Posted by ajoyfulpractice in 7-Day Challenge, Abhyasa, Bhakti, Changing Perspectives, Donate, Faith, Food, Healing Stories, Hope, Japa-Ajapa, Karma Yoga, Life, New Year, One Hoop, Philosophy, Rosh Hashanah, Science, Vairagya, Volunteer, Wisdom, Yoga.
Tags: 988, calendar, Church New Year, Dr. Ivan Pavlov, Enkutatash, Ganesh Chaturthi, Ganesha, Ge’ez, Gregorian calendar, healing, Hebrew, High Holidays, hinduism, Julian calendar, meditation, Pavlovian, Rosh Hashanah, samskāras, Swami Jnaneshvara, The Gospel According to Luke, Tracy Chapman, vāsanā, yoga, yoga philosophy, Yoga Sutra 1.12
Happy Church New Year and/or Happy Ganesh Chaturthi, to those who are celebrating. “L’Shana Tovah U’Metukah!” to everyone celebrating Rosh Hashanah and the High Holidays. Many blessings to everyone and especially to anyone responding with friendship, peace, freedom, understanding, and wisdom.
Stay safe! Hydrate and nourish your heart, body, and mind.
The following post-practice compilation post for Monday, September 14th, includes new and previously posted content, PLUS a series of excerpts. The 2026 prompt question was, “Under what circumstances do you find yourself responding versus reacting? (In other words, what are the causes and conditions that lead you to have wise/skillful/mindful responses instead of kneejerk reactions?)”
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.
“It’s time to start all over, make a new beginning”
— quoted from the song “New Beginning” by Tracy Chapman
Depending on which calendar(s) you use, today (Monday) was either September 14, 2026, on the Gregorian calendar; September 1, 2026, on the Julian calendar; Tishrei 3, 5787, on the Hebrew calendar; Meskerem 4, 2019, on the Ethiopian of Ge’ez calendar; or Bhadrapada 19, 2083, on the Hindu lunar calendar. Obviously, there are more dates I could mention; but, I am highlighting these because they are related to new beginnings that, in some cases, were actually kicked off by last week’s new moon.
Enkutatash, the Ethiopian New Year was on Friday; Rosh Hashanah, “the the Head of the Year” and the beginning of the High Holidays, started on Friday at sunset; and today (Monday) was the Church New Year in some Orthodox Christian communities and Ganesha Chaturthi in some Hindu communities. Although the Ethiopian New Year is not considered a religious holiday by everyone who celebrates it and, although, these holidays are celebrated within different religious, the first three holidays have roots in the Hebrew Bible and all are related to homecomings (of a sort).
Enkutatash is Amharic for “gift of jewels” and refers to the gifts given to the Queen of Sheba (named Bilqis or Makeda, in some accounts) when she returned home after visiting King Solomon (son of David) and giving him gifts. Many people celebrate the new year by attending church in the morning; sharing a traditional meal with family; and then dressing up for singing, dancing, and gift giving. The Ethiopian or Ge’ez calendar is a solar calendar that serves an official state calendar, as well as a liturgical calendar. Since the calendar’s inception was originally based on the Julian calendar and related to the annunciation of Jesus (on August 29, 8 AD), this is 2019, on the Ethiopian calendar.
Several Biblical annunciations (or announcements) are celebrated as feast days within the Abrahamic religions. In some Orthodox Christian traditions, the Church New Year commemorates two significant events that occurred on September 1st (according to the Julian calendar). First, it was the day Jesus “entered the synagogue on the Sabbath day as was His custom, and read these words of the Prophet Isaiah: ‘The Spirit of the Lord is upon me because he has anointed Me … to proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord’ (Luke 4, 18:19).” Later, in 312 AD, it was the day Emperor Constantine the Great (the first Roman emperor to convert to Christianity) won a victory over Maxentius, thus enabling Christians to publicly proclaim their faith within the Roman empire. On the Julian calendar, today is September 1st.
For Those Who Missed It: Some of the descriptions related to Ganesh Chaturthi were excerpted from a 2023 post.
“ॐ गजाननाय नमः।
Aum Gajānanāya Namaḥ।”
— This mantra honoring “the One who carries the elephant head” is a reminder that if Ganesha can carry the elephant’s head to survive and fulfill his duties, we can all put aside our egos and live dutifully.
Ganesh Chaturthi (which started today) is a 10-day festival celebrating the birthday of Ganesha. Depicted as a deity with an elephant head and (at least) four arms, Ganesha is known as the “Remover of Obstacles”, as well the God of New Beginnings, Wisdom, and Luck”. He is also associated with wisdom and intelligence, as well as the arts and sciences.
For Ganesha’s birthday celebrations, people chant Vedic and Hindu hymns and shastras (including sacred texts and scriptures). There is also kirtan (chanting with music), which is a form of bhakti yoga or union through devotion/love. The celebrations include installations of devotional images or murtis, which can be in the form of a “statue, sculpture, form, embodiment, or solid object”). Placing a clay statue of Ganesha in their home or on a public stage is a way for people to host Ganesha for one day, three days, seven days, or all ten days.
Additionally, there are pujas (“offerings”). People will often offer (and eat) one of Ganesha’s favorite treats: a sweet dumpling filled with grated coconut and a special sugar cane. The name of the dumpling, modak, comes from “ joy, happiness, delight”.
On the tenth day, the murtis are carried to a nearby body of water and dissolved so that Ganesha can return to his heavenly home, carrying people’s obstacles/burdens away in the process. In some places, hundreds of thousands of statues are dissolved at the end of the festival. Over the years, people moved away from traditional materials and started using plaster of Paris (Gypsum plaster), which created environmental concerns. Some cities have now banned using plaster of Paris and encouraged people to return to using local clay (and sometimes clay and cow dung). There are also people who will dissolve their Ganesha statue in a barrel of water and then spread the dissolved clay in their garden — which may not seem like much, but can be way for a person’s actions and faith-based beliefs to make a difference in the world.
While Ganesh Chaturthi is not a new year, per se, people will pray to Ganesha before starting something new. So, all of these holidays are a great time to consider what it takes to cultivate a new habit.
For Those Who Missed It: The following note and excerpt where previously posted. Some class details, links, and formatting have been updated/added.
“If a certain stimulus has lost its influence, it can recover the latter only after a long resting that has to last several hours.
The lost action, however, can also be restored with certainty at any time by special measures.”
— quoted from the Dec. 12, 1904 Nobel Lecture “Physiology of Digestion” by Dr. Ivan Pavlov, winner of the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine
A “Habit Loop” — the connection between a trigger, behavior, and reward — can also be considered “the Pavlovian response”, which was named after Dr. Ivan Pavlov (b. 1849).
Click on the excerpt title below to discover why Dr. Pavlov might have been in the habit of celebrating his birthday today (rather than on September 26th).
FTWMI: How Do You Respond [in 2024]?
The post excerpted above includes a link to my video series about cultivating habits!
“abhyāsa vairāgyābhyāṁ tat nirodhaḥ” (YS 1.12)
abhyāsa Practice over a long period/without interruption
vairāgyābhyāṁ Non-attachment, without attraction or aversion
tat Those (referring to the “fluctuations of the mind” as described in previous sutras)
nirodhaḥ Ceases, controls, quiets, stills, regulates, masters
There is no playlist for the Common Ground Meditation Center practices.
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).
September 25 — 27, 2026
LIMITED SPACE FOR HOTEL DISCOUNTS!
### How Do You Respond In 2026? (& How Will Your Name Be Written and Sealed in the Book of Life?) ###
Posted by ajoyfulpractice in Abhyasa, Changing Perspectives, Life, Music, One Hoop, Philosophy, Religion, Vairagya, Wisdom, Yoga.
Tags: 988, calendar, Calendars, George Michael Green, Gregorian calendar, history, Joan Borysenko, John Mellencamp, Julian calendar, Lubavitcher Rebbe, Mindfulness, Rabbi Tzvi Freeman, Science, Time, yoga
Many blessings to everyone and especially to anyone exerting their will to cultivate friendship, peace, freedom, understanding, and wisdom.
This “missing” compilation post for Sunday, October 5th, features “remixed” excerpts. 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.
“See the moon roll across the stars
See the seasons turn like a heart
Your father’s days are lost to you
This is your time here to do what you will do
Your life is now, your life is now, your life is now
In this undiscovered moment
Lift your head up above the crowd”
— quoted from the song “Your Life Is Now” by John Mellencamp (written by John Mellencamp, George Michael Green)
Time. It is such an arbitrary concept. I mean, we are passing the time every time we inhale; measuring time every time we exhale. However, our experience of time is often based on our perspective. For instance, how long a road trip — or a flight to the other side of the planet — is versus how long it feels can be different and how long it feels can be different if you are by a window, enjoying the view, versus if you really have to go to the bathroom when there’s no place to go. Similarly, if you are having a good time, that time feels different than if you are having a challenging time; just like time seems to move at a different pace when you are looking forward to something versus when you are dreading something — keeping in mind that the “something” in either case may never happen.
Now, you may be thinking that one’s subjective experience of time does not make the concept of time arbitrary. Well, yes and no. Yes, it is true that, as a society, we have agreed on ways we will measure time so that we all show up at the same time and/or do certain things at certain times. However, the systems established were, initially, based on one person’s (or one group of people’s) whims. In other words, arbitrary.
For example, nothing happened today in 1582 — at least not in Italy, Spain, Portugal, France, and places like the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth. These Papal-governed nations were the first to switch from the Julian calendar to the Gregorian calendar and, in order to make the timing work, they skipped 10 days (October 5 — 14). One of the motivating factors for the switch was to use a system of time named for a pope (in this case, Pope Gregory XIII) rather than a Roman emperor (i.e., Julius Caesar). Another factor was that the church wanted more consistency and control over when Easter (and other religious holidays) were celebrated as Catholicism spread beyond Rome.
Where there other factors? Sure. However, the idea for a standardized date for Easter dates back to the First Council of Nicaea (in 325 AD); the need for calendar reform — to produce a more astrologically accurate calendar — dates back to the 8th century; and calendar reform — to produce a more liturgically consistent calendar — was proposed as early as 1475 AD.
Because it is in such common use as a civil calendar (and, therefore, used by people who are not Christian), we don’t typically think of the Gregorian calendar as a religious calendar. However, it is not the only religious calendar used in modern times. Some Christians (and non-Christians) still use the Julian calendar. Others use solar, lunar, lunisolar (sometimes called solilunar) and/or seasonal calendars. All these different calendars can overlap and coincide in different ways in any given year — meaning that holidays overlap and coincide in different ways every year.
“Before you were formed in the womb, your days were numbered and set in place. They are the chapters of the lessons you came here to learn, the faces of the wisdom this world has to teach you, the gateways to the treasures this lifetime alone can bestow.”
— quoted from Hayom Yom, 17 Cheshvan; Naso 5837:6 (From the wisdom of the Lubavitcher Rebbe, of righteous memory, words and condensation by Rabbi Tzvi Freeman)
When it comes to this time that (quote-unquote) “didn’t exist” as some people were switching over to the Gregorian calendar in 1582, the days that were skipped didn’t actually disappear. In reality, they were still there; just renamed / renumbered. This “deletion of days” would occur at different times throughout the year and over the years — even as recently as 2016. As the drift continued for countries still using the Julian calendar, sometimes as many as 14 days needed to be skipped.
We can think of these dates as liminal days, threshold days, or transitional days — especially when they pop up during the High Holidays or (as they do this year) in between holidays. However, whenever these dates pop up on our current calendar, I like to think of them as “extra days”, like a little bit of lagniappe that we’ve been given. And, of course, I ask the question, “How could I spend this extra bit of time?”
“Through the years I’ve written and taught extensively about ‘liminal time,’ that pregnant pause between what is no longer and what is not yet. Although liminal time is a known stage in all rites of passage, most people have never heard of it. Whether we’re talking about a pandemic, a war, a refugee crisis, or even a man or womanhood ritual, a graduation, or a new job far away from family and friends, the stages (though not the intensity) of a rite of passage are the same.”
— quoted from “Running the Gauntlet of the Unknown” by Joan Borysenko, PhD (posted at joanborysenko.com, April 1, 2020)
Sunday’s playlist is available on YouTube and Spotify. [Look for “10052021 A Matter of Time”]
“A day enters, opens its doors, tells its story, and then returns above, never to visit again. Never—for no two days of your life will share the same wisdom.”
— quoted from Hayom Yom, 17 Cheshvan; Naso 5837:6 (From the wisdom of the Lubavitcher Rebbe, of righteous memory, words and condensation by Rabbi Tzvi Freeman)
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).
### Appreciate the Time You’ve Been Given ###
A Joyful Practice 