Posted by ajoyfulpractice in Art, Baseball, Faith, Football, Healing Stories, Health, Hope, Loss, Minnesota, Music, One Hoop, Philosophy, Religion, Science, Suffering, Tragedy, Yoga.
Tags: 988, Believing, Bill Griggs, Branch Rickey, Buddy Holly, Carl Rogers Young, Carnival, Charles Follis, Charles Follis Foundation, David Shul, Don McLean, Dr. Mike Miller, J. P. "The Big Bopper" Richardson, Jonathan Cain, Journey, Lenny Kaye, Michael Franti, Mishlei, music, Neal Joseph Schon, Proverbs, Ritchie Valens, Roger Peterson, Season for Nonviolence, Spearhead, Stephen Ray Perry, Val Willingham, Yoga Sutra 3.35
“Happy Carnival!” to those who are celebrating! Many blessings to everyone, everywhere.
Peace, ease, contemplation, and a little faith (believing) throughout this “Season for Nonviolence” and all other seasons!!!
This is the “missing” compilation post for Tuesday, February 3rd. It includes a little note and a series of date-related excerpts. 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.
“For as he thinks in his heart, so is he.”
— Proverbs (New King James Version, 23:7)
Bring your awareness to what you believe, in your heart of hearts and in the back of your mind. “Believing” is the “Season for Nonviolence” principle of the day and it highlights the fact that what we believe, in our heart of hearts, shapes our thoughts, words, and deeds — and, by extension, the world. Patanjali made this point in Yoga Sūtra 3.35 (which is 3.33 or 3.34 in some translations), when he indicated that “By practicing samyama (focus-concentration-meditation] on the heart, knowledge of the mind is attained.”
So, what (or who) is in your heart? Do you believe “the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost”? Do you believe “in God above”? Some people do and some of those people (in the Western Christian traditions) are finishing up the final weeks of their pre-Lenten season, while others (in the Orthodox Christian traditions) are just beginning their pre-Lenten season. Regardless of which calendar they use (or the different ways they do it), these are all people who are preparing for the weeks-long ritual Lent, which is a very intentional — and, sometimes, very public-facing — expression of what they believe.
We can believing in things that are limiting our possibilites and/or things that expand our horizons. For instance, do you you can make a difference in the world? Do you believe you can make a difference in the world doing something you love? If not, have I got a story for you.
“On October 17, 1903, [Branch] Rickey felt the ‘Black Cyclone’s’ full power when he ran their ends dizzy for 20, 25, 35 and 70 yard gains, the last being a touchdown. After that game Rickey praised Follis, calling him ‘a wonder.’ It was the power of his example, his character, and his grace that convinced Rickey, that color could not belie his greatness. The rest is history….”
— quoted from the “Background” section of the Charles Follis Foundation website
Click on the excerpt title to learn about Charles “The Black Cyclone” Follis, born today in 1879.
The Black Cyclone (a special Black History note)
“For years, [Dr. Mike Miller], a research cardiologist, has been studying the effects of happiness — or things that make people happy — on our hearts. He began his research with laughter, and found watching funny movies and laughing at them could actually open up blood vessels, allowing blood to circulate more freely.
Miller thought, if laughter can do that, why not music? So, he tested the effects of music on the cardiovascular system. ‘Turns out music may be one of the best de-stressors — either by playing or even listening to music,’ said Miller.”
— quoted from a 2009 CNN Health segment entitled, “The power of music: It’s a real heart opener” by Val Willingham, CNN Medical Producer
“Now do you believe in rock and roll / Can music save your mortal soul?” And, what happens if the music died, as it did today in 1959? Would you believe that the show must go on?
Click on the excerpt title to learn more about the music, the musicians, and the tragic accident that happened today in 1959.
Today, 1959 (the Wednesday post about the music that died)
“Everyone deserves music, sweet music”
— quoted from the song “Everyone Deserves Music” by Michael Franti & Spearhead (written by Michael Franti, David Shul, Carl Rogers Young)
Tuesday’s playlist is available on YouTube and Spotify. [Look for “02032021 The Day the Music Died”]
NOTE: The YouTube playlist has the Tommy Dee version of “Three Stars” during the practice and the Eddie Cochran version in the before/after music. The Spotify playlist has Cochran’s version during the practice and Charlie Gracie’s song “I’m Alright,” a tribute to Eddie Cochran, in the before/after music.
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).
### “Don’t Stop Believin’!” ~J ###
Posted by ajoyfulpractice in Baseball, Football, Healing Stories, Music, One Hoop, Yoga.
Tags: 988, Believing, Dr. Mike Miller, Season for Nonviolence, Val Willingham
“Happy Carnival!” to those who are celebrating! Many blessings to everyone, everywhere.
Peace, ease, contemplation, and a little faith (believing) throughout this “Season for Nonviolence” and all other seasons!!!
“For years, [Dr. Mike Miller], a research cardiologist, has been studying the effects of happiness — or things that make people happy — on our hearts. He began his research with laughter, and found watching funny movies and laughing at them could actually open up blood vessels, allowing blood to circulate more freely.
Miller thought, if laughter can do that, why not music? So, he tested the effects of music on the cardiovascular system. ‘Turns out music may be one of the best de-stressors — either by playing or even listening to music,’ said Miller.”
— quoted from a 2009 CNN Health segment entitled, “The power of music: It’s a real heart opener” by Val Willingham, CNN Medical Producer
CLICK ON THE EXCERPT TITLE BELOW FOR MORE.
Believing in the Power… [of Music & Connections] (the “missing” Tuesday post with excerpts)
Please join me today (Tuesday, February 3rd) at 12:00 PM or 7:15 PM for a yoga practice on Zoom. You can use the link from the “Class Schedules” calendar if you run into any problems checking into in the class. You can request an audio recording of this practice via a comment below or by emailing myra (at) ajoyfulpractice.com.
Tuesday’s playlist is available on YouTube and Spotify. [Look for “02032021 The Day the Music Died”]
NOTE: The YouTube playlist has the Tommy Dee version of “Three Stars” during the practice and the Eddie Cochran version in the before/after music. The Spotify playlist has Cochran’s version during the practice and Charlie Gracie’s song “I’m Alright,” a tribute to Eddie Cochran, in the before/after music.
If you are thinking about suicide, worried about a friend or loved one, or would like emotional support, you can dial 988 (in the US) or call 1-800-273-TALK (8255) for the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline. You can also call this TALK line if you are struggling with addiction or involved in an abusive relationship. The Lifeline network is free, confidential, and available to all 24/7. YOU CAN TALK ABOUT ANYTHING.
White Flag is an app, which I have not yet researched, but which may be helpful if you need peer-to-peer (non-professional) support.
If you are a young person in crisis, feeling suicidal, or in need of a safe and judgement-free place to talk, you can also click here to contact the TrevorLifeline (which is staffed 24/7 with trained counselors).
In the spirit of generosity (“dana”), the Zoom classes, recordings, and blog posts are freely given and freely received. If you are able to support these teachings, please do so as your heart moves you. (NOTE: You can donate even if you are “attending” a practice that is not designated as a “Common Ground Meditation Center” practice, or you can purchase class(es).
Donations are tax deductible; class purchases are not necessarily deductible.
Check out the “Class Schedules” calendar for upcoming classes.
### 
###
Posted by ajoyfulpractice in "Impossible" People, Art, Bhakti, Faith, Gratitude, Healing Stories, Hope, Kumbh Mela, Life, Music, Mysticism, New Year, One Hoop, Pain, Peace, Philosophy, Religion, Suffering, Wisdom, Women, Yoga.
Tags: 988, Believing, Black History Month, Carnival, Civil Rights, Gupta Navaratri, Haiwang Yuan, human rights, humanity, Katyayani, Kumbha Mēlā, Lunar New Year, Magha Navaratri, Maha Kumbh Mela, Margaret Bonds, Michael Ann Williams, Navaratri, Nüwa, Rosa Parks, Rosa Parks Day, Samyama, Season for Nonviolence, Spring Festival, Sunn m'Cheaux, Swami Vivekananda, Thornton Wilder, Year of the Snake, Yoga Sutra 3.35, Yoga Sutra 3.53, Zulu
“Nine days and nine nights of blessings and happiness if you are celebrating Magha Gupta Navaratri!” “Happy (Lunar) New Year!” and/or “Happy Carnival!” to those who are celebrating! Many blessings to everyone, and especially those observing Maha Kumbh Mela and/or Rosa Parks Day*.
Peace, ease, and contemplation throughout this “Season for Nonviolence” and all other seasons!!!
This is the “missing” post for Tuesday, February 4th. It is a compilation post featuring some new material, previously posted content, and excerpts. 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.
“STAGE MANAGER….. – Now there are some things we all know but we don’t take’m out and look at’m very often. We all know that something is eternal. And it ain’t houses and it ain’t names, and it ain’t earth, and it ain’t even the stars . . . everybody knows in their bones that something is eternal, and that something has to do with human beings. All the greatest people ever lived have been telling us that for five thousand years and yet you’d be surprised how people are always letting go of that fact. There’s something way down deep that’s eternal about every human being.”
— quoted from Act III of Our Town by Thornton Wilder
“We find, in studying history, one fact held in common by all the great teachers of religion the world ever had. They all claim to have got their truths from beyond, only many of them did not know where they got them from.”
— quoted from “Chapter VII: Dhyana and Samadhi” in The Complete Works of Swami Vivekananda, Volume 1, Raja-Yoga by Swami Vivekananda
In Our Town, which had it’s Broadway premiere at Henry Miller’s Theatre today in 1938, Thornton Wilder wrote a monologue (actually, a whole play) about something that — if not “unique to being human” — is at least an essential part of being human. In Raja Yoga, Swami Vivekananda wrote about people who had knowledge of something similar… maybe even the same thing. But, the Stage Manager doesn’t lay out what the thing is and Swami Vivekananda was focused on how we get knowledge and understanding of this universal truth.
So, on a certain level, we must turn inward and ask ourselves what it means to be human.
Or, better yet, you can ask yourself what you BELIEVE it means to be human. “Believing” is the “Season for Nonviolence” principle of the day and it highlights the fact that what we believe, in our heart of hearts, shapes our thoughts, words, and deeds — and, by extension, the world. Patanjali made this point in Yoga Sūtra 3.35 (which is 3.33 or 3.34 in some translations), when he indicated that “By practicing samyama (focus-concentration-meditation] on the heart, knowledge of the mind is attained.”
We see proof of this application when we look at the stories behind the beliefs related to rituals and traditions related to Carnival and Maha Kumbh Mela celebrations; this seventh day of the Lunar New Year/Spring Festival — which some consider to be the birthday of all humans — as well as the stories and beliefs related to Navaratri, the Hindu festival of “nine nights” celebrating divine feminine energy in various manifestations. This sixth day of Navaratri is dedicated to Katyayani, one of the fiercest (and most violent) ways that Durga shows up in the celebration. She rides a lion; is associated with red (as a color symbolizing courage); kills the biggest demon(s); and has multiple hands (4, 10, or 18, depending on the depiction). One of those hands is in the “stop the ignorance” mudra.
And, speaking of warrior goddesses who stop ignorance: We can apply Yoga Sūtra 3.35 to the beliefs of someone like Rosa Parks, who was born in Tuskegee, Alabama, today in 1913.
“I believe we are here on the planet Earth to live, grow up and do what we can to make this world a better place for all people to enjoy freedom.”
— Rosa Parks (b. 1913)
CLICK ON THE EXCERPT TITLE BELOW FOR MORE ABOUT ROSA PARKS.
FTWMI: “Rooted Deep in a Moment (a special [revised] Black History note)” *UPDATED*
“Nüwa could not stand seeing the decimation of the humans and other creatures she had created. She was determined to rescue them. Facing such a large-scale calamity, Nüwa did not panic. Instead, she prioritized what she was going to do. She decided that the damage to the sky was the cause of everything, so she took to the task of mending it. She collected a great number of mulitcolored stones from a riverbed, built a furnace in the Zhonghuang Mountain, and, after forty-nine days, melted the stones and created a huge piece of colorful slate. Embedding the slate in the hole, Nüwa managed to fix the leaking sky. Her action produced an unexpected side effect: the shining colors of the slate added to the sky a moon, a rainbow, and numerous stars.”
— quoted from “The Origin of Human Beings“ in The Magic Lotus Lantern and Other Tales from the Han Chinese by Haiwang Yuan (with Forward by Michael Ann Williams)
CLICK ON THE EXCERPT TITLE BELOW FOR MORE ABOUT NÜWA THE 7th DAY OF THE LUNAR NEW YEAR (plus a preview of a weekend post).
Celebrating(,) Being Humans (a 2-for-1 “missing” post)
“You must never be fearful about what you are doing when it is right.”
— Rosa Parks
Tuesday’s (primary) playlist is available on YouTube and Spotify. [Look for “02082022 Celebrating Being Humans”]
Tuesday’s (alternate) playlist is also available on YouTube and Spotify. [Look for “02042024 Sitting, Breathing… on a Bus”]
NOTE: The before/after music (for the alternate playlist) is slightly different on each platform, as the YouTube playlist includes videos of some featured songs. Both playlists also include Margaret Bonds’s Montgomery Variations and a podcast episode about the women who started the Montgomery Bus Boycotts; however, the Spotify playlist does not include the short from one of my favorite [haa-vahd] professors.
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).
*NOTE: Rosa Parks Day is currently celebrated today in Missouri and Massachusetts; on the first Monday after her birthday in Michigan and California; and on the anniversary of the day she was arrested (December 1, 1955) in Ohio, Texas, Alabama, Tennessee, Oregon and several cities and counties.
### As they say in Zulu, “Sawubona!” [“I see you!”] and “Yebo, sawubona!” [“I see you seeing me.”] ###
A Joyful Practice 