, the principle for the “Season for Nonviolence” was advocacy. The 2026 principle is equality, which also fits the story.
“A poet can feel free, in my estimation, to write a poem for himself. Or a painter can paint a painting for himself. You can write a short story for yourself. But for me, comedy by its nature is communal. If other people don’t get it, I’m not sure why you are doing it. I think the same can be said for being offensive, for no other reason than being offensive. Me personally, it boggles my mind.”
— Keegan-Michael Key, quoted from the (Feb 1, 2012) MovieWeb interview entitled “Keegan-Michael Key and Jordan Peele Talk Key & Peele Series Premiere [Exclusive]” by
B. Alan Orange
Please join me today (Sunday, March 22nd) at 2:30 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 in 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 “03222020 Storytellers”]
If you are thinking about suicide, worried about a friend or loved one, or would like emotional support, you can dial 988 (in the US) or call 1-800-273-TALK (8255) for the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline. You can also call this TALK line if you are struggling with addiction or involved in an abusive relationship. The Lifeline network is free, confidential, and available to all 24/7. YOU CAN TALK ABOUT ANYTHING.
White Flag is an app, which I have not yet researched, but which may be helpful if you need peer-to-peer (non-professional) support.
If you are a young person in crisis, feeling suicidal, or in need of a safe and judgement-free place to talk, you can also click here to contact the TrevorLifeline (which is staffed 24/7 with trained counselors).
In the spirit of generosity (“dana”), the Zoom classes, recordings, and blog posts are freely given and freely received. If you are able to support these teachings, please do so as your heart moves you. (NOTE: You can donate even if you are “attending” a practice that is not designated as a “Common Ground Meditation Center” practice, or you can purchase class(es).
Donations are tax deductible; class purchases are not necessarily deductible.
Check out the “Class Schedules” calendar for upcoming classes.
### Enjoy & Share Your Stories ###
#GivetoGain Rights. Justice. Action March 8, 2026
Posted by ajoyfulpractice in "Impossible" People, 19-Day Fast, Art, Baha'i, Changing Perspectives, Dharma, Faith, First Nations, Gratitude, Healing Stories, Hope, Lent / Great Lent, Life, Meditation, Men, Music, One Hoop, Pain, Peace, Philosophy, Ramadan, Religion, Suffering, Tragedy, Wisdom, Women, Yoga.Tags: 19-Day Fast, 988, Baháʼí, Dashdondog Bayarmagnai, Elizabeth Hale, Enkhsaikhan Batjargal, Equal Pay Day, February Revolution, Galbadrakh Tsendbaatar, International Women’s Day, Kameron Traviss Glasper, Kathy Hutchins, kindness, Lent / Great Lent, Lizzy Hale, Lucinda Williams, Malcolm X, Margie Warrell Ph.D., Martin Luther King Jr, Mickey Guyton, Nyamjanstan Galsanjamts, Oliver Robin Frid, Ramaḍān, Russian Revolution, Season for Nonviolence, Selma, Selma to Montgomery, Tamara Makoni, Taylor Monet Parks / Tayla Parx, Temuulen Naranbaatar, The HU, United Nations, Victor Franco
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“Ramaḍān Mubarak, Blessed Ramaḍān!” to anyone observing the holy month of Ramaḍān. Many blessings also to all, and especially to those who were celebrating and/or observing the Baháʼí 19-Day Fast, Great Lent, and/or Lent on International Women’s Day and every day!
Peace, ease, and kindness to all, throughout this “Season for Nonviolence” and all other seasons!
NOTE: The following post contains some new and previously posted content.
“You weren’t born to be mistreated
And you weren’t born to misguided
You were born to be loved
You were born to be loved”
— quoted from the song “Born to Be Loved” by Lucinda Williams
Every part of you deserves love and appreciation. Sometimes, however, we take ourselves (or parts of ourselves) for granted and need a moment to very deliberately and intentionally give thanks. So, here’s a variation of the body scan I’ve used in practices on March 8th for a little over a decade. After you review each part, take a moment to pause — close your eyes if that is comfortable for you — and breath into each part of yourself. After a few moments of awareness about how your body feels and how you feel about your body, continue to the next part.
THE BODY SCAN
- There is a portion of your body that supports you all day, every day. Even when that part doesn’t work exactly as you would like or as others are able, it still keeps you grounded. Breathe awareness into this part of your body and give thanks.
- There is a portion of your body that is related to creativity and pleasure that you might enjoy and indulge — but/and about which you may feel some shame and embarrassment. Breathe awareness into this part of your body and give thanks.
- There is a portion of your body that is vital to your survival — even though you may want it to be smaller (and/or appear stronger). Breathe awareness into this part of your body and give thanks.
- There is a portion of your body that already holds all your joys and burdens — and you still expect it to do the heavy lifting. Breathe awareness into this part of your body and give thanks.
- There is a part of your body that you may take for granted and is easily overextended — but/and you don’t really think about it unless something is wrong. Breathe awareness into this part of your body and give thanks.
- There is a part of your body that gets a lot of attention (from others) — but/and may need some assistance to serve you. Breathe awareness into this part of your body and give thanks.
- There is another part of your body that gets a lot of attention (from yourself and others) — but/and you may change it a lot. Breathe awareness into this part of your body and give thanks.
- Now, go back and consider that every description matches at least one woman in your life. One or more may even describe you! Just think about the women who support you 24/7, 365 days a year. Think about the woman who created you and the women whose creativity inspires you. Think about the woman/women who play a part in your day-to-day survival. Think about the women with whom you share your joys, your grief, and your fears. Think about the women you (may) take for granted and those who speak up for you (and may be a little overextended in all the things they do). Think about the beautiful women who share their points of view and truths with you. Think about all the beautiful women in your life.
Now, breathe and give thanks for all of them!
“It’s more than strength
It’s more than physical
It’s more than faith
It’s more than biblical”
— quoted from the song “Woman” by Mickey Guyton (written by Victor Franco, Mickey Guyton, Kameron Traviss Glasper, Taylor Monet Parks, Oliver Robin Frid)
International Women’s Day is an opportunity to celebrate women and also to bring awareness to the disparities and inequities often faced by women around the world. Possibly the earliest “Women’s Day” was organized in New York by the Socialist Party of America on Sunday, February 28, 1909. An annual, international event on a specific “special day” (i.e., the last Sunday of February) was proposed in 1910, during the International Socialist Women’s Conference (in Copenhagen); however, no date was actually set. Additionally, some people (in places like the United States) thought the idea was too closely aligned with socialism. On Sunday, March 8, 1914, there was an event in Germany that focused on women’s suffrage (and coincided with an suffragists march in London). However, these events were still pretty independent of each other until the beginning of the Russian Revolution: March 8, 1917 (on the Gregorian calendar) / February 23, 1917 (on the Julian calendar).
“[Mickey] Guyton said in a statement: ‘I loved the idea of writing a song that celebrates the power women have. Throughout history and even today, women have taken pain, setbacks, and doubt, and they turn that into inner strength, and they persevere to achieve incredible things.’ Guyton also shared the story behind the song: ‘The idea actually came from Tayla (Parx). At the time there was so much going on online about what defined a woman, and there was so many interpretations and the whole internet was ablaze, and we thought it was so important to release a song called “Woman” on International Women’s Day.’”
— quoted from the WRNS: Your Country 95.1 article entitled “Mickey Guyton shares the official video for ‘Woman’” by Kathy Hutchins
After World War I, the Russian Empire was plagued by food shortages and a lack of representation (under tsarist autocracy). On Thursday, March 8, 1917, women who were standing in bread lines in Petrograd (which was then the capital of the Russian Empire) were joined by women who worked as textile workers and disgruntled soldiers in a demonstration demanding “bread and peace”. After eight days of protests and strikes — which included some violent conflicts — Tsar Nicholas II abdicated the throne and women were granted the right to vote. While this did not end the The Russian Revolution (which was a combination of the February Revolution and the October Revolution in 1917), it did highlight the power of women coming together and was recognized by Bolsheviks like Vladimir Lenin. Women’s Day was celebrated in the communist circles around the world throughout the early 20th century and became an official “non-working public holiday” in the Union of the Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR) in 1965. It was first celebrated by the United Nations in 1975, and received an official designation from the United Nations General Assembly in 1977.
“The research is compelling: sexism hurts everyone. Societies that have more women participating in the labor market are more prosperous. Corporations that have more women in senior leadership roles produce better bottom line results. Peace negotiations with more women sitting at the table result in less conflict and fewer deaths. In families where gender stereotypes are dismantled (with mothers going to work and fathers sharing more of the traditional women’s work at home), sons grow up more self-reliant and daughters are more likely to attain senior managerial roles.”
— quoted from the May 6, 2017 Forbes article entitled “Be Bold For Change: Tackling Sexism Head On This International Women’s Day” by Margie Warrell, Ph.D.
While women’s suffrage was one of the big focuses during the first Women’s Day celebrations, International Women’s Day observations now also focus on workplace accessibility, education (which is sometimes restricted by gender), reproductive health issues, and raising awareness about violence and abuse against women. Pay equity is also a primary focus around the world — especially as more and more women participate in the labor force — and highlights the pay gap between genders and, also between women of different ethnicities.
“Give to Gain”, the 2026 theme, “emphasizes the power of reciprocity and support.” It is inspired by the fact that, “When people, organizations, and communities give generously, opportunities and support for women increase. Giving is not a subtraction, it’s intentional multiplication. When women thrive, we all rise.”
The United Nations 2026 theme, “Rights. Justice. Action.”, highlights the fact that “Women and girls are living without full legal protection.” According to the UN, women and girls, worldwide, have 64% of the legal rights granted to men and, in almost 70% of the surveyed countries, “women face more barriers accessing justice than men. ” This inequality is experienced in all facets of life, including bodily autonomy, marriage inequality, and equal pay.
When comparing [previous year’s] United States earnings statistics of all people in the labor force (full time, part time, year round, and seasonal), women make an average of 76 cents for every dollar earned by their white, non-Hispanic male counterparts. The pay gap is around (81 cents for every dollar) when only comparing full time, year round workers. This means that, on average, it would take a woman until March 26, 2026, to earn the same amount that her white, non-Hispanic male counterpart made in 2025. This is one day later than last year’s equal pay day!*
While it is a little shocking to think that it could take a woman in the United States three extra months to earn the same thing that a man (doing the same work) did in a calendar year, March 26th is the earliest “Equal Pay Day” (in 2025). When the earnings statistics are broken down by ethnicity (or other factors*), the wage gaps become even more startling.
- April 9th — AANHPI (Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander) Women’s Equal Pay Day
- August 6th — Mom’s Equal Pay Day (for women who work outside the home),
- June 17th — LGBTQIA+ Equal Pay Awareness Day (which is not directly tied to statistics, since they are not available)
- July 21st — Black Women’s Equal Pay Day
- September 15th — NHPI (Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander) Women’s Equal Pay Day
- October 8th — Latina Women’s Equal Pay Day
- October 20th — Disabled Women’s Equal Pay Day
- November 19th — Native Women’s Equal Pay Day
*NOTE: While the 2026 Equal Pay Day is one day later than 2025, some of the other gaps are several days later and, in the case of moms, months later (which is why the list is out of order).
Of course, the elephant in the room, is that many women work inside the home — 24/7, 365 days a year — and stay-at-home moms do not typically receive a paycheck. Neither do they always receive the same recognition as stay-at-home dads. Yet, they are an invaluable part of society — just like women who start businesses and/or work in other people’s companies. Additionally, women (on average) spend more time as the unpaid caregiver of children and adult family members — even when they and their spouse or partner both work outside the home.
International Women’s Day is about giving these women, and all other women, their flowers. It is also about teaching the children of the world, regardless of their sex or gender, that we all sing a woman’s song and, therefore, we all benefit in a society that respects women.
“When Kings fall to their knees
They sing a woman’s song
When birds scream in the trees
They sing a woman’s song
The sunrise in the east
Sings a woman’s song
Every heart that beats
Sings a woman’s song”
— quoted from the song “Song of Women” by The HU, featuring Lizzy Hale of Halestorm (written by Elizabeth Hale, Dashdondog Bayarmagnai, Enkhsaikhan Batjargal, Galbadrakh Tsendbaatar, Temuulen Naranbaatar, Nyamjanstan Galsanjamts)
Please join me today (Sunday, March 8th) at 2:30 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 in 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 “03082025 Women’s Day, redux”]
NOTE: Both playlists highlight women, as performers and as composers and songwriters. The Spotify playlist includes some silent tracks (for timing). The YouTube playlist has about 43 additional songs by women. Enjoy!
“A man dies when he refuses to stand up for that which is right. A man dies when he refuses to stand up for justice. A man dies when he refuses to take a stand for that which is true.”
— quoted from the March 8, 1965 sermon, at Brown Chapel A.M.E. Church (in Selma, Alabama) by Rev. Martin Luther King, Jr.
“The most disrespected woman in America, is the black woman. The most un-protected person in America is the black woman. The most neglected person in America, is the black woman.”
— quoted from the May 5, 1962 speech (at the funeral Ronald Stokes) by Malcom X
If you are thinking about suicide, worried about a friend or loved one, or would like emotional support, you can dial 988 (in the US) or call 1-800-273-TALK (8255) for the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline. You can also call this TALK line if you are struggling with addiction or involved in an abusive relationship. The Lifeline network is free, confidential, and available to all 24/7. YOU CAN TALK ABOUT ANYTHING.
White Flag is a new app, which I have not yet researched, but which may be helpful if you need peer-to-peer (non-professional) support.
If you are a young person in crisis, feeling suicidal, or in need of a safe and judgement-free place to talk, you can also click here to contact the TrevorLifeline (which is staffed 24/7 with trained counselors).
In the spirit of generosity (“dana”), the Zoom classes, recordings, and blog posts are freely given and freely received. If you are able to support these teachings, please do so as your heart moves you. (NOTE: You can donate even if you are “attending” a practice that is not designated as a “Common Ground Meditation Center” practice, or you can purchase class(es).
Donations are tax deductible; class purchases are not necessarily deductible.
Check out the “Class Schedules” calendar for upcoming classes.
### We Can All Use (& Express) More Kindness ###
A Little [Wednesday] Self-Reflection (mostly the music & blessings) *revised* February 18, 2026
Posted by ajoyfulpractice in Abhyasa, Art, Books, Faith, Healing Stories, Hope, Lent / Great Lent, Life, Music, New Year, One Hoop, Ramadan, Religion, Vairagya, Wisdom, Women, Writing, Yoga.Tags: 988, Audre Lorde, Black History Month, Cheesefare Week, Lent, Lunar New Year, Ramaḍān, Ramadan, Season for Nonviolence, Self-forgiveness, Toni Morrison
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“Happy New Year!” to those who are celebrating! “Ramadān Mubarak, Blessed Ramaḍān!” to anyone observing the holy month of Ramaḍān. Many blessings to all, and especially to those observing and/or celebrating Lent and/or Cheesefare Week (in preparation for Great Lent)!
Peace, ease, and self-forgiveness to all, throughout this “Season for Nonviolence” and all other seasons!
“If my work is to be functional to the group (or to the village, as it were) then it must bear witness and identify danger as well as possible havens from danger; it must identify that which is useful from the past and that which ought to be discarded; it must make it possible to prepare for the present and live it out; and it must do that not by avoiding problems and contradictions but by examining them; it should not even attempt to solve social problems but it should certainly try to clarify them.”
— quoted from the essay “The Writer Before the Page” in “Part II God’s Language” of The Source of Self-Regard: Selected Essays, Speeches, and Meditations by Toni Morrison (b. 1931)
Please join me today (Wednesday, February 18th) at 4:30 PM or 7:15 PM for a yoga practice on Zoom. You can use the link from the “Class Schedules” calendar if you run into any problems checking into in 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 “One Other One for Ash Wednesday, Day 2, & Ramadan 2026”]
*NOTE: The YouTube playlist includes an extra “relaxation” track that is not (yet) available on Spotify.
“The quality of light by which we scrutinize our lives has direct bearing upon the product which we live, and upon the changes which we hope to bring about through those lives. It is within this light that we form those ideas by which we pursue our magic and make it realized. This is poetry as illumination, for it is through poetry that we give name to those ideas which are, until the poem, nameless and formless-about to be birthed, but already felt. That distillation of experience from which true poetry springs births thought as dream births concept, as feeling births idea, as knowledge births (precedes) understanding.”
— quoted from the essay “Poetry is Not a Luxury” in Sister Outsider: Essays and Speeches by Audre Lorde (b. 1934)
If you are thinking about suicide, worried about a friend or loved one, or would like emotional support, you can dial 988 (in the US) or call 1-800-273-TALK (8255) for the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline. You can also call this TALK line if you are struggling with addiction or involved in an abusive relationship. The Lifeline network is free, confidential, and available to all 24/7. YOU CAN TALK ABOUT ANYTHING.
White Flag is an app, which I have not yet researched, but which may be helpful if you need peer-to-peer (non-professional) support.
If you are a young person in crisis, feeling suicidal, or in need of a safe and judgement-free place to talk, you can also click here to contact the TrevorLifeline (which is staffed 24/7 with trained counselors).
In the spirit of generosity (“dana”), the Zoom classes, recordings, and blog posts are freely given and freely received. If you are able to support these teachings, please do so as your heart moves you. (NOTE: You can donate even if you are “attending” a practice that is not designated as a “Common Ground Meditation Center” practice, or you can purchase class(es).
Donations are tax deductible; class purchases are not necessarily deductible.
Check out the “Class Schedules” calendar for upcoming classes.
### 
###
Creativity, Light, Freedom, & Flight (the “missing” post for Wednesday 2/11) February 11, 2026
Posted by ajoyfulpractice in "Impossible" People, Changing Perspectives, Healing Stories, Life, Music, One Hoop, Philosophy, Wisdom, Women, Yoga.Tags: 988, Alecia Beth Moore, Carnival, Creativity, Dr. Gerald Edelman, Dr. Giulio Tononi, JET Magazine, Nelson Mandela, nervous system, P!nk, Ruth Carol Taylor, Season for Nonviolence, Theodore Dreiser, Thomas Edison
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“Happy Carnival!” to those who are celebrating! Many blessings to everyone, everywhere!!
Peace, ease, contemplation, and creativity throughout this “Season for Nonviolence” and all other seasons!!!
This is the “missing” (and backdated) post for Wednesday, February 11th (with excerpts). In addition to the new content and excerpts, it includes some re-purposed content. You can request an audio recording of this practice or a previous practice via a comment below or (for a slightly faster reply) you can email myra (at) ajoyfulpractice.com.
In the spirit of generosity (“dana”), the Zoom classes, recordings, and blog posts are freely given and freely received. If you are able to support these teachings, please do so as your heart moves you. (NOTE: You can donate even if you are “attending” a practice that is not designated as a “Common Ground Meditation Center” practice, or you can purchase class(es).
Donations are tax deductible; class purchases are not necessarily deductible.
Check out the “Class Schedules” calendar for upcoming classes.
“Sometimes the best way to solve a problem is simply to ask the right question. And sometimes the best way to ask the right question is to come up with an example that makes most explicit what the problem is about.”
— quoted from the “What Needs to Be Explained” section of “Part I. The World Knot — Chapter Two: The Special Problem of Consciousness” in A Universe of Consciousness: How Matter Becomes Imagination by Gerald M. Edelman and Giulio Tononi
On a certain level, life is a series of lessons… or puzzles… or questions seeking answers… or “problems that want to be solved”. How ever you think about it, life requires us to be creative. In fact, in discussing life, sleep, and the mind-body experience, Dr. Gerald Edelman and Dr. Giulio Tononi wrote, “If our view of memory is correct, in higher organisms every act of perception is, to some degree, an act of creation, and every act of memory is, to some degree, an act of imagination. Biological memory is thus creative and not strictly replicative. It is one of the essential bases of consciousness, to the mechanisms of which we now turn.”1
What the good doctors were saying is that, whether we realize it or not, we are all creative beings, creating all the time.
Now, if you are wondering how sleep got in there, consider that our parasympathetic nervous system — which is also connected to our ability to rest and digest — is also related to ability to create. We need to rest in order to digest (i.e., process) everything we consume — be it food and drink, ideas, media, experiences, etc. — and we need to process things in order to learn the lessons, solve the puzzles, answer the questions, and solve the problems of life. In other words, we need to rest and digest in order to engage our “creativity”, the principle of the day for the “Season for Nonviolence”.
Inventors like Thomas Alva Edison, who was born on February 11, 1847, are obviously remembered as being creative. If you think about it, creativity is also needed if you are a statesman and activist, like Nelson Mandela, and you want to change your country and the world. Also known as Madiba, Nelson Mandela was freed from prison on February 11, 1990, after 27 years in prison; and one of the things that sustained his spirit and gave him hope — especially when he was in prison — was the creativity of others (often in the form of music). Finally, you know how handy creativity can be if you have ever experienced any kind of oppression and/or worked in the service industry. So, I am sure it was a useful tool for Ruth Carol Taylor, whose maiden flight was on this same date in 1958.
“‘I never did anything worth doing by accident, nor did any of my inventions come indirectly through accident, except the phonograph. No, when I have, fully decided that a result is worth getting, I go about it, and make trial after trial, until it comes.’”
— Thomas Edison, as quoted in “A Photographic Talk with Edison” by Theodore Dreiser (printed in Success Magazine, Feb. 1898)
Click on the excerpt title below for more about Thomas Alva Edison.
“As I walked out the door toward the gate that would lead to my freedom, I knew if I didn’t leave my bitterness and hatred behind, I’d still be in prison.”
— Nelson Mandela
Click on the excerpt titles below for more about Nelson Mandela (including a note about Umqombothi a special beer).
More Than 46664 (the “missing” Sunday post, with a reference to Monday’s practice)
“…[Ruth Carol Taylor] didn’t take the job because she thought being a flight attendant would be so great. She says she did it to fight discrimination.
‘It wasn’t something that I had wanted to do all my life,’ she tells JET about being a flight attendant. ‘I knew better than to think it was all that glamourous. But it irked me that people were not allowing people of color to apply… Anything like that sets my teeth to grinding.’”
— quoted from the JET Magazine article entitled, “First Black Flight Attendant Is Still Fighting Racism” (printed in the “Labor” section of the May 12, 1997 issue)
Click on the excerpt title below for more about some historic flights, including Ruth Carol Taylor’s 1958 flight.
“Music is a great blessing. It has the power to elevate and liberate us. It sets people free to dream. It can unite us to sing with one voice. Such is the value of music.”
— Nelson Mandela speaking to musicians at a Freedom Day concert in London
Tuesday’s playlist is available on YouTube and Spotify. [Look for “02112023 Breath, Light, Freedom”]
If you are thinking about suicide, worried about a friend or loved one, or would like emotional support, you can dial 988 (in the US) or call 1-800-273-TALK (8255) for the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline. You can also call this TALK line if you are struggling with addiction or involved in an abusive relationship. The Lifeline network is free, confidential, and available to all 24/7. YOU CAN TALK ABOUT ANYTHING.
White Flag is an app, which I have not yet researched, but which may be helpful if you need peer-to-peer (non-professional) support.
If you are a young person in crisis, feeling suicidal, or in need of a safe and judgement-free place to talk, you can also click here to contact the TrevorLifeline (which is staffed 24/7 with trained counselors).
NOTE: 1 I often use an abbreviated version of this quote (courtesy of Dr. Oliver Sacks). It is originally from “Part III. Mechanisms of Consciousness: The Darwinian Perspective — Chapter Eight: Nonrepresentational Memory” in A Universe of Consciousness: How Matter Becomes Imagination by Gerald M. Edelman and Giulio Tononi.
### CREATE! ###
A Quick Note & Excerpts RE: Being Grounded (the “missing” compilation post for Tuesday 2/10) February 10, 2026
Posted by ajoyfulpractice in "Impossible" People, Art, Changing Perspectives, Healing Stories, Life, Mathematics, Music, One Hoop, Philosophy, Wisdom, Women, Yoga.Tags: 988, Boris Pasternak, Charles Lenox Remond, David Bowie, Edith Clarke, Groundedness, James West, Jerry Goldsmith, Jim Whittaker, John Bayley, Lou Whittaker, Manya Harari, Max Hayward, Mike Szczys, Roberta Flack, Season for Nonviolence, Yoga Sutras 2.46-2.54, Ziggy Stardust
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“Happy Carnival!” to those who are celebrating! Many blessings to everyone, everywhere!!
Peace, ease, contemplation, and groundedness throughout this “Season for Nonviolence” and all other seasons!!!
This is the “missing” (and backdated) compilation post for Tuesday, February 10th (with excerpts). In addition to the new content and excerpts, it includes some re-purposed content. You can request an audio recording of this practice or a previous practice via a comment below or (for a slightly faster reply) you can email myra (at) ajoyfulpractice.com.
In the spirit of generosity (“dana”), the Zoom classes, recordings, and blog posts are freely given and freely received. If you are able to support these teachings, please do so as your heart moves you. (NOTE: You can donate even if you are “attending” a practice that is not designated as a “Common Ground Meditation Center” practice, or you can purchase class(es).
Donations are tax deductible; class purchases are not necessarily deductible.
Check out the “Class Schedules” calendar for upcoming classes.
“When you are grounded you are completely present, your mind is still, and you are totally focused. It is from this place of being grounded that you can operate most effectively….”
— quoted from the “Reflection” section of the “Day 12 ~ February 11 ~ Groundedness” page for the “Season for Nonviolence,” provided by the Mahatma Gandhi Canadian Foundation for World Peace
While Patanjali said very little about asana (“seat” or pose) in the Yoga Sūtras, his initial instruction is literally (and figuratively) the beginning of every practice: “sthirasukham āsanam — cultivate a steady (or stable), easy (comfortable or joyful) seat (or pose).” (YS 2.46) There is a little bit more in the next few sūtras, which can help us deepen the experience, but everything else comes from that very first part: sthira — which is ultimately a sense of groundedness.
Being grounded allows us to relax, to release, to get a little bit more comfortable and breathe. Being grounded allows us to notice the different parts of your breath and to play with the breath. Being grounded allows us to move the body in certain ways; to notice how it feels to move and breathe; and, also to notice what we notice. We can extend and expand, contract and release, and even find our rhythm because we are supported, grounded.
There are different ways to be grounded and “groundedness”, the “Season for Nonviolence” principle for Tuesday, February 10, 2026, is just as important off the mat as it is on the mat. For instance, James Edward Maceo West (born 02/10/1931) had an accident at a very early age that illustrated the danger of working with energy when you are not grounded. The accident didn’t deter him and he grew up to develop technology that is still used to this day. In fact, the technology created by Dr. West was probably used in the recording of the music featured in the playlist (linked below), and definitely contributes to your ability to hear it.
“James’ approach to learning sounds very familiar: ‘If I had a screwdriver and a pair of pliers, anything that could be opened was in danger. I had this need to know what was inside.’”
— quoted from “James West Began 40 Years at Bell Labs with World-Changing Microphone Tech” by Mike Szczys (posted at hackaday.com on February 17, 2021)
CLICK ON THE EXCERPT TITLE BELOW FOR MORE ABOUT JAMES MACEO WEST.
The Space Between Need, Conceive, & Invention (a special Black History note)
“‘Wait, let me tell you what I think. I think that if the beast who sleeps in man could be held down by threats—any kind of threat, whether of jail or of retribution after death—then the highest emblem of humanity would be the lion tamer in the circus with his whip, not the prophet who sacrificed himself. But don’t you see, this is just the point—what has for centuries raised man above the beast is not the cudgel but an inward music: the irresistible power of unarmed truth, the powerful attraction of its example.’”
— Nikolai Nikolaievich, quoted in “Part One, Chapter 2 : A Girl from a Different World, section 10”, of Doctor Zhivago by Boris Pasternak (translated from Russian by Max Hayward and Manya Harari) with Introduction by John Bayley
The February 10th playlist features music composed by Jerrald (“Jerry”) King Goldsmith (born 02/10/1929), as well as music song by Robert Flack (born 02/10/1937) and “Ziggy Stardust” (who made his earthly debut on 02.10/1972). Whether a musician is singing, playing an instrument, and/or conducting, they need to be grounded in order to fully engage (and control) their breath.
The playlist also includes a song that samples a poem by Boris Pasternak (born 02/10/1890, according to the Gregorian calendar) and music inspired by the mountain climbing twins Jim and Lou Whittaker (born on the exact same day as Jerry Goldsmith), who would rely on at least three parts of their body being grounded as they climbed to great heights. There is not (necessarily) a song inspired by Edith Clarke (born 02/10/1883), who spent some time working as a “computer” just like Dr. West’s mother; however, her ability to stay grounded and not be deterred by people who wanted to hold her back was very much an inspiration for this practice.
“‘There is no demand for women engineers, as such, as there are for women doctors; but there’s always a demand for anyone who can do a good piece of work.’”
— Edith Clarke quoted in a March 14, 1948 Daily Texan article
CLICK ON THE EXCERPT TITLE BELOW FOR MORE ABOUT THE OTHER PEOPLE BORN ON FEBRUARY 10TH.
“I heard he sang a good song, I heard he had a style
And so I came to see him, to listen for a while”
— quoted from the song “Killing Me Softly With His Song” by Roberta Flack
Tuesday’s playlist is available on YouTube and Spotify. [Look for “02102021 Songs for Today’s Adventure”]
If you are thinking about suicide, worried about a friend or loved one, or would like emotional support, you can dial 988 (in the US) or call 1-800-273-TALK (8255) for the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline. You can also call this TALK line if you are struggling with addiction or involved in an abusive relationship. The Lifeline network is free, confidential, and available to all 24/7. YOU CAN TALK ABOUT ANYTHING.
White Flag is an app, which I have not yet researched, but which may be helpful if you need peer-to-peer (non-professional) support.
If you are a young person in crisis, feeling suicidal, or in need of a safe and judgement-free place to talk, you can also click here to contact the TrevorLifeline (which is staffed 24/7 with trained counselors).
*NOTE: Charles Lenox Remond delivered his history-making speech on February 10, 1842.
ERRATA: Corrected to note this is a Tuesday post.
### LAM ###
A Quick Note & Excerpts RE: Being Human & Having Faith (the “missing” Sunday post) February 8, 2026
Posted by ajoyfulpractice in "Impossible" People, Books, Buddhism, Changing Perspectives, Dharma, Faith, Healing Stories, Health, Hope, Life, One Hoop, Philosophy, Religion, Science, Suffering, Wisdom, Women, Writing, Yoga.Tags: 988, Cambridge University, Carnival, Dr. Dean Ornish, Dr. Rachel Naomi Remen, Dr. Rebecca Lee Crumpler, faith, god, humanity, Lisa Depaulo, Lisa Perez Jackson, Martin Buber, Rachel Naomi Remen, Rebecca Lee Crumpler, Ronald Gregor Smith, Science, Season for Nonviolence, Sunday of the Prodigal Son, Walter Kaufmann, Zulu
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“Happy Carnival!” to those who are celebrating! Many blessings to everyone, and especially those observing the Sunday of the Prodigal Son.
Peace, ease, contemplation, and a little faith throughout this “Season for Nonviolence” and all other seasons!
This quick note with excerpts is the “missing” post for February 8th. Some of the quotations are remixed from earlier posts. You can request an audio recording for a related practice via a comment below or (for a slightly faster reply) you can email myra (at) ajoyfulpractice.com.
In the spirit of generosity (“dana”), the Zoom classes, recordings, and blog posts are freely given and freely received. If you are able to support these teachings, please do so as your heart moves you. (NOTE: You can donate even if you are “attending” a practice that is not designated as a “Common Ground Meditation Center” practice, or you can purchase class(es).
Donations are tax deductible; class purchases are not necessarily deductible.
Check out the “Class Schedules” calendar for upcoming classes.
“What we believe about ourselves can hold us hostage. Over the years I have come to respect the power of people’s beliefs. The thing that has amazed me is that a belief is more than just an idea—it seems to shift the way in which we actually experience ourselves and our lives. According to Talmudic teaching, ‘We do not see things as they are. We see them as we are.’ A belief is like a pair of sunglasses. When we wear a belief and look at life through it, it is difficult to convince ourselves that what we see is not what is real. With our sunglasses on, life looks green to us. Knowing what is real requires that we remember that we are wearing glasses, and take them off. One of the great moments in life is the moment we recognize we have them on in the first place. Freedom is very close to us then. It is a moment of great power. Sometimes because of our beliefs we may have never seen ourselves or life whole before.”
— quoted from “Healing at a Distance” in “III. Traps” of Kitchen Table Wisdom: Stories That Heal by Rachel Naomi Remen, M.D. (Forward by Dean Ornish, M. D.)
In talking about “dreaming” (Saturday’s principle of the day for the “Season for Nonviolence”), I actually referenced today’s principle several times: “Faith”. One could even argue — and there’s some science to back this up — that having faith is part of being human. However, before you get it twisted, remember that faith is not necessarily religious.
Faith is defined as “great trust or confidence in something or someone” — which means, you can have faith even if your belief is based on disbelief. No matter where we come from or how we were raised, we all believe in something (or someone). For some people it is science and/or Nature. For others it is community and/or God (whatever that means to at this moment). People can also have faith in themselves and in their own abilities. In fact, this year’s group Sankalpa (on Saturdays) begins with the words “I trust…” — in other words, it begins with faith.
“The basic word I-Thou can only be spoken with one’s whole being. The concentration and fusion into a whole being can never be accomplished by me, can never be accomplished without me. I require a You/Thou to become; becoming I, I say you.”
— quoted from Ich und Du by Martin Buber (English translation by Walter Kaufmann)
The February 8th practice is usually inspired by people of faith who were born on this date.1 Martin Buber (who was born today in 1878, in Vienna, Austria-Hungary) was an Jewish, existential philosopher who did not consider himself a philosopher or a theologian; because, he said, he “was not interested in ideas, only personal experience, and could not discuss God, but only relationships with God”.
CLICK ON THE EXCERPT TITLE BELOW FOR MORE.
“Let us strive to know more about ourselves, –it is human, it is Christian-like to do so. Then there will be minds from which to select students for the college, that may come forth to the community graduates in Pharmacy, Surgery, Dentistry, and Medicine. It is well known that many noble-minded women have graced the chambers of the sick with good service, in different conditions of need, too; but at the present women appear to shrink from any responsibilities demanding patience and sacrifice, or rather seem not to rely on the union of their strength with that of our great Creator, in time of need.
What we need o-day in every community, is, not a shrinking or flagging of womanly usefulness in this field of labor, but renewed and courageous readiness to do when and whatever duty calls.”
— quoted from “Chapter XIX. General Remarks.” in A Book of Medical Discourses, In Two Parts by Rebecca Crumpler, M. D.
Dr. Rebecca Lee Crumpler (who was born today in 1831, in Christiana, Delaware) was the first African American woman to earn a medical degree in the United States — way back in 1864. Her focus on children and belief in healing very much dovetail with those of the pediatrician Dr. Rachel Naomi Remen (born today in 1938, in New York, New York), who is known for her emphasis on alternative medicine and integrative medicine.
Similarly, Lisa Perez Jackson (who was born today in 1962, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania) has structured her life around her belief in science (specifically as it relates to the environment) and preparing children to be the leaders of the future.
CLICK ON THE EXCERPT TITLE BELOW FOR MORE.
“The first girls to attend [the Coretta Scott King Young Women’s Leadership Academy] were previously at the city’s lowest-ranked middle school. This year the school’s eighth graders earned one of the highest scores of all public schools in Atlanta on a state exam.
They’re Jackson’s sweet spot, these kids. African-American girls, who, like her, may have faced obstacles but are full of promise. ‘Listen,’ she says, ‘if these young women don’t grow up strong and talented and committed to our environment, then our country’s gonna suffer, not just them.’
Her speech hits home: ‘You have a right to clean air and clean water,’ she tells the girls, touching on one of her core initiatives, environmental justice—that is, to give a voice to the people, usually poor minorities, who are most severely affected by environmental hazards and calamities. ‘You have a right to have a healthy school to learn in.’ But such heady rights come with responsibility. The girls must be willing to do their part, she tells them—to blow past the wheezing stereotypes that only young men wearing pocket protectors are good at math and science, and that black women don’t set policy or lead. ‘You will bring clean air to your community,’ she tells them. ‘Which you can’t do if you don’t have the education.’”
— quoted from the O, The Oprah Magazine (June 2011) article “Clean Power: Lisa Jackson Fights for Our Right to Healthy Air, Water and Land: Somebody has to do it. We’re lucky it’s her.” by Lisa Depaulo
You may notice that the people I highlighted above2 did not grow up in the same place or within the same faith community; nor are their lives necessarily characterized by faith in the same things. However, it is notable that they all believe(d) in the power of human connection (i.e., relationships) and in human possibilities.
Take a moment to also notice that their beliefs led all of them to teach.
“The Hindus use the greeting ‘Namaste’ instead of our more noncommittal ‘Hello.’ The connotation of this is roughly, whatever your outer appearance, I see and greet the soul in you. There is a wisdom in such ways of relating. Sometimes we can best help other people by remembering that what we believe about them may be reflected back to them in our presence and may affect them in ways we do not fully understand.”
— quoted from “How We See One Another” in “VII. Live and Help Live” of Kitchen Table Wisdom: Stories That Heal by Rachel Naomi Remen, M.D. (Forward by Dean Ornish, M. D.)
Sunday’s playlist is available on YouTube and Spotify. [Look for “02082023 Being Human, prequel”]
If you are thinking about suicide, worried about a friend or loved one, or would like emotional support, you can dial 988 (in the US) or call 1-800-273-TALK (8255) for the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline. You can also call this TALK line if you are struggling with addiction or involved in an abusive relationship. The Lifeline network is free, confidential, and available to all 24/7. YOU CAN TALK ABOUT ANYTHING.
White Flag is an app, which I have not yet researched, but which may be helpful if you need peer-to-peer (non-professional) support.
If you are a young person in crisis, feeling suicidal, or in need of a safe and judgement-free place to talk, you can also click here to contact the TrevorLifeline (which is staffed 24/7 with trained counselors).
NOTES:
1February 8th sometimes overlaps with religious and/or culture observations that are related to faith and, to a certain degree, to what it means to be human. While I will often incorporate stories related to these celebrations into the practice, I did not reference the fact that today (in 2026) was the Sunday of the Prodigal Son in some (Orthodox) Christian traditions. I will note here, however, that the story of the prodigal son (Luke 15:11-32) is a story about faith, specifically about one’s belief in repentance, forgiveness, family, home, and community.
2Although I quoted Dr. Rachel Naomi Remen today (and on Friday, when the principle was “healing”), I have not yet written a post about her. That said, I am officially putting her books on my reading list!
“Alles wirkliche Leben ist Begegnung.”
“All real life is meeting.”
“All actual life is encounter.”
— quoted from Ich und Du by Martin Buber (English translations by Ronald Gregor Smith and Walter Kaufmann, respectively)
### As they say in Zulu, “Sawubona!” [“I see you!”] and “Yebo, sawubona!” [“I see you seeing me.”] ###
### I See Du ###
First Friday Night Special #64 — Invitation for “More of That Sweet Ability of 3-Fold Healing” & EXCERPT: “Salt of the Earth, the 2024 remix” (the “missing” invitation) February 6, 2026
Posted by ajoyfulpractice in "Impossible" People, Baha'i, Changing Perspectives, Dharma, Faith, Healing Stories, Health, Hope, Life, Meditation, One Hoop, Pain, Philosophy, Science, Suffering, Vairagya, Wisdom, Women, Yoga.Tags: 988, Baháʼí, brain, breathing, Charles E. Wheaton, cortical homunculus, Dominion, Florangela Davila, healing, Health, Inez Maxine Pitter Haynes, International Day of Zero Tolerance for Female Genital Mutilation, Mahatma Gandhi Canadian Foundation for World Peace, Maya Angelou, mental health, Mulk, nervous system, pranayama, primary somatosensory cortex, prāṇāyāma, Rachel Naomi Remen, Restorative Yoga, Season for Nonviolence, siddhis, somatosensory map, Sāmkhya Karika, Tantra Yoga, wellness, World Interfaith Harmony Week
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Happy Carnival (to those who are already celebrating)! Peace, ease, and healing on International Day of Zero Tolerance for Female Genital Mutilation, the penultimate day of World Interfaith Harmony Week (WIHW), throughout this “Season for Nonviolence” and all other seasons!!!
May we all have a sense of dominion when it comes to our health.
This “missing” invitation for the “First Friday Night Special” on February 6th, includes a related excerpt. You can request an audio recording of this Hatha/Tantra-inspired Restorative Yoga practice (with a little movement) 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.
“Poet and activist Maya Angelou turned a traumatic childhood experience into a catalyst for creativity and achievement. Healing involves the process of seeing the potential that still exists despite all that has been lost. When we shift from suffering and anguish toward integrity, wholeness and inner peace, we are experiencing healing.”
— quoted from the “Reflection” section of the “Day 8 ~ February 6 ~ Healing” 2026 page for the “Season for Non-violence,” provided by the Mahatma Gandhi Canadian Foundation for World Peace
Healing begins with people. While I often highlight healers like Inez Maxine Pitter Haynes (who was born today today in 1919), one of the siddhis (“powers”) described as “unique to being human” in the Sāmkhya Karika is the “the power to eliminate three-fold sorrow – physical, mental, and spiritual” — which means we are all healers. We can all participate (and have some dominion) in the healing process. Our mind-body systems include healing mechanisms, like our immune system, our lymphatic system, our digestive system, our parasympathetic nervous system, and our brain.
Yes, even our brain comes with healing technology!
For instance, did you know that when I say that “what happens in the body, happens in the mind and what happens in the mind happens in the body…” , I mean that literally, physiologically, and neurologically?
Every part of your body is “mapped” in your brain and each side of the brain’s primary somatosensory cortex has a representation of the opposite side of the body. This representation, known as the cortical homunculus (the “little man [or miniature human] of the brain”), is based on motor processing and sensory processing of the mind-body and is distorted, like a cartoon caricature that someone might draw of you at a fair. Just as (physically) touching a part of the body will activate a specific part of the brain’s somatosensory map, (mentally and mindfully) bringing awareness to a certain parts of the body — in a systematic way that corresponds with our “little man [or miniature human]” — can enhance our ability to relax the body. Research has also shown that certain meditation techniques can even use this brain technology to decrease pain.
Additionally, certain types of prāṇāyāma (awareness of breath, extension of breath) can activate the parasympathetic nervous system, which is related to our ability to “rest and digest [and be creative]”. Many people (all over the world) currently have overstimulated sympathetic nervous systems, which means we are consistently in “fight or flight or freeze/collapse” mode. This is like constantly putting the “pedal to the metal” and pressing the accelerator of a car all the way down to the floor — which is dangerous, on a lot of different levels, and not sustainable. In order to heal, we need to be able to put on the brakes, ease into stillness, and rest in order to process (i.e., digest) what we have experienced.
“Wounding and healing are not opposites. They’re part of the same thing. It is our wounds that enable us to be compassionate with the wounds of others. It is our limitations that make us kind to the limitations of other people. It is our loneliness that helps us to find other people or to even know they’re alone with an illness. I think I have served people perfectly with parts of myself I used to be ashamed of.”
— Rachel Naomi Remen (b. 2/8/1938) as quoted in At Your Service: Living the Lessons of Servant Leadership by Charles E. Wheaton
When it comes to healing, there are times that we just need the knowledge to know how things work. At other times, we also need assistance from caregivers and professional healers who are committed to the healing process — people like Maxine Pitter Haynes and Dr. Rachel Naomi Remen. Finally, there are times when we need to get together and share information — as people do annually on February 6th, the International Day of Zero Tolerance for Female Genital Mutilation.
This year’s theme, “Towards 2030: No End To FGM Without Sustained Commitment and Investment”, is a reminder and an opportunity to commit and invest in the healing process.
Click on the excerpt title below for more about Inez Maxine Pitter Haynes (b. 2/6/1919) and her sisters.
Salt of the Earth, the 2024 remix (the “missing” Tuesday post)
“‘I wasn’t soured by what happened to me,’ she was quoted in a June 1994 article in Columns, the UW alumni magazine. ‘I talk to people all the time about my experiences, and tell them they can’t be bitter. You have to pass over it, and go on…. It isn’t productive to hold on to it.’”
— quoted from The Seattle Times (March 26, 2004) obituary “Maxine Haynes, longtime educator and nurse in area” by Florangela Davila
This Hatha/Tantra-inspired Restorative Yoga practice (with some movement) is accessible and open to all. (It is also a sequence intended to prepare you for bed!)
(NOTE: There will be a little bit of quiet space in this practice.)
Friday’s playlist is also available on YouTube and Spotify. [Look for “12042020 Bedtime Yoga”]
NOTE: The playlist is slightly different on each platform. You can start with almost any track (and extra tracks have been added for 2026).
Prop wise, I suggest using a chair, sofa, or coffee table towards the end of this practice and this is a kitchen sink practice. You can practice without props or you can use “studio” and/or “householder” props. Example of “Studio” props: 1 – 2 blankets, 2 – 3 blocks, a bolster, a strap, and an eye pillow. Example of “Householder” props: 1 – 2 blankets or bath towels, 2 – 3 books (similar in size), 2 standard pillows (or 1 body pillow), a belt/tie/sash, and a face towel.
You may want extra layers (as your body may cool down during this practice). Having a wall, chair, sofa, or coffee table will also be handy.
If you are thinking about suicide, worried about a friend or loved one, or would like emotional support, you can dial 988 (in the US) or call 1-800-273-TALK (8255) for the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline. You can also call this TALK line if you are struggling with addiction or involved in an abusive relationship. The Lifeline network is free, confidential, and available to all 24/7. YOU CAN TALK ABOUT ANYTHING.
White Flag is an app, which I have not yet researched, but which may be helpful if you need peer-to-peer (non-professional) support.
If you are a young person in crisis, feeling suicidal, or in need of a safe and judgement-free place to talk, you can also click here to contact the TrevorLifeline (which is staffed 24/7 with trained counselors).
A Joyful Practice 