More 1.34, on 10.25 (the “missing” Wednesday post) October 25, 2023

Posted by ajoyfulpractice in Books, Buddhism, Changing Perspectives, Faith, Healing Stories, Health, Hope, Japa-Ajapa, Life, Mantra, Meditation, Music, Oliver Sacks, One Hoop, Pain, Peace, Philosophy, Religion, Science, Suffering, William Shakespeare, William Wordsworth, Wisdom, Yoga.
Tags: Anne Tyler, Battle of Agincourt, Battle of Balaclava, Henry V, Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, pranayama, prānāyāma, Saint Crispin, Saint Crispin’s Day, Saint Crispinian, William Shakespeare, William Wordsworth, Yoga Sutras 1.30-1.34
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Peace to all, every day and especially on Saint Crispin’s Day!

This is the “missing” post Wednesday, October 25^th. It features some previously posted information (with links to the related 2020 posts). WARNING: This post and the linked post reference historical battles and individual challenges. You can request an audio recording of the 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.)

“This day is call’d the Feast of Crispian.
He that outlives this day, and comes safe home,
Will stand a tip-toe when this day is nam’d,
And rouse him at the name of Crispian.
He that shall live this day, and see old age,
Will yearly on the vigil feast his neighbours,
And say ‘To-morrow is Saint Crispian.’”

— quoted from Act IV, Scene iii, of Henry V by William Shakespeare

Today, October 25^th, is Saint Crispin’s Day, also known as the Feast Day of Saint Crispin — although, technically, it is the feast day of Saint Crispin and his twin brother* Saint Crispinian. The brothers were reportedly Roman noblemen who gave up their riches and became cobblers when they converted to Catholicism. They initially escaped religious persecution by fleeing to Soissons, in northern France; however, their success as cobblers and lay preachers ultimately led to them martyred today in 286 (or, possibly, 285).

Saint Crispin and Saint Crispinian are the patron saints of cobblers, curriers, glove makers, lace makers, lace workers, leather workers, saddle makers, saddlers, shoemakers, tanners, weavers. I would wager, however, that outside of those industries, most people don’t think about the saints, themselves, so much as they think about the day — which is ironic when you consider that their feast day is a black letter day in most Christian traditions.

Prior to the invention of the printing press, calendars in the Roman Republic used red ink for special holidays. The Roman Catholic Church continued this tradition for their liturgical calendar and printed the dates of lesser holidays, those that were not part of the liturgy, in black letters. I am unclear if Saint Crispin’s Day was ever a red-letter day; but, it was (temporarily) removed from the Roman Catholic liturgical calendar shortly after Vatican II.

Up until recently, I had also removed it from my calendar.

I do not remember the exact moment I decided to stop focusing on Saint Crispin’s Day. However, the reason I took it off my calendar is probably the same reason it was even on my calendar in the first place. It is also the reason most people remember the day (if not the date): William Shakespeare and the day’s association with war.

“This story shall the good man teach his son;
And Crispine Crispian shall ne’er go by,
From this day to the ending of the world,
But we in it shall be remembred;”

— quoted from Act IV, Scene iii, of Henry V by William Shakespeare

William Shakespeare’s play Henry V (originally titled The Cronicle History of Henry the fift and The Life of Henry the Fifth in the Frist Quatro and First Folio, respectively) is a history play and — like William Wordsworth’s poem about Vice-Admiral Horatio Nelson and Henry Wadsworth Longfellow’s poem about Paul Revere — it is a great example of myth building. The play is all about King Henry V of England just before and after the Battle of Agincourt, which took place on October 25, 1415. A significant part of the Hundred Years’ War (1337–1453), a Middle Ages conflict between England and France over land, titles, power, and nationalism, the Battle of Agincourt was memorable for several reasons.

First, the Battle of Agincourt was an unexpected victory for the English and it gave them control of the disputed area for 14 years. Second, King Henry was actually (physically) involved in the battle; while Charles VI of France was plagued by extreme mental health issues and did not (directly) command the French army. Finally, William Shakespeare memorialized England’s victory — and King Henry V’s leadership — with the play that, some would argue, features one of the most inspirational call–to–arms in literature and theatre: the Saint Crispin’s Day speech.

“We few, we happy few, we band of brothers;
For he to-day that sheds his blood with me
Shall be my brother; be he ne’er so vile,
This day shall gentle his condition;”

— quoted from Act IV, Scene iii, of Henry V by William Shakespeare

Parts of Hal’s speech have been used in relation to other armed conflicts — like the Battle of Balaclava which was fought on October 25, 1854 — as well as in relation to political battles in the British parliament and the United States government. Shakespeare’s words have also been quoted and/or paraphrased in movies, television shows, video games, music, and books. They have been used by people on the right side of history, as well as by those who have ended up on the wrong side of history.

The powerful words above have bolstered people, for sure; but, I can’t help wondering if they have also mislead people. After all, we are all connected before a single drop of blood is shed. We have all been connected through shared challenges and traumas, especially over the last few years — and can “strip [our] sleeve and show [our] scars” to prove it. But, even before all that, we are brothers, sisters, and siblings in and of the Spirit. We are all connected through breath and the act of breathing.

Here are a couple of excerpts from a related 2020 post entitled, “First Step: Breathe In, Second Step: Breathe Out”:

“As different as our circumstances, our appearances, and personalities — and therefore our lives — may be, there are certain things we all have in common. We all live and die, love and are loved, experience great wins and great loss. We are also, to paraphrase First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt, all in this together — even when we feel alone, isolated, and going through things we can’t imagine anyone else understanding. Yet, here we sit and stand and lie — here we are, struggling together and apart; finding our way together, even though we are apart.”

“Then there were more changes, more challenges, more conflicts, and more compromises. And, through it all, I did the same thing you did — I kept breathing. What was helpful (and continues to be helpful), above and beyond everything else, was knowing how to breath and being surrounded by people who also were focused on knowing how to breathe. Breath, after all, is life. It’s not enough just to breathe, however, because how we breathe determines how we live.”

Click here to read more about the breathing lessons inspired by the novelist, short story writer, and literary critic Anne Tyler, who was born today 1941.

None of us can survive without breathing. Just as it is important to put on our own oxygen mask first when there is an emergency (so that we can help others), I think it is important to remember how our breath is connected to our minds and bodies. Breathing into that connection with awareness can reinforce our connections to each other. In the first part of the Yoga Sūtras, Patanjali breaks down a list of obstacles, distractions, and ailments that hinder someone’s ability to be the best version of themselves. (YS 1.30 – 1.31) Then he gives examples of ways to meditate in order to clear the mind and remove the obstacles, distractions, and ailments. One of those suggestions is to focus on the breath — specifically, on the exhale and the extension of the breath. (YS 1.34)

Another way to look at the practice is to consider how using the breath to reinforce the mind-body connection, as well as our connection to all of humanity, also has the power to — as William Shakespeare put it — gentle someone’s vile condition.

“Mindfulness of breathing takes the highest place among the various subjects of Buddhist meditation. It has been recommended and praised by the Enlightened One thus: ‘This concentration through mindfulness of breathing, when developed and practiced much, is both peaceful and sublime, it is an unadulterated blissful abiding, and it banishes at once and stills evil unprofitable thoughts as soon as they arise.’ Though of such a high order, the initial stages of this meditation are well within the reach of a beginner though he be only a lay student of the Buddha-Dhamma.”

— quoted from the commentary on the Satipatthana Sutta (The Foundations of Mindfulness) by Nyanasatta Thera

Wednesday’s playlist is available on YouTube and Spotify. [Look for “10272020 Pranayama II”]

“‘Breathing lessons – really,’ [Fiona] said, dropping to the floor with a thud. ‘Don’t they reckon I must know how to breathe by now?’”

— quoted from Breathing Lessons by Anne Tyler

Looking for more? Click here for the post entitled “Third Step: Repeat the First & Second Steps” (which features commentary for the video below).

The practice begins ~5 minutes in….

“‘Oh honey, you’re just lucky they offer such things,’ Maggie told her…. ‘I mean you’re given all these lessons for the unimportant things–piano-playing, typing. You’re given years and years of lessons in how to balance equations, which Lord knows you will never have to do in normal life. But how about parenthood? Or marriage, either, come to think of it. Before you can drive a car you need a state-approved course of instruction, but driving a car is nothing, nothing, compared to living day in and day out with a husband and raising up a new human being.’”

— quoted from Breathing Lessons by Anne Tyler

*NOTE: Some scholars describe Saint Crispin and Saint Crispinian as twins; some simply as brothers; and some indicate that they were brothers in Spirit.

### Breathe In (Know That We Are All Breathing In); Breathe Out (Know That We Are All Breathing Out) ###

More 1.34, on 10.25 (mostly the music) October 25, 2023

Posted by ajoyfulpractice in Books, Changing Perspectives, Faith, Healing Stories, Health, Hope, Japa-Ajapa, Life, Mantra, Meditation, Music, Pain, Peace, Philosophy, Religion, Suffering, Wisdom, Yoga.
Tags: Anne Tyler, pranayama, prānāyāma, Saint Crispin, Saint Crispin’s Day, Saint Crispinian, Yoga Sutra 1.32 - 1.34
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Peace to all, every day and especially on Saint Crispin’s Day!

“‘Breathing lessons – really,’ [Fiona] said, dropping to the floor with a thud. ‘Don’t they reckon I must know how to breathe by now?’”

— quoted from Breathing Lessons by Anne Tyler

Please join me for a virtual yoga practice on Zoom, today (Wednesday, October 25^th) at 4:30 PM or 7:15 PM. Use the link from the “Class Schedules” calendar if you run into any problems checking into the class. You can request an audio recording of this practice via a comment below or by emailing myra (at) ajoyfulpractice.com.

Wednesday’s playlist is available on YouTube and Spotify. [Look for “10272020 Pranayama II”]

“‘Oh honey, you’re just lucky they offer such things,’ Maggie told her…. ‘I mean you’re given all these lessons for the unimportant things–piano-playing, typing. You’re given years and years of lessons in how to balance equations, which Lord knows you will never have to do in normal life. But how about parenthood? Or marriage, either, come to think of it. Before you can drive a car you need a state-approved course of instruction, but driving a car is nothing, nothing, compared to living day in and day out with a husband and raising up a new human being.’”

— quoted from Breathing Lessons by Anne Tyler

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.)

### Breathe In (Know That We Are All Breathing In); Breathe Out (Know That We Are All Breathing Out) ###

Future Teacher Appreciation & FTWMI: “Being Grateful for What Will Be” September 30, 2023

Posted by ajoyfulpractice in Books, Buddhism, Changing Perspectives, Daoism, Faith, Gratitude, Healing Stories, Hope, Life, Loss, Mantra, Music, One Hoop, Pain, Peace, Philosophy, Religion, Suffering, Sukkot, Taoism, Vairagya, Wisdom, Yoga.
Tags: Abraham Lincoln, Carolyn Myss, Deuteronomy, Devarim, King Solomon, master teachers, precious jewels, santosha, saucha, Stacey Flowers, Sukkot, Yoga Sutra 2.42, Yoga Sutras 2.40-2.41
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“Chag sameach!” to those observing the Sukkot. Many blessings to everyone!!

“Every relationship you develop, from casual to intimate, helps you become more conscious. No union is without spiritual value.”

— quoted from “Morning Visual Meditation” (Chakra 2) by Caroline Myss

In 99.99% of my classes, I reference “master teachers and precious jewels.” These are the people who push our buttons and “get us hooked.” These are the people we might think of as pains in our necks (or bums) and with whom we associate our suffering. These are the people we wish would see things our way (and/or do things the quote-unquote right way). You know who I mean; the brick walls in our lives.

In her 2016 Tedx Talk about “The 5 People You Need to Be Happy” (cheerleader, mentor, coach, friend, and peer), Stacey Flowers identified this type of person as a “coach.” These are the people who give us master classes in our selves and teach us some of the most precious things about our selves and about the way we interact with the world. If we look back over our lives, there are undoubtedly people who taught us lessons for which we are now grateful — even though, at the time we were interacting with those people, we might have wished they were not in our lives.

Take a moment to express a little gratitude for those master teachers and precious jewels in your past, and for the things you learned because of them.

Now, fair warning, this part is a little more challenging: Give thanks for your future master teachers and precious jewels. Express gratitude for someone you haven’t yet encountered who will challenge you and, in the process, make you a better version of yourself.

For Those Who Missed It: The following was originally posted in 2020. Class details, one date reference, and the Stacey Flowers video have been updated and/or added. Also, please note that the post below is directly related to a 2020 sūtra-focused practice that is slightly different from today’s practice.

“And this too shall pass.”

— The old saying “Gam zeh ya’avor,“ in Hebrew (with Persian and Jewish origins)

“It is said an Eastern monarch once charged his wise men to invent him a sentence, to be ever in view, and which should be true and appropriate in all times and situations. They presented him the words: ‘And this, too, shall pass away.’ How much it expresses! How chastening in the hour of pride! — how consoling in the depths of affliction!”

— Abraham Lincoln speaking to the Wisconsin State Agriculture Society at the Wisconsin State Fair, September 30, 1859

There’s an old saying in Hebrew, “Gam zeh ya’avor. This too shall pass,” that is often associated with a very wise Rabbi of old and also with King Solomon (although the words do not appear in the Bible) and has origins in Persian and Sufi poetry. American historians may hear the words and think of Abraham Lincoln speaking at the Wisconsin State Fair a year before he was elected president — although, he would end his speech with a bit of caveat, saying that he hoped the best things lasted. I think of my grandmother saying those words, a lot, but also of (what I was taught was) a Chinese parable.

In the parable, a farmer reacts to everything that happens to him (and around him) with the words, “We’ll see.” While others get excited for what they believe to be his good fortunate or agitated over what they perceive as unfortunate events, the farmer maintains a steady outlook and an understanding that all things are connected: every beginning is an ending and every ending is a beginning. As the parable progresses, the reader (and the farmer’s neighbors) start to recognize the wisdom in his attitude. Of course, in real life it is a little harder to let go of our desires and accept the present moment. Harder still is appreciating the present moment without judgment. The hardest thing, however, is to be open to appreciating whatever comes.

“Be joyful at your festival — you and your son, and your daughter, and your manservant, and your maid-servant, and the Levite, and the stranger, and the orphan, and the widow who live within your city.

For seven days you must celebrate the Festival to YHVH, your God, in the place which YHVH shall choose, because the Lord, your God, will bless you in all your produce, and in all the work of your hands, and you will only be happy.”

(*NOTE: YHVH is commonly translated as “the Lord” in English.)

— quoted from Devarim — Deuteronomy (16:14 – 15)

Around this time in 2015, I was so excited about all the things happening for me. Personally, professionally, and even spiritually, I was riding a high. I would like to think that, in the moment, I truly appreciated everything and everyone around me. I especially would like to think that considering that one of the highlights of that week was co-leading my first weekend-long Sukkot retreat in Darwin, MN, with Sandra Razieli. Sukkot is sometimes referred to as “the Season of Happiness” and there is an extra focus on gratitude. The thing is when I look back, and keep in mind how things changed after that retreat; I realize I wasn’t practicing what I preached. Yes, I was appreciating people and things in the present moment — but I was also attached to how I wanted them to continue.

As is stated in the Hebrew Bible and the Christian Old Testament, there is a period of time — after the harvest — when people are commanded to celebrate. The curious thing is that the passage related to the “Festival of the Booths” or “Festival of the Tabernacles” does not instruct people to celebrate the harvest they just brought in from the fields. Instead, people are commanded to gather and celebrate what will be. So, in some ways, the holiday which the Jewish community began observing last night at sunset, is all about having faith that not only will things pass, but that how things change will be a blessing. “Gam zeu tovah,” is another Hebrew saying. It means, “This too is for the good.”

The question is: How do we let go of expectation?

Yoga Sūtra 2.40: śaucāt svāngajugupsā parairasamsargah

— “From purity/cleanliness arises sensitivity to the unclean nature of one’s own body and [physical] unmixing.”

Yoga Sūtra 2.41: sattvaśuddhisaumanasyaikāgreyendriyayātmadarśanayogyatvāni ca

— “[From purity/cleanliness arises] pure wisdom of the heart, cheerfulness of mind, the power of concentration, victory over the senses, and the ability to directly experience our Self.”

Normally, when Sukkot rolls around, I am super excited to talk about Yoga Sūtra 2.42 and the how the second niyamā (“internal observation”) connects to the practice of gratitude and the emotional experience of happiness. However, we are not there yet. There is a preliminary practice, which actually gives us two sūtras on which we will focus. Part of me, was like, “Oo, they are short and connected.” Another part of me remembered something we kept saying back in 2015:

“Don’t be greedy, be grateful.”

Please join me today (Saturday, September 30^th) at 12:00 PM, for a 90-minute yoga practice on Zoom. Use the link from the “Class Schedules” calendar if you run into any problems checking into the class. You can request an audio recording of this practice via a comment below or by emailing myra (at) ajoyfulpractice.com.

Saturday’s playlist is available on YouTube [Look for “Sukkot 1+”] and Spotify [Look for “Sukkot 1”].

Who are your five people?

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.)

### Sunshine, the practice, friends (and family) ###

Getting Ready to Let Go September 24, 2023

Posted by ajoyfulpractice in Changing Perspectives, Faith, Healing Stories, Hope, Life, Mantra, Music, Mysticism, New Year, One Hoop, Philosophy, Religion, Rosh Hashanah, Suffering, Vairagya, Wisdom, Yoga, Yom Kippur.
Tags: Charlie Harary, Ganesh Chaturthi, Ganesha, High Holidays, non-attachment, Psalms, Rosh Hashanah, Tehillim, Ten Days of Atonement, Ten Days of Awe, Yoga Sutra 2.39, Yom Kippur
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Many blessings, to everyone and especially those celebrating Ganesh Chaturthi!! “Chag sameach!” to those observing the High Holidays and getting ready for Yom Kippur!

This is a “missing” post for Sunday, September 24^th. NOTE: Some information has previously been posted in a (slightly) different context. You can request an audio recording of either practice via a comment below or (for a slightly faster reply) you can email myra (at) ajoyfulpractice.com.

In the spirit of generosity (“dana”), the Zoom classes, recordings, and blog posts are freely given and freely received. If you are able to support these teachings, please do so as your heart moves you. (NOTE: You can donate even if you are “attending” a practice that is not designated as a “Common Ground Meditation Center” practice, or you can purchase class(es). Donations are tax deductible; class purchases are not necessarily deductible.

Check out the “Class Schedules” calendar for upcoming classes.)

“ॐ गजाननाय नमः।
Aum Gajānanāya Namaḥ।”

— This mantra honoring “the One who carries the elephant head” is a reminder that if Ganesha can carry the elephant’s head to survive and fulfill his duties, we can all put aside our egos and live dutifully.

When we focused on the little things yesterday, I emphasized how little things get us ready for the big things. Little baby steps add up and become (what appears to some to be) big giant leaps. Little changes in routines become big changes in habits. However, I also mentioned how some people — myself included — can get impatient when we decide we are ready for change. We want things to happen right away. We want to click our heels and magically appear at home, surrounded by those we love. Or, we want a worm hole or a car with fancy doors that allows us to fly through time.

Of course, life doesn’t work that way.

If you are familiar with Ganesh Chaturthi and/or you a different faith where God takes away your sins or absolves you of your transgressions — but are not actually rooted in those faiths — perhaps you think that those are the easy ways out. Let someone else remove your obstacles and barriers. Let someone else wash away your sins, past mistakes, and unfulfilled vows. But, that’s not how mysticism works. People still have to do some work.

You still have to do some work.

You still have to do something in order to let go of what no longer serves you. You still have to ask (through prayer, reflection, and offerings) to have your obstacles removed. You still have to ask and/or offer forgiveness — when you’re ready. But, only you can decide when you are ready. Similarly, asking for (and accepting) help to get out of a bad situation is work that only you can do… again, when you are ready.

Just like no one else can do your work for you, no one else can decide when you are ready. There are, however, tried and true methods for getting ready. There are rituals and traditions that I often describe as being forms of kriyā yoga, that combination of the final three niyamas (internal “observations”): discipline/austerity, self-study, and trustful surrender to a higher power (other than one’s self). Whenever and how ever we practice these elements, we are confronted with the question, “What’s ‘In There’ That’s So Important?”

Sometimes the answer is, “Nothing,” and we just need to realize that we are holding on to our baggage out of habit. Other times, the answer (and the process to reach the answer) is a little more nuanced than that. Either way, the practice takes us through the journey of WHY & WHAT:

WHY hold on to things that hold you back? and
WHAT happens when you let go?

The following (slightly revised) excerpt is from a 2021 post.

Click here to read the 2021 post in its entirety.

Yoga Sūtra 2.39: aparigrahasthairye janmakathantāasambodhah

— “A person firmly established in the non-possessiveness gains complete understanding of the “why-ness” (or essence of why) of birth.”

Like everyone else, I have my favorite stories for each season; but, I don’t get the chance to tell every story every year…. There is, however, a story I make sure to tell every year, right at the end of the High Holidays. It’s a Charlie Harary story with a timeless message.

Some people may believe that I save today’s story for the one of the final days of the High Holidays because it is sometimes an intense physical practice. But, in reality, there is a bit of symbolism that plays out in the story and in the timing of the story. You see, even though I don’t talk about the significance of Rosh Hashanah, the Ten Days of Awe / Ten Days of Atonement, and Yom Kippur until people are observing them; many people within the Jewish community start planning and observing (a time of contemplation and preparation) forty days before Yom Kippur. They listen for the call of the shofar and recite Psalm 27 twice a day. Some communities even begin a tradition of communal prayers for forgiveness (Selichot). For others, observation begins with Rosh Hashanah and the Ten Days of Repentance — even though, if they plan to go home and/or attend services, they have to make arrangements beforehand. Finally, there are people who may only fast and attend services on Yom Kippur.

There is merit to each person’s timetable. And I see this kind of timetable in other communities — including in the yoga community….

“Had I not believed in seeing the good of the Lord in the land of the living!

Hope for the Lord, be strong and He will give your heart courage, and hope for the Lord.”

— quoted from Tehillim – Psalms (27:13-14)

Sunday’s playlist is available on YouTube and Spotify. [Look for “High Holidays: Drop Your Bags”]

NOTE: The YouTube playlist includes the Charlie Harary story that originally inspired this practice.

In the spirit of generosity (“dana”), the Zoom classes, recordings, and blog posts are freely given and freely received. If you are able to support these teachings, please do so as your heart moves you. (NOTE: You can donate even if you are “attending” a practice that is not designated as a “Common Ground Meditation Center” practice, or you can purchase class(es). Donations are tax deductible; class purchases are not necessarily deductible.)

### MAY YOUR NAME BE WRITTEN AND SEALED IN THE BOOK OF LIFE & MAY YOU HAVE FEW OBSTACLES ###

Bending the Arc, redux (with an excerpt) September 19, 2023

Posted by ajoyfulpractice in Art, Bhakti, Books, Faith, Healing Stories, Hope, Kirtan, Life, Mantra, Music, Mysticism, One Hoop, Pain, Philosophy, Religion, Suffering, Tragedy, Wisdom, Writing, Yoga.
Tags: 4859, A. R. Rahman, Ganesh Chaturthi, Ganesha, High Holidays, Jarek Garliński, Khatija Rahman, Kirtan, Michael Schudrich, Norman Davies, Raheema Rahman, Righteous Among Nations, Ruth Bader Ginsburg, Sacred Couplets, Secret Polish Army, Ten Days of Atonement, Ten Days of Awe, Theodore Parker, Thirukkural, Tomasz Serafiński, U2, Unetaneh Tokef, Witold Pilecki
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“Chag sameach!” to those observing the High Holidays. “Many blessings,” to everyone and especially those celebrating Ganesh Chaturthi!

“When marching along the gray road towards the tannery in a column raising clouds of dust, one saw the beautiful red light of the dawn shining on the white flowers in the orchards and on the trees by the roadside, or on the return journey we would encounter young couples out walking, breathing in the beauty of springtime, or women peacefully pushing their children in prams — then the thought uncomfortably bouncing around one’s brain would arise . . . swirling around, stubbornly seeking some solution to the insoluble question: Were we all . . . people?”

— quoted from The Auschwitz Volunteer: Beyond Bravery by Captain Witold Pilecki (Auschwitz Prisoner No. 4859), translated from Pilecki’s original 1945 Auschwitz Report by Jarek Garliński (with an Introduction by Norman Davies & a Forward by Michael Schudrich (Foreword)

It is all to easy to focus on our differences, but what happens when we focus on our similarities? What happens when we focus — or just take a moment to notice — the things we have in common? I think good things happen. I think it makes us more fully human and, possibly, more appreciative of what it means to human. This is why it always feels particularly auspicious when two or more completely different groups of people (from vastly different communities, faiths, and cultures) are celebrating and/or observing sacred times at the same time. It feels particularly notable (to me) when these “holy” times are the same length of time. Take right now, for instance, when two very different 10-day celebrations/observations are overlapping around the world.

Today is the fourth day of the High Holidays (and of the new year) according to the Hebrew calendar and, according to the Hindu calendar, today is the first day of Ganesh Chaturthi, the festival celebrating the birthday of Ganesha. I referred to these as “very different” — and it is true that the rituals, traditions, and faiths are different. However, underlying both holidays is something very human: a desire for new beginnings and less obstacles. Additionally, both observations require people to do something in preparation for the better days. Whether it is making an offering and/or offering (or asking for) forgiveness, these auspicious times require people to act. So, there is prayer, there is reflection, there is prayer, and there is a dissolution (or dissolving) or something.

In both cases there is also something sweet.

“ॐ गजाननाय नमः।
Aum Gajānanāya Namaḥ।”

— This mantra honoring “the One who carries the elephant head” is a reminder that if Ganesha can carry the elephant’s head to survive and fulfill his duties, we can all put aside our egos and live dutifully.

Ganesha is depicted as having a human body (with extra arms) and an elephant head. In Hinduism, he is the Remover of Obstacles and the God of New Beginnings. He is also associated with wisdom and intelligence, as well as the arts and sciences. For his birthday celebrations, people chant Vedic hymns and shastras (including sacred texts and scriptures). There will also be kirtan (chanting with music), which is a form of bhakti yoga or union through devotion/love. In addition to offering Ganesha his favorite sweets, people host Ganesha for one day, three days, seven days, or all ten days. They host him by displaying a clay statue of him in their homes and/or in public.

On the tenth day, the idols are carried to a nearby body of water and dissolved so that Ganesha can return to his heavenly home, carrying people’s obstacles/burdens away in the process. In some places, hundreds of thousands of statues are dissolved at the end of the festival. Over the years, people moved away from traditional materials and started using plaster of Paris (Gypsum plaster), which created environmental concerns. Some cities have now banned using plaster of Paris and encouraged people to return to using local clay (and sometimes clay and cow dung). There are also people who will dissolve their Ganesha statue in a barrel of water and then spread the dissolved clay in their garden — which may not seem like much, but can be way for a person’s actions and faith-based beliefs to make a difference in the world.

We can all do something little that makes a difference. Some, however, do big things that make a difference.

“I do not pretend to understand the moral universe. The arc is a long one. My eye reaches but little ways. I cannot calculate the curve and complete the figure by experience of sight. I can divine it by conscience. And from what I see I am sure it bends toward justice.”

— quoted from an 1853 sermon by abolitionist and Unitarian minister Theodore Parker

The following is a (slightly revised) excerpt from a 2020 post.

Click here if you want to read the entire post, which is also a tribute to “The Notorious R. B. G.” – Ruth Bader Ginsburg of the Supreme Court of the United States (SCOTUS).

Calvary Captain Witold Pilecki (also known as Tomasz Serafiński) made such a big sacrifice and such a difference in the world that some believe he should be recognized by Yad Vashem (The World Holocaust Remembrance Center) as “Righteous Among Nations.” Today in 1940, he allowed himself to be captured by the Nazis. He did this in order to report the truth about what was going on in concentration camps like Auschwitz.

Captain Pilecki, served as an officer in the Polish Army during the Polish-Soviet War (1919 – 1920) and during World War II. As part of the Resistance to Nazi Occupied Poland, he co-founded the Secret Polish Army (along with Lieutenant Colonel Jan Henryk “Darwicz” Włodarkiewicz and Lieutenant Colonel Władysław “Stefan” Surmacki ), which eventually became part of the Home Army. When Germany invaded Poland at the end of 1939, very little was known about the concentration camps, but Captain Pilecki had a plan. His idea, which was approved by his Polish Army superiors, was to come out of hiding during a Warsaw roundup in order to be arrested and shipped to Auschwitz, where he could organize the resistance and report on the situation from the inside.

“I’ve been trying to live my life so that in the hour of my death I would rather feel joy, than fear.”

— Witold Pilecki’s statement to the judge after his sentencing, May 15, 1948

He was given a false identity card and was arrested on September 19, 1940. Arrested along with him were 2,000 civilians, including journalist and historian Władysław Bartoszewski (who was designated “Righteous Among Nations” in 1965). After being detained for two days, “Tomasz Serafiński” was assigned number 4859, and shipped to Auschwitz, where he documented the difference between the way the Nazis treated Jewish people versus non-Jewish people. He also documented the escalating move towards genocide.

During his two and a half years at Auschwitz, Witold Pilecki formed Union of Military Organizations (ZOW), a resistance organization within the camp, which set up intelligence networks; distributed extra food, clothing, and medical supplies; boosted morale; and prepared for a possible Home Army coup. At one point, ZOW was even able to construct and use a secret radio receiver and help at least 4 Polish men escape (with one of Captain Witold’s reports).

“Witold’s Report” (also known as “Pilecki’s Report”) was information that was regularly smuggled through the Polish resistance to London and even to the British government. It provided the outside world with the first “official” documentation of the Nazi’s atrocities. For much of the war, however, the reports of genocide were considered too unbelievable. As the Nazi’s plans became more and more obvious, and as his calls for the Allies to bomb the camps were denied, Captain Pilecki realized he was running out of time. He was receiving news from the outside that the Allies supported the idea of a prisoner insurrection — which he too had suggested at one time. However, by 1943, the people inside the camp were too weakened to mount an attack. He thought could be more convincing in person, so he put a new plan into action.

After he escaped in April 1943, Captain Pilecki wrote “Report W,” outlining the conditions of the camps, as well as details about the gas chambers, the selection process, the crematoria, and the sterilization experiments. His report was signed by other escapees and included the names of ZOW members. He continued to work and organize the resistance, while also expanding “Report W.” He participated in the Warsaw Uprising and was reassigned to Italy, but eventually returned to Communist-controlled Poland. In May of 1947, he was arrested by the Communist government and tortured, but he would not reveal other members of the resistance. He was eventually “tried” and executed. His most comprehensive version of the “W Report” (from 1945) was published in 2012, as The Auschwitz Volunteer: Beyond Bravery, and his life has been the subject of a number of books, songs, and articles.

“Who will be calm and who will be tormented?
Who will become poor and who will get rich?
Who will be made humble and who will be raised up?
But teshuvah and tefillah and tzedakah [return and prayer and righteous acts]
deflect the evil of the decree.”

— quoted from the poem “Unetaneh Tokef” (“Let Us Speak of the Awesomeness”)

Please join me today (Tuesday, September 19^th) at 12:00 PM or 7:15 PM for a yoga practice on Zoom. You can use the link from the “Class Schedules” calendar if you run into any problems checking into the class. You can request an audio recording of this practice via a comment below or (for a slightly faster reply) you can email myra (at) ajoyfulpractice.com.

Tuesday’s playlist is available on YouTube and Spotify. [Look for “High Holidays: Bending the Arc”]

NOTE: The YouTube playlist contains extra videos of some of the songs featured during the practice.

“Even when a man takes revenge on others who hate him, in spite of him not hating them initially, the pain caused by his vengeance will bring him inevitable sorrow.” (313)

“When a man inflicts pain upon others in the forenoon, it will come upon him unsought in the afternoon.” (319)

— quoted from the English translation of the Tamil lyrics of the song “Ahimsa” by U2 and A. R. Rahman, featuring Khatija and Raheema Rahman (translation from IntegralYoga.org)

In the spirit of generosity (“dana”), the Zoom classes, recordings, and blog posts are freely given and freely received. If you are able to support these teachings, please do so as your heart moves you. (NOTE: You can donate even if you are “attending” a practice that is not designated as a “Common Ground Meditation Center” practice, or you can purchase class(es). Donations are tax deductible; class purchases are not necessarily deductible.)

### MAY YOUR NAME BE WRITTEN & SEALED IN THE BOOK OF LIFE / MAY YOU HAVE FEW OBSTACLES AHEAD ###

FTWMI: Deep Listening (Revised) – the post-practice Friday post September 1, 2023*

Posted by ajoyfulpractice in Bhakti, Books, Changing Perspectives, Japa, Japa-Ajapa, Karma, Life, Mantra, Meditation, Music, Mysticism, One Hoop, Philosophy, Religion, Wisdom, Yoga.
Tags: asana, Buddhism, Dharma Singh Khalsa M. D., Ek Ong Kaar Kaur Khalsa, Gina Sharpe, Guru Nanak, Japa-Ajapa, Japji Sahib, Kaur Khalsa, Macbeth, mantra, meditation, Psalms, Sikhism, Song of the Soul, Song of the Sould, stillness, Tehillim, truth, William Faulkner, William Shakespeare, yoga philosophy, yoga practice, Yoga Sutra, Yoga Sutra 1.27 – 1.28
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May you be safe, peaceful, healthy, and hydrated.

For Those Who Missed It: This post-practice post for Friday, September 1^st, is a revised (and slightly expanded) version of a 2020 post. You can request an audio recording of either practice via a comment below or (for a slightly faster reply) you can email myra (at) ajoyfulpractice.com.

In the spirit of generosity (“dana”), the Zoom classes, recordings, and blog posts are freely given and freely received. If you are able to support these teachings, please do so as your heart moves you. (NOTE: You can donate even if you are “attending” a practice that is not designated as a “Common Ground Meditation Center” practice, or you can purchase class(es). Donations are tax deductible; class purchases are not necessarily deductible.

Check out the “Class Schedules” calendar for upcoming classes.)

“Life’s but a walking shadow, a poor player
That struts and frets his hour upon the stage,
And then is heard no more. It is a tale
Told by an idiot, full of sound and fury,
Signifying nothing.”

– Macbeth in Act V, Scene V of Macbeth by William Shakespeare

Philosophies and major religions from all over the world emphasize the importance of being dedicated to the truth. In the Yoga Philosophy, that dedication to the truth, satya, is the second yamā (external “restraint” / universal commandment). Yet, despite that emphasis, there is a lot of disinformation, misinformation, manipulated information, lack of information, and fakery in the world. Sometimes there is so much that it can seem hard to know the truth.

We can spend an extraordinary amount of time sifting and searching through all the disinformation, misinformation, manipulated information, lack of information, and fakery in the world and, in the end, feel like the aforementioned Scottish king and the inspiration for a novel by William Faulkner. It’s so frustrating that we may settle down for a moment and give up. Or, we may rest awhile, only to dive back in. But, really, those are two bad choices.

A third option is the oft overlooked option of being still, being quite, and turning inward instead of outward. Yes, it is often overlooked and yet, every philosophy and major religion in the world emphasizes the idea that we carry the truth with us. The truth is inside of us. So, the key to seeking the truth isn’t turning outward, it is turning inward.

“Be still and know that I am God.”

– quoted from Tehillim – Psalms (46:11, in some Hebrew texts; 46:10 in Christian texts)

“…really pay attention to what’s happening internally…. Meditation is learning how to get so still, and so calm, tranquil, through the directing of the attention, to this present moment, that we begin to see really deeply…. And so we go more and more and more deeply into the nature of things, and when that happens, and reactivity ceases, then responsiveness arises.”

– quoted from the dharma talk and Q&A entitled “Suffering and the End of Suffering” by Gina Sharpe

Guru Nanak was the 15^th Century founder of Sikhism and the first of the ten Sikh Gurus. According to Dr. Dharma Singh Khalsa*, Guru Nanak (before he was a guru) “went for his morning bath in a river near his home in northern India. He entered the water and was not seen again for three days. His family feared that he’d drowned. Then he reappeared and began singing the very verses you’ll find within these pages.” Those verses are the Japji Sahib.

Known in English as The Song of the Soul, the Japji Sahib is an ancient Sikh text at the beginning of the Guru Granth Sahib, which is the Adi Granth or primary sacred text / scripture in Sikhism. Originally compiled and printed by Guru Arjan, the fifth Sikh guru, on August 29, 1604, it was placed in the Golden Temple in the city of Amritsar, Punjab, India, today (September 1^st) in 1604. Over the years, most of the ten Sikh Gurus have added their commentary and exposition, which is the majority of the Guru Granth Sahib.

Every aspect of this sacred text is part of it’s wisdom. It was originally compiled in Gurmukhī, a script which literally means “from the mouth of the teacher.” The title, the Guru Granth Sahib, indicates that it is the book that “holds” the teacher or “remover of darkness” – and it is considered a living teacher. As indicated by it’s name, the Japji Sahib is intended to be chanted.

“Deeply Listening,
Yoga
And the hidden systems
Of the body
Make themselves known.

Deeply Listening,
The wisdom
Of all sacred scriptures in the world
Is revealed.

Oh my soul,
Those who surrender themselves in Love
To the Divine
Continuously blossom and bloom.

Deeply Listening
Sorrows
And errors
Depart.”

– quoted from Japji Sahib: The Song of the Soul by Guru Nanak (Translated by Ek Ong Kaar Kaur Khalsa)

Remember, when we do the 108 Sun Salutations I refer to it as japa-ajapa, which is “repeat and repeat” or “repeat and remember.” Jap also means “understand.” This type of repetition is a form of meditation which is also recommended in the Yoga Sūtra (1.27 – 1.28). It allows the mind to use the repetition as a path and gateway into stillness.

I say “a path and gateway” because there are steps. One doesn’t just mumble a few words a few times and find themselves instantly still and quiet. First, you have to get past the place where your mind is trying to wrap itself around the fact that you are repeating the same thing over and over again. Then, you have to sift through the object that is the word, the meaning of the word, and the fact that you are focused on the object and the meaning of the word. Eventually, you start to internalize the word and let go of some of the outside distractions. Finally, you reach a state of pure cognition where it is possible for you and the word to be absorbed into each other – in other words, you become the word. A dedicated, uninterrupted practice (also recommended by Patanjali) is helpful in this practice; however, the most important element is trusting and listening.

“By trusting
What you hear
When you listen,
The Truth
Of your Inner
Consciousness
Will saturate your psyche
With wisdom
And deep understanding.

By trusting
What you hear
When you listen,
You shall dwell
In all mansions
Of learning.”

– quoted from Japji Sahib: The Song of the Soul by Guru Nanak (Translated by Ek Ong Kaar Kaur Khalsa)

This Restorative Yoga practice is accessible and open to all.

Prop wise, we use a small ball (e.g., tennis ball, massage ball, etc.) at the the beginning of the practice. Additionally, this is a kitchen sink practice. You can practice without props or you can use “studio” and/or “householder” props. Example of “Studio” props: 1 – 2 blankets, 2 – 3 blocks, a bolster, a strap, and an eye pillow. Example of “Householder” props: 1 – 2 blankets or bath towels, 2 – 3 books (similar in size), 2 standard pillows (or 1 body pillow), a belt/tie/sash, and a face towel.

You may want extra layers (as your body may cool down during this practice). Having a wall, chair, sofa, or coffee table may be handy.

Friday’s playlist is available on YouTube and Spotify.

MUSIC NOTE: You can start with Track #1, #2, #3, or #5. These are instrumental tracks.

*CONTENT NOTE: The translation by Ek Ong Kaar Kaur Khalsa is the foundation for The End of Karma: 10 Days to Perfect Peace, Tranquility, and Joy by Dharma Singh Khalsa, M. D. During the 2023 practice, I quoted chants from Chapters 12, 10, 14, and 39. The one in Chapter 13 is also one of my favorites.

I encourage you to listen, just listen (deeply) to Track #6.

“If you
Trust what you hear
When you listen,
Then you will know
What you see,
How to understand
And act.”

– quoted from Japji Sahib: The Song of the Soul by Guru Nanak (Translated by Ek Ong Kaar Kaur Khalsa)

### LISTEN ###

Big Gold 2 (the “missing” Wednesday post) August 18, 2023

Posted by ajoyfulpractice in Books, Buddhism, Changing Perspectives, First Nations, Healing Stories, Hope, Life, Mantra, Men, Music, One Hoop, Pain, Philosophy, Religion, Suffering, Tragedy, Vairagya, Wisdom, Women, Writing, Yoga.
Tags: alchemy, Annie Hall Strong, Ben Harper, Bob Schneider, Canada, Chilkoot Trail, chinta mani, Cintāmaṇi, Daisy Mason Trust, Dale L. Walker, Dawson Charlie, George Washington Carmack, Gold, Gold Rush, Jack London, James Mason, Jeanne Campbell Reesman, Kate Carmack, Keish, K̲áa Goox̱, Klondike, Native, Philosopher’s Stone, Robert Henderson, Shaaw Tláa, Shyāmantaka Mani, Skookum, Skookum Jim, Tagish, Tagish Charlie, The Skookum Jim Friendship Centre, Tlingit, Vihari-Lal Mitra, White Pass Trail, Yoga Vasishtha, Yukon
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Peace, blessings, and hydration to all!

This is a “missing” post for Wednesday, August 16^th(with reference to some August 17^th events). You can request an audio recording of either practice via a comment below or (for a slightly faster reply) you can email myra (at) ajoyfulpractice.com.

In the spirit of generosity (“dana”), the Zoom classes, recordings, and blog posts are freely given and freely received. If you are able to support these teachings, please do so as your heart moves you. (NOTE: You can donate even if you are “attending” a practice that is not designated as a “Common Ground Meditation Center” practice, or you can purchase class(es). Donations are tax deductible; class purchases are not necessarily deductible.

Check out the “Class Schedules” calendar for upcoming classes.)

“16. Hence whatever is obtainable by anyone at any time, is often missed and lost sight of by either his ignorance or negligence of it; as the precious gem in the parable, which was proffered and lay palpable in full view.”

— quoted from (Book 6) “CHAPTER LXXXVIII. The Tale of the crystal Gem. (Argument:—The slipping of a precious stone in ignorance, and picking of a glossy glass in view of it.)” in The Yoga-Vasishtha Maharamayana of Valmiki (translated by Vihari-Lala Mitra)

Generation after generation, there are certain things which seem to capture the imaginations of people all over the world. Yet, as much as we obsess about the thing, we still somehow miss the point. Take gold, for instance. People are so fascinated by gold that, generation after generation, we’ve created great adventure stories – as well as cautionary tales – around gold and the concept of gold.

Gold is a precious metal that is naturally occurring. It is a free element that can be found in rocks, water, and random deposits. It can also be formed. In fact, for thousands and thousands of years, people from all over the world have not only gone “digging” for gold, they have also sought the secret to alchemy: the Philosopher’s Stone, the catalyst that could turn anything into gold and (maybe) offer eternal life.

Some people believe the “stone” is an actual piece of rock or a dry red powder. Others believe it to be a magical liquid (perhaps made from a the red powder). Some Hindu and Buddhist texts (and therefore some Yoga texts) refer to a wish-fulfilling jewel, called “Cintāmaṇi” or “Shyāmantaka Mani,” which can convey wisdom, transform ailments into knowledge, prevent natural disasters, and produce gold on daily basis. Some texts describe a pearl; some describe a ruby. On the flip side, in some cases it is very clearly a sacred word – or the sacred text itself – that makes someone golden.

“2709: Sivayanama is Alchemic
In slighting terms they speak of our Lord;
With thoughts centering on the Light
And hearts melting in love
Let them chant His name;
With the alchemic pill of Sivaya Nama
He will turn thy body gold.”

— quoted from “Tantra Nine – 6 SUKSHMA (INARTICULATE) PANCHAKSHARA” in Tirumantiram: English Translation of the Tamil Spiritual Classic by Saint Tirumular (complete English translation by Dr. B. Natarajan)

Metaphorically, when we think of something as being “golden,” we think of it as good, great. Something (or someone) who is golden has value. Because of the value we place upon it, gold is worth our time… and worth it’s own weight. By the same token, describing someone or something as golden means we consider them worth our time. We consider them valuable. On a certain level, we all want to be golden and we all want the people around us to be golden. But, sometimes, we find we are dealing with fool’s gold.

Fool’s gold looks like gold and may even feel a little like gold. But, it’s not gold. Instead, it is to gold what the rope in the woods is to the snake: an illusion that tricks the brain and activates an emotional response in the body. If we are looking for gold, and we see something in the distance that could be gold, we get excited; the adrenaline starts pumping; we can barely wait to celebrate. Even though fool’s gold is not actually gold, the excitement is real. That very real excitement simply ends up mixed with disappointment. Just as this can literally happen, it can also metaphorically happen. We can get excited about something or someone; we can think they are the real deal – GOLD! Then, we end up looking like the fool; because they were never honest, they were never true. They were never skookum.

“skookum [Chinook, Chinuk Wawa], adjective

Good, excellent, impressive, best.
Big, strong, durable, tough, reliable, trustworthy.
Powerful, brave.
Really good, right on.”

— definitions from Wiktionary, Wikipedia, and other sources

On the afternoon of August 16, 1896, a family of prospectors found gold in Canada’s Yukon Territory. Skookum Jim Mason, his sister Kate Carmack, their nephew Dawson Charlie, and Kate’s husband George Washington Carmack found a couple of gold nuggets in Rabbit Creek (now called Bonanza Creek), a tributary of the Klondike River. The site had been suggested to the family by Robert Henderson, a prospector who had moved on after finding nothing for several days. While there are some discrepancies about who spotted the first dime-sized nugget, most historians agree that Skookum Jim made the discovery. If not him, then maybe his sister or his nephew. One thing seems clear: George Carmack did not find the nuggets. However, Claim #37903 (the discovery claim) was staked in the name of George Washington Carmack.

Skookum Jim, Kate, and Dawson Charlie were all Indigenous. Given the name Keish (a Tagish word that means “wolf”), Skookum Jim was also known as James Mason. He and his sister Shaaw Tláa, who became known as Kate, were Tagish First Nation members. Their nephew, K̲áa Goox̱, who was known as Dawson Charlie (and also as Tagish Charlie) was Tagish and Tlingit. As excited as they were about their discovery, the family was also concerned that an Indigenous claim might be challenged by Canadian officials and/or other prospectors. So, on August 17^th, the discovery claim and a second claim in the same area were staked in the name of the only white member of the family: George Washington Carmack. Being the first to stake a claim in the area entitled Carmack to two (additional) “free” claims. The extra claims were staked in the names of Skookum Jim and Dawson Charlie. These four claims kicked off the Klondike Gold Rush.

“GOLD! GOLD! GOLD! GOLD!
—
Sixty-Eight Rich Men on the Steamer Portland.
—
STACKS OF YELLOW METAL!
—
Some Have $5,000, Many Have More, and a Few Bring Out $100,000 Each.
—
THE STEAMER CARRIES $7000,000.
—
Special Tug Chartered by the Post-Intelligencer to Get the News.”

— quoted from the “extra” published on July 17, 1897, by the Seattle Post Intelligencer – Klondike Edition

Word spread relatively quickly once the discovery claim was filed. Within a few days, prospectors in the area staked the major claims. Within a year, newspapers made it sound as if it was easy to strike it rich. The headlines made it seem as if all someone had to do was “head west” and they could scoop up gold the way you could pick wild flowers. Over a hundred thousand stampeders were struck by “Klondike Fever.” While many of those who found gold ended up selling their claims to mining companies – and while the area yielded approximately $250 million by the time large-scale mining ended in 1966 – most stampeders never find a single nugget. Some people never even made it to the river. However, all found that the process of getting to a place where there might be gold was just as challenging – if not more challenging – than actually finding gold.

People could get to the Klondike via an all-water route, which was known as the “rich man’s route” because it was so expensive. Some people decided they could hike all the way into the territory – and while some of those hikers arrived, they did so almost two years after the initial rush. Most stampeders used the “poor man’s route” to reach the Yukon River. This hybrid approach required sailing up the Inside Passage to Skagway or nearby Dyea, and then using the White Pass or Chilkoot Trails (respectively) to hike over the Coast Range mountains.

Both coastal towns exploded as people geared up for their hike – and people needed a lot of gear. The Canadian government required stampeders to carry a year’s worth of food and equipment before they ever crossed the border. In addition to the cost of food, clothes, prospecting equipment, and transportation, goods purchased in the United States were subject to a duty. Of course, most stampeders didn’t know what they needed. Intrepid entrepreneurs would eventually create and sell “Yukon outfits” – kits containing all the necessities. In 1897, The Northern Pacific Railroad Company published the Chicago Record’s Book for Gold Seekers. However, some people still ended up with more than they needed. Others found themselves without something critical. But, before they reached that point of discovery, they had to get their “ton of goods” across the mountains.

“In the Skagway News, December 31, 1897 Annie Hall Strong wrote advice to women who ‘have made up their minds to go to the Klondike.’ Ms. Strong weighed in on the required ton of supplies and wrote ‘what should be taken & what should be left behind – from a woman’s perspective.’”

“Among her ‘Advice to Women’, Ms. Strong recommended 3 canvas bags: 1 for bedding, 1 for clothing, and 1 for shoes and boots. From her actual first-hand experience, Ms. Strong says: Evaporated eggs are a failure and everyone who took saccharin as a substitute for sugar were loud in their condemnation of it. Take plenty of sugar. One craves it, and 200 pounds per outfit is not too much. Corn meal, sugar, tea and coffee should be packed in tins. Take plenty of tea. Baking powder and candles are apt to be the first articles to disappear. A few extra pounds would come in very handy. She also recommended lemonade tablets; they are preferable to lime juice and citric acid, being easier to carry, having no weight or bulk.”

— quoted from the Klondike Gold Rush National Historical Park’s “Annie Hall Strong” profile (at U. S. National Park Service site)

Getting to a place where there might be gold was an arduous task. The hike was narrow, steep, and dangerous. In addition to the risky terrain and brutally cold climate, stampeders sometimes had conflicts with each other that led to injury or death. Prior to tramways being built (starting towards the end of 1897), people had to carry everything on their backs and/or use pack mules or horses. Since it was impossible for one person (or animal) to carry everything they needed in one trip, people leap frogged – carrying a load a few feet, setting it down, and then going down for the next load. The leap frog method required people to decide if they could carry a lot of weight for a few trips or less weight for more trips. The heavier loads cut down on the number of times stampeders had to cross the same path, but they resulted in slower travel times.

While the geographical distance they traveled was only 33 – 35 miles (~53 – 59kms), people spent approximately 3 months and hiked hundreds of miles because of the leap frog method. Some people gave up, left their belongings by the side of the trail, and turned back. Some died. Approximately 3,000 pack animals also died. If they got across the mountains, they still had almost 600 miles (~965.6kms) of lake to cross in order to reach Dawson City and the areas where people believed there was gold. Then, they had to find an area that wasn’t already staked. Despite the challenges, 20,000 – 30,000 stampeders headed to the Yukon Territory within the first year… searching for gold.

“It was in the Klondike that I found myself. There nobody talks. Everybody thinks. You get your true perspective. I got mine.”

— quoted from the essay “Eight Factors of Literary Success,” as published in No mentor but myself: Jack London on Writing & Writers by Jack London (Second Edition, Revised and Expanded, Edited by Dale L. Walker and Jeanne Campbell Reesman)

One of those people was a 21-year old man by the name of Jack London. On July 25, 1897, he and his brother-in-law, James Shepard, left San Francisco on board the SS Umatilla. They headed to Juneau and planned to take the “poor man’s route” across the Chilkoot Trail. James got sick early on and had to return to Oakland, California. Jack continued with some veteran stampeders and made it to Dawson City, where he staked Claim #54 in December of 1897. He survived the winter; but just barely. He developed scurvy, spent some time in the hospital in Dawson, and then headed back to the California.

Jack London arrived home to find that his father had passed and that he had responsibilities. But, like so many others, he had no fortune in gold. The only things he had to show for his adventures in the Yukon were swollen gums, loose teeth, a little frostbite, a lot of exhaustion, a pocket full of gold dust, and a head full of stories. Unlike so many others, however, he also came back with a renewed calling: to be a writer. Like an alchemist, he turned the stories of his adventures gold, writing books like The Son of the Wolf (published 1900) and The Call of the Wild (published 1903).

“21. The fool thought this brittle thing to be the real gem now lying before him, as the ignorant sot believes the sparkling sands to be the dusts of the purest gold.

22. Such is the case with the deluded mind, that it mistakes the eight for six and a foe for a friend; it sees the serpent in the rope and views the desert land as the watery expanse, it drinks the poison for the nectar and spies another moon in the sky in the reflexion [sic] of the true one.

23. He took up that sham trumpery for a real gem, and thought it as the philosopher’s stone that would confer on him whatever he desired; with this belief he gave up in charity all he had, as they were no more of any use to him.

24. He thought his country to be devoid of all that was delightsome to him and its people as debasing to his society; he thought his lost house was of no use to him, and his relatives and friends to be averse to his happiness.

25. Thus thinking in his mind, he determined to remove himself to a distant country and enjoy his rest there; and then taking his false gem with him, he went out and entered an uninhabited forest.”

— quoted from (Book 6) “CHAPTER LXXXVIII. The Tale of the crystal Gem. (Argument:—The slipping of a precious stone in ignorance, and picking of a glossy glass in view of it.)” in The Yoga-Vasishtha Maharamayana of Valmiki (translated by Vihari-Lala Mitra)

We can look at Jack London as one of the fortunate few. Similarly, we can see Skookum Jim Mason, Dawson Charlie, and Kate and George Washington Carmack as people who got lucky. After all, they survived the Yukon and collected about $1 million dollars from their original claims. (That would be well over $36 million in 2023.) Skookum Jim and Dawson Charlie also staked smaller claims in Kluane region in 1903. They were all wealthy beyond their dreams. However, their new-found wealth came with challenges… and heartbreak.

Kate/Shaaw Tláa and George Carmack had both been married before and had experienced their share of heartbreak. Kate’s first husband was a Tlingit man who, along with their infant daughter, died during an influenza epidemic. George had been married to one of Kate and Skookum Jim’s sisters, who also died. The family encouraged the widow and widower to marry and, in 1893, about seven years into their union, the had a daughter. Three years later, they struck gold; but, very little changed for the couple during the two additional years they spent in the back country. In 1898, they decided to leave the Yukon Territory and move to Seattle, Washington. They had plans for more great adventures – like buying a boat and sailing to France. Unfortunately, the marriage fell apart within a year and George Carmack abandoned Kate and their daughter.

As George Washington Carmack made plans to remarry, Kate/Shaaw Tláa attempted to file for divorce – only to find there was no official record of her 13-year marriage to George Carmack. She returned to Yukon Territory with no claim to their resources and no official claim to the gold. Carmack eventually tricked their teenage daughter into returning to Seattle, by promising that she could obtain her mother’s share of the gold. But, not only did Kate/Shaaw Tláa never receive any money, she also never saw her daughter again. She would have been completely destitute were it not for her skills in needlepoint, a government pension, and her brother.

“skookum [Chinook, Chinuk Wawa], noun

Monster; similar to Sasquatch.
A person who has a purpose and is on solid ground, in good health and spirits.”

— definitions from Wiktionary, Wikipedia, and other sources

True to his nickname Keish/Skookum Jim was generous to a fault. He built a large home for himself and, when she was abandoned, he built a cabin for his sister. When his nephew K̲áa Goox̱/Dawson Charlie passed away (in 1912), Skookum Jim reportedly hosted the largest potlatch (gift-giving feast) their community had ever experienced. He also randomly gave money to anyone and everyone. His marriage suffered and fell apart, leaving him with custody of his daughter Saayna.aat/Daisy. Somewhere along the way, he developed a drinking problem – a really expensive drinking problem, since he would buy drinks for everyone around him.

Keish/Skookum Jim was one of the early miners who sold his claims to a prospecting company. He received $65,000 (which would be over $2 million in 2023). Since he was truly “skookum,” he recognized he had a problem and set aside some of his money to create a trust in his daughter’s name. The Daisy Mason Trust was meant to cover his daughter’s education. He also created a will, establishing legacies for Kate/Shaaw Tláa, his nephew Koołseen/Patsy Henderson (who was originally with the family in the Yukon, but apparently not when they found the gold), and two other relatives. Tragically, the trust and will were not executed as intended after his death in 1916. When his daughter Saayna.aat/Daisy passed (in 1938), the interest from the Daisy Mason Trust was directed “to help obtain a better standard of health and education for Indian People in the Yukon.”

One of the initiatives that came from the Daisy Mason Trust was the creation and construction of the Skookum Jim Memorial Hall, built in Whitehorse 1962). Now operating as The Skookum Jim Friendship Centre, it is the oldest Native organization in the Yukon and the birthplace of The Yukon Native Brotherhood, Yukon Association of Non-Status Indians, Yukon Native Youth, Yukon Native Women, Yukon Native Court Workers, and Yukon Indian Women’s Association. It’s programs include the Skookum Jim Oral History Program, Yukon A.I.D.S. Programming, Native Court Worker Trainee Program, Hawshagoonca-coo Cultural Program, and the Yukon Alcohol Community Action Program. The Centre also facilitated the creation of programs like the Yukon Association of Non-Status Indians (YANSI), Crossroads Halfway House, Yukon Alcohol and Drug Services, and Skookies Educational and Recreation Counseling Haven Program (SEARCH).

While so many others have been forgotten – or only live on in history books and movies – Keish/Skookum Jim Masons’s legacy is still alive… golden… skookum.

“I’ve been fooled before
But now I know
I’ve made the mistake in the past
But now I know the difference
From gold and brass

Not the kind of gold you wear
But the kind that can feel my care
You look like gold”

— quoted from the song “Gold to Me” by Ben Harper

Wednesday’s playlist is available on on YouTube and Spotify. [Look for “08162022 Big Gold”]

### “All the gold in the sunset all the diamonds on the sea / It’s all we need to set ourselves free” ~ Bob Schneider ###

Water Music Peace (the “missing” Monday post that is also a “long lost” post) July 17, 2023

Posted by ajoyfulpractice in Books, Confessions, Healing Stories, Life, Mantra, Music, One Hoop, Pain, Peace, Pema Chodron, Philosophy, Suffering, Tragedy, Wisdom, Yoga.
Tags: Anthony Eden, Anthony Hicks, Ayurveda, Bess Truman, Charles de Gaulle, Clement Attlee, Elizabeth Gibson, Foster Furcolo, Franklin Delano Roosevelt, George Frideric Handel, Harry Hopkins, Harry S. Truman, James F. Byrnes, Joseph Stalin, King George I, King George II, nadis, Potsdam Conference, pranayama, prānāyāma, Robert H. Ferrell, Stanley Sadie, Vyacheslav Molotov, Water Music, White Sands Proving Ground, William Bullitt, Winston Churchill, World War II
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Peace and blessings to everyone, and especially to those who are dealing with conflict.

This is a “missing” post for July 17, 2023 (and also for 2022). You can request an audio recording of either practice via a comment below or (for a slightly faster reply) you can email me at myra (at) ajoyfulpractice.com.

In the spirit of generosity (“dana”), the Zoom classes, recordings, and blog posts are freely given and freely received. If you are able to support these teachings, please do so as your heart moves you. (NOTE: You can donate even if you are “attending” a practice that is not designated as a “Common Ground Meditation Center” practice, or you can purchase class(es). Donations are tax deductible; class purchases are not necessarily deductible.

Check out the “Class Schedules” calendar for upcoming classes.)

“I am getting ready to go see Stalin and Churchill…. I have a briefcase filled up with information on past conferences and suggestions on what I’m to do and say. Wish I didn’t have to go, but I do and it can’t be stopped now.”

– quoted from a letter dated July 3, 1945 addressed to his mother (Martha) and sister (Mary) by President Harry S. Truman

In Yoga and Āyurveda, as they come to us from India, the vital energy of the mind-body flows through the nadi like water flows down a river. In fact, nadi or nāḍī (“energy channels”) is also found in some texts as nādi or nadī and translated into English as “rivers.” So, while I sometimes encourage people to bring awareness to the sound of their own personal ocean, it would be more precise to say “your own personal river.” Furthermore, when we tune into the breath during our practice – and especially when we move to the pace of the breath in a vinyāsa practice – what we are really doing is floating (or swimming) down the river.

Peacefully, floating or swimming down the river; thinking peace in, peace out.

Just as it is helpful to breathe “peace in, peace out,” when we are on the mat or cushion, this little exercise in prānāyāma (awareness of breath) can be helpful when we’re off the mat – especially if someone is pushing our buttons and/or we have the expectation that someone will push our buttons. It’s a nice tool to have in your mindfulness-based toolkit… or briefcase. It would have been a really handy tool for certain world leaders today in 1945.

For that matter, it would have been handy for certain members of British royalty today in 1717.

“It is more pertinent to ask why the opera did not function; and the main reason for this was the chaos surrounding relations between George I and his son, the Prince of Wales, which had a profound impact on the social activities of the primary financial supporters of the opera, the aristocracy. The two Georges had never been on particularly good terms.”

– quoted from “8. Royal Academy of Music 1719–28) and its Directors” by Elizabeth Gibson, as published in Handel, Tercentenary Collection, edited by Stanley Sadie and Anthony Hicks

It is easy to forget, when someone is pushing your buttons, that your reaction has a ripple effect. Since it seems like no one can push a person’s buttons like family, I think that forgetting how one’s actions/reactions affect others is magnified when the family in question has a certain amount of power. Take the two Georges, for instance.

George I was King of Great Britain and Ireland (beginning August 1, 1714), as well as the ruler of the Electorate of Hanover, an electorate of the Holy Roman Empire (beginning January 23, 1698). While his positions afforded him some power and wealth, he may have been sensitive about the fact that times were changing. The power of the monarchy started to diminish under his rule and, to add insult to injury, people in London did not think very highly of him (or his intelligence). His son was not always viewed more favorably, but he did throw a good party – and people loved a good party. Additionally, George II, the Prince of Wales, presented himself as 100% English, something his father could not do.

According to the stories, the prince and heir apparent, felt a certain kind of way because his father was still alive and still on the throne. The idea that his own time to rule would be short pushed George II’s buttons and he reacted by throwing lavish parties and dinners – so that he would be the talk of the town. This, in turn, pushed his father’s buttons and the senior George needed a way to, quite literally, turn the tide.

King George I wanted to create an event more lavish and more extraordinary than any party or dinner his son could host. A concert on the river sounded like just the ticket and so, the elder George turned to the friend and personal composer of his son’s wife: George Frideric Handel, whose “Water Music” premiered on the River Thames today (7/17) in 1717.

“Many other barges with persons of quality attended, and so great a number of boats that the whole river in a manner was cover’d; a city company’s barge was employ’d for the musick, wherein were fifty instruments of all sorts, who play’d all the way from Lambeth (while the barges drove with the tide without rowing, as far as Chelsea) the finest symphonies compos’d express for this occasion by Mr. Handel….”

– quoted from a July 19, 1717, article in the Daily Courant

As reported by the Daily Courant, Britain’s first daily newspaper, one or two royal barges and a city barge started floating down the River Thames at around 8 PM that Wednesday, July 17^th (according to the Julian Calendar). The royal barge(s) carried King George I and a ton of aristocrats. A City of London barge carried about 50 musicians. While there is some debate about the original order of the the three suites – as well as about which instruments were on the barge with the musicians – and while some modern composers doubt that George Handel composed all the music specifically for the concert on the Thames, there is no question that the composition was well received. The music was played as the barges floated (with the tide) from Whitehall Palace – towards Chelsea, where the king and his court debarked for dinner at around 11 PM – and then, again, as the barges were rowed back to the palace. A reference to music being played during the king’s dinner sounds like it was different music than what was played on the barge, however, there’s no additional information in the article. The article did note that the musicians played Handel’s music “over three times.”

What always strikes me is the image of all the regular people who came to listen to the music. I imagine some of those who were on boats heard the music from beginning to end. However, people along the shoreline would have heard bits and pieces. Perhaps the beginning and then, hours later, the very end. Someone else could have heard the end and then the beginning – or, the middle twice. It sounds like it could have been fun, and peaceful. Fun and peaceful unless, of course, you were the king – who would rule until his death in June 1727 – or the prince, who became king and elector at the age of 43.

King George II eventually lost popularity among the populace and became estranged from his own son. But, the conflict between the two Georges did not end with the elder’s death. The latter skipped his father’s funeral and hid his father’s will. Then, in 1749, he hired George Frideric Handel to compose “Music for the Royal Fireworks (HWV 351),” which was rehearsed in front of a paying audience on April 21, 1749 and performed in London’s Green Park (with fireworks) on April 27, 1749. It was a lavish and bombastic display – both musically and visually – meant to celebrate the end of the War of the Austrian Succession and the signing of the Treaty of Aix-la-Chapelle (Aachen) in 1748. People were severely injured and King George II’s father was long gone, but perhaps using the same composer made the younger feel like he had bested his father.

“We had a tough meeting yesterday. I reared up on my hind legs and told ’em where to get off and they got off. I have to make it perfectly plain to them at least once a day that so far as this President is concerned Santa Claus is dead and that my first interest is U.S.A….. Then I want peace – world peace and will do what can be done by us to get it. But certainly am not going to set up another [illegible] here in Europe, pay reparations, feed the world, and get nothing for it but a nose thumbing. They are beginning to wake to the fact that I mean business.”

– quoted from a letter to U. S. First Lady Bess Truman, dated “Berlin, July 20, 1945,” by U. S. President Harry S. Truman (as published in Dear Bess: The Letters from Harry to Bess Truman, 1910–1959, edited by Robert H. Ferrell)

The Potsdam Conference, held at Cecilienhof Palace in the then-Soviet occupied Potsdam, Germany, started on July 17, 1945. It was a meeting between “the Big Three” Allied leaders – United States President Harry S. Truman, United Kingdom Prime Minister Winston Churchill, and Communist Party General Secretary Joseph Stalin – to decide what to do with Germany after the Nazis unconditional surrender on May 8, 1945. The meetings were also attended by UK Prime Minister Clement Attlee (who replaced PM Churchill after the first nine meetings) and foreign ministers and aides, including Vyacheslav Molotov (for the Soviet Union), Anthony Eden and Ernest Bevin (who replaced Mr. Eden as Great Britain’s Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs), and James F. Byrnes (for the United States). While it was peace conference between allies and the leaders shared a love of music (over formal dinners), the meetings were not without tension and conflict.

An obvious point of tension and conflict came from the fact that the conference took place while World War II was still ongoing. Yes, Germany had surrendered, but Japan was still fighting. Some internal tension came from the fact that the conference involved several leaders new to their roles. Meetings were paused for a couple of days, because of British elections, and two key players were replaced. Additionally, Harry Truman had only been appointed as the U. S. president after the death of President Franklin Delano Roosevelt on April 12, 1945. Then there was the fact that France was included in the agreements, but General Charles de Gaulle was not invited to the the Potsdam Conference and previous peace conferences conferences (because of friction with the United States).

The shifting of leadership – especially in the middle of the conference – and friction between leaders would have been challenging no matter what. However, additional tension came from the fact that the Allied leaders had different opinions about Joseph Stalin. Although, to be blunt, there was a consensus: most believed that General Secretary Stalin could not be trusted.

“I just have a hunch that Stalin is not that kind of man. Harry [Hopkins] says he’s not and that he does not want anything but security for his country, and I think that if I give him everything I possibly can and ask for nothing in return, noblesse oblige, he won’t try to annex anything and will work for a world of democracy and peace.”

– President Franklin D. Roosevelt, speaking to American Ambassador to Moscow, William Bullitt, in 1941 (as quoted from the March 7, 1949 remarks of U. S. Representative Foster Furcolo, as printed in the United States of America Congressional Record: Proceedings and Debates of the 81st Congress, First Session, Appendix (January 3, 1949 – March 12, 1949)

Prime Minister Churchill compared the Soviet leader to the devil. His predecessor, Prime Minister Attlee, had initially considered communism as a political possibility, but ultimately considered leaders like Joseph Stalin as a cautionary tale. Clement Attlee approached the Soviet leader in a manner similar to President Roosevelt – who thought that the Soviet leader would be honorable – and believed that treating the Soviets as anything other than allies would become a self-fulfilling prophecy. He eventually changed his tune and agreed with Ernest Bevin, who also joined the conference after the election results were announced. Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs Bevin was publicly anti-communism, but not overtly hostile towards the general secretary. Within five years, however, both British leaders were not only against communism, they were also anti-Soviet.

President Truman, by his own admission, was nervous about being new to his role and about coming to an agreement with the other leaders. He thought his predecessor’s assessment of Joseph Stalin was categorically wrong. However, during the conference he wrote a letter to First Lady Bess Truman stating that he perceived the Soviet leader as he straightforward. In an earlier letter, he also indicated that he had a secret bargaining chip: news of the successful detonation of the first atomic bomb (at White Sands Proving Ground on July 16, 1945). Unbeknownst to the president, two spies were in New Mexico and witness the detonation firsthand. The spies had informed the general secretary before he arrived at the conference – possibly, before the president received the information through official channels.

“We are going to do what we can to make Germany a decent nation, so that it may eventually work its way from the economic chaos it has brought upon itself back to into a place in the civilised world.”

– quoted from the August 1945 speech, regarding the Potsdam Conference, by President Harry S. Truman

By the conclusion of The Potsdam Conference, on August 2, 1945, the Allies announced their intention to demilitarization, denazification, democratization, decentralization, dismantling, and decartelization Germany. Their plans included the repealing Nazi laws, especially those that allowed discrimination on grounds of race, creed, and political opinion; the organization of new judicial and education systems; the reversal of annexations; the elimination of Nazi officials in government; and the “Orderly and humane” expulsion of (ethnic) German citizens in Poland, Czechoslovakia, and Hungary (but not Yugoslavia). The Allied leaders also made plans for the arrest and trials of Nazi war criminals and post-war reparations (most of which went to the Soviet Union). Additionally, they created a Council of Foreign Ministers – made up of officials from the United Kingdom, the Union of the Soviet Socialist Republics, China, France and the United States – which would establish treaties with Germany allies like Italy and Bulgaria. Finally, the leaders at the Potsdam Conference divided Germany and Berlin into four occupied zones – a section controlled by each of “the Big Three” plus France. The division inevitably meant new (and different) standards of living and economic structures for those in the west versus those in the east.

The goals of the Potsdam Conference included eliminating the last vestiges of the Nazi party, establishing and ensuring peace, and figuring out a way for the whole world to heal after so much trauma and so much war. While it was successful on some levels, the decisions that were made during the conference also laid the foundation for more conflict and friction. In particular, the decision to divide Germany and the German economy resulted in ramifications that are still felt, even after the reunification of Germany (1989 – 1991). Also, the final declaration was that Japan surrender or suffer “prompt and utter destruction.” In the end, that declaration resulted in the United States dropping atomic bombs on Hiroshima (8/6) and Nagasaki (8/9). But, in some ways, the end of the war was just the beginning of the process. In fact, looking back, it seems we are still working to fulfill the goals of the Potsdam Conference – still working to remember that the ultimate goal is peace.

“I believe that we must assist free peoples to work out their own destinies in their own way.

I believe that our help should be primarily through economic and financial aid which is essential to economic stability and orderly political processes.

The world is not static, and the status quo is not sacred. But we cannot allow changes in the status quo in violation of the Charter of the United Nations by such methods as coercion, or by such subterfuges as political infiltration. In helping free and independent nations to maintain their freedom, the United States will be giving effect to the principles of the Charter of the United Nations.”

– quoted from the “Truman Doctrine” speech, as delivered to the joint session of the United States Congress by President Harry S. Truman (March 12, 1947)

There is no playlist for the Common Ground Meditation Center practices.

The playlist for previous years is available on YouTube and Spotify. [Look for “07172021 Water Music Peace”]

“The seeds of totalitarian regimes are nurtured by misery and want. They spread and grow in the evil soil of poverty and strife. They reach their full growth when the hope of a people for a better life has died. We must keep that hope alive.

The free peoples of the world look to us for support in maintaining their freedoms.

If we falter in our leadership, we may endanger the peace of the world — and we shall surely endanger the welfare of our own nation.”

– quoted from the “Truman Doctrine” speech, as delivered to the joint session of the United States Congress by President Harry S. Truman (March 12, 1947)

### PEACE In, PEACE Out ###

FTWMI: Another Hard Working Day June 21, 2023

Posted by ajoyfulpractice in 108 Sun Salutations, Bhakti, Books, Buddhism, Faith, Healing Stories, Japa-Ajapa, Kirtan, Life, Mala, Mantra, Meditation, Music, One Hoop, Religion, Science, Suffering, Surya Namaskar, Wisdom, Yoga.
Tags: asana, Atheist Solidarity Day, Fernando Pagés Ruiz, hatha yoga, International Yoga Day, Ivan Zupa, Jack Lang, Joel Cohen, Maurice Fleuret, Mike Smith, Patricia Miller, Sadhguru, Solstice, Sri T. Krishnamacharya, T. K. V. Desikachar, viniyoga, World Handshake Day, World Humanist Day, World Music Day, yoga, yoga philosophy
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Happy… [insert everything that’s being celebrated today, including Pride]!

For Those Who Missed It: This expanded and “renewed” compilation was originally posted in 2022. Some verbiage has been revised and some information was previously posted in June and December 2020.

“We must understand that yoga is not an Indian (thing). If you want to call yoga Indian, then you must call gravity European.”

– Sadhguru Jaggi Vasudev, founder of the Isha Foundation, speaking in a 2016 United Nations panel discussion about International Yoga Day

Today (June 21^st) is vying with May 1^st to be the hardest working day of the year. It’s International Yoga Day, World Music Day, World Handshake Day, Atheist Solidarity Day, World Humanist Day, and sometimes (including this year) it’s Summer Solstice. I feel like I’m forgetting something….

Oh yes, one of these days is also connected, inspired even, by someone’s birthday. So, let’s start with that.

Born June 21, 1938, in Mysore, India, T. K. V. Desikachar learned yoga from his father, Sri T. Krishnamacharya, who became known as “the father of modern yoga” because his teachings led to a resurgence in the physical practice of yoga in India. Eventually, a handful of Krishnamacharya’s students were charged with sharing the physical practice with the rest of the world. T. K. V. Desikachar was one of a those students and some say that his method of teaching – as well as the tradition of practice (originally called “Viniyoga”) that he taught – is the most consistent with Sri Krishnamacharya’s teachings.

Just as was the case with his father and grandfather before him, T. K. V. Desikachar’s students included his children and world leaders. Just as his father and grandfather did, he stressed the importance of teaching and practicing according to an individual’s needs – physically, mentally, emotionally, and spiritually. His teachings were so influential that a celebration of yoga was proposed to the United Nations General Assembly in 2014. The first International Yoga Day observation occurred today in 2015, with over 200 million people in almost 180 nations practicing yoga – some even extending the celebration into the entire week.

Since today is also a solstice, someone somewhere is probably practicing 108 Sun Salutations.

“One of his longtime students, Patricia Miller, who now teaches in Washington, D.C., recalls him leading a meditation by offering alternatives. He instructed students to close their eyes and observe the space between the brows, and then said, ‘Think of God. If not God, the sun. If not the sun, your parents.’ Krishnamacharya set only one condition, explains Miller: ‘That we acknowledge a power greater than ourselves.’”

– quoted from the Yoga Journal article entitled “Krishnamacharya’s Legacy” by Fernando Pagés Ruiz

The word “solstice” comes from the Latin words meaning “sun” and “to stand still.” The solstice marks the moment, twice a year, when one hemisphere is tilted toward the Sun while the other is tilted away. The incline make it appear as if the Sun is hovering over one of the poles – thus creating the longest day (and the longest night) of the year. In the Northern Hemisphere, today was Summer Solstice, the longest day and the shortest night. It’s a moment of transition that marks incremental changes: increasingly shorter days (i.e., more night).

I often mention the yoga “tradition” of practicing 108 Sun Salutations on the equinoxes and solstices, but I have no idea how long such traditions have existed. I do know, however, that ancient Indian texts – including some related to astronomy – highlight the auspiciousness of 108 and that all around the world various cultures have celebrations related to the changing positions of the sun. Since many of the surviving sun-related rituals and traditions from around the world involve movement (e.g. dancing around a May pole, leaping over bonfires, and cleansing rituals), it is not surprising that people still find practicing Sūrya Namaskar (“Salutes to the Sun”) so appealing. After all, it is a practice of constant change, highlighting a period of transition.

While there are different types of “Sun Salutations,” it is traditionally viewed as a series of twelve poses and, therefore, a practice of six (inhale-exhale) breaths. The movement mimics the body’s natural tendencies to extend, or lift up to the sun, on the inhale – which is the solar breath – and to get closer to the earth on the exhale – which is the lunar breath. It is a mālā (“ring” or “garland”) meditation practice involving a japa-japa (“not thinking-repeat” or it can be explained as “repeat-remember”), which is similar to a reciting, chanting, or praying with a rosary or beads. In fact, there are chants and prayers which are sometimes used along with the movement. Not coincidentally, 108 corresponds with the way people use mala beads and old fashioned rosaries – which had beads to recite 10 decades (10×10) plus 8 beads (for mistakes). On the rosary, the cross is the guru bead.

Click here for more about sun-related celebrations and stories or click here learn more about the auspiciousness of 108.

If you click on the 108-related link above, you will note that 108 shows up in some traditions as the number of vedanās (“feelings” or “sensations”) that humans can experience. On one level, the calculation breaks down how we internalize vibrations. It does not, however, break down all the external stimuli that might result in the 108 sensations. For instance, it can be used to explain all the different feels we might have over a memory that pops up when we eat a biscuit, see someone that reminds us of someone, move our body in a certain way, and/or hear a certain tone (or combination of tones). It does not explain, however, how there is so much great music in the world – or why everyone deserves music.

The idea that “everyone deserves music / sweet music” is something very much at the heart of World Music Day. Not to be confused with International Music Day, World Music Day was started in France in 1982 and has been adopted by over 120 nations, including India. The idea for free concerts in open areas by a variety of musicians was first proposed by an American, Joel Cohen, as far back as 1976. In 1981, however, French Minister of Culture Jack Lang appointed musician Maurice Fleuret as the Director of Music and Dance. The duo collaborated to create an event in 1985, whereby even amateurs would be encouraged to musically express themselves in public. Fleuret said there would be “music everywhere and the concert nowhere.”

According to Johann Sebastian Bach, “[Music] should have no other end and aim than the glory of God and the re-creation of the soul, where this is not kept in mind, there is no true music, but only an infernal clamour and ranting.” A quick study of music from around the world will show that, throughout history, many people have created music that is devotional in nature. In fact, kirtan (“narrating,” “praising,” or “reciting”) is a form of bhakti (or “devotional”) yoga, where chanting is combined with music. More often than not, the chanting is related to one of the names of God, mentioned in the 108-link above.

Today’s playlist, however, has no kirtan during the 65-90 minutes of practice music. Because, well…

“Why believe in a god? Just be good for goodness’ sake.”

– bus billboard for the American Humanist Association

There are atheists everywhere, even though many people believe they are few and far between. In 2010, Mike Smith started a Facebook group to make Atheist Solidarity Day an official holiday. Even though he deleted the group soon after, people were engaged. Today, atheist celebrate June 21^st as a global protest, celebration, and awareness raising event for people who don’t always have the freedom to openly express their lack of belief in “god,” whatever that means to you at this moment.

To be clear, not all humanist are atheist; however Humanists (as described by the Humanist Manifesto of 1933) are atheists. While I could call myself a humanist, I am neither a Humanist nor an atheist. Still, today’s black and red theme is in solidarity of people having the freedom to believe what serves them – as long as it doesn’t harm others.

As we are finding more and more each day, that last part is the tricky part of believing in “freedom of religion.” So many people believe that other people’s beliefs are causing them to suffer, when – in fact – it is that very belief (about other people’s beliefs) that causes suffering. Additionally, people sometimes believe that their beliefs are so correct that they should be forced on others – an attitude which can create more suffering. It’s a vicious cycle.

On World Refugee Day, with regard to personal safety, I mentioned that we are all (on a certain level) responsible for our own feelings of safety. I think the same is true about suffering. This has nothing to do with the fact that one person can harm another person or do something that causes another person to suffer. Instead, what I am saying is that if we feel unsafe in a situation, we are responsible for acknowledging that feeling and examining it to see if it is rooted in reality. Then, we act accordingly. Similarly, if we are experiencing mental and emotional anguish over another person’s beliefs, we owe it to ourselves to go deeper. Ask yourself: How does this other person’s belief affect me in the real world? Does this person’s belief (system) truly threaten my existence?

We have to be honest with ourselves and recognize our own kliṣṭa (“afflicted” or “dysfunctional”) thought patterns in order to see the roots of our own suffering. Doing so will also allow us to see how we are contributing to division in the world. In the process, doing so can bring us a little closer to “coming together” – which is, ultimately the whole point of yoga, and all these celebrations.

“My son, place your hand here in the sea and you are united with the whole world.”

– Ivan Zupa, founder of World Handshake Day, remembering the advice of an old man

Please join me today (Wednesday, June 21^st) at 4:30 PM or 7:15 PM for a yoga practice on Zoom. Use the link from the “Class Schedules” calendar if you run into any problems checking into the class. You will need to register for the 7:15 PM class if you have not already done so. 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 “06212022 Another Hard Working Day”]

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.)

### BREATHE INTO YOUR SPINE ###

This Night of Grace (mostly the music) February 18, 2023

Posted by ajoyfulpractice in Bhakti, Changing Perspectives, Faith, Healing Stories, Hope, Kirtan, Mantra, Meditation, Music, Mysticism, One Hoop, Philosophy, Religion, Tantra, Wisdom, Yoga.
Tags: Maha Shivaratri, Mahashivratri, Sadhguru, Shiva
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“Happy Mahashivratri,” to all who are celebrating! Many blessings to all during this “Season of Non-violence” and all other seasons!

“A genuine success will happen only when there is Grace. I want you to do a simple process as a part of this Mahashivratri. Three things…This night, let it not be just one night of exuberance. Let this, in some way, work as a turning point for you to move towards your own Awakening.”

“… every one of you can strive to become a wonderful human being and nobody can deny that to you. So, I want you to do a simple process as a part of this Mahashivratri: Write down three things. Write down three things when you go home, whatever you think makes a human being into a wonderful human being – just three things – and make it a reality in your life.”

– Sadhguru, founder of Isha Foundation

Please join me for a 90-minute virtual yoga practice on Zoom today (Saturday, February 18^th) at 12:00 PM. Use the link from the “Class Schedules” calendar if you run into any problems checking into the class. You can request an audio recording of this practice via a comment below or by emailing myra (at) ajoyfulpractice.com.

Saturday’s playlist is available on YouTube and Spotify.

NOTE: The before/after music is slightly different on YouTube and Spotify.

I sometimes just loop this track and practice, but it does not appear to be available on Spotify.

In the spirit of generosity (“dana”), the Zoom classes, recordings, and blog posts are freely given and freely received. If you are able to support these teachings, please do so as your heart moves you. (NOTE: You can donate even if you are “attending” a practice that is not designated as a “Common Ground Meditation Center” practice, or you can purchase class(es). Donations are tax deductible; class purchases are not necessarily deductible.)

### Shiva Shiva Shambhu ###

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A Joyful Practice

More 1.34, on 10.25 (the “missing” Wednesday post) October 25, 2023

— quoted from Act IV, Scene iii, of Henry V by William Shakespeare

“This story shall the good man teach his son; And Crispine Crispian shall ne’er go by, From this day to the ending of the world, But we in it shall be remembred;”

— quoted from Act IV, Scene iii, of Henry V by William Shakespeare

“We few, we happy few, we band of brothers; For he to-day that sheds his blood with me Shall be my brother; be he ne’er so vile, This day shall gentle his condition;”

— quoted from Act IV, Scene iii, of Henry V by William Shakespeare

Click here to read more about the breathing lessons inspired by the novelist, short story writer, and literary critic Anne Tyler, who was born today 1941.

— quoted from the commentary on the Satipatthana Sutta (The Foundations of Mindfulness) by Nyanasatta Thera

“‘Breathing lessons – really,’ [Fiona] said, dropping to the floor with a thud. ‘Don’t they reckon I must know how to breathe by now?’”

— quoted from Breathing Lessons by Anne Tyler

Looking for more? Click here for the post entitled “Third Step: Repeat the First & Second Steps” (which features commentary for the video below).

— quoted from Breathing Lessons by Anne Tyler

### Breathe In (Know That We Are All Breathing In); Breathe Out (Know That We Are All Breathing Out) ###

More 1.34, on 10.25 (mostly the music) October 25, 2023

“‘Breathing lessons – really,’ [Fiona] said, dropping to the floor with a thud. ‘Don’t they reckon I must know how to breathe by now?’”

— quoted from Breathing Lessons by Anne Tyler

— quoted from Breathing Lessons by Anne Tyler

### Breathe In (Know That We Are All Breathing In); Breathe Out (Know That We Are All Breathing Out) ###

Future Teacher Appreciation & FTWMI: “Being Grateful for What Will Be” September 30, 2023

“Every relationship you develop, from casual to intimate, helps you become more conscious. No union is without spiritual value.”

— quoted from “Morning Visual Meditation” (Chakra 2) by Caroline Myss

“And this too shall pass.”

— The old saying “Gam zeh ya’avor,“ in Hebrew (with Persian and Jewish origins)

— Abraham Lincoln speaking to the Wisconsin State Agriculture Society at the Wisconsin State Fair, September 30, 1859

“Be joyful at your festival — you and your son, and your daughter, and your manservant, and your maid-servant, and the Levite, and the stranger, and the orphan, and the widow who live within your city.

For seven days you must celebrate the Festival to YHVH*, your God, in the place which YHVH* shall choose, because the Lord, your God, will bless you in all your produce, and in all the work of your hands, and you will only be happy.”

— quoted from Devarim — Deuteronomy (16:14 – 15)

Yoga Sūtra 2.40: śaucāt svāngajugupsā parairasamsargah

— “From purity/cleanliness arises sensitivity to the unclean nature of one’s own body and [physical] unmixing.”

Yoga Sūtra 2.41: sattvaśuddhisaumanasyaikāgreyendriyayātmadarśanayogyatvāni ca

— “[From purity/cleanliness arises] pure wisdom of the heart, cheerfulness of mind, the power of concentration, victory over the senses, and the ability to directly experience our Self.”

“Don’t be greedy, be grateful.”

### Sunshine, the practice, friends (and family) ###

Getting Ready to Let Go September 24, 2023

“ॐ गजाननाय नमः। Aum Gajānanāya Namaḥ।”

— This mantra honoring “the One who carries the elephant head” is a reminder that if Ganesha can carry the elephant’s head to survive and fulfill his duties, we can all put aside our egos and live dutifully.

Click here to read the 2021 post in its entirety.

Yoga Sūtra 2.39: aparigrahasthairye janmakathantāasambodhah

— “A person firmly established in the non-possessiveness gains complete understanding of the “why-ness” (or essence of why) of birth.”

“Had I not believed in seeing the good of the Lord in the land of the living!

Hope for the Lord, be strong and He will give your heart courage, and hope for the Lord.”

— quoted from Tehillim – Psalms (27:13-14)

### MAY YOUR NAME BE WRITTEN AND SEALED IN THE BOOK OF LIFE & MAY YOU HAVE FEW OBSTACLES ###

Bending the Arc, redux (with an excerpt) September 19, 2023

— quoted from The Auschwitz Volunteer: Beyond Bravery by Captain Witold Pilecki (Auschwitz Prisoner No. 4859), translated from Pilecki’s original 1945 Auschwitz Report by Jarek Garliński (with an Introduction by Norman Davies & a Forward by Michael Schudrich (Foreword)

“ॐ गजाननाय नमः। Aum Gajānanāya Namaḥ।”

— This mantra honoring “the One who carries the elephant head” is a reminder that if Ganesha can carry the elephant’s head to survive and fulfill his duties, we can all put aside our egos and live dutifully.

“I do not pretend to understand the moral universe. The arc is a long one. My eye reaches but little ways. I cannot calculate the curve and complete the figure by experience of sight. I can divine it by conscience. And from what I see I am sure it bends toward justice.”

— quoted from an 1853 sermon by abolitionist and Unitarian minister Theodore Parker

Click here if you want to read the entire post, which is also a tribute to “The Notorious R. B. G.” – Ruth Bader Ginsburg of the Supreme Court of the United States (SCOTUS).

“I’ve been trying to live my life so that in the hour of my death I would rather feel joy, than fear.”

— Witold Pilecki’s statement to the judge after his sentencing, May 15, 1948

“Who will be calm and who will be tormented? Who will become poor and who will get rich? Who will be made humble and who will be raised up? But teshuvah and tefillah and tzedakah [return and prayer and righteous acts] deflect the evil of the decree.”

— quoted from the poem “Unetaneh Tokef” (“Let Us Speak of the Awesomeness”)

“Even when a man takes revenge on others who hate him, in spite of him not hating them initially, the pain caused by his vengeance will bring him inevitable sorrow.” (313)

“When a man inflicts pain upon others in the forenoon, it will come upon him unsought in the afternoon.” (319)

— quoted from the English translation of the Tamil lyrics of the song “Ahimsa” by U2 and A. R. Rahman, featuring Khatija and Raheema Rahman (translation from IntegralYoga.org)

### MAY YOUR NAME BE WRITTEN & SEALED IN THE BOOK OF LIFE / MAY YOU HAVE FEW OBSTACLES AHEAD ###

FTWMI: Deep Listening (*Revised) – the post-practice Friday post September 1, 2023

“Life’s but a walking shadow, a poor player That struts and frets his hour upon the stage, And then is heard no more. It is a tale Told by an idiot, full of sound and fury, Signifying nothing.”

– Macbeth in Act V, Scene V of Macbeth by William Shakespeare

“Be still and know that I am God.”

– quoted from Tehillim – Psalms (46:11, in some Hebrew texts; 46:10 in Christian texts)

– quoted from the dharma talk and Q&A entitled “Suffering and the End of Suffering” by Gina Sharpe

“Deeply Listening, Yoga And the hidden systems Of the body Make themselves known.

Deeply Listening, The wisdom Of all sacred scriptures in the world Is revealed.

Oh my soul, Those who surrender themselves in Love To the Divine Continuously blossom and bloom.

Deeply Listening Sorrows And errors Depart.”

– quoted from Japji Sahib: The Song of the Soul by Guru Nanak (Translated by Ek Ong Kaar Kaur Khalsa)

“By trusting What you hear When you listen, The Truth Of your Inner Consciousness Will saturate your psyche With wisdom And deep understanding.

By trusting What you hear When you listen, You shall dwell In all mansions Of learning.”

– quoted from Japji Sahib: The Song of the Soul by Guru Nanak (Translated by Ek Ong Kaar Kaur Khalsa)

“If you Trust what you hear When you listen, Then you will know What you see, How to understand And act.”

– quoted from Japji Sahib: The Song of the Soul by Guru Nanak (Translated by Ek Ong Kaar Kaur Khalsa)

### LISTEN ###

Big Gold 2 (the “missing” Wednesday post) August 18, 2023

“16. Hence whatever is obtainable by anyone at any time, is often missed and lost sight of by either his ignorance or negligence of it; as the precious gem in the parable, which was proffered and lay palpable in full view.”

— quoted from (Book 6) “CHAPTER LXXXVIII. The Tale of the crystal Gem. (Argument:—The slipping of a precious stone in ignorance, and picking of a glossy glass in view of it.)” in The Yoga-Vasishtha Maharamayana of Valmiki (translated by Vihari-Lala Mitra)

“2709: Sivayanama is Alchemic In slighting terms they speak of our Lord; With thoughts centering on the Light And hearts melting in love Let them chant His name; With the alchemic pill of Sivaya Nama He will turn thy body gold.”

“This story shall the good man teach his son;
And Crispine Crispian shall ne’er go by,
From this day to the ending of the world,
But we in it shall be remembred;”

“We few, we happy few, we band of brothers;
For he to-day that sheds his blood with me
Shall be my brother; be he ne’er so vile,
This day shall gentle his condition;”

For seven days you must celebrate the Festival to YHVH, your God, in the place which YHVH shall choose, because the Lord, your God, will bless you in all your produce, and in all the work of your hands, and you will only be happy.”

“ॐ गजाननाय नमः।
Aum Gajānanāya Namaḥ।”

“ॐ गजाननाय नमः।
Aum Gajānanāya Namaḥ।”

“Who will be calm and who will be tormented?
Who will become poor and who will get rich?
Who will be made humble and who will be raised up?
But teshuvah and tefillah and tzedakah [return and prayer and righteous acts]
deflect the evil of the decree.”

FTWMI: Deep Listening (Revised) – the post-practice Friday post September 1, 2023*

“Life’s but a walking shadow, a poor player
That struts and frets his hour upon the stage,
And then is heard no more. It is a tale
Told by an idiot, full of sound and fury,
Signifying nothing.”

“Deeply Listening,
Yoga
And the hidden systems
Of the body
Make themselves known.

Deeply Listening,
The wisdom
Of all sacred scriptures in the world
Is revealed.

Oh my soul,
Those who surrender themselves in Love
To the Divine
Continuously blossom and bloom.

Deeply Listening
Sorrows
And errors
Depart.”

“By trusting
What you hear
When you listen,
The Truth
Of your Inner
Consciousness
Will saturate your psyche
With wisdom
And deep understanding.

By trusting
What you hear
When you listen,
You shall dwell
In all mansions
Of learning.”

“If you
Trust what you hear
When you listen,
Then you will know
What you see,
How to understand
And act.”

“2709: Sivayanama is Alchemic
In slighting terms they speak of our Lord;
With thoughts centering on the Light
And hearts melting in love
Let them chant His name;
With the alchemic pill of Sivaya Nama
He will turn thy body gold.”

“GOLD! GOLD! GOLD! GOLD!
—
Sixty-Eight Rich Men on the Steamer Portland.
—
STACKS OF YELLOW METAL!
—
Some Have $5,000, Many Have More, and a Few Bring Out $100,000 Each.
—
THE STEAMER CARRIES $7000,000.
—
Special Tug Chartered by the Post-Intelligencer to Get the News.”

“I’ve been fooled before
But now I know
I’ve made the mistake in the past
But now I know the difference
From gold and brass

Not the kind of gold you wear
But the kind that can feel my care
You look like gold”