May you be safe and protected / May you be peaceful and happy / May you be healthy and strong!
“Research is formalized curiosity. It is poking and prying with a purpose. It is a seeking that he who wishes may know the cosmic secrets of the world and they that dwell therein.”
— quoted from the autobiographical essay “Research” in Dust Tracks On A Road: An Autobiography by Zora Neale Hurston
Today in 1610, Galileo Galilei wrote a letter about something he observed in the heavens.
281 years later, today in 1891, Zora Neale Hurston was born in Notasulga, AL, and grew up to write about what she observed here on Earth (when people were looking up to Heaven).
CLICK ON ONE OF THE EXCERPT TITLES BELOW FOR MORE!
NOTE: The second post is the expanded post that ties in a philosophical discussion of Grace.
“…God reveals himself to humanity in two books: the book of nature (I have elucidated already) and the book of Scripture. Now, here comes the punchline, Galileo suggested that both books express eternal truths. That’s very interesting, because the face of science is forever changing. Galileo suggested that both books express eternal truths and are compatible, not incompatible, but compatible of course [because] they have the same author….He’s saying, I’ve got two books in front of me, the book in front of my telescope, the scriptures, but there’s no disagreement because they have the same author.”
— quoted from the lecture “From Tyndale to Galileo: Grace and Space” by David Block, professor emeritus in the School of Computer Science and Applied Mathematics at the University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa
Please join me today (Tuesday, January 7th) at 12:00 PM or 7:15 PM for (virtual or in-person) yoga practice.You must be registered and confirmed to attend in person. Classes are in different locations! 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 “01072023 Grace, Zora, & Galileo’s Moons”].
NOTE: The before/after music is slightly different, because I could only find one of the folk songs, related to Zora Neale Hurston, on Spotify.
EXCERPT NOTE: The first excerpt (above) features a different playlist.
“You cannot teach a man anything. You can only help him to find it within himself.”
— Galileo Galilei, as quoted in How to Win Friends and Influence People by Dale Carnegie
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.
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.
“Happy New Year!” to everyone. “Merry Christmastide/Twelvetide!” to anyone observing.
May you be safe and protected / May you be peaceful and happy / May you be healthy and strong!
“Every body continues in its state of rest, or uniform motion in a right line, unless compelled to change that state by forces impressed upon it.”
— “Law 1” quoted from “Axioms, or Laws of Motion” in Philosophiæ Naturalis Principia Mathematica by Sir Isaac Newton (b. 1643)
NOTE: Some editions use the term “straight line.”
Click on the excerpt title below for the post about Sir Isaac Newton and how his “Laws of Motion” affect us on and off the mat (in surprising ways). The post includes a video by Stacey Flowers!
“I most gladly embrace your proposal of a private correspondence. What’s done before many witnesses is seldom without some further concerns than that for truth; but what passes between friends in private, usually deserves the name of consultation rather than contention; and so I hope it will prove between you and me….
But in the mean time, you defer too much to my ability in searching into this subject. What Descartes did was a good step. You have added much several ways, and especially in considering the colours of thin plates. If I have seen farther, it is by standing on the shoulders of giants.”
— quoted from a letter marked “Cambridge, February 5, 1675-76” from Sir Isaac Newton to Dr. Robert Hooke, as published in Memoirs of the Life, Writings, and Discoveries of Sir Isaac Newton by David Brewster
Please join me today (Saturday, January 4th) at 12:00 PM, for a 90-minute (virtual or in-person) yoga practice.You must be registered to attend in person. 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 “01042022 New(ton’s) Beginnings”]
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.
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.
### “Every relationship you develop, from casual to intimate, helps you become more conscious. No union is without spiritual value.” ~ Caroline Myss ###
Happy Winter(and Summer) Solstice! Happy Holidays! Many blessings to everyone and especially to anyone cultivating kindness, friendship, peace, freedom, understanding, gratitude, and wisdom (no matter how much you struggle).
May you be safe and protected / May you be peaceful and happy / May you be healthy and strong! May you be nourished!
For Those Who Missed It: The following was original posted in 2020. Some date-related content, class details, and formatting have been added or updated. Some links will direct you to sites outside of this blog.
“One of his longtime students, Patricia Miller, who now teaches in Washington, D.C., recalls him leading a meditation by offering alternatives. He instructed students to close their eyes and observe the space between the brows, and then said, ‘Think of God. If not God, the sun. If not the sun, your parents.’ Krishnamacharya set only one condition, explains Miller: ‘That we acknowledge a power greater than ourselves.’”
— quoted from the Yoga Journal article entitled “Krishnamacharya’s Legacy” by Fernando Pagés Ruiz
There is a great power in the sun and great power in harnessing the sun’s power. Even before high school students used a magnifying glass to boil water or start a fire and long before people attached solar panels to their homes and businesses, people worshiped and honored the sun — and figured out ways to use the sun’s power. And long before Sri T. Krishnamacharya told his students to meditate on the sun or showed them how to “salute the sun”, people around the world told stories about the sun. For instance, in ancient Māori mythology and other Polynesian traditions, a clever and precocious young man named Māui figured out a way to quite literally harness the sun. With the help of his siblings (and sometimes using his sister’s hair), he lassos the sun and slows it down in order to give humankind more daylight to work, find food, and eat.
The indigenous people of islands in Central and South Pacific Ocean are not the only people with stories about the significance of the Sun. In fact, many cultures consider the Sun to be a god or goddess who flies through the sky at regular intervals. Their stories speak of an anthropomorphized deity who heals people and provides them with sustenance. Sometimes, he is depicted as part bird (e.g., the ancient Egyptians’ Ra); sometimes he has a winged chariot (e.g., the ancient Greeks’ Helios and the Hindus’ Sūrya); sometimes he has both bird characteristics and a horse with wings (e.g., Turkish sun god Koyash); sometimes he was a former human with noble qualities (e.g., the Aztec’s Nanāhuātzin); and sometimes, as I mentioned before, he is she — like Sól (or Sunna) in the Old Norse tradition and the goddess Amaterasu in Japan’s Shinto religion. Although these different cultures portray the Sun as more powerful than mere mortals, in most myths, the Earth (and its inhabitants) are still the center of the Universe.
“This invocation, these our words may Heaven and Earth, and Indra and the Waters and the Maruts [storm deities] hear. Ne’er may we suffer want in presence of the Sun, and, living happy lives, may we attain old age.
Cheerful in spirit, evermore, and keen of sight, with store of children, free from sickness and from sin,
Long-living, may we look, O Sūrya, upon thee uprising day by day, thou great as Mitra is! Sūrya, may we live long and look upon thee still, thee, O Far-seeing One, bringing the glorious light,”
— quoted from “Hymn XXXVII. Sūrya” (verses 6-8) in the Rig Veda (translated by Ralph T. H. Griffith)
Today, we know that the Earth revolves around the Sun and that it does so while also tilted and revolving around its own axis. This tilt, the way the Earth revolves around its own center, and the way it orbits the Sun results in the amount of daylight (and nighttime) we have at various times of the year as well as the change in temperature related to different seasons throughout the year. More often than not, we do not notice the gradual changes between dawn (“morning twilight”), daylight, dusk (“evening twilight”) and night. And, let’s not even get into whether or not we even know to notice the difference between the degrees of civil, nautical, and astronomical twilights — which are based on the position of the Sun (in nautical terms) or the Sun’s geometric center in relation to the horizon. More often than not, we notice what might be considered the end of these transitions — i.e., the quality of dawn, daylight, dusk, and night.
In the same way that we barely register the gradual changes during a 24-hour period, we may not always notice the gradual changes between seasons. Four times a year, there is a moment where the Earth is tilted and turned in a way we can perceive and have learned to understand. We know these four times as Winter Solstice, Vernal (or Spring) Equinox, Summer Solstice, and Autumnal (or Fall) Equinox.
The word “equinox” comes from the Latin meaning “equal night” and marks the point, twice a year, when the Sun is directly over the equator (or you can think of it as the equator being closest to the sun). It marks the beginning of astronomical Spring and Fall. It is often explained as the time when everyone in the world has the same amount of daylight and nighttime, but that’s not exactly true. It’s more precise to say that we have equal amounts of day and night on the “Equilux” (which is a word derived from the Latin meaning “equal light”), but people don’t necessarily know that’s actually a thing. Unlike the equinox, which happens at the same time for everyone, the equilux is based on latitude and happens a few days before or after the equinox (depending on the season and where you are in the world).
“He will not see me stopping here
To watch his woods fill up with snow.
My little horse must think it queer
To stop without a farmhouse near
Between the woods and frozen lake
The darkest evening of the year.”
— quoted from the poem “Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening” by Robert Frost
The word “solstice” comes from the Latin words meaning “sun” and “to stand still”. The solstice marks the moment, twice a year, when one hemisphere is tilted toward the Sun while the other is tilted away and it appears as if the Sun is hovering over one of the poles — thus creating the longest day (and the longest night) of the year. In the Northern Hemisphere today is Winter Solstice. It’s our shortest day and longest night, but it also marks the moment when we begin to perceive longer days (i.e., more daylight).
Throughout history, cultures all around the world have celebrated the Sun during this darkest (and longest) night. Specifically, people celebrate the Sun returning to their land and give thanks for the benefits of having sunlight. Traditional celebrations include the use of candlelight, bonfires, and Yule Logs. Some people will “sweep away” the old year and as they might during the other big season changes, some people mark this transition by practicing Sūrya Namaskar (“Salutes to the Sun”) 108 times.
There are different types of “Sun Salutations”, but it is traditional viewed as a series of twelve poses and, therefore, a practice of six (inhale-exhale) breaths. The movement mimics the body’s natural tendencies to extend, or lift up to the sun, on the inhale — which is the solar breath — and get closer to the earth on the exhale — which is the lunar breath. It is a mālā (“ring” or “garland”) meditation practice involving ajapa-japa (“not thinking-repeat” or explained as “repeat-remember”), similar to a reciting, chanting, or praying with a rosary or beads. In fact, there are chants and prayers which are sometimes used along with the movement. Not coincidentally, 108 corresponds with the way people use mala beads and the old fashioned rosaries — which had beads to recite 10 decades (10×10) plus 8 beads (for mistakes) (and the cross as the guru bead).
“According to the Surya Siddhanta, an ancient Indian astronomical work, the sunlight moves at a speed of 2,202 yojanas in 0.5 nimisha. One yojana is nine miles. 2,202 yojanas amount to 19,818 miles. One nimisha is equal to 16/75 of a second. Half a nimisha amounts to 8/75 of a second, which is 0.106666 seconds. A speed of 19,818 miles in 0.10666 seconds equals 185,793 miles per second. This is approximately in line with the modern calculations, according to which the speed of light is 186,282 miles per second. Modern science has arrived at this number with great difficulty and all kinds of instruments, while a few thousand years ago, they got this number by simple observation of how the human system and the solar system function together.”
— quoted from a talk about during a “Mahabharat – Saga Nonpareil” event by Sadhguru (Jaggi Vasudev)
There are a ton of reasons why 108 is considered auspicious, and these reasons come from a lot of different traditions and disciplines — not all of which are religious, spiritual, or metaphysical. The number 108 pops up in mathematics, geometry, physical science, and even baseball! Astronomically speaking, the sun’s diameter is just a little more than 108 times the diameter of the earth’s diameter and the average distance between the earth and the sun is almost 108 times the sun’s diameter. Additionally, the average distance between the moon and the earth just a little more than 108 times the moon’s diameter. Consider that evidence shows the sun’s diameter has increased (over centuries) and the moon’s diameter has decreased (also over centuries) — which means that there was a time when the ratios were presumed to be exactly 108. If the math is throwing you off, just remember that 108 is why the sun and moon appear to be similar in size (even though the sun is about 400 times bigger, and further away from us, than the moon).
Speaking of the way we perceive those gigantic objects in the sky, [the December 2020 solstice] overlapped with “The Great Conjunction” or “meeting” of Jupiter and Saturn. People watched the two planets coming together over [several] nights. Shortly after sunset (that Monday night) the two largest planets in the solar system appeared to merge. This happens about every 20 years, but [in 2020] they were the closest they have been in the last 800 years. People referred to the appearance as “The Christmas Star” or “The Star of Bethlehem” and they won’t be that close again until 2080.
“To be a star, you must shine your own light, follow your path, and don’t worry about the darkness, for that is when the stars shine brightest.”
— Source unverified
Please join me today (Saturday, December 21st) 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 “12222020 Winter Holidays”]
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.)
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.
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.
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.
“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.
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.
“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.
— “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.
— 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”]
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.
“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.”
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.
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.
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 onYouTube 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.
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.)
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.
“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.”
“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.
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
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.
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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A Joyful Practice 