A Faith-/Philosophy-/Science-Based Refresher (mostly the music) November 26, 2024
Posted by ajoyfulpractice in Changing Perspectives, Gratitude, Healing Stories, Life, Meditation, Music, Peace, Pema Chodron, Philosophy, Science, Wisdom, Yoga.Tags: 988, Four R's, gratitude
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Many blessings to everyone and especially to anyone cultivating kindness, friendship, peace, freedom, understanding, gratitude, and wisdom on one of the “16 Days of Activism against Gender-Based Violence”.
May you be safe and protected / May you be peaceful and happy / May you be healthy and strong!
“Feeling gratitude and not expressing it is like wrapping a gift and not giving it.”
— William Arthur Ward
Please join me today (Tuesday, November 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 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.
If you are thinking about suicide, worried about a friend or loved one, or would like emotional support, you can dial 988 (in the US) or call 1-800-273-TALK (8255) for the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline. You can also call this TALK line if you are struggling with addiction or involved in an abusive relationship. The Lifeline network is free, confidential, and available to all 24/7. YOU CAN TALK ABOUT ANYTHING.
White Flag is a new app, which I have not yet researched, but which may be helpful if you need peer-to-peer (non-professional) support.
If you are a young person in crisis, feeling suicidal, or in need of a safe and judgement-free place to talk, you can also click here to contact the TrevorLifeline (which is staffed 24/7 with trained counselors).
In the spirit of generosity (“dana”), the Zoom classes, recordings, and blog posts are freely given and freely received. If you are able to support these teachings, please do so as your heart moves you. (NOTE: You can donate even if you are “attending” a practice that is not designated as a “Common Ground Meditation Center” practice, or you can purchase class(es). Donations are tax deductible; class purchases are not necessarily deductible.)
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FTWMI: On the Origins of Origins November 24, 2024
Posted by ajoyfulpractice in Books, Changing Perspectives, Faith, Life, Philosophy, Religion, Science, Writing, Yoga.Tags: 988, Butler Act, Charles Darwin, Evolution Day, Herbert Spencer, John T. Scopes, Oxford debate 1860
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Many blessings to everyone and especially to anyone developing kindness, friendship, peace, freedom, understanding, and wisdom on Evolution Day.
May you be safe and protected / May you be peaceful and happy / May you be healthy and strong!
For Those Who Missed It: The following was originally posted in 2020. Formatting, class details, and some links have been updated or added.
“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
The idea of evolution didn’t start with Charles Darwin. No, even the Greek philosopher Aristotle (384–322 BC) referenced earlier ideas (that predated him) and contemplated an internal purpose (related to survival). Aristotle believed that this “internal purposiveness” existed in all living beings and could be passed down through generations. So, if the idea existed before Darwin’s On the Origin of Species (or, more completely, On the Origin of Species by Means of Natural Selection, or the Preservation of Favoured Races in the Struggle for Life) was published today in 1859, why did Darwin’s work create such an uproar?
To get to the origins of Origins — or at least the controversy, chaos, and uproar around it, let’s go back to 1852, when Herbert Spencer, an English philosopher, biologist, anthropologist, and sociologist used the German term “entwicklungsgeschichte” (“development history”), which had previously been used in relation to embryos and single cell organisms, to explain cosmic and biological changes in societies. Spencer would later write an essay coining the phrase “theory of evolution” — in relation to Darwin’s work, but in the same year (1852) that Spencer wrote about cultures having “development history” he also wrote an essay called “The Philosophy of Style” in which he promoted writing “to so present ideas that they may be apprehended with the least possible mental effort.” In other words, Spencer advocated writing to make the meaning plain and accessible.
I can’t say for sure how much Darwin himself was influenced by Spencer, but it is very clear that Darwin wrote On the Origin of Species for non-specialists. In other words, he wrote it for the masses. And, as it was easily understood (and written by a then esteemed scientist), it became wildly discussed — in the parlors and in the public.
The first big public debate occurred on June 30, 1860 during the British Science Association’s annual meeting at Oxford University. Another big, public spectacle — the so-called “Scopes Monkey Trial” — started July 10, 1925, in Dayton, Tennessee (USA) after substitute teacher John Thomas Scopes was accused of violating Tennessee’s “Butler Act” by teaching evolution during a high school biology class. Tennessee teachers were required, by law, to not teach evolution or deny Intelligent Design (ID) — even though the required text book had a chapter on evolution. By most accounts, Scopes skipped the chapter, but still provided an opportunity to challenge the Act.
While Tennessee’s “Butler Act” was rescinded September 1, 1967, there have been similar legal and pedagogical debates in the United States as recently as 2005 and 2007 (hello, Kansas — where evolution is still was officially “an unproven theory” until 2007).*
“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 for a 65-minute virtual yoga practice on Zoom today (Sunday, November 24th) at 2:30 PM. Use the link from the “Class Schedules” calendar if you run into any problems checking into the class. You can request an audio recording of this practice via a comment below or by emailing myra (at) ajoyfulpractice.com.
Sunday’s playlist is available on YouTube and Spotify. [Look for the “Hays Code” playlist dated March 31.]
If you are thinking about suicide, worried about a friend or loved one, or would like emotional support, you can dial 988 (in the US) or call 1-800-273-TALK (8255) for the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline. You can also call this TALK line if you are struggling with addiction or involved in an abusive relationship. The Lifeline network is free, confidential, and available to all 24/7. YOU CAN TALK ABOUT ANYTHING.
White Flag is a new app, which I have not yet researched, but which may be helpful if you need peer-to-peer (non-professional) support.
If you are a young person in crisis, feeling suicidal, or in need of a safe and judgement-free place to talk, you can also click here to contact the TrevorLifeline (which is staffed 24/7 with trained counselors).
In the spirit of generosity (“dana”), the Zoom classes, recordings, and blog posts are freely given and freely received. If you are able to support these teachings, please do so as your heart moves you. (NOTE: You can donate even if you are “attending” a practice that is not designated as a “Common Ground Meditation Center” practice, or you can purchase class(es).
Donations are tax deductible; class purchases are not necessarily deductible.
Check out the “Class Schedules” calendar for upcoming classes.
“We will now discuss in a little more detail the struggle for existence…. I should premise that I use the term Struggle for Existence in a large and metaphorical sense, including dependence of one being on another, and including (which is more important) not only the life of the individual, but success in leaving progeny.”
— 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 (pub. 1859)
*NOTE: As of 2024, curriculum in 17 states includes creationism and evolution.
N### THIS IS WHERE WE BEGIN ###
All The Power of Kindness to the nth Degree (the “missing” Wednesday post) November 13, 2024
Posted by ajoyfulpractice in Art, Books, Buddhism, Changing Perspectives, Depression, Dharma, Donate, Healing Stories, Health, Hope, Karma Yoga, Life, Loss, Love, Music, One Hoop, Pain, Peace, Philosophy, Poetry, Science, Suffering, Traditional Chinese Medicine, Tragedy, Volunteer, Wisdom, Yin Yoga, Yoga.Tags: #mettaworldpeace, 988, Ahmed Merabet, anger, Charlie Hebdo, Duran Duran, Eagles of Death Metal, emotions, energy, Florence + the Machine, Frank Turner, Frustration, Jackie DeShannon, Jesse Nathaniel Hughes, Jimmy Holiday, kindness, King Straggler, loving-kindness, lovingkindness, Mark Ramos Nishita, Matthew Carden, Metta, Metta Sandiford-Artest, Metta World Peace, Paris France, Paul Grilley, Randy Myers, Sarah Powers, Save the Children, Sweet Stuff Foundation, vedanā, vibration, World Kindness Day, Yoga Sutra 2.33
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Many blessings to everyone and especially to anyone expressing kindness, friendship, peace, freedom, understanding, and wisdom.
It’s World Kindness Day! Be nice to yourself and let the kindness ripple out from there!
This is the “missing” post for Wednesday, November 13th. There is a reference to a terrorist attacks in 2015. There is also a note indicating how you can skip that part. You can request an audio recording of this practice via a comment below or (for a slightly faster reply) you can email myra (at) ajoyfulpractice.com.
In the spirit of generosity (“dana”), the Zoom classes, recordings, and blog posts are freely given and freely received. If you are able to support these teachings, please do so as your heart moves you. (NOTE: You can donate even if you are “attending” a practice that is not designated as a “Common Ground Meditation Center” practice, or you can purchase class(es).
Donations are tax deductible; class purchases are not necessarily deductible.
Check out the “Class Schedules” calendar for upcoming classes.
“In Chinese medicine, the emotions are simply an expression of chi and are not considered good or bad. It is less important which emotions are present and more about whether they are able to flow without impediment, whether they are blocked or repressed. Every prolonged disturbing emotion affects the [health] of our organs and meridians, and every imbalance in our organ-meridian system is tied to a propensity for certain emotions.”
— quoted from the “Emotional Qualities” section of “6. The Kidneys and Urinary Bladder” in Insight Yoga by Sarah Powers (Forward by Paul Grilley, Photography by Matthew Carden)
Just as we did throughout this last week, take a moment to bring awareness to how you are feeling and then breathe into how you are feeling. Many people have a tendency to place a value judgement on their feelings; however, in many Eastern philosophies (like Yoga and Buddhism), everything is recognized as a manifestation of energy — including our emotions.
It can sometimes be helpful to sit with our emotions, breathe into them, and maybe even name them. We might tell ourselves (or others) the story behind them. But, part of this practice is about noticing how our emotions change. In some of the Eastern philosophies (and their accompanying sciences and practices), emotions can have a “near peer” (what is classically referred to in some Buddhist traditions as a “near enemy”) as well as an “opposite”, or two (what is classically referred to in some Buddhist traditions as a “far enemy”). This particular practice highlights the idea of emotions and their opposites — with a particular focus on lovingkindness, which is the opposite of anger/frustration.
“Studies have found that acts of kindness are linked to increased feelings of well-being. Kindness has also been shown to increase self-esteem, empathy and compassion, and improve mood.”
— quoted from the “Celebrating World Kindness Day 2024 with Save the Children” on the Save the Children website
November 13th is World Kindness Day. Established in 1998, by the World Kindness Movement, a coalition of non-governmental organizations (NGOs) from around the world, this day is an opportunity to express kindness; highlight good deeds; and focus on the goodness that can be found around the world. It is a day to look beyond trivialities that separate us and focus on the things that unite us.
Some organizations use World Kindness Day to highlight the “Significance” of kindness and how it can cultivate more harmony in the world. For example, Save the Children focuses on the connection between kindness and a child’s ability to be “physically and emotionally healthy and intellectually curious” with their World Kindness Day theme: “The Importance of Kindness in Child Development”.
“So before you go out searching
Don’t decide what you will find
Be more kind, my friends
Try to be more kind
You should know you’re not alone
And that trouble comes, and trouble goes”
— quoted from the song “Be More Kind” by Frank Turner
There are formal/official events around the world, but you can celebrate kindness (today or any day) in really simple ways. You can offer someone a hug and/or a remind that they are not alone. You can remind someone (even yourself) that “this too shall pass”. You could do something nice for yourself and/or someone you love. For instance, you could listen to someone who is having a hard time. You could just hold the door or the elevator for someone in a rush. Another way to observe is to volunteer and/or make a donation. You could also perform a random act of kindness for someone you have never met and will never meet. Remember, a little kindness can go a long way and it doesn’t have to cost you anything.
Consider that being nice can benefit you and the people around. Just think of a really challenging moment, a moment when you are angry and/or frustrated. Now, consider how the energy in the room can shift when you do doing something nice — for yourself or the person with whom you are sharing the challenging experience. For that matter, consider how your mood shifts when you do something nice for someone not connected to your anger and frustration. This is one of the ways we can cultivate the opposites.
Yoga Sūtra 2.33: vitarkabādhane pratipakṣabhāvanam
— “When these codes of self-regulation or restraint (yamas) and observances or practices of self-training (niyamas) are inhibited from being practiced due to perverse, unwholesome, troublesome, or deviant thoughts, principles in the opposite direction, or contrary thought should be cultivated.”
There are times when it can be particularly challenging to be wise and skillful. There are times, as Patanjali pointed out in the Yoga Sūtras, when we may not be practicing the philosophy (or have not practiced long enough for it’s principles to be a habit). For instance, we might be in a state of panic, because someone is committing an act of terrorism.
You may skip to the next highlighted quote.
In 2015, Paris experienced several terrorist attacks. Early in the year, two terrorists attacked the headquarters of Charlie Hebdo, a weekly satirical magazine. Many people were injured. Twelve people were killed, including Ahmed Merabet, a 42-year old police officer. For weeks afterwards, there was more death and more terror — some coming in the form of retaliation against people who were perceived as being similar to the terrorists (because of their perceived religion, race, and/or ethnicity).
For weeks afterwards, there was also kindness: In a show of solidarity, people around the world proclaimed, “Je suis Charlie” and “Je suis Ahmed” (“I am Charlie” and “I am Ahmed”).
Fast forward to November 13, 2015, when three groups of terrorists coordinated attacks outside the Stade de France in Saint-Denis (a northern suburb of Paris); at a series of cafés and restaurants in Paris; and at the Bataclan theatre in Paris. The stadium was full of fans attending an international football match; the cafés and restaurants were crowded; and the theatre was hosting a sold-out concert. In fact, Eagles of Death Metal, an American rock band, had just started playing a song from their 2004 album, Peace, Love, Death Metal. Approximately 416 people were injured and 130 were killed, including 90 at the Bataclan. One of the people killed at the theatre was 36-year old Nick Alexander, who had been selling merchandise for Eagles of Death Metal. As is always the case with terrorism, some of the injuries are on the inside. At least three people later died by suicide that resulted from PTSD related to the attacks.
The kindness that followed the attacks came in a lot of different forms, including musical forms. Proceeds from Eagles of Death Metal’s cover of the Duran Duran song “Save a Prayer” were donated to charity. Josh Homme, the drummer for Eagles of Death Metal (EOD), encouraged other musicians to cover the EOD song “I Love You All the Time” — with proceeds from those covers going to victims of the attack by way of the 501(c)(3) Sweet Stuff Foundation.
“Ah dis-moi pourquoi
Ah dis-moi pourquoi
Ah dis-moi pourquoi”
— quoted from the end of the song “I Love You All the Time” by Eagles of Death Metal (written by Jesse Nathaniel Hughes / Mark Ramos Nishita)
NOTE: The final French lyrics can be translated into English as “Oh tell me why” (3x)
We all witness people come together during great tragedies. But, sometimes we forget that there is always someone watching to see how we deal with any challenging situations and emotions. The children of the world are always watching us.
Just as it is important to remember that we can come together on any given day, it is important to remember that people are watching to see if/when we do — and how we do it. World Kindness Day is as good time as any to remember that we can all set an example for the children around us. This is true even if we are not parents; even if we are not teachers.
This is true even if we are not always perfect and wise. For example, in 2011, a professional basketball player, who was born today in 1979, legally changed his name to Metta World Peace — which translates to Lovingkindness World Peace. Now known as Metta Sandiford-Artest, a surname that combines his birth surname and his wife’s surname, he said that he made the initial change “to inspire and bring youth together all around the world”.
“Think of your fellow man
Lend him a helping hand
Put a little love in your heart
You see it’s getting late
Oh, please don’t hesitate
Put a little love in your heart”
— quoted from the song “Put a Little Love in Your Heart” by Jackie DeShannon, covered by Eagles of Death Metal (written by Jackie De Shannon / Jimmy Holiday / Randy Myers)
Wednesday’s playlist is available on YouTube and Spotify. [Look for “11132024 All The Power of Kindness to the nth Degree”]
This cover is not (yet) on the playlist.
If you are thinking about suicide, worried about a friend or loved one, or would like emotional support, you can dial 988 (in the US) or call 1-800-273-TALK (8255) for the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline. You can also call this TALK line if you are struggling with addiction or involved in an abusive relationship. The Lifeline network is free, confidential, and available to all 24/7. YOU CAN TALK ABOUT ANYTHING.
White Flag is a new app, which I have not yet researched, but which may be helpful if you need peer-to-peer (non-professional) support.
If you are a young person in crisis, feeling suicidal, or in need of a safe and judgement-free place to talk, you can also click here to contact the TrevorLifeline (which is staffed 24/7 with trained counselors).
“Because I believe that the most
daring, outlandish, revolutionary thing
you can do in 21st century America
is to treat everybody
people you know, people you don’t know
with dignity and kindness whenever possible.”
— quoted from the song “Rebel” by King Straggler
### Definitely Be A Rebel ###
A Quick Note & EXCERPT: “Caught In The Middle” November 10, 2024
Posted by ajoyfulpractice in Books, Changing Perspectives, Faith, Healing Stories, Hope, Life, Men, Movies, One Hoop, Philosophy, Religion, Science, Wisdom, Writing, Yoga.Tags: Catch-22, Double Bind, Joseph Heller, Lutheran Church, Lutherism, Martin Luther, mental health, The Bateson Project
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Many blessings to everyone and especially to looking for friendship, peace, freedom, understanding, and wisdom.
Stay safe! Hydrate and nourish your heart, body, and mind. CONTINUE TO BREATHE!
“You are not only responsible for what you say, but also for what you do not say.”
— Martin Luther (b. 1483)
There is often a contradiction between what someone thinks they will do in a situation and what they actually do in that situation. Sometimes this is because our ideals don’t line up with our actual actions (i.e., thoughts, words, and deeds). Sometimes it is because the situation is much messier than what we imagined. That messiness can come from our own hearts and minds — and it can also come from the hearts and minds of others.
For a lot of people, things are messy right now. You might find — even if things are [quote-unquote] going your way — that your sympathetic nervous system is kicking in and that you want to fight, flee, or freeze (collapse). Take a moment to breathe and come back to (a variation of) the “formula” I have mentioned over the last few days
-
What are you seeing/hearing?
-
What are you thinking?
-
What are you feeling?
-
What do you want?
-
What can you do?
It is in this moment, this liminal or threshold moment, that we choose how we untangle this double bind of Catch-22 situation.
CLICK ON THE EXCERPT TITLE BELOW FOR A RELATED POST.
“‘The enemy,’ retorted Yossarian with weighted precision, ‘is anybody who’s going to get you killed, no matter which side he’s on, and that includes Colonel Cathcart. And don’t you forget that, because the longer you remember it, the longer you might live.’”
— quoted from Catch-22 (Chapter 12) by Joseph Heller (pub. 1961)
Please join me for a 65-minute virtual yoga practice on Zoom today (Sunday, November 10th) at 2:30 PM. Use the link from the “Class Schedules” calendar if you run into any problems checking into the class. You can request an audio recording of this practice via a comment below or by emailing myra (at) ajoyfulpractice.com.
Sunday’s playlist is available on YouTube and Spotify. [Look for “05252022 Pratyahara II”]
NOTE: In previous years, we used a different pratyahara playlist. Click on the excerpt title above if you want to use that playlist instead.
If you are thinking about suicide, worried about a friend or loved one, or would like emotional support, you can dial 988 (in the US) or call 1-800-273-TALK (8255) for the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline. You can also call this TALK line if you are struggling with addiction or involved in an abusive relationship. The Lifeline network is free, confidential, and available to all 24/7. YOU CAN TALK ABOUT ANYTHING.
White Flag is a new app, which I have not yet researched, but which may be helpful if you need peer-to-peer (non-professional) support.
If you are a young person in crisis, feeling suicidal, or in need of a safe and judgement-free place to talk, you can also click here to contact the TrevorLifeline (which is staffed 24/7 with trained counselors).
In the spirit of generosity (“dana”), the Zoom classes, recordings, and blog posts are freely given and freely received. If you are able to support these teachings, please do so as your heart moves you. (NOTE: You can donate even if you are “attending” a practice that is not designated as a “Common Ground Meditation Center” practice, or you can purchase class(es).
Donations are tax deductible; class purchases are not necessarily deductible.
Check out the “Class Schedules” calendar for upcoming classes.
### “Everything that is done in the world is done by hope.” (ML) ###
FTWMI: The Mo You Know (a mini-post w/ music) November 5, 2024
Posted by ajoyfulpractice in Changing Perspectives, Fitness, Food, Healing Stories, Health, Hope, Life, Men, Music, One Hoop, Pain, Science, Suffering, Tragedy, Wisdom, Yoga.Tags: 988, Bryan Adams, cancer, chakras, colon, Guy Fawkes, Guy Fawkes Day, J. B. S. Haldane, Jonny Greenwood, Men's Health, mental health, Movember, Muladhara, No(shave)mber, rectum, Sam Shepard, Svadhisthana, Thom Yorke, vegan, vegetarian
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Many blessings to everyone and especially to anyone gathering friendship, peace, freedom, understanding, and wisdom.
May you be peaceful and happy / May you be healthy and strong!
For Those Who Missed It: The following was originally posted in 2023.
“I wish I had the voice of Homer
To sing of rectal carcinoma,
Which kills a lot more chaps, in fact,
Than were bumped off when Troy was sacked.
Yet, thanks to modern surgeon’s skills,
It can be killed before it kills
Upon a scientific basis
In nineteen out of twenty cases.”
— quoted from the poem “Cancer’s a funny thing” by J. B. S. Haldane
Today, Movember 5th, is a day when I typically sport a mou’ that is a cross between one associated with Guy Fawkes — because he was arrested today in 1605, making today Guy Fawkes Day — and one similar to the ones in pictures of J. B. S. Haldane (b. 1892), who died of colorectal cancer at the age of 72. For slightly different reasons, I associate both of these people with their fabulous facial hair and with the first two chakras or energetic “wheels” as they come to us from India. First is the root chakra (which is symbolically and energetically connected to the lower body) and then there is the sacral chakra (which is symbolically and energetically connected to the hips and lower abdominal cavity). Today’s practice features poses from a sequence recommended for the colon and highlights the feeling of being grounded/supported.
Today is also the anniversary of the birth of Sam Shepard (b. 1943), as well as the birthday of Bryan Adams OC OBC FRPS (b. 1959) and Jonny Greenwood (b. 1971) — three mostly mou-less guys (two of whom are featured on the playlist)!
“So do not wait for aches and pains
To have a surgeon mend your drains;”
— quoted from the poem “Cancer’s a funny thing” by J. B. S. Haldane
Please join me today (Tuesday, Movember 5th) 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 by emailing myra (at) ajoyfulpractice.com.
Tuesday’s playlist is available on YouTube and Spotify. [Look for “Movember 5th 2022”]
“A spot of laughter, I am sure,
Often accelerates one’s cure;
So let us patients do our bit
To help the surgeons make us fit.”
— quoted from the poem “Cancer’s a funny thing” by J. B. S. Haldane
If you are thinking about suicide, worried about a friend or loved one, or would like emotional support, you can dial 988 (in the US) or call 1-800-273-TALK (8255) for the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline. You can also call this TALK line if you are struggling with addiction or involved in an abusive relationship. The Lifeline network is free, confidential, and available to all 24/7. YOU CAN TALK ABOUT ANYTHING.
White Flag is a new app, which I have not yet researched, but which may be helpful if you need peer-to-peer (non-professional) support.
If you are a young person in crisis, feeling suicidal, or in need of a safe and judgement-free place to talk, you can also click here to contact the TrevorLifeline (which is staffed 24/7 with trained counselors).
In the spirit of generosity (“dana”), the Zoom classes, recordings, and blog posts are freely given and freely received. If you are able to support these teachings, please do so as your heart moves you. (NOTE: You can donate even if you are “attending” a practice that is not designated as a “Common Ground Meditation Center” practice, or you can purchase class(es). Donations are tax deductible; class purchases are not necessarily deductible.)
Revised 11/05/2023.
### The mo you know, the betta! ###
EXCERPTS: “Don’t Let Yesterday Take Up Moustache Today” & “Cowboy, I Moustache You To Go… Over Here” (a post-practice Monday post) November 4, 2024
Posted by ajoyfulpractice in "Impossible" People, 31-Day Challenge, Art, Changing Perspectives, First Nations, Fitness, Healing Stories, Health, Hope, Karma Yoga, Life, Men, One Hoop, Philosophy, Science, Wisdom, Yoga.Tags: 988, Cherokee Nation, Gleason score, Men's Health, mental health, Movember, No(shave)mber, Oklahoma, prostate health, stage migration, Will Rogers, Will Rogers Phenomenon
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Many blessings to everyone and especially to anyone gathering friendship, peace, freedom, understanding, and wisdom.
May you be peaceful and happy / May you be healthy and strong!
This following excerpts are related to the practice on Monday, Movember 4th. The 2024 prompt question was, “Is it easy or hard for you to laugh at yourself? You can request an audio recording of this practice via a comment below or (for a slightly faster reply) you can email myra (at) ajoyfulpractice.com.
In the spirit of generosity (“dana”), the Zoom classes, recordings, and blog posts are freely given and freely received. If you are able to support these teachings, please do so as your heart moves you. (NOTE: You can donate even if you are “attending” a practice that is not designated as a “Common Ground Meditation Center” practice, or you can purchase class(es).
Donations are tax deductible; class purchases are not necessarily deductible.
Check out the “Class Schedules” calendar for upcoming classes.
“A gag, to be any good, has to be fashioned about some truth. The rest you get by your slant on it and perhaps by a wee bit of exaggeration, so’s people won’t miss the point.”
— Will Rogers
Born October 4, 1879, in Oologah, Cherokee Nation, Indian Territory (now Oklahoma), Will Rogers was a symbol of the self-made man and the common man, who believed in working hard, progress, and the possibility of the American Dream. One of his jokes is the reason why stage migration is known as “the Will Rogers phenomenon.”
CLICK ON THE EXCERPT TITLES BELOW FOR MORE.
Cowboy, I Moustache You To Go… Over Here (the “missing” Sunday post)
“There are three kinds of men. The ones that learn by readin’. The few who learn by observation. The rest of them have to pee on the electric fence for themselves.”
— Will Rogers
There is no playlist for the Common Ground Meditation Center practices.
A vinyasa playlist is available on YouTube and Spotify. [“Look for “Mov 4th & Will Rogers 2020”]
An instrumental playlist (with a focus on light) is also available on YouTube and Spotify. [Look for “Diwali 4 on Movember 5 2021”]
If you are thinking about suicide, worried about a friend or loved one, or would like emotional support, you can dial 988 (in the US) or call 1-800-273-TALK (8255) for the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline. You can also call this TALK line if you are struggling with addiction or involved in an abusive relationship. The Lifeline network is free, confidential, and available to all 24/7. YOU CAN TALK ABOUT ANYTHING.
White Flag is a new app, which I have not yet researched, but which may be helpful if you need peer-to-peer (non-professional) support.
If you are a young person in crisis, feeling suicidal, or in need of a safe and judgement-free place to talk, you can also click here to contact the TrevorLifeline (which is staffed 24/7 with trained counselors).
### MOU’ ALONG, LITTLE DOGGIE ###
I ALWAYS Moustache You An Important Question (a repurposed note w/excerpt) November 3, 2024
Posted by ajoyfulpractice in 31-Day Challenge, Changing Perspectives, Depression, Donate, Faith, Fitness, Food, Gratitude, Healing Stories, Health, Hope, Karma Yoga, Life, Men, Music, One Hoop, Philosophy, Science, Volunteer, Wisdom, Yoga.Tags: 988, breast cancer, Brendan Maher, gender, Men's Health, mental health, Movember, Movember Foundation, No(shave)mber, prostate health, testicular health, yoga
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Many blessings to everyone and especially to anyone grateful for friendship, peace, freedom, understanding, and wisdom.
May you be peaceful and happy / May you be healthy and strong!
“Moving for mental health is a tradition that goes back to the dawn of Movember.”
— quoted from “The Order of Mo’s Guide to Move” on the Movember (US) website
Most of you mou’ what’s up. Most of you mou’ that it’s Movember and that means I’m once again joining other Mo Bros, Mo Sisters, and Mo Siblings in the effort to change the face of men’s health. This is one of those practices when I talk about men’s physical and mental health — and we get our mooooove on.
Then, we get a little mou’ rest, cause…
“‘We respond differently to life’s unexpected challenges. Sometimes, though, that can leave us feeling worried or overwhelmed. It’s our hope that we can connect men with the right support, and equip their peers with the confidence and skills to reach out and help when it’s most needed.’”
— Brendan Maher, Global Director of Mental Health and Suicide Prevention, Movember
CLICK ON THE EXCERPT TITLE BELOW FOR MORE.
Please join me for a 65-minute virtual yoga practice on Zoom today (Sunday, Movember 3rd) at 2:30 PM. Use the link from the “Class Schedules” calendar if you run into any problems checking into the class. You can request an audio recording of this practice via a comment below or by emailing myra (at) ajoyfulpractice.com.
Sunday’s playlist is available on YouTube and Spotify. [Look for “Movember 3rd 2020”]
If you are thinking about suicide, worried about a friend or loved one, or would like emotional support, you can dial 988 (in the US) or call 1-800-273-TALK (8255) for the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline. You can also call this TALK line if you are struggling with addiction or involved in an abusive relationship. The Lifeline network is free, confidential, and available to all 24/7. YOU CAN TALK ABOUT ANYTHING.
White Flag is a new app, which I have not yet researched, but which may be helpful if you need peer-to-peer (non-professional) support.
If you are a young person in crisis, feeling suicidal, or in need of a safe and judgement-free place to talk, you can also click here to contact the TrevorLifeline (which is staffed 24/7 with trained counselors).
In the spirit of generosity (“dana”), the Zoom classes, recordings, and blog posts are freely given and freely received. If you are able to support these teachings, please do so as your heart moves you. (NOTE: You can donate even if you are “attending” a practice that is not designated as a “Common Ground Meditation Center” practice, or you can purchase class(es).
Donations are tax deductible; class purchases are not necessarily deductible.
Check out the “Class Schedules” calendar for upcoming classes.
### MO FOLK COME TOGETHER! ###
A Quick Note & Excerpt About Breathing and…. October 26, 2024
Posted by ajoyfulpractice in "Impossible" People, Art, Books, Buddhism, Changing Perspectives, Donate, Healing Stories, Health, Hope, Karma Yoga, Life, Meditation, One Hoop, Pain, Philosophy, Science, Suffering, Tragedy, Vipassana, Volunteer, Wisdom, Yoga.Tags: 988, Amnesty International, Betsy Driver, breath, breathing, Emi Koyama, gender, haṭha yoga, hatha yoga, intersex, Intersex Awareness Day, Intersex Day of Remembrance, Intersex Solidarity Day, Laura Inter, Max Beck, Morgan Carpenter PhD, Morgan Holmes PhD, Nyanasatta Thera, pranayama, prāņāyāma, sex, United Nations
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Many blessings to everyone and especially to anyone cultivating friendship, peace, freedom, understanding, and wisdom on Intersex Awareness Day.
May everyone be healthy and strong; may everyone be peaceful and happy; and may everyone recognize their whole self.
“[A monk] then applies this perception to his own body thus: ‘Verily, also my own body is of the same nature; such it will become and will not escape it.’
Thus he lives contemplating the body in the body internally, or he lives contemplating the body in the body externally, or he lives contemplating the body in the body internally and externally. He lives contemplating origination-factors in the body, or he lives contemplating dissolution factors in the body, or he lives contemplating origination-and-dissolution-factors in the body. Or his mindfulness is established with the thought: ‘The body exists,’ to the extent necessary just for knowledge and mindfulness, and he lives detached, and clings to nothing in the world. Thus also, monks, a monk lives contemplating the body in the body.”
— quoted from Satipatthana Sutta (The Foundations of Mindfulness) translated by Nyanasatta Thera
Prāņāyāma — the awareness of breath (and the extension of breath) — is a big part of the physical practice of yoga (haṭha yoga, regardless of the style or tradition). As we bring awareness to our breath, on and off the mat, we may start to notice the things that take our breath away. We can experience things that take our breath away because they are surprising and beautiful. We can experience things that take our breath away because they are surprising and terrifying. Then there are things that take our breath away because they are just surprising, unexpected….
We may rush to qualify them with some adjective or another and, in doing so, rush to some conclusion about what we need to do… when, really, we just need to breathe (that’s today’s first step); recognize what is (that’s today’s second step); and repeat the first two steps (that’s the third step).
CLICK ON THE EXCERPT TITLE BELOW FOR THE RELATED POST (& VIDEO).
For Those Who Missed It: Third Step: Repeat the First & Second Steps
“Myth 2: Being intersex is very rare
According to experts, around 1.7% of the population is born with intersex traits – comparable to the number of people born with red hair.”
— quoted from the Amnesty International article “Its Intersex Awareness Day – here are 5 myths we need to shatter”
October 26th is Intersex Awareness Day, which highlights and raises awareness about human rights issues faced by intersex people. It also raises awareness around the fact that there are people — all around the world — who are born with one or more sex characteristics that “do not fit typical binary notions of male or female bodies.” According to the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, these characteristics include chromosome patterns, gonads, and/or genitalia.
While there may be just as many people in the world with red hair as there are people in the world with intersex traits, the latter are not as easy to spot. Estimates on how many people are born with intersex traits may vary (depending on the traits and/or conditions) from 3% to 0.0009%. Aside from the fact that I’m referencing statistics related to over 40 intersex conditions, the wide variation in estimates is related to the fact that some people are not initially identified (medically) as intersex. Additionally, some people may never be identified as intersex. Lack of diagnosis can be the result of something relatively small — like the fact that a baby’s chromosome patterns (and/or gonads) are not typically tested. However, lack of diagnosis can also be the result of something fairly major — like the fact that sex (and gender) are typically assigned at birth based on the external appearance of a baby’s genitals.
And, here’s the kicker: If a baby’s genitalia appears ambiguous (to a medical practitioner) and/or atypical, a common practice has been to surgically alter the genitalia. Sometimes, even a baby’s internal sex organs (gonads) will be altered. Again, these surgeries and medical treatments happen to babies, as well as to children and young adults, who are too young to consent and/or may not be informed about their options. Sometimes, even their parents are not informed!
Medical attitudes and practices related to people with intersex characteristics are changing, in part because of people like Morgan Holmes and Max Beck, who both participated in the first public demonstration of intersex people (and their allies) in North America, today in 1996. Dr. Holmes (a Canadian sociologist) and Mr. Beck (who died in of cancer in 2008) attended the American Academy of Pediatrics annual conference in Boston, Massachusetts, with the intention of delivering a presentation on the long-term outcomes of “fixing” intersex infants through cosmetic surgery. However, they were met with what they described as “hostility” and escorted out of the venue. They later returned, outside of the venue, to demonstrate and advocate for better medical awareness. In 2003/2004, Betsy Driver (who was mayor of Flemington, New Jersey, January 2, 2019 – January 3, 2023) and artist and activist Emi Koyama organized the first official Intersex Awareness Day on the anniversary of that first public protest. Since then, people like Morgan Carpenter and Laura Inter have advocated for self-determination, while also providing peer support and education for and about people who have intersex traits.
For the next two weeks — up until November 8th, which is Intersex Day of Remembrance (also known as Intersex Solidarity Day) — grassroots organizations around the world will host events related to intersex visibility. Some of these events will be celebrations and opportunities for networking. Some of these events will be moments of reflection and remembrance. Some of these events will be all about political action and advocacy. All of these events will be about putting an “end [to] shame, secrecy and unwanted genital cosmetic surgeries on intersex children.”
“The flag is comprised of a golden yellow field, with a purple circle emblem. The colours and circle don’t just avoid referencing gender stereotypes, like the colours pink and blue, they seek to completely avoid use of symbols that have anything to do with gender at all. Instead the circle is unbroken and unornamented, symbolising wholeness and completeness, and our potentialities. We are still fighting for bodily autonomy and genital integrity, and this symbolises the right to be who and how we want to be.”
— quoted from the creator statement entitled “The intersex flag” by Morgan Carpenter, PhD.
Please join me today (Saturday, October 26th) 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 myra (at) ajoyfulpractice.com.
Saturday’s playlist is available on YouTube and Spotify. [Look for “10272020 Pranayama II”]
If you are thinking about suicide, worried about a friend or loved one, or would like emotional support, you can dial 988 (in the US) or call 1-800-273-TALK (8255) for the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline. You can also call this TALK line if you are struggling with addiction or involved in an abusive relationship. The Lifeline network is free, confidential, and available to all 24/7. YOU CAN TALK ABOUT ANYTHING.
White Flag is a new app, which I have not yet researched, but which may be helpful if you need peer-to-peer (non-professional) support.
If you are a young person in crisis, feeling suicidal, or in need of a safe and judgement-free place to talk, you can also click here to contact the TrevorLifeline (which is staffed 24/7 with trained counselors).
In the spirit of generosity (“dana”), the Zoom classes, recordings, and blog posts are freely given and freely received. If you are able to support these teachings, please do so as your heart moves you. (NOTE: You can donate even if you are “attending” a practice that is not designated as a “Common Ground Meditation Center” practice, or you can purchase class(es).
Donations are tax deductible; class purchases are not necessarily deductible.
Check out the “Class Schedules” calendar for upcoming classes.
### O ###
A Quick Note & EXCERPTS: “Being Grateful for What Will Be” / “What Does It Mean to You?” October 23, 2024
Posted by ajoyfulpractice in Abhyasa, Art, Books, Changing Perspectives, Faith, Gratitude, Healing Stories, Hope, Life, Music, One Hoop, Pain, Philosophy, Religion, Science, Shemini Atzeret / Simchat Torah, Suffering, Sukkot, Vairagya, Wisdom, Writing, Yoga.Tags: 988, Abraham Lincoln, cultivating gratitude, gratitude, Happiness, King Solomon, lojong, santosha, Sukkot
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“Chag sameach!” to those celebrating Sukkot! Many blessings to everyone and especially to anyone grateful for friendship, peace, freedom, understanding, and wisdom.
May everyone be healthy and strong; may everyone be peaceful and happy.
“And this too shall pass.”
— The old saying “Gam zeh ya’avor,“ in Hebrew (with Persian and Jewish origins)
Two questions have come up again and again over the last two weeks: “How could I spend my time?” and “What does happiness mean to you?” Both questions and this whole week of Sukkot — especially with yesterday’s focus on people who experienced major setbacks and “failures” — made me think of the phrase above that my grandmother often said. It also made me think about our overall perspectives, which is typically the underlying focus during my classes on October 23rd.*
CLICK ON THE EXCERPT TITLES BELOW FOR MORE!
“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
Please join me today (Wednesday, October 23rd) 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 (for a slightly faster reply) you can email myra (at) ajoyfulpractice.com.
Wednesday’s playlist is available on YouTube and Spotify. [Look for “Sukkot 3”]
If you are thinking about suicide, worried about a friend or loved one, or would like emotional support, you can dial 988 (in the US) or call 1-800-273-TALK (8255) for the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline. You can also call this TALK line if you are struggling with addiction or involved in an abusive relationship. The Lifeline network is free, confidential, and available to all 24/7. YOU CAN TALK ABOUT ANYTHING.
White Flag is a new app, which I have not yet researched, but which may be helpful if you need peer-to-peer (non-professional) support.
If you are a young person in crisis, feeling suicidal, or in need of a safe and judgement-free place to talk, you can also click here to contact the TrevorLifeline (which is staffed 24/7 with trained counselors).
In the spirit of generosity (“dana”), the Zoom classes, recordings, and blog posts are freely given and freely received. If you are able to support these teachings, please do so as your heart moves you. (NOTE: You can donate even if you are “attending” a practice that is not designated as a “Common Ground Meditation Center” practice, or you can purchase class(es).
Donations are tax deductible; class purchases are not necessarily deductible.
Check out the “Class Schedules” calendar for upcoming classes.
*2024 PRACTICE NOTE: As I have repeatedly admitted, I have to work at keeping certain things simple. Point in case, I was in the process of remixing a playlist (combining two), because this seventh day of Sukkot coincides with the anniversary of the 1920 publication of Sinclair Lewis’s Main Street, the anniversary of the birth of Michael Crichton (b. 1942), and the birthday of “Weird Al” Yankovic (b. 1959).
Obviously, things didn’t work out as planned — and I’m not mad about it. In fact, I’m grateful.
### Books and music (especially those that inspire more art); People who create books, music, and other art; People who appreciate books, music, and other art. ###
Your Terms/Causes & Conditions of Happiness & FTWMI: “Be Happy, Now!” (a 2-for-1 “missing” Saturday & Monday post w/ excerpts) October 21, 2024
Posted by ajoyfulpractice in 7-Day Challenge, Baha'i, Bhakti, Books, Buddhism, Dharma, Faith, Fitness, Gratitude, Healing Stories, Health, Hope, Karma, Life, Mantra, Meditation, Music, One Hoop, Pain, Philosophy, Religion, Science, Suffering, Sukkot, Wisdom, Yoga.Tags: 988, Deuteronomy, Devarim, Eddie Izzard, Happiness, Happiness 101, klishtaklishta, klişţāklişţāh, lojong, Pandit Rajmani Tigunait, positive psychology, pratītyasamutpāda, saṃskāra, Sukkot, Tal Ben-Shahar, vasana, vāsanā, Yoga Sutra 2.33, Yoga Sutra 4.29, Yoga Sutras 2.1-2.55
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“Chag sameach!” to those celebrating Sukkot! Many blessings to everyone and especially to anyone grateful for friendship, peace, freedom, understanding, and wisdom.
Stay safe! Live well! Hydrate and nourish your heart, body, and mind.
This 2-for-2 post is the “missing” post for Saturday, October 19th, and the post-practice post related to the practice on Monday, October 21st. The 2024 prompt question on Monday was two-fold, “What is something or someone from your past and/or present for which you are grateful? What is a future something or someone for which you will be grateful?” This post contains some previously posted content. You can request an audio recording of this practice via a comment below or (for a slightly faster reply) you can email myra (at) ajoyfulpractice.com.
In the spirit of generosity (“dana”), the Zoom classes, recordings, and blog posts are freely given and freely received. If you are able to support these teachings, please do so as your heart moves you. (NOTE: You can donate even if you are “attending” a practice that is not designated as a “Common Ground Meditation Center” practice, or you can purchase class(es).
Donations are tax deductible; class purchases are not necessarily deductible.
Check out the “Class Schedules” calendar for upcoming classes.
“And they have made us Liars. We cannot tell the truth anymore. You cannot reprimand your children.
[In adult voice] ‘No Jonny, you said you you didn’t have a biscuit, but there’s crumbs on your face and you did have a biscuit. You have lied.’
[In kid voice] ‘But you said you had read the terms and conditions when you ticked that box. It’s too quick for you to read the terms and conditions. You read it and [makes the sounds of fast moving text].’
The truth is no one in this room has read the terms and conditions. No one in New York has read the terms and conditions. No one in the Universe — Even God has not read the terms and conditions….”
— quoted from Eddie Izzard: Live at Madison Square Garden (part of the “Stripped” tour) by Eddie Izzard
Any time we update something, start using a new app, or sign a contract for something, we have to acknowledge the “Terms and Conditions” provided in the agreement. We may not always read the fine print, but there is something explicitly laid out that defines expectations and consequences. In life, we don’t always have things explicitly outlined; but, the terms and conditions still exist. In Buddhism and in the Yoga Philosophy, we think of them as causes and conditions.
I have heard the Buddha discussed pratītyasamutpāda, which can be translated into English as “dependent origination”, or “dependent arising”; indicating that “if this exists, that exists; if this ceases to exist, that also ceases to exist”. Here, “this” can be a grain (or direction) of suffering and/or a grain (or direction) of wisdom. A similar rubric is outlined in the second section of the Yoga Sūtras, where Patanjali described how afflicted/dysfunctional and not-afflicted/functional thought patterns (kliṣṭākliṣṭāḥ) are like planted seeds that can lead to pain or pleasure. In both philosophies, the path to ending the causes and conditions of suffering includes meditation and right/skillful/functional thoughts, words, and deeds.
In the absence of the formal practice, both philosophies encourage cultivating the opposite.
“Now I’m allowing myself to lose my inner peace and happiness. This is a much greater loss than losing a portion of my material wealth. Furthermore, such occurrences are commonplace. Everyone has strengths and weaknesses. In worldly matters I will do what needs to be done, but never at the cost of losing the pristine nature of my mind. I must adhere to the higher virtues of my heart.”
— commentary on Yoga Sūtra 2.33 from The Practice of the Yoga Sutra: Sadhana Pada by Pandit Rajmani Tigunait, PhD
Another way to think of these terms and conditions is simply as cause and effect — which includes the consequences of our actions, as well as expectations that arise from previous experiences. Some of our expectations are based on our direct lived experiences and some are based on the expectations of other people’s experiences. All of these expectations make up our conditioning. One of the intentions behind the 2024 Saturday practices has been to take a look at our conditioning; to bring awareness to our saṃskāra (“mental impression”) and vāsanā (a literal “dwelling” place of our habits); and to notice some of the reasons why we think, speak, and do as we do.
Once we bring awareness to our conditioning, we can start contemplating future conditioning: which seeds we want to plant and which habits we want to cultivate. However, the ultimate goal of all these practices is to find the state of mind that leads to less suffering. In Buddhism, the ultimate goal is nirvāṇa (or nibbāna, in Pali). In the Yoga Sūtra 4.29, Patanjali described a particular experience of samādhiḥ as “a cloud of virtue”. Either way you think of it, less suffering means… more happiness (whatever that means to you at this moment).
For some people, “the state of being happy” is an ecstatic kind of joy; for others it is “not being miserable”; and then there is everything in between. Both Yoga and Buddhism feature practices centered around happiness. For example, the second niyama (internal observation in the Yoga Philosophy) is santosha, the practice of contentment. In Tibetan Buddhism, one of the lojong (“mind training”) techniques is “Always maintain only a joyful mind.” (#21) Again, these are practices; the jumping off points for meditation and contemplation.
What if, however, you were commanded to be happy?
FTWMI: The following is a revised/updated version of a 2020 post entitled “Be Happy, Now!”
“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)
In the Torah (and the Christian Old Testament), there are a list of commandments. Mixed into that list are certain dates the faithful are commanded to observe. We think of them, in the modern context, as “holidays” and they are filled with ritual and tradition. Sometimes the mandate is general and left to interpretation (like when it says in Deuteronomy, “‘… and they shall not appear before the Lord empty: Every man shall give as he is able, according to the blessing of the Lord thy God which he hath given thee.’” Other times, however, it is very specific about who, what, when, and even where. Sukkot, the “Festival (or Feast) of the Tabernacles (or Booths)” is one of the times where the details are specific — even when they appear vague.
For seven days, 8 in the diaspora, people within the Jewish community and people who observe the commanded holidays, eat, sleep, socialize, and sometimes work in a temporary shelter. The shelter, a sukkah, consists of three walls of any material and a roof made of natural fiber. (Natural being something grown from the earth.) In 2020, when the pandemic created so many obstacles to the ways in which people typically observed and practiced their faith here, finally, was a time when there was less challenge. Yes, true, it was still best for people [around this time in 2020] to socially distance, wear masks, wash your hands, and avoid big gatherings — but, it was also best (when gathering) to be outdoors. It’s like Sukkot was tailor-made for 2020.
“1. Give yourself permission to be human.
2. Happiness lies at the intersection between pleasure and meaning.”
— quoted from the Psychology 1504 (“Positive Psychology”) course by Dr. Tal Ben-Shahar
One of the significant things about Sukkot is that it is a time for people to come together regardless of their circumstances, gender, religion, or political affiliation. It is a time for all to remember challenges of the past; while also celebrating better days ahead. Another especially noteworthy thing about Sukkot is the symbolism behind the rituals. For instance, one of the points of being outside in the most basic of shelters, exposed to the elements, is to remind people of the time when their ancestors were living in simple, temporary shelters when they were exiled in the desert for 40 years. It is also a good time to remember how much we have — as well as the fact that we could be happy with less. Sukkot is a reminder that life can be full, even when it is simple and bare-boned. It is a time of appreciation and it is also about accepting the present moment.
That last part — accepting the present moment — is easy to overlook. However, the commandment specifically states that the celebration occurs in a place chosen by God. In other words, we might not be where we want to be or where we thought we would be. (Hello, 2020!) This is something I point out every year, but it was especially pointed out to me in 2016, when the creamery, where I held my 2015 Sukkot retreat was no longer available… and again, in 2017, when it was no longer as easy to schedule time in the church where I held the second retreat… and again, in 2019, when the church camp I had planned to use experienced a fire and had to cancel the bulk of their season. And, then, 2020… once again, things were not as we planned — despite the fact that CP graciously offered to help me plan that year’s retreat. On the face, it might sometimes seem that we are “destined” not to observe this time — and yet, we do, every year… just not necessarily in the place that we thought.
“3. Keep in mind that happiness is mostly dependent on our state of mind, not on our status or the state of our bank account.
4. Simplify!”
— quoted from the Psychology 1504 (“Positive Psychology”) course by Dr. Tal Ben-Shahar
Many people refer to Sukkot as the “Season of Happiness”, because they view the instructions in the Bible as a mandate to be happy. Since the instruction is to be joyful, or rejoice, about things that have yet to happen — blessings yet to come — one has to wonder: How can we be “independently happy” and celebrate something that hasn’t happened yet? It’s a good question. And, it turns out, there are some really good answers.
Dr. Tal Ben-Shahar, an expert in Positive Psychology and the author of Happier: Learn the Secrets to Daily Joy and Lasting Fulfillment and A Clash of Values: The Struggle for Universal Freedom, used to teach a class at Harvard University called “Happiness 101”. In his class and through his research, he offered 6 very practical tips for cultivating happiness. Those tips are featured in the practices during Sukkot (and are highlighted throughout this blog post).
“5. Remember the mind-body connection.
6. Express gratitude, whenever possible.”
— quoted from the Psychology 1504 (“Positive Psychology”) course by Dr. Tal Ben-Shahar
Saturday’s playlist is available on YouTube and Spotify. [Look for “Sukkot 2”]
There is no playlist for the Common Ground Meditation Center practices (on Monday).
Monday Practice Note: Since the prompt question, on Monday, October 21st, elicited several references to educational pursuits, I mentioned that we are in the month of ‘Ilm (“Knowledge”) on the Bahá’í Faith calendar.
This practice also included a teaser for Tuesday.
Click on the excerpt title below for additional content referenced during these practices (including an explanation about the “hedonic treadmill” (or “hedonic adaptation”).
If you are thinking about suicide, worried about a friend or loved one, or would like emotional support, you can dial 988 (in the US) or call 1-800-273-TALK (8255) for the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline. You can also call this TALK line if you are struggling with addiction or involved in an abusive relationship. The Lifeline network is free, confidential, and available to all 24/7. YOU CAN TALK ABOUT ANYTHING.
White Flag is a new app, which I have not yet researched, but which may be helpful if you need peer-to-peer (non-professional) support.
If you are a young person in crisis, feeling suicidal, or in need of a safe and judgement-free place to talk, you can also click here to contact the TrevorLifeline (which is staffed 24/7 with trained counselors).
A Joyful Practice 