FTWMI: A Note & EXCERPT: “Speaking of Things that Were Not Televised…” June 30, 2026
Posted by ajoyfulpractice in Books, Changing Perspectives, Faith, Healing Stories, Life, Meditation, One Hoop, Philosophy, Science, Wisdom, Yoga.Tags: 988, asana, Benjamin Brodie, Bishop Samuel Wilberforce, chakra, Charles Darwin, darwin, evolution, Herbert Spencer, history, John William Draper, Joseph Dalton Hooker, On the Origin of the Species, Oxford debate 1860, Religion, Robert FitzRoy, Science, Thomas Henry Huxley, vinyasa krama, yoga
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Happy Pride! Peace and many blessings to everyone and especially to any observing the Apostles’ (Peter & Paul) Fast during this 5th Week after Pentecost!!!
For Those Who Missed It: The following was original posted in 2025 (and included the prompt question, “Where do you come from?”). Class details and some links have been added/updated.
“There is grandeur in this view of life, with its several powers, having been originally breathed into a few forms or into one; and that, whilst this planet has gone cycling on according to the fixed law of gravity, from so simple a beginning endless forms most beautiful and most wonderful have been, and are being, evolved.”
— from On the Origin of Species by Means of Natural Selection, or the Preservation of Favoured Races in the Struggle for Life by Charles Darwin
Bring your awareness to where you come from (however you think about that).
We could do a little meditation and contemplation about where we started in life and consider the things that happened — all the things we experienced that led us to being who we are and where we are, in this present moment, right here, right now.
And, on a certain level, we do that during the practice. But, today, I want to go back, back to your origins. I want you to take a moment to consider the causes and conditions that led to your origins being the place that it was when you were born.
Now, I want you to go back even further — to the origins of our origins.
Charles Darwin was not the first person to conceive of what we now consider the “theory of evolution” (a term he didn’t even use in his On the Origin of Species by Means of Natural Selection, or the Preservation of Favoured Races in the Struggle for Life). However, the 1859 publication of On the Origin of Species kicked off a slew of debates, lectures, protests, and (eventually) trials.
The very first of those public debates occurred today (June 30th) in 1860.
CLICK ON THE EXCERPT TITLE FOR MORE.
“It has often and confidently been asserted, that man’s origin can never be known: but ignorance more frequently begets confidence than does knowledge: it is those who know little, and not those who know much, who so positively assert that this or that problem will never be solved by science.”
— from The Descent of Man, and Selection in Relation to Sex by Charles Darwin (pub. 1871)
Please join me today (Tuesday, June 30th) at 12:00 Noon 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 me at myra (at) ajoyfulpractice.com.
Tuesday’s playlist is available on YouTube and Spotify. [Look for “March 31 Hays Code 2020” or “03312020 Hays Code”]
If you are thinking about suicide, worried about a friend or loved one, or would like emotional support, you can dial 988 (in the US) or call 1-800-273-TALK (8255) for the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline. You can also call this TALK line if you are struggling with addiction or involved in an abusive relationship. The Lifeline network is free, confidential, and available to all 24/7. YOU CAN TALK ABOUT ANYTHING.
White Flag is an app, which I have not researched, but which may be helpful if you need peer-to-peer (non-professional) support.
If you are a young person in crisis, feeling suicidal, or in need of a safe and judgement-free place to talk, you can also click here to contact the TrevorLifeline (which is staffed 24/7 with trained counselors).
In the spirit of generosity (“dana”), the Zoom classes, recordings, and blog posts are freely given and freely received. If you are able to support these teachings, please do so as your heart moves you. (NOTE: You can donate even if you are “attending” a practice that is not designated as a “Common Ground Meditation Center” practice, or you can purchase class(es).
Donations are tax deductible; class purchases are not necessarily deductible.
Check out the “Class Schedules” calendar for upcoming classes.
You’re Invited to Bend… & To Take The Deepest Breath You’ve Taken — On Retreat!
September 25 — 27, 2026
### THINGS ARE MADE TO CHANGE ###
A Giving Sunday… & A “Stranger” Monday (the “missing” 2-for-1 compilation post, with excerpts) June 15, 2026
Posted by ajoyfulpractice in Changing Perspectives, Dharma, Donate, Gratitude, Healing Stories, Health, Hope, Karma Yoga, Life, Love, Minneapolis, Minnesota, One Hoop, Pain, Peace, Philosophy, Science, Suffering, Tragedy, Twin Cities, Volunteer, Wisdom, Yoga.Tags: 988, Dana, Dr. Jean-Baptiste Denys, Dr. Karl Landsteiner, Dr. Linus Pauling, Dr. Paul Emmerez, Generosity, Gilbert (Hortman), Hope Hoffman, John Hoffman, José Ortega y Gasset, Jose Ortega y Gasset, Mark Hortman, Melissa Hortman, Mildred Adams, No Kings Day, Pandit Rajmani Tigunait, siddhis, Sāmkhya Karika, World Blood Donor Day, World Health Organization, Yoga Sutra 2.24, Yvette Hoffman
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Happy Pride! Many, many blessings to everyone and especially to anyone celebrating PRIDE and/or the 3rd Week after Pentecost, All Russian Saints, & the Apostles’ (Peter & Paul) Fast on World Blood Donor Day.
This is the “missing” (2-for-1) compilation post, with excerpts, for Sunday, June 14th — Monday, June 15th. The 2026 prompt question (for Monday) was, “What is something you have in common with someone perceived as being different from you?”
You can request an audio recording of these practices or a previous practice via a comment below or (for a slightly faster reply) you can email myra (at) ajoyfulpractice.com.
In the spirit of generosity (“dana”), the Zoom classes, recordings, and blog posts are freely given and freely received. If you are able to support these teachings, please do so as your heart moves you. (NOTE: You can donate even if you are “attending” a practice that is not designated as a “Common Ground Meditation Center” practice, or you can purchase class(es).
Donations are tax deductible; class purchases are not necessarily deductible.
Check out the “Class Schedules” calendar for upcoming classes.
“I found that [Karl] Landsteiner and I had a much different approach to science: Landsteiner would ask, ‘What do these experimental observations force us to believe about the nature of the world?’ and I would ask, ‘What is the most simple, general and intellectually satisfying picture of the world that encompasses these observations and is not incompatible with them?’”
— quoted from “Fifty Years of Progress in Structural Chemistry and Molecular Biology.” By Dr. Linus Pauling (published in Daedalus, 99, 1005. 1970)
The way we phrase a question can sometimes lead to a very different answer than when the same question is asked in a slightly different way. As referenced above, the way a scientist asks a question can determine the way in which they experiment. Similarly, the way a question is asked during an interrogation can lead to a different series of events than if a less accusatory version of the question is asked at the beginning of a yoga class.
For example, “What or who do you value?” was the question at the beginning of Sunday’s practice. I also phrased it as “What or who do you care about?” I am sure you can think of a less polite, more profane way of asking the same question — and it is possible you would get similar answers. However, the first question — with the focus on values — is a direct route to the core (and heart) of our identity and behaviors.
“There is no doubt that the most important mechanism in every animate being is attention. We are where we lend our attention. For that reason I have so often repeated ‘Tell me to what you pay attention and I will tell you who you are.’”
— quoted from “6 Change and Crisis” in Man and Crisis (originally titled En Torno A Galileo) by José Ortega y Gasset (Translated from the Spanish by Mildred Adams)
Sunday, June 14th, was the one-year anniversary of the assassination of Minnesota state representative Melissa Hortman, her husband Mark Hortman, and their dog Gilbert; as well as the attempted assassination of Minnesota state senator John Hoffman, his wife Yvette Hoffman, and their daughter Hope Hoffman (who was injured, but — thanks to her parents — not shot).* It was also the anniversary of the first No Kings Day.
In thinking about the tragedy, as well as the hopes, of that day, and all the days since, I can’t help but think about how we express our values through our thoughts, words, and deeds. A year ago, to the day, there were people who chose to express their values in a peaceful way; while others simultaneously chose to express their values through violence. And, don’t get it twisted, the violence wasn’t just exhibited by the murderer (who has now been convicted), but/and also by counter-protestors to the No Kings Rally. The ironic thing, and one of the saddest things, is that if you stripped away some of the details, people had the same complaints. Up to a point, you could even say they shared similar sentiments. The difference between those who chose peace versus those who chose violence really comes down how much we engaged the practice of our hearts…how much we engaged the things that make us human.
We can debate whether or not the six siddhis (“powers” or “abilities”) described in the Sāmkhya Karika are, in fact, “powers unique to being human”. However, there is no denying that things like our ability to think, use words, problem solve, and cultivate relationships are aspects of our shared experience as humans. These are things we all have in common. Dana (“generosity”) is, in some ways, the most unique of the powers simply because it is the one that can intrinsically overlaps our legal systems.
“The last category of our innate siddhis is dana, ‘the ability to give.’ We have both the wisdom and the courage to share what lawfully belongs to us with others. We are designed to experience the joy of giving. This joy is the architect of human civilization, characterized by self-sacrifice and selflessness.”
— quoted from the commentary on Yoga Sūtra 2.24 from The Practice of the Yoga Sutra: Sadhana Pada by Pandit Rajmani Tigunait, PhD
A few months back, I read 2 books that — at their core — were about connection, belonging, really seeing someone, and generosity. In one book, the generous protagonist was motivated by not being seen, not being understood, and not being accepted as a child. He wanted other children — even ones who were different from him — to experience the love and sense of belonging he missed out on as a child. Even though he was very generous with his money, what stands out in his actions was how generous he was with his other resources: time, energy, love, acceptance. His generosity went beyond his bank account and (slight spoiler alert) when it was pointed out to him that he is being a little stingy (with himself and his truth), he course corrected. His generosity went deeper.
On the flip side, the other book rubbed me the wrong way, because I couldn’t get past the idea that, if the protagonist had less money, he might have given something more valuable than the gifts he gave: He might have gone deeper and given more of himself.
“[The 2026 World Blood Donor Day] campaign, ‘One Drop of Humanity. Give Blood. Save Lives.’, places humanity at the heart of every blood donation. It reminds us that each donation is more than a medical act: it is a powerful expression of solidarity, compassion and collective responsibility.”
— quoted from the World Health Organization’s 2026 World Blood Donor Day site
Sunday was also World Blood Donor Day, which is the anniversary of the birth of Dr. Karl Landsteiner (b. 1868). Coincidentally, the day that honors the “Father of Transfusion Medicine” falls the day before the anniversary of the first documented successful “xenotransfusion”. On June 15, 1667, Dr. Jean-Baptiste Denys (with assistance from Dr. Paul Emmerez) successfully transfused about 12 ounces of sheep blood into the elbow of a 15-year old boy who had been experiencing chronic fever — and who was not finding relief from leeches repeatedly administered by a barber-surgeon. Thanks to the research of Dr. Landsteiner, we now know that 1667 transfusion and similar 17th-19th century transfusions avoided killing the recipients by pure luck!
World Blood Donor Day is an opportunity to educate people about blood (and plasma) donations and, also, an opportunity to celebrate and honor the people who literally give their life’s blood. Consider, for a moment, that if everyone donated money, but no one donated blood or plasma, the money would just sit in the banks. Maybe, occasionally, moving from one bank to another. On the flip side, if everyone (who could) donated blood and/or plasma, but no one donated money, people would use their siddhis and figure out a way to get the blood and plasma to the people who needed them.
CLICK ON THE EXCERPT TITLES BELOW FOR MORE.
Thicker Than…? (a”missing” 2-for-1 post, for Monday-Tuesday)
“Inspired by the idea that the whole of humanity can be reflected in a single drop, the [2026] campaign highlights how every donor helps form a lifeline that connects and protects us all.”
— quoted from the World Health Organization’s 2026 World Blood Donor Day site
Sunday’s playlist is available on YouTube and Spotify. [Look for “06142020 World Blood Donor Day”]
There is no playlist for the Common Ground Meditation Center practices.
If you are thinking about suicide, worried about a friend or loved one, or would like emotional support, you can dial 988 (in the US) or call 1-800-273-TALK (8255) for the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline. You can also call this TALK line if you are struggling with addiction or involved in an abusive relationship. The Lifeline network is free, confidential, and available to all 24/7. YOU CAN TALK ABOUT ANYTHING.
White Flag is an app, which I have not researched, but which may be helpful if you need peer-to-peer (non-professional) support.
If you are a young person in crisis, feeling suicidal, or in need of a safe and judgement-free place to talk, you can also click here to contact the TrevorLifeline (which is staffed 24/7 with trained counselors).
You’re Invited to Bend… & To Take The Deepest Breath You’ve Taken — On Retreat!
September 25 — 27, 2026
*NOTE: One June 14, 2025, the murderer made additional attempts on the lives of Minnesota legislators and their families. In one case, the legislator was on vacation. In a separate case, the attempt was thwarted by police presence and interaction.
### Generosity ⇐⇒ Humanity ###
A Giving Sunday (mostly the music & blessings) **UPDATED w/excerpt** June 14, 2026
Posted by ajoyfulpractice in Changing Perspectives, Dharma, Donate, Gratitude, Healing Stories, Health, Hope, Karma Yoga, Life, Love, One Hoop, Peace, Philosophy, Science, Volunteer, Wisdom, Yoga.Tags: 988, Dana, Dr. Karl Landsteiner, Generosity, Pandit Rajmani Tigunait, siddhis, World Blood Donor Day, World Health Organization, Yoga Sutra 2.24
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Happy Pride! Many, many blessings to everyone and especially to anyone celebrating PRIDE and/or the 2nd Week after Pentecost, All Russian Saints, & the Apostles’ (Peter & Paul) Fast on World Blood Donor Day.
“The last category of our innate siddhis is dana, ‘the ability to give.’ We have both the wisdom and the courage to share what lawfully belongs to us with others. We are designed to experience the joy of giving. This joy is the architect of human civilization, characterized by self-sacrifice and selflessness.”
— quoted from the commentary on Yoga Sūtra 2.24 from The Practice of the Yoga Sutra: Sadhana Pada by Pandit Rajmani Tigunait, PhD
CLICK ON THE EXCERPT TITLE BELOW FOR MORE.
A Giving Sunday… & A “Stranger” Monday (the “missing” 2-for-1 compilation post, with excerpts)
“[The 2026 World Blood Donor Day] campaign, ‘One Drop of Humanity. Give Blood. Save Lives.’, places humanity at the heart of every blood donation. It reminds us that each donation is more than a medical act: it is a powerful expression of solidarity, compassion and collective responsibility. Inspired by the idea that the whole of humanity can be reflected in a single drop, the campaign highlights how every donor helps form a lifeline that connects and protects us all.”
— quoted from the World Health Organization’s 2026 World Blood Donor Day site
Please join me today (Sunday, June 14th) at 2:30 PM for a yoga practice on Zoom. You can use the link from the “Class Schedules” calendar if you run into any problems checking into 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.
Sunday’s playlist is available on YouTube and Spotify. [Look for “06142020 World Blood Donor Day”]
If you are thinking about suicide, worried about a friend or loved one, or would like emotional support, you can dial 988 (in the US) or call 1-800-273-TALK (8255) for the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline. You can also call this TALK line if you are struggling with addiction or involved in an abusive relationship. The Lifeline network is free, confidential, and available to all 24/7. YOU CAN TALK ABOUT ANYTHING.
White Flag is an app, which I have not researched, but which may be helpful if you need peer-to-peer (non-professional) support.
If you are a young person in crisis, feeling suicidal, or in need of a safe and judgement-free place to talk, you can also click here to contact the TrevorLifeline (which is staffed 24/7 with trained counselors).
In the spirit of generosity (“dana”), the Zoom classes, recordings, and blog posts are freely given and freely received. If you are able to support these teachings, please do so as your heart moves you. (NOTE: You can donate even if you are “attending” a practice that is not designated as a “Common Ground Meditation Center” practice, or you can purchase class(es).
Donations are tax deductible; class purchases are not necessarily deductible.
Check out the “Class Schedules” calendar for upcoming classes.
You’re Invited to Bend… & To Take The Deepest Breath You’ve Taken — On Retreat!
September 25 — 27, 2026
### Generosity ⇐⇒ Humanity ###
FTWMI: How Do You Deal with Your Answers? June 13, 2026
Posted by ajoyfulpractice in Books, Changing Perspectives, Faith, Healing Stories, Life, Loss, Meditation, Music, One Hoop, Philosophy, Science, Suffering, Vairagya, Wisdom, Yoga.Tags: 988, ataraxia, Dr. Irvin Yalom, Dr. Louis Hoffman, existentialism, Flight from Death, Franciscus van den Eden, klishtaklishta, klişţāklişţāh, Philosophy, Yoga Sutra 1.5, Yoga Sutra 2.13, Yoga Sutras 2.3-2.4
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Happy Pride! Many, many blessings to everyone and especially to anyone celebrating PRIDE and/or the 2nd Week after Pentecost & the Apostles’ (Peter & Paul) Fast.
For Those Who Missed It: The following was originally posted in 2023. Some links, class details, formatting, and date-related information have been updated/added.
“I am using the term [existential] in a very simple, straightforward way; simply to refer to existence. [As an adjective] Existential Psychotherapy means simply, a therapy focused on concerns emerging from the nature of existence.”
— Dr. Irvin Yalom, speaking at a 2009 Evolution of Psychotherapy Conference
Existential therapists, like Dr. Irvin Yalom (who turns 92 95 today), are concerned with the same questions as existential philosophers: Who are we? Why are we here? What is the meaning of life? You know, those easy questions. The therapists, however, may be more concerned (than the philosophers) about how we answer the questions. Or, we could say, they are concerned with the actions that come our answers.
Born today in 1931, Dr. Irvin Yalom is Emeritus Professor of Psychiatry at Stanford and an author of fiction and non-fiction that deals with the mental and emotional workings of the mind (and heart). He pioneered existentialist psychotherapy and was featured in the 2003 documentary Flight from Death, which explores how people deal with what Patanjali highlighted as the fifth afflicted thought pattern: fear of loss/death. (YS 2.3)
Dr. Yalom’s therapy and research are based on his belief that “we are here, through random events; that we are here alone…. that we are responsible for carving out own life pattern, our own meaning… we have no predestined fate, most of all it means that we are finite… we all have to face inevitable death.” Like Virginia Satir and Dr. M. Scott Peck, he focuses not so much on a “presenting” issue/problem as on how we deal with our issues and problems. He outlined four givens: Isolation, Mortality, Meaninglessness, and Freedom (which comes with responsibility). According to Dr. Yalom we deal with inner conflict around the four “givens” and our responses are either functional or dysfunctional. Dr. Louis Hoffman added a fifth “given” to this idea: we have an emotional, embodied experience.
In the Yoga Philosophy, what Dr. Yalom calls “functional or dysfunctional” is described as klişțāklişțāh (“afflicted and not afflicted”). Philosophically, we can see the correlation between our dysfunctional or afflicted thoughts and actions and our suffering (and/or the suffering of others). Of course, this takes us right back to the root or bedrock of our suffering: the first afflicted thought pattern, ignorance.
Yoga Sūtra 1.5: vŗttayah pañcatayyah klişțāklişțāh
— “The tendencies that cause the mind to fluctuate (or rotate) are fivefold, and are either afflicting or non-afflicting.”
Yoga Sūtra 2.4: avidyā kṣetramuttareṣāṃ prasuptatanuvicchinnodārāṇām
— “Ignorance is the ground for the remaining afflictions, whether they are dormant, attenuated, disjointed, or active.”
Yoga Sūtra 2.13: sati mūle tadvipāko jātyāyurbhogāḥ
— “As long as the root cause [i.e., the five afflicted thought patterns] persists, karmas must bear fruit, and that fruition determines birth in a particular species, life span, and life experience.”
Please join me today (Saturday, June 13th) at 12:00 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 me at myra (at) ajoyfulpractice.com.
Saturday’s playlist is available on YouTube and Spotify. [Look for “06132020 Yalom’s Big Day”]
“‘Lads, your needs are few, they are easily attained, and any necessary suffering can be easily tolerated. Don’t complicate your life with such trivial goals as riches and fame: they are the enemy of ataraxia. Fame, for example, consists of the opinions of others and requires that we must live our life as others wish. To achieve and maintain fame, we must like what others like and shun whatever it is that they shun. Hence, a life of fame or a life in politics? Flee from it. And wealth? Avoid it! It is a trap. The more we acquire the more we crave, and the deeper our sadness when our yearning is not satisfied. Lads, listen to me: If you crave happiness, do not waste your life struggling for that which you really do not need.’”
— the fictionalized Franciscus van den Enden speaking to his students in The Spinoza Problem: A Novel by Dr. Irvin D. Yalom
If you are thinking about suicide, worried about a friend or loved one, or would like emotional support, you can dial 988 (in the US) or call 1-800-273-TALK (8255) for the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline. You can also call this TALK line if you are struggling with addiction or involved in an abusive relationship. The Lifeline network is free, confidential, and available to all 24/7. YOU CAN TALK ABOUT ANYTHING.
White Flag is an app, which I have not researched, but which may be helpful if you need peer-to-peer (non-professional) support.
If you are a young person in crisis, feeling suicidal, or in need of a safe and judgement-free place to talk, you can also click here to contact the TrevorLifeline (which is staffed 24/7 with trained counselors).
In the spirit of generosity (“dana”), the Zoom classes, recordings, and blog posts are freely given and freely received. If you are able to support these teachings, please do so as your heart moves you. (NOTE: You can donate even if you are “attending” a practice that is not designated as a “Common Ground Meditation Center” practice, or you can purchase class(es).
Donations are tax deductible; class purchases are not necessarily deductible.
Check out the “Class Schedules” calendar for upcoming classes.
You’re Invited to Bend… & To Take The Deepest Breath You’ve Taken — On Retreat!
September 25 — 27, 2026
### HOW ARE YOU COPING? ###
A Quick Note & Excerpt RE: Seeing / Perceiving & Perceiving / Believing June 3, 2026
Posted by ajoyfulpractice in Art, Baseball, Books, Changing Perspectives, Faith, Healing Stories, Health, Hope, Life, One Hoop, Philosophy, Poetry, Science, Suffering, Wisdom, Writing, Yoga.Tags: 988, Afterfeast of Pentecost, Dr. David Hubel, Dr. Torsten Wiesel, Ernest Thayer, eyes, ocular plasticity, truth, visual cortex, yoga, Yoga Sutra 2.20
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Happy Pride!
Many, many blessings to everyone and especially to anyone observing the Afterfeast of Pentecost.
“The eye and the brain are not like a fax machine, nor are there little people looking at the images coming in.”
— Dr. Torsten Wiesel (b. 06/03/1924), co-winner of the 1981 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine
On the surface, today’s practice appears to have two themes: How we see/perceive with our eyes (and mind) and how we see/understand (with our mind). The first part is directly related to the work of Dr. Torsten Wiesel (who was born today in 1924) and Dr. David Hubel. The second part is related to Ernest Thayer’s poem, “Casey at the Bat: A Ballad of the Republic, Sung in the Year 1888”, which was originally published in The Daily Examiner (now The San Francisco Examiner) today in 1888.
Then, suddenly, “there be dragons”.
If we go a little deeper, however, we find there is only one theme: How we see (and understand) what we perceive is based on what we believe — and what we believe can sometimes prevent us from seeing / understanding / perceiving what is right in front of us.
CLICK ON THE EXCERPT TITLE BELOW FOR MORE (including excerpts from the posts linked above).
“Ten thousand eyes were on him as he rubbed his hands with dirt;
Five thousand tongues applauded when he wiped them on his shirt;
Then while the writhing pitcher ground the ball into his hip,
Defiance flashed in Casey’s eye, a sneer curled Casey’s lip.”
— quoted from the poem “Casey at the Bat: A Ballad of the Republic, Sung in the Year 1888” by Ernest Lawrence Thayer
Please join me today (Wednesday, June 3rd) at 4:30 PM or 7:15 PM for a yoga practice on Zoom. You can use the link from the “Class Schedules” calendar if you run into any problems checking into 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 “06032020 How Can We See, Dr Wiesel”]
Yoga Sūtra 2.20: draşțā dŗśimātrah śuddho’pi pratyayānupaśyah
— “The Seer is the pure power of seeing, yet its understanding is through the mind/intellect.” [Translation by Pandit Rajmani Tigunait (for comparative analysis): “The sheer power of seeing is the seer. It is pure, and yet it sees only what the mind shows it.”]
If you are thinking about suicide, worried about a friend or loved one, or would like emotional support, you can dial 988 (in the US) or call 1-800-273-TALK (8255) for the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline. You can also call this TALK line if you are struggling with addiction or involved in an abusive relationship. The Lifeline network is free, confidential, and available to all 24/7. YOU CAN TALK ABOUT ANYTHING.
White Flag is an app, which I have not yet researched, but which may be helpful if you need peer-to-peer (non-professional) support.
If you are a young person in crisis, feeling suicidal, or in need of a safe and judgement-free place to talk, you can also click here to contact the TrevorLifeline (which is staffed 24/7 with trained counselors).
In the spirit of generosity (“dana”), the Zoom classes, recordings, and blog posts are freely given and freely received. If you are able to support these teachings, please do so as your heart moves you. (NOTE: You can donate even if you are “attending” a practice that is not designated as a “Common Ground Meditation Center” practice, or you can purchase class(es).
Donations are tax deductible; class purchases are not necessarily deductible.
Check out the “Class Schedules” calendar for upcoming classes.
You’re Invited to Bend… & To Take The Deepest Breath You’ve Taken — On Retreat!
September 25 — 27, 2026
### SEEING IS BELIEVING… & BELIEVING LEADS TO SEEING! ###
A BIG Thank You, A Little Reminder, & A Request (a bonus post) May 28, 2026
Posted by ajoyfulpractice in Donate, Gratitude, Healing Stories, Karma Yoga, Life, Love, Minneapolis, Minnesota, Music, One Hoop, Philosophy, Science, Swami Vivekananda, Texas, Twin Cities, Volunteer, Wisdom, Yoga.Tags: Carl Rogers Young, David Shul, giving thanks, gratitude, Jason Patrick Bowman, Michael Franti, music, retreat, Spearhead, Swami Vivekananda
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Many, many blessings to everyone.
“A hundred lives would not be sufficient to pay my deep debt of gratitude to you! I have not words enough to express my gratitude to you. ‘If the Indian Ocean were an inkstand, the highest mountain of the Himalaya the pen, the earth the scroll and time itself the writer’ (Adapted from the Shiva-Mahimnah-Stotram [verse 32].) still it will not express my gratitude to you!”
— quoted from “Epistles — Second Series: XL (From a letter written to H. H. the Maharaja of Khetri) American, 1894.” as printed in Complete Works of Swami Vivekananda (Volume 6) by Swami Vivekananda
Normally, when Kiss My Asana is in April and the donation pages are officially open until sometime in May, this is around the time when I post a little thank you for all the support. Even though KMA (or, at least the corresponding Salon) has been rescheduled this year, I still want to take this opportunity to say thank you. This is a big thank you, because I want to thank everyone who has supported me and this practice and this yoga community over the years.
Big shoutout and thank you to those of you who remember me teaching yoga in your living rooms. Thank you to the A-Team and the Wolf Team (my cohorts during my first teacher training) and all the teachers and students in all of my trainings. Thank you to everyone who regularly (or sporadically) came to classes at the YMCAs, the studios, Common Ground Meditation Center, and/or a condo or community center classes. Thank you to all my meditation buddies.
Thank you to everyone who has supported Kiss My Asana over the years. Thank you to everyone who have showed up (at multiple locations) for the Yoga Week classes over the last few years — not to mention those who helped me find and secure those multiple locations. I will also appreciate you showing up in the future.
Thank you to everyone who showed up for Sunrise Yoga during Northern Lights, for practices during Don’t You Feel It To? events, and/or for one of the special practices at one of the museums. Thank you for everyone who has attended (or will attend) a retreat. Thank you to the coordinators of those events, who invited me to teach, as well as to the supervisors and studio owners/managers I have met along the way. Thank you to the Carry Prenatal Yoga and Meditation App founders and support team — as well as everyone who has downloaded the app. Thank you for the students, teachers, and staff at Bend Yoga Center.
Thank you to those of you who invited me to teach outside by the lake or creek and those of you who invited me to teach for your birthday… or the birthday of someone you love. Thank you to the couples who invited me to officiate their weddings and to the people who asked me to be a part of a moment marking the beginning of new life or the end of a life well-lived.
Thank you to the handful of you who invited me to share the practice with your co-workers, family, and friends. Thank you to those of you who recommended me to your friends (not to mention your parents or kids), as well as those of you who intentionally (or serendipitously) ended up having a private practice.
Thank you to the handful of you who have opened your homes to me and to everyone (and anyone) who shows up! Thank you to the cooks and for everyone who has shared a dish and/or a whole meal when we all get together!!
Thank you to everyone who has ever purchased a class, made a donation, and/or given me treats. Thank you to everyone who has shared a meal, a hot beverage, a conversation, and/or a giggle with me. Thank you for everyone who has offered me feedback (positive or negative) and recommendations. Thank you to for the tangible gifts as well as those that don’t fit in a box. Thank you for everyone who has made sure I got where I needed to go (not to mention those who made sure I had a place to go).
Thank you to everyone who has continued this journey — either on Zoom; via a recording; through the blog, YouTube, and Spotify channels; and/or at those few times a year when I am offering in-person classes.
Additionally, here’s an extra special shout out and thank you to those of you who don’t practice (and may never practice), but make sure that someone you love has the space, time, technology, and other resources to join the rest of us on the mat and on the cushion.
I apologize if I have forgotten anyone. Please know that I appreciate you and that, as much as I am grateful for how our paths have crossed in the past, I am doubly grateful for how they will crisscross in the future.
Speaking of the future, don’t forget that there is still space for the upcoming gratitude retreat!
“Whoa, whoa, life is better with you
Whoa, whoa, life is better with you
And when I think about the things that we’ve been through
I know just one thing is true, life is better”
— quoted from the song “Life Is Better With You” by Michael Franti & Spearhead (written by Michael Franti, Jason Patrick Bowman)
Final shout-outs and thank yous: I am forever grateful for my yoga and meditation practices — and for the ways in which they became part of my everyday life. It is hard to imagine how I would be (or where I would be) without these practices and it is my continuous hope that your experiences with yoga are similarly profound.
On that note, thank you to my yoga teachers — especially the first ones — and an extra special decades-in-the-making thank you to the person who coordinated my first set of classes (and my second set of classes) and the other person who consistently showed up for the first set of classes (and the handful who showed up for the second set). You know who you are.
Music has always been a big part of my life and, so, it naturally became a big part of my practice. I am grateful for music and the way it opens us up — on so many different levels. I am also grateful that I was introduced to a lot of different music at a very early age. Fun fact: If I hadn’t learned how to read music (when I was a child), I may not have worked at the ballet (the second time around), which means I might not have started practicing yoga when I did… which means I might not have crossed paths with any of you… which means I wouldn’t be nearly as grateful as I am right now.
If you are also grateful for music (on or off the mat), please click here and check out this video for the South High Music Booster Club.
“Everyone deserves music, sweet music
Even our worst enemies Lord, they deserve music, music
And even the quiet ones in our family, they deserve music
So if you’re feelin’ down and out, got no place to go now
Just sing along to the music y’all, let it fill your soul now
Because everyone deserves music, sweet music
Even the quiet ones, the lonely ones
The happy ones ain’t the only ones, y’all
Everyone deserves music”
— quoted from the song “Everyone Deserves Music” by Michael Franti & Spearhead (written by Michael Franti, David Shul, Carl Rogers Young)
NOTE: In his 1894 letter, which recounted some of his experiences at the 1893 Chicago World’s Fair and Parliament of the World’s Religions, Swami Vivekananda was specifically expressing gratitude for “American women!” (His exclamation mark, not mine.) Towards the end of the letter, he said, “They intuitively know that it is a question of positivity and not negativity, a question of addition and not subtraction. They are every day becoming aware of the fact that it is the affirmative and positive side of everything that shall be stored up, and that this very act of accumulating the affirmative and positive, and therefore soul-building forces of nature, is what destroys the negative and destructive elements in the world.”
### Gracias ♥ Merci ♥ Grazie ♥ Danke ♥ Go Raibh Maith Agat ♥ 谢谢 [Xièxie] ♥ धन्यवाद [Dhanyavāda] ♥ Dankon ♥ ありがとう [Arigatō] ###
FTWMI — A Quick Note & EXCERPT: “The Grace of Knowing How to Feel & FTWMI: How We Learn To Feel (and what we learn from feeling)” May 27, 2026
Posted by ajoyfulpractice in Art, Books, Changing Perspectives, Dharma, Faith, Healing Stories, Hope, Karma, Life, Mysticism, One Hoop, Peace, Philosophy, Science, Suffering, Wisdom, Writing, Yoga.Tags: 988, beauty, compassion, empathy, Nature, Rachel Carson, Rosalind Dymond Cartwright, sympathy, Tony Hillerman
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Many, many blessings to everyone and especially to anyone observing the Afterfeast of the Ascension and/or working as a force of peace, freedom, and fulfillment (inside and outside)
For Those Who Missed It: The following was previously posted. Class details and some links have been updated/added.
“‘Everything is connected. The wing of the corn beetle affects the direction of the wind, the way the sand drifts, the way the light reflects into the eye of man beholding his reality. All is part of totality, and in this totality man finds his hozro, his way of walking in harmony, with beauty all around him.’”
— quoted from The Ghostway (Navajo Mysteries #6) by Tony Hillerman
Today is the anniversary of the birth of Rachel Carson (b. 1907) and Tony Hillerman (b. 1925). Both writers had a way of making Nature a character with the intention of making readers feel for nature.
CLICK ON THE EXCERPT TITLE BELOW FOR MORE.
The Grace of Knowing How to Feel & FTWMI: How We Learn To Feel (and what we learn from feeling)
“But it seems reasonable to believe — and I do believe — that the more clearly we can focus our attention on the wonders and realities of the universe about us the less taste we shall have for the destruction of our race. Wonder and humility are wholesome emotions, and they do not exist side by side with a lust for destruction.”
— Rachel Carson accepting the John Burroughs Medal (April 1952) and printed in Lost Woods: The Discovered Writing of Rachel Carson
Please join me today (Wednesday, May 27th) at 4:30 PM or 7:15 PM for a yoga practice on Zoom. You can use the link from the “Class Schedules” calendar if you run into any problems checking into 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 “05272020 Carson & Hillerman”]
If you are thinking about suicide, worried about a friend or loved one, or would like emotional support, you can dial 988 (in the US) or call 1-800-273-TALK (8255) for the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline. You can also call this TALK line if you are struggling with addiction or involved in an abusive relationship. The Lifeline network is free, confidential, and available to all 24/7. YOU CAN TALK ABOUT ANYTHING.
White Flag is an app, which I have not yet researched, but which may be helpful if you need peer-to-peer (non-professional) support.
If you are a young person in crisis, feeling suicidal, or in need of a safe and judgement-free place to talk, you can also click here to contact the TrevorLifeline (which is staffed 24/7 with trained counselors).
In the spirit of generosity (“dana”), the Zoom classes, recordings, and blog posts are freely given and freely received. If you are able to support these teachings, please do so as your heart moves you. (NOTE: You can donate even if you are “attending” a practice that is not designated as a “Common Ground Meditation Center” practice, or you can purchase class(es).
Donations are tax deductible; class purchases are not necessarily deductible.
Check out the “Class Schedules” calendar for upcoming classes.
You’re Invited to Bend… & To Take The Deepest Breath You’ve Taken — On Retreat!
September 25 — 27, 2026
(Early Bird Pricing ends this week!)
### MANY BLESSINGS (to the nth degree) ###
FTWMI(repost): Fearless Play with Miles & Sally **UPDATED** May 26, 2026
Posted by ajoyfulpractice in "Impossible" People, Art, Changing Perspectives, Donate, Faith, Healing Stories, Hope, Karma Yoga, Life, Men, Music, One Hoop, Philosophy, Science, Volunteer, Wisdom, Women, Yoga.Tags: 988, Afterfeast of the Ascension, Alison Beard, ancestors, asana, Christa McAuliffe, Eastertide, fearless, fearless play, Improv, jazz, Kate Hughes, Lynn Sherr, Miles Davis, Pearle Cleage, play, Robert Alan Benson, Robert Andrews, role models, Sally Ride, yoga
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Many, many blessings to everyone and especially to anyone observing the Afterfeast of the Ascension and/or working as a force of peace, freedom, and fulfillment (inside and outside).
For Those Who Missed It: This slightly revised version of a 2020 post was previously posted. Some contextual information, class details, links, and formatting have been updated or added.
“‘I’ve discovered that half the people would love to go into space and there’s no need to explain it them. The other half can’t understand and I couldn’t explain it to them. If someone doesn’t know why, I can’t explain it.’”
— Sally Ride, quoted in the “Introduction” of Sally Ride: Americas First Woman in Space by Lynn Sherr
“If you understood everything I say, you’d be me!”
— Miles Davis
I often say that when I think of being fearless, I think of jazz and the rules of improve. I think of saying “yes, and….” I think of people like Ella Fitzgerald, Duke Ellington, Louis Armstrong, Billie Holiday, Charles Mingus, Dinah Washington, Charlie Parker, Thelonious Monk, Joshua Redman, Eddie Palmieri, Sonny Rollins, the Marsalis family, and Jason Moran.
I also think about Miles Davis, who would have turned 94 100 today. But we’ll come back to him, because when I think of being fearless I also think of women like Christa McAuliffe and Sally Ride.
Sally Ride, who was born today in 1951, was the first American woman in space and the third woman overall, (after Soviet cosmonauts Valentina Tereshkova and Svetlana Savitskaya). She is still the youngest American NASA* astronaut to have traveled into space and, although it wasn’t known at the time, she is now acknowledged as the first LGBTQIA+ astronaut. She once said, “I love the John Glenn model… I may call NASA in 25 years or so, and see it they’d like to send me to Mars.” She probably would have done just that if she hadn’t been so busy teaching, running public-outreach programs for NASA, serving on two aerospace accident investigation boards, writing 7 books for children, and starting and running “Sally Ride Science” (which creates entertaining science programs and publications aimed at upper elementary and middle school children).
Part of what made Dr. Ride fearless was that not only did she (to paraphrase Christa McAuliffe) say yes to a seat on a rocket, she also said yes to being a role model. She kept the focus on the science even as she endured the most sexist questions from the public and the press. When she realized certain people were going to keep coming back to her gender, she used the platform she was being given to make room for more women and girls in the sciences.
“I never went into physics or the astronaut corps to become a role model. But after my first flight, it became clear to me that I was one. And I began to understand the importance of that to people. Young girls need to see role models in whatever careers they may choose, just so they can picture themselves doing those jobs someday. You can’t be what you can’t see.”
— Sally Ride, quoted from the Harvard Business interview (“Sally Ride on Breaking Ground in Aerospace and Education”) by Alison Beard
The fact that pretty much anyone (and everyone) in the public eye ends up as a possible role model can be dangerous — especially when people don’t accept the responsibility, or take it for granted. Miles Davis fits into this category. Born today in 1926, Miles Davis said, “The thing to judge in any jazz artist is, does the man project and does the man have ideas.”
Mr. Davis did and had both. He was a musical innovator who studied at the Institute of Musical Art, now known as Julliard, and also studied in jam sessions with jazz greats like Charlie Parker and Dizzy Gillespie. He was a trailblazer, who kicked off the “cool jazz” movement, developed “hard bop,” and ultimately fused jazz with rock and funk. He would lose old fans, win new fans, and then gain the old fans back — because he did the thing he told other musicians to do: he didn’t play what was there, he played what wasn’t there.
“A legend is an old man with a cane known for what he used to do. I’m still doing it.”
— Miles Davis, quoted from The New Penguin Dictionary of Modern Quotations by Robert Andrews, with the assistance of Kate Hughes (cited from International Herald Tribune 17 July 1991)
For all his musical success, however, Mr. Davis battled demons. He grew up in a fairly well off family, but people often assumed he grew up poor and was uneducated. He struggled with the fact that although albums like his Birth of the Cool were historically and musically important, they didn’t have the same success as albums by white musicians in the same genre. He also struggled with cocaine and heroin addiction; once broke both ankles in a car accident; and by all accounts (including his own) was physically and emotionally abusive to all three of his wives (and most likely any other women with whom he had a romantic relationship).
Miles Davis was a narcissistic abusive jerk. He was also a genius. Interestingly, even now, Pearl Cleage is one of the few people to speak of his abuse. Not because she personally experienced it, but because she wanted people (especially men) to stop and think about how they engage in relationships. She wanted shine a light on how not to act in relationships.
“No, you should not feel guilty. Miles is dead. We can just hope the next time he comes around his spirit and his personality will be as lovely as his music.”
— Pearl Cleage, author of Mad at Miles: A Blackwoman’s Guide to Truth, in a 2012 interview for Atlanta Magazine (when asked about listening to music by Miles Davis)
2024 PRACTICE NOTE: This week, we reconnect and remember those that came before and consider what lessons their lives have to teach us. Today, in particular, there is a little extra focus on faith, humility, and what it takes to do… the thing you think cannot be done.
Please join me today (Tuesday, May 26th) 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 in the class. You can request an audio recording of this practice via a comment below or by emailing myra (at) ajoyfulpractice.com.
Tuesday’s playlist is available on YouTube and Spotify. [Look for “05262020 Fearless Play with Miles & Sally”]
“Suppose you come across a woman lying on the street with an elephant sitting on her chest. You notice she is short of breath. Shortness of breath can be a symptom of heart problems. In her case, the much more likely cause is the elephant on her chest.
For a long time, society put obstacles in the way of women who wanted to enter the sciences. That is the elephant. Until the playing field has been levelled and lingering stereotypes are gone, you can’t even ask the question”
— Sally Ride in a 2006 USA Today interview with Robert Alan Benson
*NOTE: While private (non-government) companies have now made spaceflight available to individuals who can afford the ticket, Sally Ride is still the youngest American astronaut whose spaceflight is considered public (because it was funded by a government agency).
If you are thinking about suicide, worried about a friend or loved one, or would like emotional support, you can dial 988 (in the US) or call 1-800-273-TALK (8255) for the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline. You can also call this TALK line if you are struggling with addiction or involved in an abusive relationship. The Lifeline network is free, confidential, and available to all 24/7. YOU CAN TALK ABOUT ANYTHING.
White Flag is an app, which I have not yet researched, but which may be helpful if you need peer-to-peer (non-professional) support.
If you are a young person in crisis, feeling suicidal, or in need of a safe and judgement-free place to talk, you can also click here to contact the TrevorLifeline (which is staffed 24/7 with trained counselors).
In the spirit of generosity (“dana”), the Zoom classes, recordings, and blog posts are freely given and freely received. If you are able to support these teachings, please do so as your heart moves you. (NOTE: You can donate even if you are “attending” a practice that is not designated as a “Common Ground Meditation Center” practice, or you can purchase class(es).
Donations are tax deductible; class purchases are not necessarily deductible.
Check out the “Class Schedules” calendar for upcoming classes.
You’re Invited to Bend… & To Take The Deepest Breath You’ve Taken — On Retreat!
September 25 — 27, 2026
(Early Bird Pricing ends this week!)
2026 NOTE (with errata and correction: I referenced two jazz greats as recently passing away, but had one of the dates wrong. Sonny Rollins passed yesterday (5/25/2026). Eddie Palmieri passed 08/06/2025. Rest in Power!
### THERE’S A COUPLE OF ELEPHANTS IN THE ROOM ###
EXCERPT: “Svādyāya V: If You Change Just One Thing About Your… ” May 23, 2026
Posted by ajoyfulpractice in One Hoop, Philosophy, Science, Wisdom, Yoga.Tags: 988, Afterfeast of the Ascension, butterfly effect, chaos, chaos theory, Edward Norton Lorenz, neuroscience, samskāras, Shavuot, vasana, vinyasa, vinyasa krama, yoga philosophy, Yoga Sutra 2.46, Yoga Sutra 3.15
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Many, many blessings to everyone and especially to anyone celebrating/observing the Afterfeast of the Ascension. “Chag Sameach!” to everyone celebrating Shavuot!
Yoga Sūtra 3.15: karma-anyatvam pariņāmah-anyatve hetuh
— “Change in the sequence of the characteristics is the cause for the different appearances of results, consequences, or effects.”
The concept was around long before he was born; however, it turned into something more memorable because of Edward Norton Lorenz (born today in 1917).
CLICK ON THE EXCERPT TITLE BELOW FOR MORE.
(FTWMI) Svādyāya V: If You Change Just One Thing About Your…
“Lest I appear frivolous in even posing the title question, let alone suggesting that it might have an affirmative answer, let me try to place it in proper perspective by offering two propositions.
1. If a single flap of a butterfly’s wings can be instrumental in generating a tornado, so also can all the previous and subsequent flaps of its wings, as can the flaps of the wings of millions of other butterflies, not to mention the activities of innumerable more powerful creatures, including our own species.
2. If the flap of a butterfly’s wings can be instrumental in generating a tornado, it can equally well be instrumental in preventing a tornado.
More generally, I am proposing that over the years minuscule disturbances neither increase nor decrease the frequency of occurrence of various weather events such as tornados; the most that they may do is to modify the sequence in which these events occur.”
— from initially untitled speech given by Edward Norton Lorenz at the 139th meeting of the American Association for the Advancement of Science, in Washington, D.C, on December 29, 1972
Please join me today (Saturday, May 23rd) at 12:00 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 by emailing myra (at) ajoyfulpractice.com.
Saturday’s playlist is available on YouTube and Spotify. [Look for “07112020 An Introduction”]
If you are thinking about suicide, worried about a friend or loved one, or would like emotional support, you can dial 988 (in the US) or call 1-800-273-TALK (8255) for the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline. You can also call this TALK line if you are struggling with addiction or involved in an abusive relationship. The Lifeline network is free, confidential, and available to all 24/7. YOU CAN TALK ABOUT ANYTHING.
White Flag is an app, which I have not yet researched, but which may be helpful if you need peer-to-peer (non-professional) support.
If you are a young person in crisis, feeling suicidal, or in need of a safe and judgement-free place to talk, you can also click here to contact the TrevorLifeline (which is staffed 24/7 with trained counselors).
In the spirit of generosity (“dana”), the Zoom classes, recordings, and blog posts are freely given and freely received. If you are able to support these teachings, please do so as your heart moves you. (NOTE: You can donate even if you are “attending” a practice that is not designated as a “Common Ground Meditation Center” practice, or you can purchase class(es).
Donations are tax deductible; class purchases are not necessarily deductible.
Check out the “Class Schedules” calendar for upcoming classes.
You’re Invited to Bend… & To Take The Deepest Breath You’ve Taken — On Retreat!
September 25 — 27, 2026
### Notice Where/When You Begin! ###
[Another] REMINDER: Doing the work & EXCERPT: “FTWMI: Doing the Work” May 16, 2026
Posted by ajoyfulpractice in "Impossible" People, Books, Buddhism, Dharma, Faith, Healing Stories, Hope, Karma, Life, Mathematics, Music, One Hoop, Philosophy, Science, Suffering, Wisdom, Yoga.Tags: Balapandita Sutta, Counting the Omer, Dharma, Dr. B. B. Cael, Fifth Week of Pascha, Mona Miller, purpose, Seane Corn, Suffering
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Peace and many blessings to everyone and especially to anyone Counting the Omer and/or observing/celebrating the Fifth Week of Pascha!
“‘Bhikkhus, I could tell you in many ways about the animal kingdom, so much so that it is hard to find a simile for the suffering in the animal kingdom. Suppose a man threw into the sea a yoke with one hole in it, and the east wind carried it to the west, and the west wind carried it to the east, and the north wind carried it to the south, and the south wind carried it to the north. Suppose there were a blind turtle that came up once at the end of each century. What do you think, bhikkhus [monks]? Would that blind turtle put his neck into that yoke with one hole in it?’
Bhikkhus: ‘He might, venerable sir, sometime or other at the end of a long period.’
‘Bhikkhus, the blind turtle would take less time to put his neck into that yoke with a single hole in it than a fool, once gone to perdition, would take to regain the human state, I say. Why is that? Because there is no practicing of the Dhamma there, no practicing of what is righteous, no doing of what is wholesome, no performance of merit. There mutual devouring prevails, and the slaughter of the weak.’”
— quoted from “The Animal Kingdom” in Majjhima Nikāya 129, Balapandita Sutta: Fools and Wise Men
Click on the excerpt title below for more of the post related to today’s practice — which includes Dr. B. B. Cael’s probability calculations related to the aforementioned sutta.
“Find your struggle, learn your lesson, and then know your purpose.”
— a “Monaism” (saying by Mona Miller, as quoted by Seane Corn)
Please join me today (Saturday, May 16th) at 12:00 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 by emailing myra (at) ajoyfulpractice.com.
Saturday’s playlist is available on YouTube and Spotify. [Look for “05162021 Doing the Work”]
If you are thinking about suicide, worried about a friend or loved one, or would like emotional support, you can dial 988 (in the US) or call 1-800-273-TALK (8255) for the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline. You can also call this TALK line if you are struggling with addiction or involved in an abusive relationship. The Lifeline network is free, confidential, and available to all 24/7. YOU CAN TALK ABOUT ANYTHING.
White Flag is an app, which I have not yet researched, but which may be helpful if you need peer-to-peer (non-professional) support.
If you are a young person in crisis, feeling suicidal, or in need of a safe and judgement-free place to talk, you can also click here to contact the TrevorLifeline (which is staffed 24/7 with trained counselors).
In the spirit of generosity (“dana”), the Zoom classes, recordings, and blog posts are freely given and freely received. If you are able to support these teachings, please do so as your heart moves you. (NOTE: You can donate even if you are “attending” a practice that is not designated as a “Common Ground Meditation Center” practice, or you can purchase class(es).
Donations are tax deductible; class purchases are not necessarily deductible.
Check out the “Class Schedules” calendar for upcoming classes.
You’re Invited to Bend… & To Take The Deepest Breath You’ve Taken — On Retreat!
September 25 — 27, 2026
A Joyful Practice 