Imagining Paradise w/EXCERPTS (the “missing” compilation post for Wednesday) April 22, 2026
Posted by ajoyfulpractice in "Impossible" People, Baha'i, Books, Buddhism, Changing Perspectives, Depression, Faith, Healing Stories, Health, Hope, Life, Music, One Hoop, Philosophy, Poetry, Religion, Riḍván, Science, Suffering, Tragedy, Wisdom, Writing, Yoga.Tags: #24Hour London Salon, 988, Antônio Carlos Jobim, Blindfold Test, Charles Mingus, Counting the Omer, Denis Hayes, Earth Day, Eric Dolphy, Gaylord Nelson, Immanuel Kant, Infield Lewis, J. Macmurray, jazz, Jimmy Knepper, John McConnell, John Milton, Joni Mitchell, Leonard Feather, Library of Congress, Miles Davis, Nature, Newton Mendonça, Pat Nixon, Riḍván, Richard Nixon, Ridvan, Second Week of Pascha, The Universal House of Justice, Universal House of Justice
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Happy Earth Day! “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!
Happy Poetry Month!!
This is the “missing” (and backdated) compilation post for Wednesday, April 22nd. It includes new content, some “renewed” content, and excerpts. This post contains passing references to violence. My apologies for not posting before the practice. 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.
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.
“The mind is its own place, and in it self
Can make a Heav’n of Hell, a Hell of Heav’n.
What matter where, if I be still the same,”
— quoted from Book I of Paradise Lost: A Poem Written in Ten Books by John Milton (published 1667)
Imagine paradise. Not paradise in a religious, spiritual, or philosophical sense; no, imagine paradise here on earth. How does it look? How does it smell? What does it sound like? Is there jazz and/or classical music? Who is in paradise with you? Are you having conversations with different people about one thing or a lot of things? What does paradise taste like?
Finally, how did this place become paradise? Sure, you just conceived it just now in your imagination. And, as the old saying goes, “What man can conceive, man can achieve”. But, how do you make it reality?
Speaking of which: A week or so ago, I was listening to a podcast where someone was talking about the difference between optimism and hope, from a clinical, scientific lens. They were saying that, psychologically, people who are hopeful act very different from people who are optimistic in that people who are optimistic believe that things will just work out in the best way possible. In this way, optimistic people are like pessimistic people in that both groups believe things will work out in a certain way with no extra effort on their part. Hopeful people, on the other hand, put in the work. Today, we are very much focused on people putting in the work.
“Those who contemplate the beauty of the earth find reserves of strength that will endure as long as life lasts. There is something infinitely healing in the repeated refrains of nature — the assurance that dawn comes after night, and spring after winter.”
— quoted from Silent Spring by Rachel Carson (published 1962)
Today (Wednesday) was Earth Day, the second day of Riḍván (“the Most Great Festival” in the Bahá’i Faith); the second week of Pascha (in Orthodox Christian communities); and “two weeks and six days” (for people who are Counting the Omer). After so many stories about suffering (and the end of suffering), these observations are very much related to the hopeful parts of the stories. In fact, this is the time of year when the Universal House of Justice issues a Riḍván message that is simultaneously encouraging people to continue with their grassroots efforts and highlighting how those efforts reflect the messages and declarations that the founder of the Bahá’i Faith, Bahá’u’lláh, waited in the original garden of Riḍván prior to being exiled to Constantinople.
Click on the excerpt title below for a little more of this year’s Riḍván message and an excerpt/link to a description of “the Most Great Festival”.
More Reflections in the Garden (the “missing” Tuesday blessings, music, & excerpt)
“[Alexander Gottlieb] Baumgarten speaks of duties towards beings which are beneath us and beings which are above us. But so far as animals are concerned, we have no direct duties. Animals are not self-conscious and are there merely as a means to an end. That end is man.”
— quoted from “Duties Towards Animals and Spirits” in Lectures on Ethics by Immanuel Kant (Translated from the German by Infield Lewis, B.A., O.B.E., with an introduction by J. Macmurray, M.A.)
Born in Königsberg in the Kingdom of Prussia on April 22, 1724, Immanuel (or Emanuel) Kant was one of the most influential philosophers of the Age of Enlightenment (also known as the Age of Reason). He wrote and lectured about the theory of knowledge (epistemology), metaphysics, logic, ethics, aesthetics, political theory, the philosophy of religion, anthropology, mathematics, physics, and natural law. While it may seem like he focused on a lot of things, he never really strayed away from his primary focus: humankind and how knowledge and reason lead to morality.
Long before Rachel Carson was born (let alone wrote a little book that would inspire a great movement), Kant talked about how the ways in which we interact with Nature (and all the creatures on Earth) reflect how we interact with each other and vice versa. He also made the connection between a child’s behavior with animals and their propensity towards violence as an adult long before it was being tracked by modern scientist.
“If a man shoots his dog because the animal is no longer capable of service, he does not fail in his duty to the dog, for the dog cannot judge, but his act is inhuman and damages in himself that humanity which it is his duty to show towards mankind. If he is not to stifle his human feelings, he must practise kindness towards animals, for he who is cruel to animals becomes hard also in his dealings with men. We can judge the heart of a man by his treatment of animals. [William] Hogarth depicts this in his engravings. He shows how cruelty grows and develops. He shows the child’s cruelty to animals, pinching the tail of a dog or a cat; he then depicts the grown man in his cart running over a child ; and lastly, the culmination of cruelty in murder. He thus brings home to us in a terrible fashion the rewards of cruelty, and this should be an impressive lesson to children. The more we come in contact with animals and observe their behaviour, the more we love them, for we see how great is their care for their young. It is then difficult for us to be cruel in thought even to a wolf. [Gottfried Wilhelm]Leibnitz used a tiny worm for purposes of observation, and then carefully replaced it with its leaf on the tree so that it should not come to harm through any act of his. He would have been sorry—a natural feeling for a humane man—to destroy such a creature for no reason. Tender feelings towards dumb animals develop humane feelings towards mankind. ”
— quoted from “Duties Towards Animals and Spirits” in Lectures on Ethics by Immanuel Kant (Infield Lewis, B.A., O.B.E., with an introduction by J. Macmurray, M.A.)
“But it seems reasonable to believe — and I do believe — that the more clearly we can focus our attention on the wonders and realities of the universe about us the less taste we shall have for the destruction of our race. Wonder and humility are wholesome emotions, and they do not exist side by side with a lust for destruction.”
— Rachel Carson accepting the John Burroughs Medal (April 1952) and printed in Lost Woods: The Discovered Writing of Rachel Carson
The following Earth Day excerpt was previously posted.
While the roots of Earth Day can be found in the 1962 publication of Rachel Carson’s Silent Spring, an actual day dedicated to Earth and peace was initially proposed by John McConnell during a 1969 conference hosted by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). The very first Earth Day, as he proposed it, was held in San Francisco on March 21, 1970, to coincide with the first day of spring in the northern hemisphere. Gaylord Nelson, a United States Senator from Wisconsin, proposed a nationwide environmental teach-in and hired a young activist named Denis Hayes to organize the first national Earth Day, which was held on April 22, 1970. More than 20 million people, including then-President Richard Nixon and First Lady Pat Nixon, participated in the events on April 22, 1970, making that day one of the largest protests in the United States. (The 1970 Earth Day teach-in was the largest recorded protest until the 2020 protest after the murder of George Floyd.)
Click on the excerpt title below for more Earth Day reflections.
“It seems so hard for some of us to grow up mentally just enough to realize there are other persons of flesh and bone, just like us, on this great, big earth. And if they don’t ever stand still, move, or ‘swing,’ they are as right as we are, even if they are as wrong as hell by our standards. Yes, Miles, I am apologizing for my stupid ‘Blindfold Test.’ I can do it gladly because I’m learning a little something. No matter how much they try to say that [Dave] Brubeck doesn’t swing—or whatever else they’re stewing or whoever else they’re brewing—it’s factually unimportant.
Not because Dave made Time magazine—and a dollar—but mainly because Dave honestly thinks he’s swinging. He feels a certain pulse and plays a certain pulse which gives him pleasure and a sense of exaltation because he’s sincerely doing something the way he, Dave Brubeck, feels like doing it. And as you said in your story, Miles, ‘if a guy makes you pat your foot, and if you feel it down your back, etc.,’ then Dave is the swingingest by your definition, Miles, because at Newport and elsewhere Dave had the whole house patting its feet and even clapping its hands….”
— quoted from “An Open Letter to Miles Davis” by Charles Mingus (published in Down Beat Magazine, November 30, 1955)
I have said before that apologizing can be like hitting a reset button. It can be healing. However, when I originally read the quote above, I read it out of context and didn’t realize that it wasn’t as healing as it sounded (out of context). When I first read it, I knew nothing about Leonard Feather and his “Blindfold Test”, a series of interviews during which he played musical selections for jazz musicians without them knowing anything about the selection. For the Blindfold Test, musicians were asked to guess who was playing, offer some commentary, and give each selection a (quality) rank from one to five. The musicians would also talk about their own work as a jazz musician.
Even though I read the open letter by Charles Mingus Jr. I didn’t know the full context. I still don’t; because, even though I found Miles Davis’s 1955 Blindfold Test (and a bunch of others), I couldn’t find the 1955 Charles Mingus interview that both men referenced as a bone of contention.
The fact that I couldn’t find the aforementioned interview is a little odd considering that, fourteen years after Charles Mingus died, his collected papers — including scores, sound recordings, correspondence, and photos — were acquired by the Library of Congress. They called it “the most important acquisition of a manuscript collection relating to jazz in the Library’s history”. Maybe the interview is there. Maybe not. What is clear, with a little more context, however, is that the letter is not a complete act of contrition. Quite the opposite, in fact, It is a desafinado (“slightly out of tune”) note between two musical geniuses who were known for the volatile temperaments.
“What you don’t know, you don’st even sense
Is that those [who sing] out of tune do also have a heart”
— quoted from the song “Desafinado” by Antônio Carlos Jobim (composed by Antônio Carlos Jobim, Portuguese lyrics by Newton Mendonça)
Born April 22, 1922, in Nogales, Arizona, Charles Mingus Jr. was musician, composer, bandleader, and author who promoted the concept of collective improvisation. While he became famous as an upright bassist, he also played piano, trombone, and cello. He started fusing jazz and classical music when he was a teenager and gospel music and blues also influenced his style. He eventually played and composed everything from advanced bebop and avant-garde jazz (with small and midsize ensembles) to post-bop and progressive big band.
For over 30 years, he played and collaborated with jazz giants like Duke Ellington (who was one of his childhood inspirations), Charlie Parker, Louis Armstrong, Max Roach, and Eric Dolphy, Russell Jacquet, Teddy Edwards, Maurice James Simon, Wild Bill Davis, Chico Hamilton, Howard McGhee, Lionel Hampton, and many many others. Just before he died, Charles Mingus collaborated with Joni Mitchell on a studio album featuring Ms. Mitchell, Jaco Pastorius, Wayne Shorter, Herbie Hancock, Peter Erskine, Don Alias, Emil Richards, and actual wolves (howling). When they were composing the album, they Mr. Mingus and Ms. Mitchell held “experimental sessions” with Eddie Gómez, John Guerin, Phil Woods, Gerry Mulligan, Dannie Richmond (doing narration), Tony Williams, John McLaughlin, Jan Hammer, and Stanley Clarke.
“You, with your music, forgot the main thing
That in the chest of those out of tune
Deep in the chest it beats quietly
In the chest of those out of tune
A heart also beats”
— quoted from the song “Desafinado” by Antônio Carlos Jobim (composed by Antônio Carlos Jobim, Portuguese lyrics by Newton Mendonça)
Charles Mingus Jr., who was of mixed race heritage, married four (maybe five) times and had such an explosive temper that he was known as “the Angry Man of Jazz” . In addition to times when he would cast members of his band off stage, he once got fired by Duke Ellington because he couldn’t control his temper. In January 1963, he received a suspended sentence for punching the jazz trombonist Jimmy Knepper. His injury left Mr. Knepper unable to play as he had before the assault and temporarily ended the two men’s collaborations. (Although they would work together again in 1977, and Mr. Knepper would be an active member of the Mingus Dynasty, the ensemble formed in 1979, after Mr. Mingus’s death.)
In addition to having anger issues that affected (and probably influenced) his work. Charles Mingus dealt with clinical depression and suffered from Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). After Eric Dolphy unexpectedly and tragically died (after falling into an undiagnosed diabetic coma) in West Berlin, Mr. Mingus was unproductive for five years. His ALS eventually led to him not being able to play. He spent the last years of his life composing and supervising recordings — including (perhaps) the one where the wolves howling in the background remind us that nature is still there/here.
“Of the darkness in men’s minds
What can you say
That wasn’t marked by history
Or the TV news today
He gets away with murder
The blizzards come and go
The stab and glare and buckshot
Of the heavy heavy snow
It comes and goes
It comes and goes”
— quoted from the song “The Wolf That Lives in Lindsey” by Joni Mitchell
Wednesday’s playlist is available on YouTube and Spotify. [Look for “0422020 Earth Day”]
If you are thinking about suicide, worried about a friend or loved one, or would like emotional support, you can dial 988 (in the US) or call 1-800-273-TALK (8255) for the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline. You can also call this TALK line if you are struggling with addiction or involved in an abusive relationship. The Lifeline network is free, confidential, and available to all 24/7. YOU CAN TALK ABOUT ANYTHING.
White Flag is 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
“In these troubled times it is a wholesome and necessary thing for us to turn again to the earth and in the contemplation of her beauties to know the sense of wonder and humility. There is modern truth to the ancient wisdom of the psalmist: ‘I will lift up mine eyes unto the hills, from whence cometh my help.’”
— quoted from Rachel Carson’s original submission to “Words to Live By” for This Week Magazine (1951)
Click here to read my (very short) 2025 Earth Day post about looking up.
### Gaia / Terra / Bhūmi /Pṛthvī Pachamama / Papatūānuku / Ìyá Nlá / Mother Earth ###
More Reflections in the Garden (the “missing” Tuesday blessings, music, & excerpt) April 21, 2026
Posted by ajoyfulpractice in Art, Baha'i, Bhakti, Changing Perspectives, Donate, Faith, Healing Stories, Hope, Karma Yoga, Life, Music, Mysticism, One Hoop, Peace, Philosophy, Poetry, Religion, Riḍván, Volunteer, Wisdom, Yoga.Tags: Abdul-Baha, Baha’u’llah, Baháʼí, Commemoration of the Dead, Counting the Omer, Kitab-i-Aqdas, Nabil and Karim, poetry month, Provody, Radonitsa, Riḍván, Ridvan, Second Week of Pascha, Taraz Nosrat, Universal House of Justice
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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 with music links for Tuesday, April 21st. My apologies for not posting before the practice. 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.
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.
“Many in the wider society who encounter the grassroots activity of Bahá’ís are struck by its distinctive characteristics: it springs from a sincere concern for the well-being of all, it is oriented towards unity and service, and it follows clear principles yet does not presume to have an immediate answer to every problem. In a spirit of common endeavour, Bahá’ís seek to collaborate with others and to learn together; and in the relationships they form with those who occupy positions of authority and responsibility in society, they are earnest and clear-sighted. They pursue social change without political ambition or self-interest, and they recognize that, as the prominence of the Faith rises, it becomes important to ensure that its true character and aims are well understood. In many places, the growing depth of the community’s interactions with society means, inevitably, that there are new situations to navigate and new questions to answer, and this is compelling the community to further develop its own capabilities.”
— quoted from the Riḍván 2026 message from the Universal House of Justice “To the Bahá’is of the World”
Click on the excerpt title below and scroll down to the “ENTERING THE GARDEN” section for information about the April 22nd practice.
“The song title is taken from: ‘We, verily, have made music as a ladder for your souls, a means whereby they may be lifted up unto the realm on high; make it not, therefore, as wings to self and passion.’ – Baha’u’llah, Kitab-i-Aqdas”
— quoted from liner notes for the song “Ladder for the Soul” by Taraz Nosrat
Tuesday’s playlist is available on YouTube and Spotify. [Look for “Ridvan 181 BE 2024”]
Music Notes: With a few obvious exceptions (at the beginning and end), this music is composed and performed by Bahá’i musicians and inspired by the Bahá’i Faith. One track in the before/after music is different on each platform. My intention was to include the track below during the practice music; however I could not find it on Spotify.
“‘So powerful is the light of unity that it can illuminate the whole earth’ – Abdu’l-Bahá”
— quoted from the liner notes for the song “So Powerful” by Taraz Nosrat
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).
“We rejoice to see, in every country and region, true practitioners of peace occupied with building this haven. We see it in every account of a heart being enkindled with the love of God, a family opening up its home to new friends, collaborators drawing on Bahá’u’lláh’s teachings to address a social problem, a community strengthening a culture of mutual support, a neighbourhood or village learning to initiate and sustain the actions necessary for its own spiritual and material progress, a locality being blessed with the emergence of a new Spiritual Assembly.”
— quoted from the Riḍván 2022 message from the Universal House of Justice “To the Bahá’is of the World”
You’re Invited to Bend… & To Take The Deepest Breath You’ve Taken — On Retreat!
September 25 — 27, 2026
### TEACH ONE LOVE ###
Noticing Things, Again (on April 19th) [the “missing” Sunday post] April 19, 2026
Posted by ajoyfulpractice in Books, Changing Perspectives, Healing Stories, Health, Hope, Life, Meditation, Music, Mysticism, One Hoop, Pain, Peace, Philosophy, Poetry, Religion, Science, Suffering, Tragedy, Wisdom, Writing, Yoga.Tags: 988, Alexandra Stéliski, Bicycle Day, Counting the Omer, Johnathan Ott, Jon Lord, KISS MY ASANA, LSD, lysergic acid diethylamide, meditation, Mindfulness, Pandit Rajmani Tigunait, Poetry, poetry month, psychiatry, Second Sunday of Pascha, story, Thomas B. Roberts, Thomas Hardy, yoga, Yoga Sutra 1.17, Yoga Sutra 2.20, Yoga Sutra 4.1
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Happy Poetry Month! Happy Bicycle Day! Peace and many blessings to everyone and especially to anyone Counting the Omer and/or celebrating and observing Second Sunday of Pascha: Antipascha, St. Thomas Sunday!
This “missing” (backdated) post for Sunday, April 19th ,is an expanded version of a 2020 post. Click here for the original post, which includs links to Kiss My Asana offerings! WARNING: There is a passing reference to a past act of terrorism during the practice and in the notes section of this post. 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.
“An analogy will be helpful in explaining these two aspects. Let’s sat we are setting out from New York City to drive to Los Angeles. Every evening we check into a motel for the night and perhaps do a little sightseeing before continuing our journey. Eventually we reach Los Angeles. Once there, we enjoy experiencing the city. Depending on our goal, we stay for a week or two, a month, or perhaps permanently.
Los Angeles represents samadhi as a final state. The journey from beginning to end represents samadhi as a process.”
— quoted from the commentary on Yoga Sūtra 1.17, in The Secret of the Yoga Sūtra: Samadhi Pada by Pandit Rajmani Tigunait, PhD
According to Yoga Sūtra 1.17, we have four levels of conscious awareness: gross, subtle, bliss or joy, and the feeling of i-ness. One of my favorite analogies explains these levels by using the example of walking into a room where music is playing. (I have also used the example of going to your first yoga class.) When you first enter the room, you notice something is happening. Maybe you hear the music. Maybe you just feel the vibration. Either way, that is the gross level of awareness. When you start to recognize the lyrics and/or the melody — or, you actually start practicing, you move into the subtle level of conscious awareness. From there you move into the bliss or joy state, which is when you start to sing or dance (or really get into the practice). This is the point when things start to feel good. The final stage of conscious awareness is a state of absorption, Samadhi (which is also the final limb of the Yoga Philosophy).
In the commentary for Yoga Sūtra 1.17, Pandit Rajmani Tigunait, PhD, uses another great example: going on a road trip from New York to Los Angeles. I think this is a great example, because it highlights the fact that the process of reaching/experiencing Samadhi is a journey, as well as a state of being. He also points out that how we travel determines how experience the process/journey and how quickly we reach the destination.
“Lower samadhis is the journey leading to the higher samadhi. It consists of a series of interim destinations, which are largely determined by the quality of the objects employed in meditation and the quality of the mind using those objects. If we walk from New York City to Los Angeles, our final destination is the same as if we drive, but there will be many more interim destinations—and the distance between them will be much shorter. But the number of interim destinations and the distance between them change drastically when we travel by bicycle or by airplane. In the same way, in Yoga sadhana each of us has our own starting point, a uniquely trained mind, and a particular object we use to remain one-pointed. ”
— quoted from the commentary on Yoga Sūtra 1.17, in The Secret of the Yoga Sūtra: Samadhi Pada by Pandit Rajmani Tigunait, PhD
“For me ‘plus tôt’ is a piece that talks about the sort of space and time that you’re in before things happen to you. The sort of calm you can feel when you don’t know that some events are about to change you. It’s the beginning of the trip. It’s the beginning of the inscape.”
— Alexandra Stéliski explaining the inspiration for the first piece on her album Inscape (the song title translates to “earlier”)
When do you notice things? And what do you notice?
Our sense organs are always picking up information and, unless something goes wrong, they are always sending that information to the brain in the form of sensation. The brain sifts through the information, works on the puzzle, and then sends back more sensation, more information. Sometimes we add a layer of judgment and a layer of story — especially when we don’t feel we have enough information or when the pieces are starting to fill in the gaps.
Our minds like a good story.
However, a lot of the mind’s processing is purely unconscious and subconscious. Someone will bring our awareness to something and we will say, “Oh, I didn’t notice that.” The reality is that some part of us did notice — otherwise we wouldn’t be able to recognize whatever it was that someone brought to our attention. (See Yoga Sūtra 2.20.) What we notice ourselves noticing, when we bring our awareness to our awareness, is something in the subconscious and/or unconscious parts our consciousness being brought forward into the conscious part of our mind.
Take a deep breath in; open your mouth, sigh it out.
Deep breath in through your nose; deep open mouth sigh.
Take the deepest breath you’ve taken all day; open your mouth and sigh it out.
As you inhale through your nose, and exhale through your nose, notice what you notice. Bring your awareness to your awareness.
There are certain times in our lives where we seem to notice — be conscious of — everything. At other times, it seems our conscious mind shrinks down and we are only aware of one thing. This can, and does, happen all the time without us ever thinking about it. But, what happens when we think about it?
A meditation practice, whether you are moving, sitting, or lying down is sometimes referred to as a mindfulness practice. Mindfulness being the state of conscious awareness. In that state of conscious awareness there can be peace and calm; but not always. There are times when conscious awareness is neither peaceful nor calm (even though the peace and the calm are why so many people meditate). The fact that mindfulness practices can be uncomfortable — on multiple levels — is why some people also associate compassion with mindfulness. More than anything, mindfulness, how ever you get to it, involves clarity and an understanding of cause-and-effect.
It also involves noticing things.
“When the Present has latched its postern behind my tremulous stay,
And the May month flaps its glad green leaves like wings,
Delicate-filmed as new-spun silk, will the neighbours say,
‘He was a man who used to notice such things’?”
— quoted from the poem “Afterwards” by Thomas Hardy, set to music by Lon Lord
Sometimes we notice things because of tragedy1, which can heighten our awareness (even when we are just watching events unfold on our screens). Sometimes we notice things because they are too beautiful to miss. Sometimes we notice things because we are, like the person in the Thomas Hardy poem, someone who just notices things. Sometimes we notice things because we choose to notice things.
Other times we notice things because we are “trippin’”.
While it can be used as a slang term to refer to someone saying or doing something ridiculous or unbelievable, trippin’, technically speaking, refers to someone who is using a controlled substance — specifically, a psychedelic. Some sources attribute the latter usage to US Army scientists who were experimenting with LSD in the 1950s. However, the first recorded “acid trip” was an actual trip that Dr. Albert Hofmann took (on a bicycle) in Basel, Switzerland, on April 19, 1943. Decades later, he would write about a childhood experience (near Baden, Switzerland) that forever altered his awareness of awareness.
“Suddenly, the familiar view of our surroundings is transformed in a strange, delightful, or alarming way: it appears to us in a new light, takes on a special meaning. Such an experience can be as light and fleeting as a breath of air, or it can imprint itself deeply upon our minds.
One enchantment of that kind, which I experienced in childhood, has remained remarkably vivid in my memory ever since. It happened on a May morning—I have forgotten the year—but I can still point to the exact spot where it occurred, on a forest path on Martinsberg above Baden, Switzerland. As I strolled through the freshly greened woods, filled with bird song and lit by the morning sun, all at once everything appeared in an uncommonly clear light. Was this something I had simply failed to notice before? Was I suddenly perceiving the spring forest as it actually looked? It shone with the most beautiful radiance, speaking to the heart, as though it wished to encompass me in its majesty. I was filled with an indescribable sensation of joy, oneness, and of blissful security.”
— quoted from the “Foreword” in LSD: My Problem Child — Reflections on Sacred Drugs, Mysticism, and Science by Albert Hoffman Ph.D., Dr. Pharm. (Hon.), Dr. Sc. Nat. (Hon.), Head of the Pharmaceutical-Chemical Research Laboratories, Division of Natural Products (Retired), Sandoz, Ltd., Basel, Switzerland (Translated by Jonathan Ott)
Dr. Albert Hofmann was a Swiss chemist who first synthesized lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD) in November of 1938. He set his experiment aside for five years, to work on other things, and then, on April 16, 1943, he accidentally dropped some LSD on his exposed skin. He wasn’t overly concerned about the little drop. Later, however, after he was home, he felt intoxicated, a little dizzy, restless, and overly sensitive to light. He laid down for a bit, closed his eyes, and experienced about 2 hours of colorful images playing out behind his closed eyelids.
Three days later, on April 19th, Dr. Hofmann intentionally ingested what he thought was a small dose of LSD: 250 micrograms. That dose was way too large — actually ten times a threshold dose — and, within the hour, the drugs kicked in. Instead of having the dreamy, highly imaginative, and slightly pleasant experience he was expecting, the chemist found himself in a living nightmare. People around him turned into wild creatures and witches; furniture moved around of their own volition; and he felt possessed. He also felt anxious and paranoid, and feared that he had poisoned himself. He asked his laboratory assistant to help him get home and, because of World War II restrictions, they had to bicycle.
I always imagined Dr. Hofmann riding on the back of the bicycle or on the handlebars as they rode home from Sandoz Labs; however, it turns out that Susi Ramstein (his lab assistant) simply rode beside him. He later wrote that “everything in my field of vision wavered and was distorted as if seen in a curved mirror. I also had the sensation of being unable to move from the spot. Nevertheless, my assistant later told me we had traveled very rapidly.” Eventually, a doctor made a house call; but, the only physical symptom the doctor identified was dilated pupils. So, Dr. Hofmann decided to enjoy what turned out to be a six-hour ride.
The next morning he felt refreshed and had a new perspective about the world. He also had a greater sense of well-being, perceived his food as tasting better, and basically enjoyed his life more. While Dr. Hofmann recognized the possibility/danger of having a bad experience. He believed that similar “trips” (like the ones he had) could heighten consciousness — and modern psychiatry is backing him up! Today, psychiatrists around the world are administering LSD and other psychedelics, in controlled settings, in order to help people unpack trauma, overcome anxiety, and cultivate awareness. Some people, in clinical settings, describe feeling more compassion, more empathy, a deeper connection to others, and a dissolution of their ego. Others describe experiencing more confidence and what has been described as “ego construction” (i.e., a deeper sense of Self/self).
“There is today a widespread striving for a mystical experience, for visionary breakthroughs to a deeper, more comprehensive reality than that perceived by our rational, everyday consciousness. Efforts to transcend our materialistic world view are made in various ways, not only by the adherents to Eastern religious movements, but also by professional psychiatrists, who are adopting such profound spiritual experiences as a basic therapeutic principle.”
— quoted from the “Foreword” in LSD: My Problem Child — Reflections on Sacred Drugs, Mysticism, and Science by Albert Hoffman Ph.D., Dr. Pharm. (Hon.), Dr. Sc. Nat. (Hon.), Head of the Pharmaceutical-Chemical Research Laboratories, Division of Natural Products (Retired), Sandoz, Ltd., Basel, Switzerland (Translated by Jonathan Ott)
The first commemoration of Dr. Albert Hoffman’s first trip, was hosted by Dr. Thomas B. Roberts in 1985. The Northern Illinois University professor wanted to host a small gathering at his home in DeKalb, Illinois on the anniversary of Dr. Hoffman’s accidental exposure. The year he decided to expand the celebration, April 16th fell midweek and, so, the professor decided to host a gathering on April 19th: the anniversary of the first intentional “trip”. He called it “Bicycle Day”.
Today, Bicycle Day is an annual celebration of the psychedelic revolution and of Dr. Albert Hoffman’s first (bicycle) trip. Some people ingest psychedelics and ride bicycles on April 19th, while others simply enjoy the parades, wear tie-dye, and/or attend educational events, art gatherings, or wellness-focused activities. Some folks also learn about the history of “trippin’”, discuss the work of Dr. Albert Hoffman, and/or do what we do in every practice — explore consciousness and mental health.
“I share the belief of many of my contemporaries that the spiritual crisis pervading all spheres of Western industrial society can be remedied only by a change in our world view. We shall have to shift from the materialistic, dualistic belief that people and their environment are separate, toward a new consciousness of an all-encompassing reality, which embraces the experiencing ego, a reality in which people feel their oneness with the animate nature and all of creation.
Everything that can contribute to such a fundamental alteration in our perception of reality must therefore command earnest attention. Foremost among such approaches are the various methods of meditation, either in a religious or a secular context, which aim to deepen the conscious reality by way of a total mystical experience.”
— quoted from the “Foreword” in LSD: My Problem Child — Reflections on Sacred Drugs, Mysticism, and Science by Albert Hoffman Ph.D., Dr. Pharm. (Hon.), Dr. Sc. Nat. (Hon.), Head of the Pharmaceutical-Chemical Research Laboratories, Division of Natural Products (Retired), Sandoz, Ltd., Basel, Switzerland (Translated by Jonathan Ott)
Sunday’s playlist is available on YouTube and Spotify. [Look for “04192020 Noticing Things”]
NOTE: These are double playlists. You can start with Track #1, Track #11, or Track #12.
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
NOTES: 1The Oklahoma City bombing took place today in 1995.
### Tune In! ###
Noticing Things, Again (on April 19) [mostly the music & blessings] *UPDATED w/excerpt* April 19, 2026
Posted by ajoyfulpractice in Changing Perspectives, Healing Stories, Hope, Life, Meditation, Music, One Hoop, Pain, Peace, Philosophy, Poetry, Religion, Science, Suffering, Tragedy, Wisdom, Writing, Yoga.Tags: 988, Alexandra Stéliski, Bicycle Day, Counting the Omer, KISS MY ASANA, meditation, Mindfulness, Poetry, poetry month, Second Sunday of Pascha, story, yoga, Yoga Sutra 1.17, Yoga Sutra 2.20
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Happy Poetry Month! Happy Bicycle Day! Peace and many blessings to everyone and especially to anyone Counting the Omer and/or celebrating and observing Second Sunday of Pascha: Antipascha, St. Thomas Sunday!
“For me ‘plus tôt’ is a piece that talks about the sort of space and time that you’re in before things happen to you. The sort of calm you can feel when you don’t know that some events are about to change you. It’s the beginning of the trip. It’s the beginning of the inscape.”
— Alexandra Stéliski explaining the inspiration for the first piece on her album Inscape (the song title translates to “earlier”)
CLICK ON THE EXCERPT TITLE BELOW FOR MORE.
Noticing Things, Again (on April 19th) [the “missing” Sunday post]
Please join me today (Sunday, April 19th) 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 “04192020 Noticing Things”]
NOTE: These are double playlists. You can start with Track #1, Track #11, or Track #12.
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
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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 ###
The Emptiness is Full of Connection (the “missing” Saturday compilation post w/excerpt & video) April 11, 2026
Posted by ajoyfulpractice in Books, Faith, Healing Stories, Lent / Great Lent, Meditation, Music, One Hoop, Philosophy, Poetry, Religion, Wisdom, Writing, Yoga.Tags: 988, Alessia Cara, Alessia Caracciolo, Arjun Ivatury, Atma, Beth Hirsch, Counting the Omer, Drew Taggart, Dylan Wiggins, Eastertide, John Cage, Khalid, Khalid Robinson, klishtaklishta, klişţāklişţāh, Logic, Mark Strand, Misuzu Kaneko, Octave of Easter, Pandit Rajmani Tigunait, Poetry, poetry month, R. S. Thomas, Rainer Maria Rilke, Sir Robert Bryson Hall II, Thích Nhất Hạnh, Thich Nhat Hanh, Wasis Diop, Xavier Derouin, yoga sutra 1.34, Yoga Sutra 1.5, Yoga Sutra 2.3-2.9, Yoga Sutras 2.54-2.55
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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 Great Lent.
Happy Poetry Month!!
This “missing” compilation post for Saturday, April 11th , includes new and revised/re-purposed content. Links to the related Kiss My Asana offerings can be found at the beginning of the 2021 post on this date. Links in the notes section will direct you to sites outside of this blog. WARNING: There is a passing reference to suicide in the last half of this post (and in the video). 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.
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Yes, the space above was intentionally blank.
What was your reaction to all that “empty” space? Did you react the same way you do in a yoga class when the instructor suddenly stops speaking? Did it make you nervous? Did you think it was a mistake? Did you think I was posting about the first photograph of a black hole? Did you notice it at all?
There are no right or wrong answers to these questions; just the truth. And, the truth is that emptiness, stillness, and nothingness are powerful states that can simultaneously be experienced as uncomfortable and/or as welcoming. We can perceive them as peaceful; as the calm before the storm; and/or as a sign that something is wrong. Just as this is all true when we are talking about external emptiness, stillness, and nothingness; it is also true when we are talking about internal emptiness, stillness, and nothingness.
We live in an overstimulated world full of things — and, that means we are overstimulated and full of things. Yet, we somehow want more. That’s part of what makes us human. It is human nature to crave a sense of belonging and to desire being part of something more than ourselves — to be full. And, yet, those very human desires can lead to very human suffering. The suffering comes, in part, because (as the song goes) “everything is never quite enough”.
The solution to that suffering?
Let everything go.
“We are accustomed to living in a world defined by and confined to the forces of time, space, and the law of cause and effect. Out deep familiarity with ourselves as a limited entity makes embracing our limitless self extremely distressing. We prefer becoming ‘big’ in our familiar little world to losing ourselves in the vastness of pure consciousness.”
— quoted from the commentary on Yoga Sūtra 2.6, from The Practice of the Yoga Sutra: Sadhana Pada by Pandit Rajmani Tigunait, PhD
Emptiness, stillness, and nothingness come up a lot in philosophies like Yoga and Buddhism — and, they are often misunderstood. Concepts like anattā (“non-self” or “no-self”) are hard to grasp (pun intended) if one is not in the habit of practicing non-attachment. Further confusion can ensue when we consider that Patanjali’s Yoga Sūtras (and other ancient texts) discuss Ātman or Ātma (“essence, breath, soul”) as one’s true/highest “Self” and, also, describe a “false sense of self-identity” (āsmita) as one of the five afflicted/dysfunctional thought patterns1 that leads to suffering. (YS 2.3 & YS 2.6) That false sense of self, i-ness, or (sense of) ego comes from the next two afflicted/dysfunctional thought patterns — “attachment” (rāga) and “aversion” (dveṣā)— and lead directly to the final affliction: “fear of death or loss” (abhiniveśāḥ). (YS 2.3-2.9)
“We now see the world through the lens of asmita. The samskaric properties of this false self-identity create a world filled with friends and enemies, virtue and vice. Asmita leads us to experiences of success and failure, gain and loss, honor and insult, and burdens us with inferiority and superiority complexes. Our inner luminosity becomes dim….”
— quoted from the commentary on Yoga Sūtra 2.6, from The Practice of the Yoga Sutra: Sadhana Pada by Pandit Rajmani Tigunait, PhD
Whether we realize it or not, our attachments turn life into a zero-sum game… that everyone is losing. Of course, giving up our sense of self — not to mention our attachments and aversions — is one of the hardest things to do. Part of the challenge is that giving up how we define ourselves (and/or how we think we fit into the world) feels like physical death. This is why it is so hard for people to leave a community and/or an organization even when being part of said community and/or organization causes harm to themselves and others. It is especially hard when we don’t recognize the harm.
It’s hard, but not impossible.
Non-attachment takes practice. It takes (re)conditioning. It requires an understanding and appreciation of emptiness, stillness, and nothingness that may not be (and probably is not) part of our background.
Remember, our understanding and appreciation of everything reflect (or echo, if you will) our previous experiences. If we learn to embrace moments of stillness and quite, we also learn to appreciate that sense of emptiness. If we study/practice the aforementioned philosophies, we learn — as John Cage did — that there is never nothing: “Every moment is an echo of nothing.” If we get still and quite, we can be full… of the stillness and the quiet.
“We cannot say that emptiness is something which exists independently. Fullness is also the same. Full is always full of something, such as full of market, buffaloes, villages or Bhikshu. Fullness is not something which exists independently.
The emptiness and fullness depends on the presence of the bowl, Ananda.
Bhikshu’s look deeply at this bowl and you can se the entire universe. This bowl contains the entire universe. This is only one thing this bowl is empty of and that is separate individual self.
Emptiness means empty of self.”
— quoted from Old Path White Clouds: Walking in the Footsteps of the Buddha by Thich Nhat Hanh
Just as these ideas come up in certain philosophies, they also come up in poetry. Rainer Maria Rilke, for instance, wrote about such things. As did R. S. Thomas. In many ways, however, those two poets had similar backgrounds (even though they had some very different life experiences). But, what happens when two very different poets, with vastly different backgrounds and experiences, have similar relationships with emptiness, stillness, and nothingness?
Do their poems highlight the fact that emptiness, stillness, and nothingness are part of life? Can they show us the value of the intangible and (almost) undefinable?
For Those Who Missed It: Variations of the following have previously been posted.
“In a field
I am the absence
of field.
This is
always the case.
Wherever I am
I am what is missing.”
— quoted from the poem “Keeping Things Whole” by Mark Strand
Today is the anniversary of the birth of Misuzu Kaneko (b. 1903) and Mark Strand (b. 1934). Although the two poets lived very different lives in very different places, they wrote poems on very similar themes2 and were both considered literary celebrities during their lifetimes.
Born Tero Kaneko, Kaneko was able to attend school through the age of 17, despite most Japanese girls of the time only attending up to 6th grade. Her poems started to become very popular when she was 20 years old. Unfortunately, her private life as an adult was so tumultuous and tragic that Kaneko committed suicide just before her 27th birthday. At the time of her death, she had published 51 poems.
When Strand was born in Canada, four years after Kaneko’s death, Kaneko’s poems had been all but lost.
Strand grew up moving around the United States, Columbia, Mexico, and Peru. Raised in a secular Jewish home, he went to a Quaker-run college preparatory school in New York; earned a BA at Antioch College in Ohio; moved to Connecticut to study art and graduated with an MFA from Yale; studied poetry in Italy on a Fulbright scholarship; and finally attended the Iowa Writers’ Workshop (where he received an MA in writing) before teaching all over the East Coast and spending a year as a Fulbright Lecturer in Brazil. In addition to ultimately teaching all over the U.S., Strand won a Pulitzer Prize, served as U. S. Poet Laureate, and was honored with numerous other awards and titles. At the time of his death, at the age of 80, he had published at least 21 collections of poetry, plus three children’s books, several books of prose, and served as editor and/or translator for at least 13 more publications.
To my knowledge, Kaneko never left Japan.
Despite the wildly different details of their lives, both poets wrote about loss and darkness, belonging vs. being alone, how personal perspectives create our world, humans vs. nature, and [the concept of] personal responsibility. They may have used different words, but they seemed to share an underlying idea: True power comes from being present with what is despite our desire to possess, change, and understand everything around us.
“Are you just an echo?
No, you are everyone.”
— quoted from the poem (and book) Are You An Echo? by Misuzu Kaneko
Click here (and scroll down) for the 2019 practice of Triangle Pose (Trikonāsana) through the lens of the poems.
“Benten Island was still there
floating on top of the waves
wrapped in golden light,
green as always.”
— quoted from the poem “Benten Island” by Misuzu Kaneko
Click on the excerpt title below for a (slightly) longer physical practice and a special look at Yoga (from 2018).
Keeping Things Yoga…keeping things yoga – 2018 Kiss My Asana Offering #11
“And we stood before it, amazed at its being there,
And would have gone forward and opened the door,
And stepped into the glow and warmed ourselves there,
But that it was ours by not being ours,
And should remain empty. That was the idea.”
— quoted from the poem “The Idea” by Mark Strand
Saturday’s playlist is available on YouTube and Spotify [Look for “05252022 Pratyahara II”]
If Misuzu Kaneko’s story resonates with you, because you or someone you know is struggling emotionally, please call dial 988 (in the US) or call 1-800-273-TALK (8255).
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).
“I want you to be alive” (WARNING: Some images may be disturbing.)
You’re Invited to Bend… & To Take The Deepest Breath You’ve Taken — On Retreat!
September 25 — 27, 2026
NOTES:
1Avidyā (“ignorance”) is the first afflicted/dysfunctional thought pattern and the bedrock of the other four.2Click here to read “Benten Island” by Misuzu Kaneko. Then, click here to read “The Idea” by Mark Strand. Notice how they are connected.
CORRECTION:
In earlier posts, I accidently referenced Benton Island as opposed to Benten Island.
### ###
Peace, Passion, & Stillness (mostly the music & blessings) March 29, 2026
Posted by ajoyfulpractice in Art, Changing Perspectives, Faith, Healing Stories, Hope, Lent / Great Lent, Life, Music, One Hoop, Peace, Poetry, Religion, Suffering, Wisdom, Writing, Yoga.Tags: 988, Guy Johnston, Hilary Tann, Lent / Great Lent, Palm Sunday, R. S. Thomas
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Many blessings to all, and especially to those observing Lent or Great Lent!
Peace, ease, and intervention to all, throughout this “Season for Nonviolence” and all other seasons!
“There are nights that are so still”
“…. And the thought comes
of that other being who is awake, too,
letting our prayers break on him,
not like this for a few hours,
but for days, years, for eternity.”
— quoted from the poem “The Other” by R. S. Thomas, with accompanying music composed by Hilary Tann, featuring Guy Johnston
Please join me today (Sunday, March 29th) 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 “03292026 Peace, Passion, & Stillness on Palm Sunday”]
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.
### MORE PEACE, PLEASE ###
This World We Are In (w/excerpts) *revised (with correct playlist)* March 18, 2026
Posted by ajoyfulpractice in 19-Day Fast, Art, Baha'i, Books, Changing Perspectives, Faith, Healing Stories, Hope, Lent / Great Lent, Life, Music, One Hoop, Pain, Philosophy, Poetry, Ramadan, Religion, Science, Suffering, Tragedy, Wisdom, Writing, Yoga.Tags: 988, Ecology, Franz Wright, Laylat al-Qadr, nasheeds, Ramaḍān, Ramadan, Reba McEntire, Sami Yusuf, Season for Nonviolence
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“Ramaḍān Mubarak, Blessed Ramaḍān!” to anyone observing the holy month of Ramaḍān. (Keep your eyes open!) Many blessings also to all, and especially to those celebrating and/or observing the Baháʼí 19-Day Fast, Lent, and/or Great Lent (and the Adoration of the Cross)!
Peace, ease, and (healthy) ecology to all, throughout this “Season for Nonviolence” and all other seasons!
“II
The long silences need to be loved, perhaps
more than the words
which arrive
to describe them
in time.”
— quoted from the poem “Home Remedy” in God’s Silence by Franz Wright (b. 1953)
Today’s practice almost started in silence. Silence and stillness, they are such powerful things and, also, such healing elements. They are a part of our landscape that also brings awareness to the landscape or ecology.
It may seem odd to think of “ecology” as a principle for the “Season for Nonviolence”. And, yet, when we start looking at nonviolent action, especially as it relates to equity, we must look at the world — we must look at how our actions impact the world, positively as well as negatively.
We live on a planet that is completely capable of sustaining life — and not just life as a general concept. We live on a planet that could sustain and provide sustenance for everyone living on the world. Yet, somehow (and we know how), there are people who go without the bare necessities. There are people who do not have clean water to drink or enough food to eat. There are people without shelter from the storm. There are people whose little space in the world is constantly under bombardment — which also takes a toll on the earth. And, even if we feel like we are not directly responsible for any of these things, we still play a part. We still have a part to play.
While I have referenced a whole lot of very tangible things that affect the physical environment, I would remiss if I didn’t point out the fact that just as our thoughts, words, and deeds can heal (and/or harm) the physical environment around us, the can heal (and/or harm) the ecology within us.
How we treat ourselves and others makes a difference.
“What is the meaning of kindness?
Speak and listen to others, from now on,
as if they had recently died.
At the core the seen and unseen worlds are one.”
— the poem “Solution” by Franz Wright (b. 1953)
CLICK ON THE EXCERPT TITLES BELOW FOR MORE.
FTWMI: A Night of Great Power & Great Peace (a “renewed” post)
“I know I’m waiting
Waiting for something
Something to happen to me
But this waiting comes with
Trials and challenges
Nothing in life is free”
“My Lord, show me right from wrong
Give me light, make me strong
I know the road is long
Make me strong”
— quoted from the song “Make Me Strong” by Sami Yusuf
Please join me today (Wednesday, March 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 “Ramadan & Eid 2024”]
Some quick notes about the music: First, my playlists for the final days of Ramadān are not halal (“permissible”) in all Islamic traditions, because of the orchestrations. They do, however, feature musicians who are Muslim (with a few exceptions).
Some remixes include some (Gregorian) date-related exceptions. Reba McEntire is another notable exception — notable, because in previous years she was the only female soloist and the only non-Muslim singer on the playlists. While this year’s playlists include several Muslim women as musicians and composers, “Pray for Peace” is still highlighted because it was re-released during the month of Ramadān in 2014 — but not just randomly in the month, the song was released in the last ten days of the month (during the holiest part of the month)!
Some songs on the playlist are Nasheeds (meaning they are religiously moral songs) that, in some traditions, are meant to be sung without instrumentation or only with percussion. I have, however, included orchestrated versions of these songs, because this seems to have worked best in an in-studio setting. I mean no disrespect by this choice. As far as I know, percussion or voice only recordings of the Nasheeds are available (if you want to build your own playlist). Alternatively, you can practice without the music — which is always a suitable option.
Finally, the YouTube version currently includes some additional before/after music.
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.
### “Don’t Hate.” ###
EXCERPTS (& Stories) That I Hope You Appreciate [the “missing” Sunday post] February 1, 2026
Posted by ajoyfulpractice in "Impossible" People, Art, Books, Changing Perspectives, Dharma, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., Faith, Gandhi, Gratitude, Healing Stories, Hope, Langston Hughes, Life, Meditation, Music, New Year, One Hoop, Peace, Philosophy, Poetry, Religion, Suffering, Wisdom, Writing, Yoga.Tags: 988, abolition, Appreciation, Arun Gandhi, Black History Month, Browder v Gayle, Carnival, Charles Lenox Remond, E. Ethelbert Miller, full moon, Harlem Renaissance, Langston Hughes, Mahatma Gandhi Canadian Foundation for World Peace, Season for Nonviolence, slavery, smiling, Snow Moon, Suffragists, Sunday of the Publican and the Pharisee, trees, Tu BiShvat, Underground Railroad
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“Happy Carnival!” & an early “Happy Birthday to the Trees!” to those who are already celebrating! Many blessings to everyone, everywhere.
Peace, ease, smiling, appreciation, and contemplation throughout this “Season for Nonviolence” and all other seasons!!!
This is the “missing” post for Sunday, February 1st. It is a revised and updated version of a 2025 compilation post (with some *new content*, as noted). 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.
“Life is filled with opportunities to express appreciation, yet how many times do we pass up the opportunity thinking ‘oh, I’ll tell them later.’ When we tell someone that we appreciate them, we are promoting nonviolence.”
— quoted from the “Reflection” section of the “Day 3 ~ February 1 ~ Appreciation” 2026 page for the “Season for Non-violence,” provided by the Mahatma Gandhi Canadian Foundation for World Peace
THE SEASON FOR NONVIOLENCE
Arun Gandhi, the grandson of Mohandas Gandhi, established the “Season for Nonviolence” (January 30th through April 4th) in 1998. Throughout the season, the Mahatma Gandhi Canadian Foundation for World Peace offers daily practices based on principles of nonviolence advocated by Mahatma Gandhi (who was assassinated on January 30, 1948) and Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. (who was assassinated on April 4, 1968). The thing to remember — and one of the things I appreciate — is that these principles are not unique to one culture, one philosophy, or one religion. Courage, smiling, appreciation, caring, believing, simplicity, education — the principles of the first week1 — all predate Gandhi and MLK; they also predate Jesus and the Buddha. One could argue that they are universal.
One could argue that they move through our stories like rivers.
SPEAKING OF RIVERS… (in the new year)
“I’ve known rivers:
I’ve known rivers ancient as the world and older than the flow of human blood in human veins.
My soul has grown deep like the rivers.”
— from the poem “The Negro Speaks of Rivers” by Langston Hughes
Every day, we are simultaneously living (i.e., “writing”) the story of our lives and telling that story, as our stories overlap with the stories around us. This happens, more often than not, without us thinking about how we do it. However, when we intentionally decide to tell our story (and, in doing so, tell part of someone else’s story), we need to decide on a medium — and there are so many ways we can tell a story. We can use prose or poetry, song or movement, a static visual or animation, or some combination of all of the above — and we can share whatever we create live (e.g., on stage, online, or in a pub), in a document, and/or in a recording.
Langston Hughes, who was born today (February 1st) in 19012, wrote a lot of things in a lot of different mediums. Born James Mercer Langston Hughes, the prominent member of the Harlem Renaissance and the first Black American to earn a living solely from writing and public lectures, wrote poetry (including jazz poetry, which he started writing in high school), novels, plays, essays, and letters…so many letters. He wrote so many letters, in fact, that at one point he was writing 30 – 40 letters a day and, by the end of his life, he could have filled 20 volumes of books with his letters. While he wrote in a lot of different mediums and wrote about a lot of different experiences, many people primarily think of him as a poet… a poet who wrote about the Black experience. He also inspired a lot of poets, including the poet, teacher, editor, and literary activist E. Ethelbert Miller.3
“There is much for a writer like myself to learn from Langston. His productivity — and the fact that he wrote for a living — is an inspiration. In many photographs, Hughes is laughing or smiling like the Buddha. I have often wondered what he was thinking.”
— quoted from the essay “The Buddha Smile of Langston Hughes” by E. Ethelbert Miller
CLICK ON THE EXCERPT TITLE BELOW FOR MORE!
“So boy, don’t you turn back.
Don’t you set down on the steps
’Cause you finds it’s kinder hard.
Don’t you fall now—
For I’se still goin’, honey,
I’se still climbin’,
And life for me ain’t been no crystal stair.”
— quoted from the poem “Mother to Son” by Langston Hughes
MORE STORIES RELATED TO HUMANS & NATURE (*a new section*)
While I start off Black History Month focusing on the work of Langston Hughes, February 1st is also the anniversary of the birth of Charles Lenox Remond (b. 1810). Like Mr. Hughes, Mr. Remond was known for his ability to tell a story and, like the poet, this great orator was known for telling the story of Black people in America. Of course, at that time, most of the people in question were legally enslaved (in much of the United States).
Born to free entrepreneurs of color in Salem, Massachusetts, Charles Lenox Remond had the benefit of being born and raised in a state that, early on, considered enslaved people both property and “persons before the law”. This dual designation meant people could sue for their freedom — which they did as early as 1752. For ten years (1764—1774), a series of “Freedom suits” resulted in case law that eroded and dissolved slavery in Massachusetts by 1790 (twenty years before Mr. Remond was born). However, free people in Massachusetts still dealt with discrimination and still lived with the ever-present danger of being kidnapped, accused of being runaways, and transported into other states without due process.
Charles Lenox Remond was the eldest son of eight children born to two Underground Railroad conductors: John Remond (a hairdresser from the island of Curaçao) and Nancy Lenox (a hairdresser and caterer who was also the daughter of a prominent Bostonian). He started giving public lectures in his twenties and joined the Massachusetts Anti-Slavery Society. Later, some of siblings would also very publicly join the fight. At 30 years old, Mr. Remond traveled to London, with William Lloyd Garrison, as a delegate representing the American Anti-Slavery Society at the World’s Anti-Slavery Convention. Two years later, on February 10, 1842, he became the first Black person to speak to the Massachusetts Congress. His speech was published in the newspaper on February 25th (which is when I normally talk about him).
“Mr. Chairman, and Gentlemen of the Committee: In rising at this time, and on this occasion, being the first person of color who has ever addressed either of the bodies assembling in this building, I should perhaps, in the first place, observe that, in consequence of the many misconstructions of the principles and measures of which I am the humble advocate, I may in like manner be subject to similar misconceptions from the moment I open my lips in behalf of the prayer of the petitioners for whom I appear, and therefore feel I have the right at least to ask, at the hands of this intelligent Committee, an impartial hearing; and that whatever prejudices they may have imbibed, be eradicated from their minds, if such exist. I have, however, too much confidence in their intelligence, and too much faith in their determination to do their duty as the representatives of this Commonwealth, to presume they can be actuated by partial motives.”
— quoted from his speech “The Rights of Colored Citizens in Traveling”, delivered to the Massachusetts House of Representatives on February 10, 1842, by Charles Lenox Remond
As an abolitionist and a suffragist, Charles Lenox Remond lectured all around the world about the reasons why slavery was immoral and, therefore, should be considered unethical. He also called for a boycott of churches that discriminated against Black parishioner; recruited Black soldiers for the United States Colored Troops, which fought during the Civil War; and joined a walkout when women delegates were denied seats World’s Anti-Slavery Convention in London.
Outside of his public engagements, Charles Lenox Remond probably spent some time working in his family’s hairdressing and catering businesses (including his sisters’ hair salon and wig making factory). He also worked as a clerk in the United States Customs House and as a s a street lamp inspector. Eventually, he also bought a farm.
In 1850, Charles Lenox Remond married Amy Matilda Cassey (née Williams), a fellow abolitionist and one of the co-founders of the Gilbert Lyceum, Philadelphia’s first co-ed literary society. She was also a widower with 8 children. When his first wife passed away, Mr. Remond married Elizabeth Magee, with whom he had four children. In addition to his oldest son being named after him, one of Frederick Douglass’s sons is also named after the man many consider the first Black person to speak publicly about abolition.
“Trusting, as I do, that the day is not distant, when, on all questions touching the rights of the citizens of this State, men shall be considered great only as they are good—and not that it shall be told, and painfully experienced, that, in this country, this State, aye, this city, the Athens of America, the rights, privileges and immunities of its citizens are measured by complexion, or any other physical peculiarity or conformation, especially such as over which no man has any control. Complexion can in no sense be construed into crime, much less be rightfully made the criterion of rights.”
— quoted from his speech “The Rights of Colored Citizens in Traveling”, delivered to the Massachusetts House of Representatives on February 10, 1842, by Charles Lenox Remond
This year, the Snow Moon fell on February 1st, and with it came stories related to other observations and celebrations happening around the world. Some (Western) Christians are in the middle of Carnival (which is the season before Lent), while some (Orthodox) Christians observed the Sunday of the Publican and the Pharisee (which commemorates the parable of the Publican and the Pharisee — and marks the beginning of a three-week pre-Lenten season). Additionally, Sunday at sunset was the beginning of Tu BiShvat, “the New Year for Trees” (or, as I like to call it, “the Birthday of All Trees”).
“How thin and sharp is the moon tonight!
How thin and sharp and ghostly white
Is the slim curved crook of the moon tonight!”
— quoted from the poem “Winter Moon” by Langston Hughes
Sunday’s playlist is available on YouTube and Spotify. [Look for “Langston’s Theme for Jimmy 2022”]
“We’ve all heard the expression, ‘You don’t know what you’ve got ’til it’s gone.’ Why do we wait? Today, I’ll pause to appreciate, acknowledge, and express gratitude for all that I have…my life, my health, my home, my talents, my relationships, food and water…..”
— quoted from the “Affirmation” section of the “Day 3 ~ February 1 ~ Appreciation” 2026 page for the “Season for Non-violence,” provided by the Mahatma Gandhi Canadian Foundation for World Peace
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).
“Hold fast to dreams
For if dreams die
Life is a broken-winged bird
That cannot fly.”
— quoted from the poem “Dreams” by Langston Hughes
NOTES:
1The Mahatma Gandhi Canadian Foundation for World Peace adjusts their “Season for Nonviolence” pages/calendar so that there is a principle through the season, even during Leap Year. I apparently checked my notes before I checked the calendar and, therefore, skipped one of my favorite principles: smiling.
2According to most printed biographies (that I checked), Langston Hughes was born in 1902. However, many digital sources indicate that he was born in 1901 — and this earlier date is based on research and fact checking reported for the New York Times by Jennifer Schuessler (in 2018). Curiously, the 1940 census listed his birth as “abt 1905”; however, this information would have been given to a census taker by one of the poet’s roommates. (Additionally, we know from one his poems that Langston Hughes didn’t think very highly of the “census man” and the accuracy of census information.)
3E. Ethelbert Miller’s essay “The Buddha Smile of Langston Hughes” was first published in Black Issues Book Review in 2001 (and is quoted here from On Being).
A Joyful Practice 