Please join me today (Tuesday, October 12th) at 12:00 PM or 7:15 PM for a yoga practice on Zoom.Use the link from the “Class Schedules” calendar if you run into any problems checking into the class. Give yourself extra time to log in if you have not upgraded to Zoom 5.0. You can request an audio recording of this practice via a comment below or by emailing myra (at) ajoyfulpractice.com.
In the spirit of generosity (“dana”), the Zoom classes, playlists, 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). If you don’t mind me knowing your donation amount you can also donate to me directly. Donations to Common Ground are tax deductible; class purchases and donations directly to me are not necessarily deductible.)
Most of the following was previously posted on October 12, 2020. You can request an audio recording of Monday’s Common Ground Meditation Center practice via a comment below or (for a slightly faster reply) you can email me at myra (at) ajoyfulpractice.com.
In the spirit of generosity (“dana”), the Zoom classes, recordings, and blog posts are freely given and freely received. If you are able to support the center and its 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.)
“… all of us who feel we “know” a certain field—any field, whether scientific or not—should, it seems to me, regularly ponder what we don’t know, admit what we don’t know, and not turn away from what we don’t know…. Perhaps the chance for more civil discussion of these topics lies in our willingness to mark out our own areas of knowing and “unknowing,” to pay attention to one another’s areas of knowing and unknowing, and to proceed humbly together.”
– quoted from an Autumn 2006 Harvard Divinity Bulletin article entitled “Knowing and Unknowing” by Will Joyner
I learned something new last week. An interesting bit of history that gave me some new perspective on what I thought I knew. I’m not one to ignore new information – or keep it to myself. I am, however, the type of person who considers the impact of how I tell the story… especially since how one tells a story is part of the story. How one hears and understands the story… is also part of the story.
If I take out the details and just giving you the general facts of the story, it becomes a story of propaganda… which it is. And, if I don’t tell you that up front, you might just soak it up and form an opinion, which may or may not change once the details are layered on top. Because, once you know I’m talking about how today is a holiday that centers around events related to today in 1492, what you know brings you smack up against opinions you’ve already formed.
“In fourteen hundred ninety-two Columbus sailed the ocean blue, He didn’t know what he thought he knew And someone was already here. Columbus knew the world was round So he looked for the East while westward bound, But he didn’t find what he thought he found And someone was already here.
Chorus:
The Innuit and Cherokee, The Aztec and Menominee, The Onadaga and the Cree; Columbus sailed across the sea, But someone was already here.
So, if you didn’t skim over the first line of the quote – thinking you knew what the rest said – you may be thinking, “Wait, wait, that’s not the way the song goes!” True, this is not the poem most of us learned in school about Christopher Columbus, the Niña, the Pinta, and Santa María. Neither is it Jean Marzollo poem that aimed to correct some of the original misinformation (but without being too controversial). Instead, this is a song that gives kids a much broader picture. The “problem” with getting a bigger picture is that it calls into question all the things we think we know and begs the question: Why do we have a federal holiday that celebrates a mistake (i.e., a man who got lost) which led to a ton of atrocities?
For a long time, I thought I knew the answer to the question. I had answer that was built around wealth, class, whiteness, and nationalism. In some ways, my old answer includes some truth; however, last week a heard a new part of the story. It’s an oddly familiar bit about heritage: one that also includes elements of wealth, class, whiteness, and nationalism. But that heritage part… it’s the twist.
“They faced prejudice, violence and, after a 1924 law that aimed to limit immigration to desirable “old stock” Northern and Western Europeans, legal exclusion. But Columbus Day offered ethnic power brokers the opportunity to ‘rebrand’ their groups public image.”
– quoted from The Washington Post article entitled “Columbus Day had value for Italian Americans – but it’s time to rethink it: It helped erode discrimination but also upheld racial prejudice” (10/12/2020) by Danielle Battisti (author of Whom We Shall Welcome, Italian Americans and Immigration Reform)
While we might not necessarily see the difference between certain groups now, there was a time when a large group of ethnically white people were publicly viewed (and ostracized) as racially diverse. These immigrants came from all over the Europe and were, in some respects, lumped in with immigrants from Asia and Latin America. These immigrants not only reflected diversity in race and ethnicity, but also religion. They spoke different languages and ate different foods. Again, we may not see the difference now, but as the 20th century approached there was a big perception difference between non-British or non-French immigrants and everyone else. “Everyone else” included about 4 million Italians who had something the other immigrants didn’t have – Christopher Columbus: the image of a “hero friend,”
By creating annual celebrations, art, and memorial tributes (in the form of street and building names) dedicated to Columbus, Italian Americans changed what we “know” about the explorer, about the country, and about who is “American.” This very successful PR campaign resulted in Columbus Day becoming a federal in 1934, and Columbus himself becoming a national icon. To me, this is not unlikely the Lost Cause campaign in the South, which resulted in the celebration of the Confederacy (i.e, people who lost a war). And, ultimately, it comes with the same avidyā-related headache: we are celebrating something impure as if it is pure.
“… but I came to gradually see that laws are only observed with the consent of the individuals concerned and a moral change still depends on the individual and not on the passage of any law.”
– quoted from the a July 14, 1939 My Day column (about prohibition) by Eleanor Roosevelt
First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt once said, “Understanding is a two-way street.” And, as more people became part of the conversation, more understanding was gained, and more and more people publicly questioned the decision behind the federal holiday. South Dakota officially shifted the focus of the second Monday in October by renaming it Native Americans’ Day (in 1990) and a protest surrounding the 500th anniversary of 1942 led Berkeley, California to start observing Indigenous Peoples’ Day (in 1992). Today, Alaska, Maine, New Mexico, Oregon, and Vermont officially observe Indigenous Peoples’ Day as a holiday; South Dakota still (only) observes Native American Day as a holiday; and Hawai’i officially observes Discoverers’ Day* (cause ya’ know, there’s that whole part of the story whereby other people “discovered” the Americas before Columbus). Alabama celebrates both Columbus Day and American Indian Heritage Day (which is consistent with the way they celebrate other controversial “heritage” days) and Oklahoma celebrates both Columbus Day and Native American Day. As of 2021, Nebraska recognizes Indigenous Peoples’ Day as well as Columbus Day. In recent years, governors in at least seven other states and the District of Columbia Council have signed proclamations in order observe “Indigenous Peoples’ Day” – but these proclamations only apply to the year in which they are signed (and are generally signed on or around the second Monday in October).
*NOTE: Speaking of what we know and what we don’t know, I learned today that when Discoverers’ Day was established as a state holiday in 1971, it was legally designated as a day “to honor all discoverers, including Pacific and Polynesian navigators.” According to some sources, it is no longer a state holiday.
These changes, however, have come with resistance – as is often the case when a group of people experience growth and change. A lot of the resistance comes from our very human fear of change (i.e., abhiniveśāh; “fear of death/loss”). Some of it, however, comes from fear of the unknown.
“American scholars, compared with Iranian scholars, enjoy much greater freedom in approaching questions of faith and reason, and in knocking down barriers that hinder discussion of those questions. They also enjoy much greater latitude in ensuring protections for the rights of all religious and ethnic groups.”
– quoted from an Autumn 2006 Harvard Divinity Bulletin article entitled “Knowing and Unknowing” by Will Joyner
When Will Joyner introduced the main articles appearing the Autumn 2006 edition of the Harvard Divinity Bulletin, he explained that all three articles “ could have ‘carried’ the cover in expressing our focus on, and concern about, the gaps and bridges between faith and reason,” but that the article by Ronald F. Thiemann focused on a unique intersection between American and Iranian scientists at a time when the United States and Iran were in conflict “beyond the tragic events that unfolded in Lebanon and Israel.” He also mentioned how the articles by Mark U. Edwards, Jr. and John Hedley Brooke highlighted the need to consider “how personal faith affects your work and workplaces, and your participation in the other public places of America’s democracy.” Yes, he was talking about science and religion, but explicitly states that his words also apply to those outside of science.
Joyner’s words also apply to what we believe (i.e., our faith) about ourselves and our country and how that overlaps with reason and innate curiosity.
There is no playlist for the Common Ground practices.
As I mentioned during the 2021 practice, I don’t always remember that the second Monday in October is Thanksgiving in Canada – even though I’ve attended a Canadian Thanksgiving. I neglected to mention, however, that this year all of these “complicated” observations around identity occurred on October 11th, which has been National Coming Out Day in the United States (since 1988) and was designated by the United Nations as International Day of the Girl Child (on December 19, 2011). The intention of both of these days is to move towards more understanding, visibility, equity, and equality – which was also the underlying intention of some of the efforts mentioned above.
“Happiness is a sense of harmony, completion, and wholeness.”
– quoted from The Meaning of Happiness: The Quest for Freedom of the Spirit in Modern Psychology and the Wisdom of the East by Alan Watts
Please join me for a 65-minute virtual yoga practice on Zoom today (Sunday, October 10th) at 2:30 PM. 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 belowor (for a slightly faster reply) you can email me at myra (at) ajoyfulpractice.com.
In the spirit of generosity (“dana”), the Zoom classes, recordings, and blog posts are freely given and freely received. If you are able to support these teachings, please do so as your heart moves you. (NOTE: You can donate even if you are “attending” a practice that is not designated as a “Common Ground Meditation Center” practice, or you can purchase class(es). Donations are tax deductible; class purchases are not necessarily deductible.)
“You don’t start by the action; you start by the motivation, and motivation is something that can be cultivated…..
It is the inner quality that you need to cultivate first, and then the expression in speech and action will just naturally follow. The mind is the king. The speech and the activities are the servants. The servants are not going to tell the king how it is going to be. The king has to change, and then the other ones follow up.”
– Matthieu Ricard, speaking about generosity and other mental attitudes in a 2011 Sounds True interview with Tami Simon, entitled “Happiness is a Skill”
If you are thinking about suicide, worried about a friend or loved one, or would like emotional support, you can call 1-800-273-TALK (8255). You can also call the 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.
If you are a young person in crisis, feeling suicidal, or in need of a safe and judgement-free place to talk, call the TrevorLifeline (which is staffed 24/7 with trained counselors).
“Research proves that these tools lower anxiety, pain, depression, and even help birth outcomes.
And the good news is that anyone can breathe with intention… and anyone can move their body in simple yoga shapes….”
– Maya Page, co-founder of the Carry app
As many of you know, I am a big believer in every body having a yoga body and there being a yoga practice for everybody. That doesn’t mean that every body should do the same physical practice and/or the same poses. In fact, it’s quite the opposite. It means that I believe yoga is (and should be) inclusive and accessible. My belief in the inclusivity and accessibility of yoga is one of the main reasons I offer variations on poses (and themes); build poses and sequences from the ground up – which is consistent with Patanjali’s instructions and Dianne Bondy’s “Bus Stop Method;” and suggest modifications when needed so people can find what works for them.
When we were in person, I would typically adjust to accommodate the people in the room. That meant including modifications if someone indicated they needed to skip the arm balancing. That meant that if someone had a hip replacement, I might not suggest a ton of internally rotated poses and if someone had knee issues, I would offer different ways to cushion the knee, support the shin, and/or suggest an alternate pose. Naturally, if someone was pregnant, I included prenatal variations. Sometimes I even added specific prenatal elements that I knew would be appreciated by everyone with hips.
As we’ve spent the last year+ online, I’ve offered people the opportunity to practice with a recording. Since I don’t always know who’s using the recordings, there are certain elements, like modifications to skip the arm balancing and prenatal variations, that are now incorporated into every practice. However, if you’ve ever been pregnant or thought about being pregnant, you know that sometimes you want a space that is just for you and where you are on your journey. You want a space that’s dedicated to you and where you are in your journey. Whether you are pregnant, working on or struggling to get pregnant, post partum, and beyond, you want a community that supports you, even (sometimes) carries you. And, these days, you need to be able to carry that community with you.
Several years ago, one of my “yoga mamas” (Maya P) asked if I would be interested in working on a new prenatal yoga app that would included movement and meditation practices, as well as education resources, for every stage of a person’s journey. Naturally, I said yes. Now, along with Carry co-founder Heather Christine, I am a featured teacher on the Carry app (which is available on Apple platforms).
Please join me for a 90-minute virtual yoga practice on Zoom today (Saturday, October 9th) at 12:00 PM. Use the link from the “Class Schedules” calendar if you run into any problems checking into the class. You can request an audio recording of this practice via a comment below or by emailing myra (at) ajoyfulpractice.com.
Saturday’s playlist is available on YouTube and Spotify [Look for “10172020 Tapas”]
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.)
Please join me today (Wednesday, October 6th) at 4:30 PM or 7:15 PM for a yoga practice on Zoom.Use the link from the “Class Schedules” calendar if you run into any problems checking into the class. You will need to register for the 7:15 PM class if you have not already done so. Give yourself extra time to log in if you have not upgraded to Zoom 5.0. You can request an audio recording of this practice via a comment below or by emailing myra (at) ajoyfulpractice.com.
Wednesday’s playlist is available on YouTube and Spotify.
In the spirit of generosity (“dana”), the Zoom classes, playlists, 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). If you don’t mind me knowing your donation amount you can also donate to me directly. Donations to Common Ground are tax deductible; class purchases and donations directly to me are not necessarily deductible.)
Please join me today (Tuesday, October 5th) at 12:00 PM or 7:15 PM for a yoga practice on Zoom.Use the link from the “Class Schedules” calendar if you run into any problems checking into the class. Give yourself extra time to log in if you have not upgraded to Zoom 5.0. You can request an audio recording of this practice via a comment below or by emailing myra (at) ajoyfulpractice.com.
In the spirit of generosity (“dana”), the Zoom classes, playlists, 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). If you don’t mind me knowing your donation amount you can also donate to me directly. Donations to Common Ground are tax deductible; class purchases and donations directly to me are not necessarily deductible.)
This is the “missing” post for Wednesday, September 29th.You can request an audio recording of either practice via a comment below or (for a slightly faster reply) you can email me at myra (at) ajoyfulpractice.com.
In the spirit of generosity (“dana”), the Zoom classes, recordings, and blog posts are freely given and freely received. If you are able to support these teachings, please do so as your heart moves you. (NOTE: You can donate even if you are “attending” a practice that is not designated as a “Common Ground Meditation Center” practice, or you can purchase class(es). Donations are tax deductible; class purchases are not necessarily deductible.
“For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them”
– The Gospel According to St. Matthew 18:20
“Even very subtle actions—like moving together in time—can exert a significant effect on the mind. We see synchrony in almost every religion the world over: Buddhists and Hindus often chant together in prayer; Christians and Muslims regularly kneel and stand in unison during worship; Jews often sway, or shuckle, when reciting prayers together. These actions belie a deep purpose: creating connection.”
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– quoted from the (09/14/2021) Wired article entitled, “Psychologists Are Learning What Religion Has Known for Years: Social scientists are researching what humans can do to improve their quality of life. Their findings echo what religious practices perfected centuries ago.” by David DeSteno
Speaking of coming together to celebrate an ending that is also a beginning… today, September 29th, is Michaelmas (in the Western Christian traditions), also known as the Feast of the Archangels. In England it is one of the “quarter days” – along with Lady Day on March 25th, MidSummer on June 24th, and Christmas on December 25th – that mark the changing of the seasons (in accordance with the solstices and equinoxes). These religious festivals marked not only the seasonal changes, but also how the changing seasons changed the business of the day. Michaelmas, for instance, marked the end of the harvest season and the beginning of a new farming cycle in the Christian community, much like Sukkot, Shemini Atzeret and Simchat Torah distinguish time in the Jewish community. As a day with religious and (some would argue) secular intersections, Michaelmas was also the time, traditionally, when people hired servants, bought and sold land, and/or paid debts. For some (even in the United States), it still is. In modern times it has also become associated with elections and the beginning of legal, financial, and academic terms/semesters.
The angels and their roles as messengers (Gabriel), healers (Raphael), and defenders (Michael) are documented in the Hebrew Bible (also known as the Christian Old Testament), as well as in Islamic texts. However, they are honored in different ways in different religions and traditions. Saint Michael the Archangel is the leader of the heavenly armies and the highest ranking defender against evil. As such, he is connected to the “pilgrims” or “Church Militant,” Christians on Earth who are struggling to live a righteous life. In the United States, Saint Michael is also the patron saint of police officers and the military. Thus, today is celebrated by some Catholics with a Blue Mass (for all public servants).
In the Roman Catholic tradition, this feast day is now known as the Feast of Saints Michael, Gabriel, and Raphael. The Archangel Uriel/Auriel (who is sometimes seen as the Holy Spirit or the agent of the Holy Spirit), is also named in some traditions. In the Anglican Church, Michaelmas is officially known as the Feast of Saint Michael and All the Angels. For some Lutheran Christians it is a principal feast day. Eastern Orthodox traditions do not observe Michaelmas, but they do celebrate the archangels on November 8th. There are at least two other celebrations of Saint Michael (plus at least two others that were associated with other angels). The honoring of the archangel Michael dates back to the 4th century AD.
“3 They never rest nor sleep as we; Their whole delight is but to be With Thee, Lord Jesus, and to keep Thy little flock, Thy lambs and sheep.”
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– quoted from the Michaelmas hymn “Lord God, We All to Thee Give Praise” by Philip Melanchthon (translator: Paul Eber)
While Michaelmas was once a Holy Day of Obligation, which required the observant to attend mass and refrain from “unnecessary work,” this day has become more about tradition than ritual. One Scottish tradition is to harvest and eat carrots, which serve as symbols of Michael’s trident and shield. People in Pennsylvania have celebrated Michaelmas as Goose Day since the late 18th century, a tradition that can be traced back to the Old Country – although some people now substitute other fowl and most do not still believe that doing so will ensure their financial stability in the year ahead.
Legend has it that when Saint Michael banished Lucifer from heaven the “poor” devil fell on a blackberry bush and cursed it (awhile doing some other unseemly things) and therefore it is considered bad luck to pick blackberries after Michaelmas. While many still bake blackberries into a Michaelmas pie, they may or may not realize that the custom was once the way people ensured the blackberries were eaten before “Old Michealmas Day,” which is based on the Julian calendar and falls in October. (For some, Old Michaelmas Day is the last day to pick blackberries.) Finally, it is traditional to hide a ring in a Michaelmas pie, but – like the baby or the coin in the Three Kings cake – people now do it more for the fun of discovery than the possibility of impending nuptials.
People still enjoy making and/or eating St Michael’s Bannock, a sweet bread – and some of the treats may even be blessed and distributed to the poor in honor of a loved one who has died. However, they may not always be made as they were in the old days. Traditionally, the scone-like cake was made by a family’s eldest daughter, using grains grown in a family’s field and held together by sheep’s milk and lamb skin from the family’s flock. Each element, including the baker’s identity, was considered symbolic and associated with the family’s future prosperity (not to mention progeny).
Speaking of progeny, it is the custom in many Catholic and Christian communities to name a child after a saint when that child is born on said saint’s feast day. Ergo, children born today are sometimes named Michael, Mikail, Michaela… or even Miguel. In fact, Miguel de Cervantes is believed to have been born September 29, 1547, in Alcalá de Henares, Crown of Castile (near Madrid), Spain. The author is so acclaimed that Spanish is considered “the language of Cervantes” in some literary circles. While he wrote a number of novels, poems, plays, and farces, Cervantes is primarily remembered (especially outside of literary circles) as the author of El ingenioso hidalgo Don Quijote de la Mancha (The Ingenious Gentleman Don Quixote of La Mancha). The novel is considered the first “modern novel” and is the second most translated book in the world – after the Bible.
“‘Now look, your grace,’ said Sancho, ‘what you see over there aren’t giants, but windmills, and what seems to be arms are just their sails, that go around in the wind and turn the millstone.’
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‘Obviously,’ replied Don Quijote, ‘you don’t know much about adventures. Those are giants – and if you’re frightened, take yourself away from here and say your prayers, while I go charging into savage and unequal combat with them.’”
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– quoted from “Chapter Eight – the great success won by our brave Don Quijote in his dreadful, unimaginable encounter with two windmills, plus other honorable events well worth remembering” in Part 1 of El ingenioso hidalgo Don Quijote de la Mancha (The Ingenious Gentleman Don Quixote of La Mancha) by Miguel de Cervantes
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“4 The ancient dragon is their foe; His envy and his wrath they know. It always is his aim and pride Thy Christian people to divide.”
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– quoted from the Michaelmas hymn “Lord God, We All to Thee Give Praise” by Philip Melanchthon (translator: Paul Eber)
If you saw kids running around with toy swords on September 29th, (or leaving a toy sword by their door so that it will be turned to gold) they were obviously fighting dragons, not tilting at windmills. As I mentioned before, there are lots of ways that traditions overlap and are deeply connected even though they seem very different on the surface. The similarities and common threads become obvious when traced back to their roots. For example, the story of Saint Michael the Archangel battling the Lucifer is often depicted in art – and recreated by children during Michaelmas – as the story of how Saint George (also known as George of Lydda, a Greek Christian in the Roman army) tamed and slayed a dragon in order to stop human sacrifices. The dragon story dates back to the 10th century and sounds a lot like the pre-Christian legends about Jason and Medea, Perseus and Andromeda, as well as the story of David and Goliath. Ultimately, it is the story of good overcoming evil. Therefore, it is not surprising that people like Austrian philosopher, social reformer, and architect Rudolf Steiner would see parallels between Saint Michael’s battle and the battle that serves as the back-story (or the story-within-the-story) described in the Bhagavad Gita.
One of Rudolf Steiner’s many contributions to the world was an educational philosophy that served as the foundation for the Waldorf schools, the first of which opened in Stuttgart, Germany in 1919. Waldorf education, or Steiner education, is featured at thousands of schools, homeschool communities, and special education centers, and around the world. Steiner considered Michaelmas the second most important festival (second only to Easter) and it is celebrated at Waldorf schools as “the festival of the strong.” Michaelmas, this simultaneous ending and beginning, thus becomes a day when people celebrate and honor inner strength – much as people in the Jewish community do when they say, “Chazak,” when they finish a book of Torah.
Is it a coincidence that Simchat Torah and Michaelmas coincided this year? Not at all. But the fact that it did brings awareness, again, to the power of coming together and the power that each and every one of us has inside.
“Quiet I bear within me, I bear within myself Forces to make me strong. Now will I be imbued with their glowing warmth. Now will I fill myself With my own will’s resolve. And I will feel the quiet Pouring through all my being When by my steadfast striving I become strong To find within myself the source of strength The strength of inner quiet.”
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– “Inner Quiet” by Rudolf Steiner
Wednesday’s playlist is available on YouTube and Spotify.
[NOTE: In previous years, I have focused more on the birthday of Miguel de Cervantes and started off using a Cervantes-focused playlist for the 4:30 practice, which is also available on YouTube and Spotify. (Look for “01162021 Quixote’s Zamboni”)]
“For neither good nor evil can last for ever; and so it follows that as evil has lasted a long time, good must now be close at hand.”
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– quoted from “Chapter Nineteen – An account of the second discourse that passed between Sancho and his master: the succeeding adventure of the corpse, and other remarkable events” in Part 1 of El ingenioso hidalgo Don Quijote de la Mancha (The Ingenious Gentleman Don Quixote of La Mancha) by Miguel de Cervantes
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Many thanks to LW for sharing some of her passion and wisdom after Wednesday’s practice!
“I believe in the message of truth delivered by all the religious teachers of the world. And it is my constant prayer that I may never have a feeling of anger against my traducers, that even if I fall a victim to an assassin’s bullet, I may deliver up my soul with the remembrance of God upon my lips. I shall be content to be written down an impostor if my lips utter a word of anger or abuse against my assailant at the last moment.”
– quoted from a prayer discourse, Summer 1947, as printed in All Men Are Brothers: Life and Thoughts of Mahatma Gandhi, as Told in His Own Words, by Mohandas K. Gandhi (Compiled and Edited by Krishna Kripalani)
“Have I that non-violence of the brave in me? My death alone will show that. If someone killed me and I died with prayer for the assassin on my lips, and God’s remembrance and consciousness of His living presence in the sanctuary of my heart, then alone would I be said to have had the non-violence of the brave.”
– quoted from a prayer speech, June 16, 1947, as printed in All Men Are Brothers: Life and Thoughts of Mahatma Gandhi, as Told in His Own Words, by Mohandas K. Gandhi (Compiled and Edited by Krishna Kripalani)
Please join me for a 90-minute virtual yoga practice on Zoom today (Saturday, October 2nd) at 12:00 PM. Use the link from the “Class Schedules” calendar if you run into any problems checking into the class. You can request an audio recording of this practice via a comment below or by emailing myra (at) ajoyfulpractice.com.
Saturday’s playlist is available on YouTube and Spotify.
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.)
“Even when a man takes revenge on others who hate him, in spite of him not hating them initially, the pain caused by his vengeance will bring him inevitable sorrow.” (313)
“When a man inflicts pain upon others in the forenoon, it will come upon him unsought in the afternoon.” (319)
– quoted from the English translation of the Tamil lyrics of the song “Ahimsa” by U2 and A. R. Rahman, featuring Khatija and Raheema Rahman (translation from IntegralYoga.org)
“Chag sameach!” to those celebrating Shemini Atzeret and Simchat Torah. “Many blessings,” to all and especially those celebrating Michaelmas.
Please join me today (Wednesday, September 29th) at 4:30 PM or 7:15 PM for a yoga practice on Zoom.Use the link from the “Class Schedules” calendar if you run into any problems checking into the class. You will need to register for the 7:15 PM class if you have not already done so. Give yourself extra time to log in if you have not upgraded to Zoom 5.0. You can request an audio recording of this practice via a comment below or by emailing myra (at) ajoyfulpractice.com.
Wednesday’s 4:30 playlist is available on YouTube and Spotify. [Look for “01162021 Quixote’s Zamboni”]
Wednesday’s 7:15 playlist is available on YouTube and Spotify.
In the spirit of generosity (“dana”), the Zoom classes, playlists, 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). If you don’t mind me knowing your donation amount you can also donate to me directly. Donations to Common Ground are tax deductible; class purchases and donations directly to me are not necessarily deductible.)
