FTWMI (repost): Saying Yes to Life and to the “Impossible” & EXCERPT: “The Powerful Possibilities That Come From ‘A Brother’s Love’” (w/practice video) August 2, 2026

Posted by ajoyfulpractice in "Impossible" People, Art, Books, Changing Perspectives, Dharma, Faith, Healing Stories, Hope, James Baldwin, Life, Loss, Love, One Hoop, Pain, Peace, Philosophy, Suffering, Traditional Chinese Medicine, Wisdom, Writing, Yin Yoga, Yoga.
Tags: 988, Aimee Lehto, Allan Warren, America, Beau Lotto, being present, Boyd Croyner, Civil Rights, courage, Emily Dickinson, Health, inspiration, James Baldwin, Maya Angelou, meditation, Mindfulness, PRIDE, Richard Avedon, samskāras, truth, vasanas, wellness, yoga
add a comment

Many blessings to everyone and especially to anyone cultivating peace, freedom, and wisdom — especially when it gets hot (inside and outside). Stay hydrated, y’all!

For Those Who Missed It: The following was originally posted in 2024 (as the invitation to First Friday Night Special #46) and reposted in 2025 with the practice video below and a picture (visible to those on WordPress).

Class details, plus some links and formatting, have been added/updated.

“The light that’s in your eyes / reminds me of the skies / that shine above us every day—so wrote a contemporary lover, out of God knows what agony, what hope, and what despair. But he saw the light in the eyes, which is the only light there is in the world, and honored it and trusted it; and will always be able to find it; since it is always there, waiting to be found. One discovers the light in darkness, that is what darkness is for; but everything in our lives depends on how we bear the light. It is necessary, while in darkness, to know that there is a light somewhere, to know that in oneself, waiting to be found, there is a light. What the light reveals is danger, and what it demands is faith.”

“What a journey this life is! dependent, entirely, on things unseen.”

— quoted from the essay “Nothing Personal” by James Baldwin (b. 1924), original published as part of a collaboration with Richard Avedon

Born today in Harlem, New York, in 1924, the author James Baldwin was — by his own words (see excerpt below) — an impossible person. He was someone who said yes to life and yes to the light inside of himself. He was someone, as Maya Angelou pointed out, who lived with his whole heart and encouraged others to do the same.

To live with one’s whole heart is the original meaning of “courage,” a word James Baldwin put in the same category as words like “artist,” “integrity,” “nobility,” “peace,” and “integration.” Words that, he said (in the speech “The Artist’s Struggle for Integrity”), “[depend] on choices one has got to make, for ever and ever and ever, every day.”

Of course, to make those choices wisely, we need to have some semblance of balance — especially as it relates to the heart.

Click on the excerpt title below for more.

FTWMI: The Powerful Possibilities That Come From “A Brother’s Love”

“I have slept on rooftops and in basements and subways, have been cold and hungry all my life; have felt that no fire would ever warm me, and no arms would ever hold me. I have been, as the song says, ‘buked and scorned and I know that I always will be. But, my God, in that darkness, which was the lot of my ancestors and my own state, what a mighty fire burned! In that darkness of rape and degradation, that fine flying froth and mist of blood, through all that terror and in all that helplessness, a living soul moved and refused to die. We really emptied oceans with a home-made spoon and tore down mountains with our hands. And if love was in Hong Kong, we learned how to swim.

It is a mighty heritage, it is the human heritage, and it is all there is to trust. And I learned this through descending, as it were, into the eyes of my father and my mother. I wondered, when I was little, how they bore it—for I knew that they had much to bear. It had not yet occurred to me that I also would have much to bear; but they knew it, and the unimaginable rigors of their journey helped them to prepare me for mine. This is why one must say Yes to life and embrace it wherever it is found—and it is found in terrible places; nevertheless, there it is; and if the father can say, Yes. Lord, the child can learn that most difficult of words, Amen.”

— quoted from the essay “Nothing Personal” by James Baldwin (b. 1924), original published as part of a collaboration with Richard Avedon

Please join me today (Sunday, August 2^nd) at 2:30 PM for a yoga practice on Zoom. You can use the link from the “Class Schedules” calendar if you run into any problems checking into the class. You can request an audio recording of this practice via a comment below or (for a slightly faster reply) you can email myra (at) ajoyfulpractice.com.

Sunday’s playlist is available on YouTube and Spotify. [Look for “Langston’s Theme for Jimmy 2022”]

Can I interest you in James Baldwin & a little Yin Yoga!

The Yin Yoga playlist is also available on YouTube and Spotify. [Look for “08022024 A Brother’s Love”]

NOTE: The tracks on the Yin Yoga playlist are slightly different in length and duration, depending on the platform. Start with track 1, 8, or 10.

Extreme heat can not only make people lethargic and unmotivated, it can also lead to extreme agitation and anxiety-based fear. We may find it hard to think, hard to feel (or process our feelings), and/or hard to control our impulses. If you are struggling in the US, help is available just by dialing 988.

If you are thinking about suicide, worried about a friend or loved one, or would like emotional support, you can dial 988 (in the US) or call 1-800-273-TALK (8255) for the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline. You can also call this TALK line if you are struggling with addiction or involved in an abusive relationship. The Lifeline network is free, confidential, and available to all 24/7. YOU CAN TALK ABOUT ANYTHING.

White Flag is an app, which I have not researched, but which may be helpful if you need peer-to-peer (non-professional) support.

If you are a young person in crisis, feeling suicidal, or need a safe and judgement-free place to talk, you can also click here to contact the TrevorLifeline (which is staffed 24/7 with trained counselors).

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

Donations are tax deductible; class purchases are not necessarily deductible.

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

You’re Invited to Bend… & To Take The Deepest Breath You’ve Taken — On Retreat!

September 25 — 27, 2026

### MORE LOVE ###

Believe More Like the Birds & Trees (the “missing” Saturday post) July 25, 2026

Posted by ajoyfulpractice in Books, Changing Perspectives, Faith, Healing Stories, Health, Hope, Life, Mysticism, One Hoop, Peace, Philosophy, Science, Traditional Chinese Medicine, Wisdom, Yoga.
Tags: "Major Heat", 988, Abbie Betinis, artha, avidya, avidyā, Ayurveda, Beau Lotto, Believing, chakras, darshan, Dà shǔ, Efrem Korngold L.A.c. O.M.D., Elyse Meyers, gravity, Harriet Beinfield L.Ac., ida nadi, ignorance, LG, marma, Matthew Carden, medicine, nadis, neural pathways, neuralplasticity, neuroscience, Pandit Rajmani Tigunait, Paul Grilley, pingala nadi, samskaras, samskāras, Sarah Powers, sushumna nadi, vasana, Victor Hugo, vidya, yoga, yoga philosophy, Yoga Sutras 2.3-2.9, 大暑
 add a comment

Stay hydrated, y’all, and “may our hearts be open!”

This is the “missing” (and backdated) compilation post (with excerpts) for Saturday, July 25^th. My apologies to KJ and anyone else I left off the music email. 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.

“We don’t see reality – we only see what was useful to see in the past. But the nature of the brain’s delusional past is this: The past that determines how you see isn’t just constituted by your lived perceptions but by your imagined ones as well. As such, you can influence what you see in the future just by thinking.”

— quoted from “Chapter 5. The Frog Who Dreamed of Being a Prince” in Deviate: The Science of Seeing Differently by Beau Lotto

Do you ever think about how your beliefs inform what you feel, think, say, and do? Here, I’m not only talking about social norms and the idea/belief that there are times when it is appropriate or not appropriate to do certain things. Neither am I only talking about the idea/belief that the way we think/believe can lead to suffering and/or the alleviation of suffering. No, here, I am talking about all of that as well as the fact that we have limiting beliefs that can hinder us, as well as (what we can call) “possibility beliefs” that make the “impossible” possible.

Neuroscientists, like Dr. Beau Lotto, talk about our “space of possibility.”, which is based on our previous experiences and includes our habits and habitual thinking. What we experience in a past moment, informs what and how we experience the present moment; which, in turn, informs our future moments. And, all of this creates a set of beliefs about what we can and/or cannot do.

When we desire a certain outcome and we believe that outcome is possible, we do what we need to do — take the steps we need to take (even when they seem like giant leaps to others) — until we achieve the desired outcome. Even when we experience setbacks and obstacles, we find a way, because we believe in what we are doing. We don’t give up easily, or at all. On the flip side, if we do not believe in something — even a little bit — we don’t even get started. If we believe a little bit, maybe we start an endeavor; but, as soon as we hit a road block, we give up and turn around. This connection between what we believe and what we feel, think, say, and do is why it is important to examine our beliefs every now and again. It is also why it is important, every now and again, to change our inner dialogue.

A key element to this paradigm is the fact that can believe things are true when they are not true and believe things are not true when they are actually true. This is defined in the Yoga Sūtras as avidyā (“ignorance” or “nescience”). Avidyā is the first dysfunctional/afflicted thought pattern that leads to suffering and the bedrock of the other four dysfunctional/afflicted thought patterns. (YS 2.3-2.9) It is the opposite of vidyā (“correct knowledge”).¹ One of the interesting things to note when we are dealing with avidyā and our beliefs is that not believing in something doesn’t mean we won’t be affected by the Truth. At the same time, believing in something that is not true can affect our experience with reality.

“A yogi whose afflictions are attenuated can clearly see their presence in their subtle form in her mind. She can also see that they have the potential to induce the mind and senses to conform to their demands. But through sadhana, the yogi has developed the capacity to subdue these attenuated afflictions and prevent them from influencing her mind and senses.”

“By describing the four states of affliction, Patanjali is addressing the pain and sorrow of all human beings, whether or not they have heard of yoga or regard themselves as yoga practitioners. We are all striving to achieve happiness.”

— quoted from the commentary on Yoga Sūtra 2.4 from The Practice of the Yoga Sutra: Sadhana Pada by Pandit Rajmani Tigunait, PhD

Bottom line: There are things that are going to be true, whether we believe them or not, and there are things that are not going to be true, whether we believe them or not. In both cases, our beliefs define our experience of reality, because our beliefs determine what we do in any given situation.

Consider gravity for a moment. Gravity is defined as a force that draws one object towards the center of another object. We are all subject to the laws of gravity, even if we do not believe in gravity. If we believe we can fly and attempt to fly, our disbelief in gravity can lead to bodily injury and maybe death. We will fall down. If, however, we believe in gravity and we also believe in our ability to fly, we will take the steps necessary to mitigate the effects of gravity. If our our belief in gravity is more than our belief in our desire/ability to fly (i.e., we have a lot of disbelief in our abilities), we will not take the steps needed to soar.

“Be like the bird, who
Halting in his flight
On limb too slight
Feels it give way beneath him,
Yet sings
Knowing he hath wings.”

— quoted from the poem “Be Like the Bird” by Victor Hugo

NOTE: In Abbie Betinis’s musical composition (which is on the playlists), “she” has wings.

Perhaps you have no interest in flying. Perhaps, you are only interested in metaphorical soaring (i.e., being successful in your endeavors). Either way, accomplishing your goals requires having the means (artha), which include your good health. Ancient sciences, like Āyurveda, Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), traditional African medicines, bush medicine, Native medicines (related to the Americas), and other ancient or folk medicines, typically focus on using natural elements to keep the mind-body-spirit balanced. These practices can include herbs and/or dietary restrictions, in general, as well as adjustments related to the various seasons.

For example, we are currently at the beginning of Dà shǔ (大暑, “Great heat” or “Major heat”), which is the twelfth solar term and the last part of summer according to the traditional Chinese calendar. This is considered the hottest time of the year in most of China and a time when many people adjust their diets and activities in order to maintain balance during a time that can heighten lethargy, anxiety-based fear, and difficulties in self-regulation.

CLICK ON THE EXCERPT TITLE BELOW FOR MORE.

Dà shǔ “Major Heat” 2023 (an updated and revised post) *UPDATED*

“All emotions associated with the organs are considered natural responses to life. Yet when they become compulsive or prolonged, they become injurious to our overall health.”

— quoted from the “Emotional Qualities” section of “12. The Lungs and Large Intestine” in Insight Yoga: An innovative synthesis of traditional yoga, meditation, and Eastern approaches to healing and well-being by Sarah Powers (Forward by Paul Grilley, Photography by Matthew Carden)

You can poo-poo these beliefs and practices, but consider how often we hear about people acting (extra) erratically in places that experience extreme heat. Consider that even modern science points to the way extreme heat (as well as extreme cold) saps our energy and makes it hard to think and/or process strong emotions.

Now, consider what happens when you check in with the way you feel physically, mentally, emotionally, energetically, and even spiritually or religiously. Consider what happens when you take the knowledge of how you are feeling and combine it with knowledge about things that contribute to your wellbeing.

“When the small intestine chi is out of balance, there is poor sorting, and unclear information and emotions dominate and deteriorate the inner system.”

— quoted from the “Emotional Qualities” section of “13. The Heart and Small Intestine” in Insight Yoga: An innovative synthesis of traditional yoga, meditation, and Eastern approaches to healing and well-being by Sarah Powers (Forward by Paul Grilley, Photography by Matthew Carden)

CLICK ON THE EXCERPT TITLE BELOW FOR MORE.

More Like Birds & Trees (the “missing” Tuesday post)

“The key is to achieve balance, which means being flexible, diverse, moderate, and in harmony with your own rhythm and needs. Chinese medicine makes use of acupuncture, herbs, diet, physical exercise, massage, mental discipline, and the modification of life-style habits as forms of therapy to reestablish the rhythmic swing of the Yin-Yang pendulum.”

— quoted from the “Everyday Life” section of “Chapter Four – Cycles of Circles: A Theory of Relativity Yin-Yang” in Between Heaven and Earth: A Guide to Chinese Medicine by Harriet Beinfield, L.Ac. and Efrem Korngold, L.Ac., O. M. D.

If you are someone who only believes in modern science, consider that there are still a lot of unknowns in modern science. If you are someone who scoffs at indigenous medicine, consider how modern scientists are proving more and more of the claims made by ancient medicines. Similarly, if you are someone who only believes in ancient medicine and/or the healing power of your faith, consider that there is also power (and some Truth) in all of these disciplines.

One of the commonalities in all of the medical sciences, is the belief that there is something energizing (and animating) the mind-body. Different cultures and sciences have different energetic mapping systems. For example, modern science points to the neural pathways and the central and peripheral nervous system. Yoga and Āyurveda (as the come to us from India) describe an energetic mapping system composed of nādis (energy “channels” or “rivers”), marma points or marmāni (“vital” or “vulnerable” points), and chakras (energy “wheels”). Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) outlines a meridian system. We can disbelieve any and all of the systems. We can dismiss ancient sciences as pseudoscience (ignoring the fact that the scientific method is, itself, an ancient science). However, what is interesting to me is how the systems overlap.

The central nervous system runs down the center of the body — around the same area where some people believe the sushumna nadi is located and where the chakras are created by the ida and pingala nadis overlapping sushumna nadi.² According to TCM, the governing and conception vessels are also housed in this general area. I’m not saying these are the same things. They clearly are not! I am saying that there is some wisdom in all of these systems. I am saying it is possible that some of this is true and modern technology simply gives us more definitive and demonstrable proof of the Truth.

However, even if none of this is true — and even modern science is getting some things wrong, these different disciplines provide a lens through which we can better understand our lived experiences. When we better understand our experiences, we can make better decisions and be more successful in our endeavors. We can soar and sing, just like the birds. We can shed what no longer serves us and blossom, when the time is right, just like the trees.

We can take responsibility for our own wellbeing and change our inner dialogue so that we create more opportunities for success.

“As humans, we have the capacity to see the difference between avidya and vidya. We can choose to harness one and subdue the other and thus become the creator of our own destiny.”

— quoted from the commentary on Yoga Sūtra 2.5 from The Practice of the Yoga Sutra: Sadhana Pada by Pandit Rajmani Tigunait, PhD

Saturday’s playlist is available on YouTube and Spotify. [Look for “07252023 More Like Birds & Trees”]

NOTE: We have used different playlists for previous practices on this date. The YouTube playlist contains additional videos. I was not aware of this “Birdsong” when I made this playlist, so it is not (currently) included on either format.

If you are thinking about suicide, worried about a friend or loved one, or would like emotional support, you can dial 988 (in the US) or call 1-800-273-TALK (8255) for the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline. You can also call this TALK line if you are struggling with addiction or involved in an abusive relationship. The Lifeline network is free, confidential, and available to all 24/7. YOU CAN TALK ABOUT ANYTHING.

White Flag is an app, which I have not researched, but which may be helpful if you need peer-to-peer (non-professional) support.

If you are a young person in crisis, feeling suicidal, or need a safe and judgement-free place to talk, you can also click here to contact the TrevorLifeline (which is staffed 24/7 with trained counselors).

You’re Invited to Bend… & To Take The Deepest Breath You’ve Taken — On Retreat!

September 25 — 27, 2026

NOTES:
¹Pramāṇa (YS 1.6-1.7) can also be translated into English as “correct knowledge” or “correct understanding”; however, it refers to the first of five mental functions (i.e., ways in which we gain/process knowledge).

²Sushumna is (“central” or “center”) and is associated with one of the primary rays of the sun. It also appears in some sacred text as a word meaning “very gracious or kind”. Ida is designated as the (“left principle channel”). It is associated with “earth” and is also the name of various daughters (in different sacred text or scripture) who have stabilizing affects. Pingala nadis is designated as the “right principle channel” and has a plethora of different associations within different Indian disciplines. In Āyurveda it is also “one who is reddish brown tawny, yellow-coloured small kind of owl”, as well as a name for the owl.

### Are You Noticing a Pattern? ###

REVISITING: “A Graceful Saturday & FTWMI: An ‘All Will Be Well’ Wednesday” (mostly the music & blessings) May 13, 2026

Posted by ajoyfulpractice in Books, Changing Perspectives, Faith, Healing Stories, Hope, Life, One Hoop, Peace, Religion, Suffering, Wisdom, Yoga.
Tags: 988, Apodosis of Prepolovenie, Beau Lotto, Counting the Omer, Fifth Week of Pascha, Julian of Norwich, Our Lady of Fátima
add a comment

Peace and many blessings to everyone and especially to anyone observing/celebrating the Feast Day of Julian of Norwich, the Feast Day of Our Lady of Fátima, the Apodosis of Prepolovenie, and/or Counting the Omer.

“Your brain is, at its core, a statistical distribution. Thus, your history of experiences creates a database of useful past perceptions. New information is constantly flowing in, and your brain is constantly integrating it into this statistical distribution that creates your next perception (so in this sense ‘reality’ is just the product of your brain’s ever-evolving database of consequence). As such, your perception is subject to a statistical phenomenon known in probability theory as kurtosis. Kurtosis in essence means that things tend to become increasingly steep in their distribution… that is, skewed in one direction. This applies to ways of seeing everything from currents events to ourselves as we lean ‘skewedly’ toward one interpretation positive or negative.”

“We’re really talking about math when we say, ‘The optimist sees the glass as half full and the pessimist as half empty,’ though in my view maybe true optimists are just glad to have a drink in the first place!”

— quoted from “Chapter 5. The Frog Who Dreamed of Being a Prince” in Deviate: The Science of Seeing Differently by Beau Lotto

Please join me today (Wednesday, May 13^th) at 4:30 PM or 7:15 PM for a yoga practice on Zoom. You can use the link from the “Class Schedules” calendar if you run into any problems checking into the class. You can request an audio recording of this practice via a comment below or by emailing myra (at) ajoyfulpractice.com.

Wednesday’s playlist is available on YouTube and Spotify. [Look for “05132020 All Will Be Well Wednesday”]

If you are thinking about suicide, worried about a friend or loved one, or would like emotional support, you can dial 988 (in the US) or call 1-800-273-TALK (8255) for the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline. You can also call this TALK line if you are struggling with addiction or involved in an abusive relationship. The Lifeline network is free, confidential, and available to all 24/7. YOU CAN TALK ABOUT ANYTHING.

White Flag is an app, which I have not yet researched, but which may be helpful if you need peer-to-peer (non-professional) support.

If you are a young person in crisis, feeling suicidal, or in need of a safe and judgement-free place to talk, you can also click here to contact the TrevorLifeline (which is staffed 24/7 with trained counselors).

Donations are tax deductible; class purchases are not necessarily deductible.

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

You’re Invited to Bend… & To Take The Deepest Breath You’ve Taken — On Retreat!

September 25 — 27, 2026

### 🎶 ###

Let’s Focus on “Little Things” (the “missing” compilation post for Wednesday) September 24, 2025

Posted by ajoyfulpractice in "Impossible" People, 7-Day Challenge, 9-Day Challenge, Art, Changing Perspectives, Faith, Gratitude, Healing Stories, Hope, Karma Yoga, Life, New Year, One Hoop, Philosophy, Religion, Rosh Hashanah, Science, Suffering, Wisdom, Women, Yoga.
Tags: 988, Alison Gopnik PhD, Ananta Ripa Ajmera, asana, Beau Lotto, Carissa Nadira Fadzil, Chandraghanta, Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD), Cyrus Tan Heoi Sam, Danna Isabela Trujillo León, Declaration on the Rights of Deaf Children, faith, hatha yoga, High Holidays, International Week of Deaf People (IWDP), Karol Valentina Trujillo León, Lara Adnan Alqaisi, Navaratri, Noaz Laquerriere-Leven, Ntando Hlophe, prāņāyāma, Rabbi Yaakov Salomon, Rosh Hashanah, Sbahle Chili, Sharada Navaratri, UNICEF, Yara Adnan Alqaisi, yoga
add a comment

“Chag sameach!” (“Happy Festival!”) to everyone observing the High Holidays. “Nine days and nine nights of blessings and happiness if you are celebrating Sharada Navaratri!” Many blessings to everyone and especially to anyone cultivating friendship, peace, freedom, understanding, and wisdom during International Week of Deaf People.

Stay safe! Live well! Hydrate and nourish your heart, body, and mind.

This is the “missing” compilation post for Wednesday, September 24^th, features new and previously posted content. As noted, some links will take you to sites outside of WordPress.

You can request an audio recording of this practice or a previous practice via a comment below or (for a slightly faster reply) you can email myra (at) ajoyfulpractice.com.

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

Donations are tax deductible; class purchases are not necessarily deductible.

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

“Alison Gopnik, Ph.D.: Learning begins literally from the time babies are born and there’s even some evidence there’s learning inside of the womb. So when babies are born, for instance, they discriminate between the sounds of the language that they’ve heard and sounds of another language. So they’re already seeing, hearing, making sense of what’s going on around them.”

— quoted from the “Transcript of ‘When do babies begin to learn? — What you can do to support your child’s development.’” in the “Parenting” section of the UNICEF website

Think back to when you first started to learn. Or, since some research indicates that we start learning in the womb, take a moment to remember the first learning situation you remember. Maybe it was in a school setting or maybe you remember learning something at home or on a playground. Just take a moment to remember everything you remember about that moment.

My guess is that, even if you remember great details — or pick a memory you remember in great detail, there is a “little” detail you might not mention if you were asked to recount the moment. My guess is that you wouldn’t mention the language. Unless the memory you picked was related to learning a language other than your first known language, you probably take the language itself for granted. It was a “little”, easily over-looked detail.

If, however, you were forced or required to learn in a language other than your first language, that “little” thing can become a big deal. Being in an environment where you have a hard time understanding and/or struggle to understand the words — even before you get to the subject matter — can limit your ability to learn and limit your possibilities. As an adult, you may be able to find some work-arounds, especially if there are other people around to give you context clues.

But, what if those people are also using a different language? What if you are a child who doesn’t have the life experience to figure out context clues?

This would be frustrating (and infuriating) — especially if people treated you like you were dumb and/or not worth the energy it would take to teach you.

Now, I know, given what’s happening in the United States (and other places in the world), that someone may think I’m talking about an immigration (or even a colonization) issue here. Or, since I included an embedded link to a post about literacy, that I’m talking about that issue. But, no. This time, I’m talking about that fact that millions of people around the world communicate with one of at least 300 sign languages and, for many of them, a sign language is their first language.

“1. States Parties recognize the right of persons with disabilities to education. With a view to realizing this right without discrimination and on the basis of equal opportunity, States Parties shall ensure an inclusive education system at all levels and lifelong learning….”

“3. States Parties shall enable persons with disabilities to learn life and social development skills to facilitate their full and equal participation in education and as members of the community. To this end, States Parties shall take appropriate measures, including:

a) Facilitating the learning of Braille, alternative script, augmentative and alternative modes, means and formats of communication and orientation and mobility skills, and facilitating peer support and mentoring;

b) Facilitating the learning of sign language and the promotion of the linguistic identity of the deaf community;

c) Ensuring that the education of persons, and in particular children, who are blind, deaf or deafblind, is delivered in the most appropriate languages and modes and means of communication for the individual, and in environments which maximize academic and social development.”

— quoted from “Article 24 – Education” of the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD)

As I previously mentioned, this week is International Week of Deaf People (IWDP) and the 2025 theme is “No Human Rights Without Sign Language Rights”. The Wednesday focus was “Multilingual education for deaf learners”, which “advocates for the implementation of Article 24 of the CRPD, which requires that deaf learners receive education in environments that are both linguistically and culturally appropriate: quality inclusive multilingual settings alongside other deaf peers.”

As I highlighted in a 2024 post (and as explained in the video below), the Declaration on the Rights of Deaf Children consists of ten articles. Those ten articles are not only valid with regard to Deaf Children, they are also valid (and important) with regard to children from all over the world — and especially those who are dealing with trauma, loss, and disabilities, while also navigating a new language (or two).

(Click here if the above video of Danna Isabela Trujillo León, Karol Valentina Trujillo León, Noaz Laquerriere-Leven, Yara Adnan Alqaisi, Lara Adnan Alqaisi, Cyrus Tan Heoi Sam, Carissa Nadira Fadzil, Sbahle Chili, and Ntando Hlophe explaining the Declaration on the Rights of Deaf Children is not accessible on your device.)

“4. In order to help ensure the realization of this right, States Parties shall take appropriate measures to employ teachers, including teachers with disabilities, who are qualified in sign language and/or Braille, and to train professionals and staff who work at all levels of education. Such training shall incorporate disability awareness and the use of appropriate augmentative and alternative modes, means and formats of communication, educational techniques and materials to support persons with disabilities.

5. States Parties shall ensure that persons with disabilities are able to access general tertiary education, vocational training, adult education and lifelong learning without discrimination and on an equal basis with others. To this end, States Parties shall ensure that reasonable accommodation is provided to persons with disabilities.”

— quoted from “Article 24 – Education” of the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD)

“Little” things are like little kids: They can become really big problems when we’re not paying attention or they can become really big deals, who make big, positive impacts on the world, when we pay the correct amount of attention. “Little” are transformative! Since this is true on and off the mat, I dedicate at least one practice during the High Holidays to the “little” things that can come together to make a big deal. These are things we do all the time. They come together to make our practice and to take us deeper into our practice and deeper into our lives. They can also take us come together to help us reach our goals.

The following revised excerpt is from a 2023 post (with a slightly different context). Due to the sequences, the order of the “little things” is different each year. The order in the this linked post is the 2021 order. The order below is from this year. Some embedded links connect outside of this blog.

“And then we spoke about Rosh Hashana… finally.

People always talk about making big changes – New Year resolutions.

‘I want to lose 50 pounds.’

‘I want to finish the entire Talmud.’

‘I’m going to spend 90 minutes of quality time with my daughter every night.’

It doesn’t work. It never does. And if it does, it peters out. You have no choice. You must start small.”

— quoted from “Preparing for Rosh Hashana: The secret to an inspiring new year” by Rabbi Yaakov Salomon

If you are anything like me, there’s a good chance that when you decide you want to do something (or stop doing something), you want one of those handy-dandy “time slips” — not because you don’t want to do the work, but because once you make up your mind you’re ready for the change. However, we can’t snap our fingers and “skip to the good part”. We do not have a magical, fantastical (theoretically possibly) way of skipping ahead. Even if we did, it wouldn’t be advisable, because we wouldn’t (necessarily) be ready on every level. Just because some part of our mind is ready, doesn’t mean our whole being is ready. We get ready during the time that we’re taking the steps to make something happen (or to make something stop happening).

Those steps — even when they are little baby steps — make a big difference.

“The key to getting the most out of any experience is preparation before the event. You cannot expect to leap from the shower to the shul and instantly feel holy. It just doesn’t work that way.”

— quoted from “Preparing for Rosh Hashana: The secret to an inspiring new year” by Rabbi Yaakov Salomon

Just as you can’t jump up off the coach and run a marathon, without some training, Rabbi Yaakov Salomon once pointed out that the desire for a deep spiritual connection requires some preparation. The means he mentioned included introspection, meditation, and prayer — all methods also mentioned in other traditions, including in Indian philosophies like yoga. A lot of people, however, aren’t familiar with all 8-limbs of the Yoga Philosophy; they just know about the two limbs that form the postural practice: āsana and prāņāyāma. But, just practicing those two little things can take you deeper into the overall practice and help cultivate big connections.

In many ways, hatha yoga (the physical practice of yoga, regardless of the style or tradition) is all about little things and about bringing awareness to the little things. The way we sit or stand determines how we breathe; the way we breathe in different positions determines how we feel. When we bring our awareness to how we feel we can go deeper into the pose as well as into ourselves. It all starts with little things. Little things, like how we place our hands or engage our core, can make the difference between going deeper into a pose and deeper into ourselves versus getting injured.

Although, sometimes we learn a lot about ourselves from getting injured; but that’s another story for another day.

Using the practice to notice little things can give us insight into why we think the way we think and do (and say) the things we do (and say) — on and off the mat. It can also help us bring awareness to how little things get us ready for the big things. For instance, next time you’re on the mat, give yourself the opportunity to notice these “little things” — one at a time and then all together:

1. Āsana (“seat” or pose): Notice what’s touching the mat, touching the floor, touching a prop — even a chair — and how does everything else stack up from there.
2. Prāņāyāma: Notice your breath. Can you breathe deeply in and breathe deeply? (If not, adjust your āsana.)
3. Notice what you notice; bring your awareness to your awareness. (Where is your focus?)
4. Notice the the sensation/information that informs your practice. (Is your mind-body ready for what you’re doing or do you need to do less? Could you, safely and mindfully, do more?)
5. Notice the “L” of your hands, especially when you have weight in your hands and arms. (In grade school you might have learned that one “L” on your forehead means loser, but if you put two “L”s together you have a shot at a goal; if you tip the ends out, you have a “W” — which means winner.)
6. Find the balance within the imbalance, because the practice is all about balance: balancing effort and relaxation; balancing strength and flexibility; and there is also balancing on one limb (and balancing both sides).
7. Dance Break! (Every once in a while, everybody needs to loosen up and wiggle.)
8. Remember your intention and your dedication. We set these early in the practice and then remember them as we go so that we stay focused on our goals. On or off the mat, you can think of this as your “WHY”.
9. Practice vinyāsa krama (“place things in a special way, for a step-by-step progression”). As Dr. Beau Lotto said, “…your brain can only ever make small steps in its ideas.” So, what is the next logical step from where you are to where you want to be?
10. Express gratitude for what you’ve done and what you’re about to do.
Lifting the corners of your mouth up towards your ears, is usually one of the little things we do.

This practice featured the personal story of Rabbi Yaakov Salomon (from the Aish website). It’s a story about little things and is a great reminder that while we may not always notice the little things until they become the big things, the little things matter. In fact, every little thing we feel, think, say, and do is the possibility of a big thing we’re in the habit of feeling, thinking, saying, or doing.

“Transformation is not something that accidentally happens to us. Like every part of the Navaratri cycle. It is something we initiate and experience again and again during our lives. For myself, day 3 of this cyclical practice (or week 3 or month 3, depending on how you structure your own Navaratri practice) is an opportunity to do something outside my comfort zone.”

— quoted from the “Cultivating Transformation” section of “Chapter 3 — Igniting the Fire of Transformation” in The Way of the Goddess: Daily Rituals to Awaken Your Inner Warrior and Discover Your True Self by Ananta Ripa Ajmera

EXCERPT: The following slightly revised excerpt was originally posted in a slightly different context.

In addition to being the second day of the High Holidays and the third day of the International Week of Deaf People (IWDP), Wednesday was also the third day and night of Sharada Navaratri, the “nine nights” celebrating Divine feminine energy in various manifestations. Some people see the manifestations as nine different women; however, they are also seen by some as the same woman at different points in her story. For instance, her third form is Chandraghanta, whose name “one who has a half-moon shaped like a bell” comes from the image of the newly-wed Parvati. She is depicted as a combination of beauty, grace, and courage, with her third eye open — the result of all the (yoga) preparation performed by Her previous manifestation. That open third eye means that she is always ready to fight evil and demons. In fact, she is sometimes known as the “Goddess Who Fights Demons”.

Here, “demons” can be a metaphor for anything that ails you physically, mentally, emotionally — even energetically, spiritually, and religiously. They can be challenges and hurdles that need to be over come. They can even be mistakes… sins… or vows (as I refer to them during the High Holidays) that can be absolved or forgiven. In fact, the faithful of all the different religions believe that there are ways (and even special times) when mistakes, sins, and broken vows are turned away… or washed away.

“I find a lot of similarity between Goddess Kalaratri, who symbolizes the spiritual power of transcendence, and Goddess Chandraghanta, who represents the power of transformation (in chapter 3). While transformation happens from taking strong, consistent action to overcome our fears, transcendence results from applying spiritual knowledge to see traumas we have experienced through the eyes of wisdom. This ensures we never see ourselves as helpless victims at the mercy of a cruel world but rather as powerful manifesters of our own destinies.”

— quoted from the “Cultivating Transcendence” section of “Chapter 7 — Transcending Trauma with Wisdom” in The Way of the Goddess: Daily Rituals to Awaken Your Inner Warrior and Discover Your True Self by Ananta Ripa Ajmera

Wednesday’s playlist is available on YouTube and Spotify. [Look for “High Holidays: Little Things”]

(My apologies for not posting the music before the 4:30 practice.)

CLICK HERE TO LEARN MORE ABOUT INTERNATIONAL WEEK OF DEAF PEOPLE & MEET SOME OF THE PEOPLE I HIGHLIGHTED LAST YEAR!

If you are thinking about suicide, worried about a friend or loved one, or would like emotional support, you can dial 988 (in the US) or call 1-800-273-TALK (8255) for the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline. You can also call this TALK line if you are struggling with addiction or involved in an abusive relationship. The Lifeline network is free, confidential, and available to all 24/7. YOU CAN TALK ABOUT ANYTHING.

White Flag is an app, which I have not yet researched, but which may be helpful if you need peer-to-peer (non-professional) support.

If you are a young person in crisis, feeling suicidal, or in need of a safe and judgement-free place to talk, you can also click here to contact the TrevorLifeline (which is staffed 24/7 with trained counselors).

### MAY YOUR NAME BE WRITTEN & SEALED IN THE BOOK OF LIFE ###

FTWMI: Saying Yes to Life and to the “Impossible” & EXCERPT: “The Powerful Possibilities That Come From ‘A Brother’s Love’” (w/practice video) August 2, 2025

Many blessings to everyone and especially to anyone cultivating peace, freedom, and wisdom — especially when it gets hot (inside and outside). Stay hydrated, y’all!

For Those Who Missed It: The following was originally posted in 2024 as the invitation to First Friday Night Special #46. You can check out that practice in the video below. Class details, music links, the video, and a picture (visible to those on WordPress) have been added/updated.

“The light that’s in your eyes / reminds me of the skies / that shine above us every day—so wrote a contemporary lover, out of God knows what agony, what hope, and what despair. But he saw the light in the eyes, which is the only light there is in the world, and honored it and trusted it; and will always be able to find it; since it is always there, waiting to be found. One discovers the light in darkness, that is what darkness is for; but everything in our lives depends on how we bear the light. It is necessary, while in darkness, to know that there is a light somewhere, to know that in oneself, waiting to be found, there is a light. What the light reveals is danger, and what it demands is faith.”

“What a journey this life is! dependent, entirely, on things unseen.”

— quoted from the essay “Nothing Personal” by James Baldwin (b. 1924), original published as part of a collaboration with Richard Avedon

Of course, to make those choices wisely, we need to have some semblance of balance — especially as it relates to the heart.

Click on the excerpt title below for more.

FTWMI: The Powerful Possibilities That Come From “A Brother’s Love”

“I have slept on rooftops and in basements and subways, have been cold and hungry all my life; have felt that no fire would ever warm me, and no arms would ever hold me. I have been, as the song says, ‘buked and scorned and I know that I always will be. But, my God, in that darkness, which was the lot of my ancestors and my own state, what a mighty fire burned! In that darkness of rape and degradation, that fine flying froth and mist of blood, through all that terror and in all that helplessness, a living soul moved and refused to die. We really emptied oceans with a home-made spoon and tore down mountains with our hands. And if love was in Hong Kong, we learned how to swim.

It is a mighty heritage, it is the human heritage, and it is all there is to trust. And I learned this through descending, as it were, into the eyes of my father and my mother. I wondered, when I was little, how they bore it—for I knew that they had much to bear. It had not yet occurred to me that I also would have much to bear; but they knew it, and the unimaginable rigors of their journey helped them to prepare me for mine. This is why one must say Yes to life and embrace it wherever it is found—and it is found in terrible places; nevertheless, there it is; and if the father can say, Yes. Lord, the child can learn that most difficult of words, Amen.”

— quoted from the essay “Nothing Personal” by James Baldwin (b. 1924), original published as part of a collaboration with Richard Avedon

Please join me today (Saturday, August 2^nd) 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 “Langston’s Theme for Jimmy 2022”]

Can I interest you in James Baldwin & a little Yin Yoga!

The Yin Yoga playlist is also available on YouTube and Spotify. [Look for “08022024 A Brother’s Love”]

NOTE: The tracks on the Yin Yoga playlist are slightly different in length and duration, depending on the platform. Start with track 1, 8, or 10.

If you are thinking about suicide, worried about a friend or loved one, or would like emotional support, you can dial 988 (in the US) or call 1-800-273-TALK (8255) for the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline. You can also call this TALK line if you are struggling with addiction or involved in an abusive relationship. The Lifeline network is free, confidential, and available to all 24/7. YOU CAN TALK ABOUT ANYTHING.

White Flag is an app, which I have not yet researched, but which may be helpful if you need peer-to-peer (non-professional) support.

If you are a young person in crisis, feeling suicidal, or in need of a safe and judgement-free place to talk, you can also click here to contact the TrevorLifeline (which is staffed 24/7 with trained counselors).

Donations are tax deductible; class purchases are not necessarily deductible.

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

### MORE LOVE ###

FTWMI: A Well, Well, Well(ness) [Tuesday] (w/ an excerpt) May 13, 2025

Posted by ajoyfulpractice in "Impossible" People, Books, Buddhism, Changing Perspectives, Depression, Donate, Faith, Gratitude, Healing Stories, Health, Hope, Jane Hirshfield, Julian of Norwich, Karma Yoga, Life, Love, Mantra, Mathematics, Mysticism, One Hoop, Pain, Peace, Philosophy, Religion, Science, Suffering, Tragedy, Volunteer, Wisdom, Women, Writing, Yoga.
Tags: 988, Alessandro Rotondo, American Psychological Association, Beau Lotto, Buddha, Buddha's Birthday, Ciro Conversano, Counting the Omer, Eastertide, Elena Lensi, Francesca Arpone, Julian of Norwich, KISS MY ASANA, Mario Antonio Reda, mental health, Olivia Della Vista, Optimism, Our Lady of Fatima, Pessimism, Psychology Today Staff, samskāras, Vesak, vāsanā, Wesak
add a comment

Many blessings to everyone and especially to anyone celebrating the Feast Day of Julian of Norwich, Vesak / Buddha Purnima / Buddha Jayanti, Counting the Omer, and/or observing the fourth week of Pascha.

For Those Who Missed It: The following is a slightly edited version of a May 8^th post-practice post for Monday and included the prompt question, “Would you describe yourself as an optimist or a pessimist?”

Some links, dated-related context, and class information have been updated and/or added.

“optimism
n. hopefulness: the attitude that good things will happen and that people’s wishes or aims will ultimately be fulfilled. Optimists are people who anticipate positive outcomes, whether serendipitously or through perseverance and effort, and who are confident of attaining desired goals. Most individuals lie somewhere on the spectrum between the two polar opposites of pure optimism and pure pessimism but tend to demonstrate sometimes strong, relatively stable or situational tendencies in one direction or the other. See also expectancy-value model. —optimistic adj.”

— quoted from the American Psychological Association’s APA Dictionary of Psychology

Take a moment to consider how your outlook on life (and future events) factors into the way you move through your life and engage future events. Are you an optimist or a pessimist? I tend to describe myself as an optimist — who can be pessimistic about certain things; but there are people who would (credibly) argue that I am a pessimist. Maybe that makes me a realist.

Or maybe, as indicated by the American Psychological Association (APA), I’m just like most people: somewhere in the middle.

It all comes down to perspective and that perspective can change the way we interact with ourselves, with other people, with challenges, with new experiences, and even with our physical and mental health. In 2009, a group of researchers presented a paper (published in May 2010), about the effect of optimism. The abstract of the paper indicated that being (even a little bit) optimistic can be healthy and promote wellness.

“Through employment of specific coping strategies, optimism exerts an indirect influence also on the quality of life. There is evidence that optimistic people present a higher quality of life compared to those with low levels of optimism or even pessimists. Optimism may significantly influence mental and physical well-being by the promotion of a healthy lifestyle as well as by adaptive behaviours and cognitive responses, associated with greater flexibility, problem-solving capacity and a more efficient elaboration of negative information.”

— quoted from “Optimism and Its Impact on Mental and Physical Well-Being” by Ciro Conversano,^1,† Alessandro Rotondo,^2,† Elena Lensi,¹ Olivia Della Vista,¹ Francesca Arpone,¹ and Mario Antonio Reda¹

“¹Istituto di Scienze del Comportamento Università degli Studi di Siena
²Azienda Ospedaliero Universitaria Pisana
^†These authors contributed equally to the work.”

Obviously, there is a difference between being optimistic (or pessimistic) and being delusional — or, in the case of pessimism, being fatalistic and/or riddled with anxiety. In some cases, however, the difference is a matter of perspective and that perspective brings our awareness to why some people are optimistic and some people are pessimistic. Notice that the source of optimism is not addressed in the APA’s definition of optimism. Many people may point to faith as the source of their optimism — especially this time of year, when there are so many holy obligations and sacred observations (including today’s celebrations of Julian of Norwich, the Feast Day of Our Lady of Fátima, and the Buddha). But, notice that the APA’s definition doesn’t even include the word “believe” — and, yet, these mental attitudes are all about what our beliefs.

Neuroscientists like Dr. Beau Lotto highlight the fact that our beliefs are at the heart of this discussion. He often directs our attention to our previous experiences and the idea that we not only interpret current events through the filter of past events, we anticipate future events based on our past experiences. To me, his explanation sounds a lot like the concept of samskara (a “mental impression”) and vasana (a literal “dwelling” place of our habits). It also highlights why someone like Julian of Norwich thought she was dying back in 1373 and why, once she recovered, she was able to “shew” her experiences in a positive and loving light.

“Your brain is, at its core, a statistical distribution. Thus, your history of experiences creates a database of useful past perceptions. New information is constantly flowing in, and your brain is constantly integrating it into this statistical distribution that creates your next perception (so in this sense ‘reality’ is just the product of your brain’s ever-evolving database of consequence). As such, your perception is subject to a statistical phenomenon known in probability theory as kurtosis. Kurtosis in essence means that things tend to become increasingly steep in their distribution… that is, skewed in one direction. This applies to ways of seeing everything from currents events to ourselves as we lean ‘skewedly’ toward one interpretation positive or negative.”

— quoted from “Chapter 5. The Frog Who Dreamed of Being a Prince” in Deviate: The Science of Seeing Differently by Beau Lotto

Dr. Lotto went on to write, “We’re really talking about math when we say, ‘The optimist sees the glass as half full and the pessimist as half empty,’ though in my view maybe true optimists are just glad to have a drink in the first place!” Julian of Norwich, an anchoress and Christian mystic who lived in the 14^th and 15^th centuries, fit that definition of a “true optimist.” Her Revelations of Divine Love (Revelations of Love in 16 Shewings) — which is the oldest surviving book written in English by a woman — refers to giving thanks (through prayer) as a way to truly understand oneself and ones situation. She even gave thanks for her illness!

Although she recovered on May 13, 1873, Julian was given last rites on May 8^th, and experienced visions which she eventually related in her book. One of the most well known quotes from her book can be considered a mantra for optimists (and for those wanting to be more optimistic):

“All shall be well, and all shall be well, and (in) all manner of thing(s) shall be well.”

— quoted from Chapters 1 of Revelations of Divine Love (Revelations of Love in 16 Shewings) by Julian of Norwich

The feast days for Julian of Norwich are May 8^th in Anglican and Lutheran traditions and May 13^th in the Roman Catholic tradition.

Today, May 13^th is also the Feast Day of Our Lady of Fátima in some Catholic traditions and (as referenced yesterday) celebrations of the Buddha are beginning or continuing in some Asian countries and the diaspora.

Click on the excerpt title below for more about Julian.

A Graceful Saturday & FTWMI: An “All Will Be Well” Wednesday

“Optimists are likely to see the causes of failure or negative experiences as temporary rather than permanent, specific rather than global, and external rather than internal. Such a perspective enables optimists to more easily see the possibility of change.”

— quoted from the Psychology Today webpage entitled, “Optimism” (Reviewed by Psychology Today Staff)

Please join me today (Tuesday, May 13^th) at 12:00 PM or 7:15 PM for a yoga practice on Zoom. You can use the link from the “Class Schedules” calendar if you run into any problems checking into the class. You can request an audio recording of this practice via a comment below or by emailing myra (at) ajoyfulpractice.com.

Tuesday’s playlist is available on YouTube and Spotify. [Look for “05132020 All Will Be Well Wednesday”]

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).

You can still click here to Kiss My Asana Now! (Or, you can also still click here to join my team and get people to kiss [your] asana!)

### BE WELL & BE GREAT ###

First Friday Night Special #46: Saying Yes to Life and to the “Impossible” & EXCERPT: “The Powerful Possibilities That Come From ‘A Brother’s Love’” August 2, 2024

Posted by ajoyfulpractice in "Impossible" People, Art, Books, Changing Perspectives, Dharma, Faith, Healing Stories, Hope, James Baldwin, Life, Loss, Love, One Hoop, Pain, Peace, Philosophy, Suffering, Traditional Chinese Medicine, Wisdom, Writing, Yin Yoga, Yoga.
Tags: 988, Aimee Lehto, America, Beau Lotto, being present, Boyd Croyner, Civil Rights, courage, Emily Dickinson, inspiration, James Baldwin, Maya Angelou, PRIDE, Richard Avedon, samskāras, truth, vasanas, yoga
add a comment

Many blessings to everyone and especially to anyone cultivating peace, freedom, and wisdom — especially when it gets hot (inside and outside). Stay hydrated, y’all!

“The light that’s in your eyes / reminds me of the skies / that shine above us every day—so wrote a contemporary lover, out of God knows what agony, what hope, and what despair. But he saw the light in the eyes, which is the only light there is in the world, and honored it and trusted it; and will always be able to find it; since it is always there, waiting to be found. One discovers the light in darkness, that is what darkness is for; but everything in our lives depends on how we bear the light. It is necessary, while in darkness, to know that there is a light somewhere, to know that in oneself, waiting to be found, there is a light. What the light reveals is danger, and what it demands is faith.”

“What a journey this life is! dependent, entirely, on things unseen.”

— quoted from the essay “Nothing Personal” by James Baldwin (b. 1924), original published as part of a collaboration with Richard Avedon

Of course, to make those choices wisely, we need to have some semblance of balance — especially as it relates to the heart.

Click on the excerpt title below for more.

FTWMI: The Powerful Possibilities That Come From “A Brother’s Love”

“I have slept on rooftops and in basements and subways, have been cold and hungry all my life; have felt that no fire would ever warm me, and no arms would ever hold me. I have been, as the song says, ‘buked and scorned and I know that I always will be. But, my God, in that darkness, which was the lot of my ancestors and my own state, what a mighty fire burned! In that darkness of rape and degradation, that fine flying froth and mist of blood, through all that terror and in all that helplessness, a living soul moved and refused to die. We really emptied oceans with a home-made spoon and tore down mountains with our hands. And if love was in Hong Kong, we learned how to swim.

It is a mighty heritage, it is the human heritage, and it is all there is to trust. And I learned this through descending, as it were, into the eyes of my father and my mother. I wondered, when I was little, how they bore it—for I knew that they had much to bear. It had not yet occurred to me that I also would have much to bear; but they knew it, and the unimaginable rigors of their journey helped them to prepare me for mine. This is why one must say Yes to life and embrace it wherever it is found—and it is found in terrible places; nevertheless, there it is; and if the father can say, Yes. Lord, the child can learn that most difficult of words, Amen.”

— quoted from the essay “Nothing Personal” by James Baldwin (b. 1924), original published as part of a collaboration with Richard Avedon

Please join me tonight (Friday, August 2, 2024), 7:15 PM – 8:20 PM (CST) for “Saying Yes to Life and to the ‘Impossible.’” 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.

This Yin Yoga practice is accessible and open to all.

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

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

Friday’s playlist is available on YouTube and Spotify.

NOTE: The playlist tracks are slightly different in length and duration. Start with track 1, 8, or 10.

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).

Donations are tax deductible; class purchases are not necessarily deductible.

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

### MORE LOVE ###

A Well, Well, Well(ness) Monday (a post-practice post w/excerpt for Monday) May 13, 2024

Posted by ajoyfulpractice in "Impossible" People, Books, Buddhism, Changing Perspectives, Depression, Donate, Faith, Gratitude, Healing Stories, Health, Hope, Jane Hirshfield, Julian of Norwich, Karma Yoga, Life, Love, Mantra, Mathematics, Mysticism, One Hoop, Pain, Peace, Philosophy, Religion, Science, Suffering, Tragedy, Volunteer, Wisdom, Women, Writing, Yoga.
Tags: 988, Alessandro Rotondo, American Psychological Association, Beau Lotto, Ciro Conversano, Counting the Omer, Eastertide, Elena Lensi, Francesca Arpone, Julian of Norwich, KISS MY ASANA, Mario Antonio Reda, mental health, Olivia Della Vista, Optimism, Our Lady of Fatima, Pessimism, Psychology Today Staff, samskaras, samskāras, vasana
add a comment

Many blessings to everyone and especially to anyone observing the Second Eastertide, Counting the Omer, the Feast Day of Our Lady of Fatima, the Feast Day of Julian of Norwich, and/or working for peace (inside and outside).

This post-practice post for Monday, May 13^th. It includes an excerpt from a 2020 post. The prompt question was, “Would you describe yourself as an optimist or a pessimist?” 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.

“optimism
n. hopefulness: the attitude that good things will happen and that people’s wishes or aims will ultimately be fulfilled. Optimists are people who anticipate positive outcomes, whether serendipitously or through perseverance and effort, and who are confident of attaining desired goals. Most individuals lie somewhere on the spectrum between the two polar opposites of pure optimism and pure pessimism but tend to demonstrate sometimes strong, relatively stable or situational tendencies in one direction or the other. See also expectancy-value model. —optimistic adj.”

— quoted from the American Psychological Association’s APA Dictionary of Psychology

Or maybe, as indicated by the American Psychological Association (APA), I’m just like most people: somewhere in the middle.

“Through employment of specific coping strategies, optimism exerts an indirect influence also on the quality of life. There is evidence that optimistic people present a higher quality of life compared to those with low levels of optimism or even pessimists. Optimism may significantly influence mental and physical well-being by the promotion of a healthy lifestyle as well as by adaptive behaviours and cognitive responses, associated with greater flexibility, problem-solving capacity and a more efficient elaboration of negative information.”

— quoted from “Optimism and Its Impact on Mental and Physical Well-Being” by Ciro Conversano,^1,† Alessandro Rotondo,^2,† Elena Lensi,¹ Olivia Della Vista,¹ Francesca Arpone,¹ and Mario Antonio Reda¹

“¹Istituto di Scienze del Comportamento Università degli Studi di Siena
²Azienda Ospedaliero Universitaria Pisana
^†These authors contributed equally to the work.”

Obviously, there is a difference between being optimistic (or pessimistic) and being delusional — or, in the case of pessimism, being fatalistic and/or riddled with anxiety. In some cases, however, the difference is a matter of perspective and that perspective brings our awareness to why some people are optimistic and some people are pessimistic. Notice that the source of optimism is not addressed in the APA’s definition of optimism. Many people may point to faith as the source of their optimism — especially this time of year, when there are so many holy obligations and sacred observations (including today’s celebration of Julian of Norwich and the Feast Day of Our Lady of Fatima). But notice that the APA’s definition doesn’t even include the word “believe” — and, yet, these mental attitudes are all about what our beliefs.

Neuroscientists like Dr. Beau Lotto highlight the fact that our beliefs are at the heart of this discussion. He often directs our attention to our previous experiences and the idea that we not only interpret current events through the filter of past events, we anticipate future events based on our past experiences. To me, his explanation sounds a lot like the concept of samskara (a “mental impression”) and vasana (a literal “dwelling” place of our habits). It also highlights why someone like Julian of Norwich thought she was dying back in 1373 and why, once she recovered, she was able to “shew” her experiences in a positive and loving light.

“Your brain is, at its core, a statistical distribution. Thus, your history of experiences creates a database of useful past perceptions. New information is constantly flowing in, and your brain is constantly integrating it into this statistical distribution that creates your next perception (so in this sense ‘reality’ is just the product of your brain’s ever-evolving database of consequence). As such, your perception is subject to a statistical phenomenon known in probability theory as kurtosis. Kurtosis in essence means that things tend to become increasingly steep in their distribution… that is, skewed in one direction. This applies to ways of seeing everything from currents events to ourselves as we lean ‘skewedly’ toward one interpretation positive or negative.”

— quoted from “Chapter 5. The Frog Who Dreamed of Being a Prince” in Deviate: The Science of Seeing Differently by Beau Lotto

Dr. Lotto went on to write, “We’re really talking about math when we say, ‘The optimist sees the glass as half full and the pessimist as half empty,’ though in my view maybe true optimists are just glad to have a drink in the first place!” Julian of Norwich, a 14^th century anchoress, fit that definition of a “true optimist.” Her Revelations of Divine Love (Revelations of Love in 16 Shewings) — which is the oldest surviving book written in English by a woman — refers to giving thanks (through prayer) as a way to truly understand oneself and ones situation. She even gave thanks for her illness! Additionally, one of the most well known quotes from her book can be considered a mantra for optimists (and for those wanting to be more optimistic):

“All shall be well, and all shall be well, and (in) all manner of thing(s) shall be well.”

— quoted from Chapters 1 of Revelations of Divine Love (Revelations of Love in 16 Shewings) by Julian of Norwich

A Graceful Saturday & FTWMI: An “All Will Be Well” Wednesday

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

“Optimists are likely to see the causes of failure or negative experiences as temporary rather than permanent, specific rather than global, and external rather than internal. Such a perspective enables optimists to more easily see the possibility of change.”

— quoted from the Psychology Today webpage entitled, “Optimism” (Reviewed by Psychology Today Staff)

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).

Thank you to everyone who Kiss[ed] My Asana!
We surpassed the overall fundraiser goals & one of my personal goals!!! Whether you showed up in a (Zoom) class, used a recording, shared a post or video, liked and/or commented on a post or video, and/or made a donation — you and your efforts are appreciated! Thank you!!!

### BE WELL & BE GREAT ###

First Friday Night Special #43: “The Beautiful Balancing Act of Holding On & Letting Go” (the “missing” post ) May 4, 2024

Posted by ajoyfulpractice in Mysticism, Science, Tantra, Uncategorized.
Tags: Ann Landers, Baha'i, Beau Lotto, Bhagavad Gita, Counting the Omer, Diamond Sutra, Donna Garrett, gevurah, Great Lent, kabbalah, Lao Tzu, lojong, Marcus J Freed, Netzach, neuroscience, Restorative Yoga, samskāras, sefirah, sefirot, Tao Te Ching, Tiferes, vasanas, William Martin, Yoga Sutra 1.23, Yoga Sutra 2.45, Yoga Sutras 1.12-16
add a comment

Many blessings to everyone, and especially to anyone observing Great Lent on Great Friday and/or Counting the Omer.

This is the “missing” post for the “First Friday Night Special” on May 3^rd. You can request an audio recording of this Restorative Yoga 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).

You can still click here to Kiss My Asana Now! (Or, you can also click here to join my team and get people to kiss [your] asana!)

Donations are tax deductible; class purchases are not necessarily deductible.

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

“The brain—like life—does not search to live, but to not die.”

— quoted from the “Acknowledgements” in Deviate: The Science of Seeing Differently by Beau Lotto

Neuroplasticity is the ability of the brain and the nervous system to change and grow. We can see this at work when we look at how neural pathways, samskara (a “mental impression”), and vasana (a literal “dwelling” place) create habits and a “space of possibility.” However, those same elements that create change can cause us to resist change and to hold on to things.

The paradoxical way the mind-body works makes sense when you consider that (a) known and controlled quantities have been the key to our survival since the beginning of recorded history; (b) the unknown (and uncontrolled) can be uncomfortable and scary, and (c) since everything around us is changing — i.e., potentially becoming unknown and uncontrolled — we have to change in order to survive.

But we don’t have to like it. And free will means that we can resist it.

“‘Some people believe holding on and hanging in there are signs of great strength. However, there are times when it takes much more strength to know when to let go and then do it.’ — Ann Landers”

— quoted from “Day 11 / MARATHON MAN: ENDURANCE IN DISCIPLINE נצח שבע גבורה” in The Kabbalah Sutras: 49 Steps to Enlightenment by Marcus J. Freed

Since change happens / shift happens, our inability to shift and change can be a detriment. Consider that all the major philosophies point to some form of attachment as the cause of suffering. Additionally, all the major philosophies — and religions, for that matter — offer a solution to that suffering: Letting Go.

It’s always about letting go. Even when it is phrased as “letting go and letting God,” we are advised to do our best, recognize what is out of our control, and then engage some form of “trustful surrender.” Trustful surrender is a critical part of why people are observing Great Friday today (which would be the equivalent of Good Friday in Western Christianity) and it is so crucial to the Yoga Philosophy that Patanjali stated it in two different sūtras and it is reiterated in the Bhagavad Gita. (YS 1.23 & YS 2.45, BG 2.48 & BG 6.30)

In the aforementioned cases, there is some awareness of the Divine — something more than one’s self — and that requires a certain amount of faith. However, Eastern philosophies diverge from the religions when they also recommend letting go of the path that leads to freedom.

In the Tao Te Ching, in some of the Buddha’s sutras, and in the Yoga Sūtras, there are warnings about holding on too tightly to anything — even the practice. In the Tao, it says, “This is a path of letting go so there will be room to live.” (TTC 9) In the Diamond Sutra, the Buddha explained that the words were simply words or “‘a figure of speech’” meant to be used as a tool to “‘bring one to the other shore of Enlightenment.’” (DS 13) Even one of the lojong (“mind training”) statements in Tibetan Buddhism, advises us to “Self-liberate even the antidote.” (9)

Finally, in Yoga Sūtras 1.14 – 1.15, Patanjali specifically indicated that the longer one practices the Yoga Philosophy, the more one is inclined to practice and the less one is inclined to crave, desire, and form attachments that lead to suffering. That last part is hopeful, but does not change the fact that it is challenging to balance the practice of non-attachment with the discipline needed to practice over a long period of time, without interruption, and with passion, devotion, and reverence — which is the definition of abhyāsa. In the commentary for Yoga Sūtras 1.12 – 1.16, Swami J highlights this balancing act with an illustration of a scale, above which abhyāsa (a dedicated and devoted “practice”) and vairāgya (“non-attachment”) are described as “two of the most important foundation principles of Yoga.”

Again, it is helpful (and hopeful) to know that abhyāsa and vairāgya can balance each other out; however, some times we need to look at things in a different way. Sometimes, we need to do it differently.

“Do it differently
So it won’t come out the same
Step up, be strong,
Get yourself out of pain.”

— quoted from the poem “DIFFERENTLY” by Donna Garrett

Doing things differently — when the thing you are doing seems to be working — can seem just as counterintuitive as letting go of the path that leads to freedom. On the other hand, it makes perfect sense: When you reach your destination, you get off the road on which you traveled. This does not mean that your journey in life is over; nor does it mean that you won’t use other tools. It is simply acknowledging that what you needed at one point in your journey may not serve you — or may not serve you in the same way — during the next part of your journey.

You can think of using a different paradigm as being similar to someone getting a new set of prescription eye glasses, using a different set of sunglasses to watch the eclipse, or using a phone or a microscope to enhance something you can no longer (or never could) see with the naked eye. The way we practice is simply a tool to bring things into focus. For this month’s First Friday Night Special, we used our bodies and “attributes of the Divine” to consider where we are holding on to discomfort, dis ease, and things that no longer serve us — or maybe never served us.

“This path accepts that developing an ego is an essential element in human growth. But it also suggests that this development might be a stage of human development rather than its end product.”

— quoted from the commentary for “Chapter 9” in A Path and a Practice: Using Lao Tzu’s Tao Te Ching as a Guide to an Awakened Spiritual Life by William Martin

The Bahá’í Faith and Kabbalah (Jewish mysticism) highlight different aspects of the Divine on a daily basis.

The following practice-related breakdown is based on content posted on a different date and time. Details and links have been updated accordingly.

As I previously mentioned, the Bahá’í calendar has 19 months with 19 days — each named for one of the 19 names/manifestations/attributes of God. There are 4 or 5 intercalary days that occur just before the final month and these days are considered “transcendent” in nature. (The days of the week also follow this nomenclature.) This calendar starts around the Vernal (Spring) Equinox in the Northern Hemisphere with the month of Bahá, which can be translated into English as “Splendor,” and we are currently in the third month, Jamál (“Beauty”). Since each day begins and ends at sunset, this First Friday Night Special overlapped the end of Istiqlál (“Independence”) and the beginning of Jalál (“Glory”), in Central Standard Time.

Splendor, beauty, independence, and glory also show up as manifestations of the Divine in Jewish mysticism. According to Kabbalah, the Tree of Life has ten sefirot (“eminations,” attributes, or manifestations) of the Divine. On the second night of Passover, some people within the Jewish community begin the ritual of Counting the Omer — which involves prayer and reflection around 7 of the 10 sefirot. People count every day for 7 weeks (for a total of 49 days, plus a 50^th day as commanded). Each day and week is associated with a different aspect of the Divine — which means that, on any given day, people are focusing+concentrating+meditating on how two aspects of the Divine interact and manifest in their lives.

Since days on the Hebrew calendar also begin and end at sunset, this First Friday Night Special overlapped the end Day 10 and the beginning of the Day 11 — both of which occur in the week devoted to the second sefirah: Gevurah. This second attribute can be defined as “strength” and “discipline.” Before sunset on Friday (Day 10), the focus was Tiferet She’b’Gevurah — with Tiferet meaning “balance,” “compassion,” “beauty,” “harmony,” and “justice” (which is also an attribute on the Bahá’í calendar). After sunset (Day 11), the focus became Netzach She’b’Gevurah — with Netzach meaning “endurance,” “sustainability,” “victory,” and “persistence.”

Additionally, the seven highlighted sefirot can also be associated with with different parts of the body. Gevurah is associated with the left arm; Tiferet is associated with the upper abdominal cavity (solar plexus) and torso; and Netzach is associated with the right hip in thigh. As teachers like Marcus J. Freed and Sandra Razieli* point out, we can explore different aspects of Divine interaction (and interrelationship) by exploring the different ways parts of our bodies interact. For this practice we referenced all seven attributes and parts of the body; considered how they are connected, and addressed how those connections can serve us.

“Developing a cocoon is a natural and essential part of being a caterpillar. But the time comes when the cocoon softens, wears out, and opens up. What if this is the case for all our opinions, possessions, and even for our ego? What if, when the cocoon of ego opens, instead of the feared abyss we find a butterfly?”

— quoted from the commentary for “Chapter 9” in A Path and a Practice: Using Lao Tzu’s Tao Te Ching as a Guide to an Awakened Spiritual Life by William Martin

The May First Friday Night Special features a Restorative Yoga practice. It is accessible and open to all.

You may want extra layers (as your body may cool down during this practice).

Friday’s playlist is available on YouTube and Spotify. [Look for “05032024 Balancing Holding On & Letting Go”]

The playlist tracks are slightly different in length and duration; however, the overall content is the same.

The Beauty of Balancing Strength and Humility (the “missing” Wednesday post)

Do It, But Differently (the Sunday post)

*NOTE: The following links will direct you to other sites.

CLICK HERE to learn more about The Kabbalah Sutras by Marcus J. Freed.

CLICK HERE to discover how Sandra Razieli combines neuroscience, movement, and sometimes the Omer.

### Δ ###

The Serendipity Practice (the “missing” and “long-lost” Sunday post for 1/28) March 11, 2024

Posted by ajoyfulpractice in "Impossible" People, Books, Changing Perspectives, Faith, Healing Stories, Hope, Life, Movies, Music, One Hoop, Pain, Philosophy, Science, Suffering, Tragedy, Vairagya, Vipassana, Wisdom, Writing, Yoga.
Tags: Aimee Lehto, Beau Lotto, Boyd Croyner, Carl Jung, chaos theory, Christa McAuliffe, Ed Sheeran, Elvis Presley, Horace Walpole, Horatio Walpole, Jackie Gleason, John Cusack, Jostein Gaarder, Kate Beckinsale, LEGO, Muhammad Ali, Pavlov's dog, samskaras, samskāras, santosha, santoşā, serendipity, shoshin, Space Shuttle Challenger, synchronicity, T. H. Huxley, Thomas Henry Huxley, vasanas, Voltaire, vāsanā, vāsanās, yoga philosophy, Yoga Sutra 2.20
2 comments

May we all be safe and protected / May we all be peaceful and happy / May we all be healthy and strong / May we all appreciate the “accidental goodness” in our lives.

This is the “missing” post for Sunday, January 28^th. It includes some previously posted content. In the final notes section, there is a reference to a tragic event. You can request an audio recording of a related practice via a comment below or (for a slightly faster reply) you can email me at myra (at) ajoyfulpractice.com.

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

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

“The causality principle asserts that the connection between cause and effect is a necessary one. The synchronicity principle asserts that the terms of a meaningful coincidence are connected by simultaneity and meaning…. Although meaning is an anthropomorphic interpretation it nevertheless forms the indispensable criterion of synchronicity. What that factor which appears to us as ‘meaning’ may be in itself we have no possibility of knowing. As an hypothesis, however, it is not quite so impossible as may appear at first sight. We must remember that the rationalistic attitude of the West is not the only possible one and is not all-embracing, but is in many ways a prejudice and a bias that ought perhaps to be corrected.”

— quoted from “3. Forerunners of the Idea of Synchronicity” in Synchronicity: An Acausal Connecting Principle by C. G. Jung

Causality, the principles of cause and effect, is a big aspect of the Yoga Philosophy — and I am, without a doubt, a big fan. I am quick to go down the proverbial rabbit hole to see how things are connected. Of course, everything is connected: we just don’t always see/make/understand the connections. As indicated in Yoga Sūtra 2.20, “The Seer is the pure power of seeing, yet its understanding is through the mind/intellect.” This doesn’t mean that someone who sees/understands something that others don’t is smarter than those others; it simply means that they see things in a different way… a special way.

For much of my life, I have seen things in special ways. My tendency to seek out connections has resulted in me seeing and making connections that other people don’t initially see/make. At some points in my life, others have viewed the way I think as interesting, weird, cute, and/or a sign of being “smart” (or of “thinking too much”). More than one university professor commented that my logic was sound, but that “no one else” — meaning no one with credentials in the Western canon — had come to such a conclusion and therefore….

Perhaps, you have heard the same thing about something that has occurred to you. Suffice it to say, I heard that something I did was “a bit of a stretch” long before I started teaching yoga.

Thankfully, I received some halfway decent marks despite the fact that my content was unexpected. More importantly, I was never forced to conform and, therefore, never got completely stuck in the trap Carl Jung warned us about: the trap created by believing that there is one way (the Western way) to see things. I eventually understood that the workings of our mind/intellect are based on more than brain chemistry. The way we think is also based on all the different things we have experienced; all the different perspectives to which we have been exposed; how open we are to possibilities other than the ones we are seeking; and how aware we are that we are the ones creating the meaning.

“This discovery, indeed, is almost of that kind which I call Serendipity, a very expressive word, which, as I have nothing better to tell you, I shall endeavor to explain to you: you will understand it better by the derivation than the definition. I once read a silly fairy tale, called ‘The Three Princes of Serendip:’ as their Highnesses travelled, they were always making discoveries, by accidents and sagacity, of things which they were not in quest of: for instance, one of the them discovered that a mule blind of the right eye had travelled the same road lately, because the grass was eaten only on the left side, where it was worse than on the right….”

— quoted from a letter addressed to Sir Horace Mann, dated January 28, 1754, by Horace Walpole (The Right Honorable The (4^th) Earl of Orford, Horatio Walpole)

When Horace Walpole, the Right Honorable Earl of Orford, shared the word and meaning of serendipity, in a letter dated January 28, 1754, he cited the English version of a Persian story (from at least 1302) that had come into the English canon by way of French and Italian translations. Each version of the story is slightly different, but the common elements are (1) a king who sends his sons out into the world to give them the best possible education and (2) the three princes who already have been educated by the best teachers* and tutors in their homeland. As the three princes travelled, they paid attention to all the details around them and — using their knowledge, skills of deduction, and insight (based on “[seeing] things in a special way”) — came to conclusions that were obvious to them but not so obvious to others.

Perhaps the most famous of their adventures is the one cited by the earl, in which the princes described and located a missing camel (or mule). To be clear, the princes were not looking for the animal in question; but, others were looking and those others believed the princes had the animal (or knew where to find it) because the princes knew so much about the animal. They knew it was slightly lame, blind in one eye, missing a tooth and carrying a pregnant woman while bearing honey on one side and butter on the other. They knew all this despite the fact that, at the point in the story when they are accused of stealing the animal, the princes had never seen it! They had only seen evidence of it and made connections that led to certain logical conclusions. While Horace Walpole called the story “a silly fairytale,” others — including Voltaire (in 1747) — recognized the story as containing the cornerstones of deductive reasoning (both psychologically and logically) and of the scientific method.

“Those who are interested in learning more of the fateful history of Zadig must turn to the original; we are dealing with him only as a philosopher, and this brief excerpt suffices for the exemplification of the nature of his conclusions and of the methods by which he arrived at them.”

“[Zadig’s] defence was worse than his offence. It showed that his mode of divination was fraught with danger to magianism in general. Swollen with the pride of human reason, he had ignored the established canons of magian lore; and, trusting to what after all was mere carnal common sense, he professed to lead men to a deeper insight into nature than magian wisdom, with all its lofty antagonism to everything common, had ever reached. What, in fact, lay at the foundation of all Zadig’s argument but the coarse commonplace assumption, upon which every act of our daily lives is based, that we may conclude from an effect to the pre-existence of a cause competent to produce that effect?”

— quoted from the essay “On the Method of Zadig: Retrospective Prophecy as a Function of Science” (1880) in Collected Essays, Volume 4. Science and Hebrew Tradition by T. H. Huxley

Serendipity, like chaos theory, often gets twisted in books, movies, and music. For instance, in the 2001 romantic comedy with John Cusack and Kate Beckinsale, the couple are actually looking for each other and looking for clues that will lead each to the other. Sure, there are all kinds of coincidences (or cowinkydinks) and near-misses that are described (in the movie) as fate. And, I could see how the situation could be serendipitous.** However, the couple in the movie are more like the villagers looking for the camel (or mule) and less like the the princes. What they experience is more synchronicity (i.e., things happening at the same time) than serendipity.

Just as I am a big fan of causality, I am also a big fan of synchronicity and serendipity. As much as I pay attention to cause-and-effect, I often delight in things that just seem to “randomly” fall into place and things (or people) that show up when I “need” them, but wasn’t looking for them. Granted, there are times when I consider chaos theory and see if I can trace everything back to some little thing that started the domino effect; however, I’m also just open to being pleasantly surprised by “accidental goodness.”

Do you know what I mean? Has that happened to you?

Have you ever read a horoscope or had someone tell you your future and it seemed right on? Have you gone into a practice (or any situation) and been surprised that you got exactly what “wanted” and/or “needed,” sometimes in an unexpected way?

We could say, as Thomas Henry Huxley pointed out in 1880, “In all these cases, it is only the relation to time which alters — the process of divination beyond the limits of possible direct knowledge remains the same.“ However, sometimes there is direct knowledge. Sometimes someone is taking known information and putting it together so that you see/make a connection. Then this becomes similar to the way you can understand what a child makes with their LEGO bricks (the patent for which was filed January 28, 1958, presumably at 1:58 PM). You know what the child makes because they tell you what they are making and your brain fills in the gaps based on the shape. Sometimes, the shape is really obvious — and maybe you have the picture from the LEGO packaging. Other times, your brain really has to work hard to see what the child is seeing.

“If you already understand what I am getting at, you may skip this next paragraph. But just in case, I will clarify: You have a box of Legos [sic] and you build a Lego horse. You then take it apart and put the blocks back in the box. You cannot expect to make a new horse just by shaking the box. How could Lego blocks of their own accord find each other and become a new horse again? No, you have to rebuild the hose, Sophie, And the reason you can do it is that you have a picture in your mind of what the horse looked like. The Lego horse is made from a model which remains unchanged from horse to horse.”

— quoted from the lesson “PLATO’S ACADEMY: The World of Ideas” in the chapter “Plato… a longing to return to the realm of the soul…” of Sophie’s World: A Novel About the History of Philosophy by Jostein Gaarder

Whether we realize it or not, our lives are put together the way our practice is put together — which is the same way we are instructed to build something with LEGO bricks: from the ground up. Aha! moments, lightbulb moments, epiphanies, and even “happy accidents” are all built on a foundation. We have to be prepared to see the things we see, even when we are not expecting to see them. We have to have the picture — i.e., the possibility — in our minds. We also have to be open to the way the bricks are connected. Ultimately, that’s what I’m really asking:

How open are you to these kinds of things?

My guess — and it’s not much of a stretch — is that your open-ness, or lack thereof, is based on past experiences. I mean, on a certain level, everything is based on past experiences. We do something new and a new neural pathway is created, a new thin veil of saṃskāra (“mental impression”) is lowered over us. We do that same thing again and we start to hardwire that new neural pathway, the veil becomes more opaque. Over time, our behaviors and reactions become so hardwired, that our saṃskāra become vāsanā (“dwelling” place for our habits) and we believe that our habits are innate or instinctive — when, in fact, they are conditioned.

This is true when things seem to randomly and luckily fall into place, as well as when a fortune cookie seems to be spot on. This is also true when we are not so fortunate or blessed; when things don’t seem to easily fall into place or when we don’t “randomly” get what we didn’t know we needed. Furthermore, our physical-mental-emotional response to the so-called “happy accidents” is just as conditioned as our physical-mental-emotional response to things not going our way. We are as much like Pavlov’s dogs as we are like the one-eyed mule (or camel) observed by the Princes of Serendip. To do something other than salivate at the appearance of certain objects and/or to eat on the side of the road we can’t easily “see” is “impossible.”

“Impossible is just a big word thrown around by small men who find it easier to live in the world they’ve been given than to explore the power they have to change it. Impossible is not a fact. It’s an opinion. Impossible is not a declaration. It’s a dare. Impossible is potential. Impossible is temporary.

Impossible is nothing.”

— quoted from a 2004 Adidas ad campaign written by Aimee Lehto (with final tag line credited to Boyd Croyner), often attributed to Muhammad Ali

Per chaos theory, little changes in conditioning can change the outcome. Those little changes in conditioning can also change our understanding of a situation and its outcome. They change our “space of possibility.” We start to notice causality and, in the process, start to add to the story — which essentially changes the story. At other times, little changes in conditioning can change our understanding of what is possible and, therefore, what is probable.

All that can change our actions. For instance, consider the comedian Jackie Gleason and how he reacted to Elvis Presley’s first national television*** appearance, on January 28, 1956. No one had seen anything like Elvis before and no one knew how far he would go. So, not surprisingly, Mr. Gleason initially missed certain signs (like how the audience reacted to Elvis) and said, “He can’t last, I tell you flatly, he can’t last.”

To be fair (to Jackie Gleason), there were several reasons why the comedian and producer initially missed the signs. First, “Heartbreak Hotel” had just been released as a single (the day before). Second, Elvis was still relatively unknown on a national level and not many people showed up to see Elvis when he first performed on the weekly program Stage Show. Despite his initially reaction, Jackie Gleason and the other producers of Stage Show scheduled Elvis to perform two shows in January and two shows in February. The future “King of Rock and Roll” performed “Shake Rattle And Roll,” “Flip Flop and Fly,” and “I Got A Woman.” By the time Elvis finished the first show, his schedule was extended to include two more appearances on the Stage Show — thanks, in part, to Jackie Gleason observing the situation, making connections, and coming to certain conclusions.

Ultimately, those are the secrets to serendipity and to practicing serendipity:

Observing causes and conditions, in order to have as much information as possible;
Being open to possibilities (and possible connections);
Letting go of what was; and
Being right here, right now, with present-moment awareness.

“In no very distant future, the method of Zadig, applied to a greater body of facts than the present generation is fortunate enough to handle, will enable the biologist to reconstruct the scheme of life from its beginning, and to speak as confidently of the character of long extinct beings, no trace of which has been preserved, as Zadig did of the queen’s spaniel and the king’s horse.”

— quoted from the essay “On the Method of Zadig: Retrospective Prophecy as a Function of Science” (1880) in Collected Essays, Volume 4. Science and Hebrew Tradition by T. H. Huxley

Sunday’s playlist is available on YouTube and Spotify.

*NOTE: While most of this practice focused on “happy accidents,” I do reference one tragic accident: the Space Shuttle Challenger explosion. On January 28, 1986, all seven crew members were killed, including Christa McAuliffe, who was selected to be the first schoolteacher in space. In the past, when I offered more direct suggestions for personal dedications, I would include a passing reference to family, friends, co-workers, students, and others who remember and were inspired by F. Richard Scobee (Commander), Michael J. Smith (Pilot), Ronald McNair (Mission Specialist), Ellison Onizuka (Mission Specialist), Judith Resnik (Mission Specialist), Gregory Jarvis (Payload Specialist), and Christa McAuliffe (Payload Specialist / teacher). This year, I ended the practice with the words of S. Christa McAullife who said, “If you’re offered a seat on a rocket ship, don’t ask what seat. JUST GET ON!” and “Reach for the stars. Reach for it! Push yourself as far as you can.”

**Spoiler Alert (that’s not really spoiling the movie): Theoretically and hypothetically (because this doesn’t happen in the movie), if the couple in Serendipity were seeking something that ended up getting torn apart, and the pieces were used to make a painting/collage that was placed in a museum — without anyone knowing the source of the material for the collage, then them discovering the information they sought could be considered serendipitous because they weren’t looking for a painting/collage.

*** CORRECTION: I sometimes refer to Elvis’s appearance on Stage Show as his first television appearance; however, it was his first time on a nationally broadcasted show. He had previously appeared on a local broadcast, Louisiana Hayride, that aired on KSLA-TV (in Shreveport, La) on March 5, 1955.

### “I’m gonna pick up the pieces” ~ Ed Sheeran ###

« older posts

A Joyful Practice

FTWMI (repost): Saying Yes to Life and to the “Impossible” & EXCERPT: “The Powerful Possibilities That Come From ‘A Brother’s Love’” (w/practice video) August 2, 2026

“What a journey this life is! dependent, entirely, on things unseen.”

— quoted from the essay “Nothing Personal” by James Baldwin (b. 1924), original published as part of a collaboration with Richard Avedon

— quoted from the essay “Nothing Personal” by James Baldwin (b. 1924), original published as part of a collaboration with Richard Avedon

You’re Invited to Bend… & To Take The Deepest Breath You’ve Taken — On Retreat!

September 25 — 27, 2026

### MORE LOVE ###

Believe More Like the Birds & Trees (the “missing” Saturday post) July 25, 2026

— quoted from “Chapter 5. The Frog Who Dreamed of Being a Prince” in Deviate: The Science of Seeing Differently by Beau Lotto

“By describing the four states of affliction, Patanjali is addressing the pain and sorrow of all human beings, whether or not they have heard of yoga or regard themselves as yoga practitioners. We are all striving to achieve happiness.”

— quoted from the commentary on Yoga Sūtra 2.4 from The Practice of the Yoga Sutra: Sadhana Pada by Pandit Rajmani Tigunait, PhD

“Be like the bird, who Halting in his flight On limb too slight Feels it give way beneath him, Yet sings Knowing he hath wings.”

— quoted from the poem “Be Like the Bird” by Victor Hugo

“All emotions associated with the organs are considered natural responses to life. Yet when they become compulsive or prolonged, they become injurious to our overall health.”

— quoted from the “Emotional Qualities” section of “12. The Lungs and Large Intestine” in Insight Yoga: An innovative synthesis of traditional yoga, meditation, and Eastern approaches to healing and well-being by Sarah Powers (Forward by Paul Grilley, Photography by Matthew Carden)

“When the small intestine chi is out of balance, there is poor sorting, and unclear information and emotions dominate and deteriorate the inner system.”

— quoted from the “Emotional Qualities” section of “13. The Heart and Small Intestine” in Insight Yoga: An innovative synthesis of traditional yoga, meditation, and Eastern approaches to healing and well-being by Sarah Powers (Forward by Paul Grilley, Photography by Matthew Carden)

— quoted from the “Everyday Life” section of “Chapter Four – Cycles of Circles: A Theory of Relativity Yin-Yang” in Between Heaven and Earth: A Guide to Chinese Medicine by Harriet Beinfield, L.Ac. and Efrem Korngold, L.Ac., O. M. D.

“As humans, we have the capacity to see the difference between avidya and vidya. We can choose to harness one and subdue the other and thus become the creator of our own destiny.”

— quoted from the commentary on Yoga Sūtra 2.5 from The Practice of the Yoga Sutra: Sadhana Pada by Pandit Rajmani Tigunait, PhD

You’re Invited to Bend… & To Take The Deepest Breath You’ve Taken — On Retreat!

September 25 — 27, 2026

### Are You Noticing a Pattern? ###

REVISITING: “A Graceful Saturday & FTWMI: An ‘All Will Be Well’ Wednesday” (mostly the music & blessings) May 13, 2026

“We’re really talking about math when we say, ‘The optimist sees the glass as half full and the pessimist as half empty,’ though in my view maybe true optimists are just glad to have a drink in the first place!”

— quoted from “Chapter 5. The Frog Who Dreamed of Being a Prince” in Deviate: The Science of Seeing Differently by Beau Lotto

You’re Invited to Bend… & To Take The Deepest Breath You’ve Taken — On Retreat!

September 25 — 27, 2026

### 🎶 ###

Let’s Focus on “Little Things” (the “missing” compilation post for Wednesday) September 24, 2025

— quoted from the “Transcript of ‘When do babies begin to learn? — What you can do to support your child’s development.’” in the “Parenting” section of the UNICEF website

“1. States Parties recognize the right of persons with disabilities to education. With a view to realizing this right without discrimination and on the basis of equal opportunity, States Parties shall ensure an inclusive education system at all levels and lifelong learning….”

“3. States Parties shall enable persons with disabilities to learn life and social development skills to facilitate their full and equal participation in education and as members of the community. To this end, States Parties shall take appropriate measures, including:

a) Facilitating the learning of Braille, alternative script, augmentative and alternative modes, means and formats of communication and orientation and mobility skills, and facilitating peer support and mentoring;

b) Facilitating the learning of sign language and the promotion of the linguistic identity of the deaf community;

c) Ensuring that the education of persons, and in particular children, who are blind, deaf or deafblind, is delivered in the most appropriate languages and modes and means of communication for the individual, and in environments which maximize academic and social development.”

— quoted from “Article 24 – Education” of the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD)

— quoted from “Article 24 – Education” of the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD)

“And then we spoke about Rosh Hashana… finally.

People always talk about making big changes – New Year resolutions.

‘I want to lose 50 pounds.’

‘I want to finish the entire Talmud.’

‘I’m going to spend 90 minutes of quality time with my daughter every night.’

It doesn’t work. It never does. And if it does, it peters out. You have no choice. You must start small.”

— quoted from “Preparing for Rosh Hashana: The secret to an inspiring new year” by Rabbi Yaakov Salomon

“The key to getting the most out of any experience is preparation before the event. You cannot expect to leap from the shower to the shul and instantly feel holy. It just doesn’t work that way.”

— quoted from “Preparing for Rosh Hashana: The secret to an inspiring new year” by Rabbi Yaakov Salomon

— quoted from the “Cultivating Transformation” section of “Chapter 3 — Igniting the Fire of Transformation” in The Way of the Goddess: Daily Rituals to Awaken Your Inner Warrior and Discover Your True Self by Ananta Ripa Ajmera

— quoted from the “Cultivating Transcendence” section of “Chapter 7 — Transcending Trauma with Wisdom” in The Way of the Goddess: Daily Rituals to Awaken Your Inner Warrior and Discover Your True Self by Ananta Ripa Ajmera

### MAY YOUR NAME BE WRITTEN & SEALED IN THE BOOK OF LIFE ###

FTWMI: Saying Yes to Life and to the “Impossible” & EXCERPT: “The Powerful Possibilities That Come From ‘A Brother’s Love’” (w/practice video) August 2, 2025

“What a journey this life is! dependent, entirely, on things unseen.”

— quoted from the essay “Nothing Personal” by James Baldwin (b. 1924), original published as part of a collaboration with Richard Avedon

— quoted from the essay “Nothing Personal” by James Baldwin (b. 1924), original published as part of a collaboration with Richard Avedon

### MORE LOVE ###

FTWMI: A Well, Well, Well(ness) [Tuesday] (w/ an excerpt) May 13, 2025

— quoted from the American Psychological Association’s APA Dictionary of Psychology

— quoted from “Optimism and Its Impact on Mental and Physical Well-Being” by Ciro Conversano,1,† Alessandro Rotondo,2,† Elena Lensi,1 Olivia Della Vista,1 Francesca Arpone,1 and Mario Antonio Reda1

— quoted from “Chapter 5. The Frog Who Dreamed of Being a Prince” in Deviate: The Science of Seeing Differently by Beau Lotto

“All shall be well, and all shall be well, and (in) all manner of thing(s) shall be well.”

— quoted from Chapters 1 of Revelations of Divine Love (Revelations of Love in 16 Shewings) by Julian of Norwich

“Optimists are likely to see the causes of failure or negative experiences as temporary rather than permanent, specific rather than global, and external rather than internal. Such a perspective enables optimists to more easily see the possibility of change.”

— quoted from the Psychology Today webpage entitled, “Optimism” (Reviewed by Psychology Today Staff)

You can still click here to Kiss My Asana Now! (Or, you can also still click here to join my team and get people to kiss [your] asana!)

### BE WELL & BE GREAT ###

First Friday Night Special #46: Saying Yes to Life and to the “Impossible” & EXCERPT: “The Powerful Possibilities That Come From ‘A Brother’s Love’” August 2, 2024

“What a journey this life is! dependent, entirely, on things unseen.”

— quoted from the essay “Nothing Personal” by James Baldwin (b. 1924), original published as part of a collaboration with Richard Avedon

— quoted from the essay “Nothing Personal” by James Baldwin (b. 1924), original published as part of a collaboration with Richard Avedon

### MORE LOVE ###

A Well, Well, Well(ness) Monday (a post-practice post w/excerpt for Monday) May 13, 2024

— quoted from the American Psychological Association’s APA Dictionary of Psychology

— quoted from “Optimism and Its Impact on Mental and Physical Well-Being” by Ciro Conversano,1,† Alessandro Rotondo,2,† Elena Lensi,1 Olivia Della Vista,1 Francesca Arpone,1 and Mario Antonio Reda1

— quoted from “Chapter 5. The Frog Who Dreamed of Being a Prince” in Deviate: The Science of Seeing Differently by Beau Lotto

“All shall be well, and all shall be well, and (in) all manner of thing(s) shall be well.”

— quoted from Chapters 1 of Revelations of Divine Love (Revelations of Love in 16 Shewings) by Julian of Norwich

“Optimists are likely to see the causes of failure or negative experiences as temporary rather than permanent, specific rather than global, and external rather than internal. Such a perspective enables optimists to more easily see the possibility of change.”

— quoted from the Psychology Today webpage entitled, “Optimism” (Reviewed by Psychology Today Staff)

### BE WELL & BE GREAT ###

“Be like the bird, who
Halting in his flight
On limb too slight
Feels it give way beneath him,
Yet sings
Knowing he hath wings.”

— quoted from “Optimism and Its Impact on Mental and Physical Well-Being” by Ciro Conversano,^1,† Alessandro Rotondo,^2,† Elena Lensi,¹ Olivia Della Vista,¹ Francesca Arpone,¹ and Mario Antonio Reda¹

— quoted from “Optimism and Its Impact on Mental and Physical Well-Being” by Ciro Conversano,^1,† Alessandro Rotondo,^2,† Elena Lensi,¹ Olivia Della Vista,¹ Francesca Arpone,¹ and Mario Antonio Reda¹

“Do it differently
So it won’t come out the same
Step up, be strong,
Get yourself out of pain.”

— quoted from a letter addressed to Sir Horace Mann, dated January 28, 1754, by Horace Walpole (The Right Honorable The (4^th) Earl of Orford, Horatio Walpole)