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A BIG Thank You, A Little Reminder, & A Request (a bonus post) May 28, 2026

Posted by ajoyfulpractice in Donate, Gratitude, Healing Stories, Karma Yoga, Life, Love, Minneapolis, Minnesota, Music, One Hoop, Philosophy, Science, Swami Vivekananda, Texas, Twin Cities, Volunteer, Wisdom, Yoga.
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Many, many blessings to everyone.

“A hundred lives would not be sufficient to pay my deep debt of gratitude to you! I have not words enough to express my gratitude to you. ‘If the Indian Ocean were an inkstand, the highest mountain of the Himalaya the pen, the earth the scroll and time itself the writer’ (Adapted from the Shiva-Mahimnah-Stotram [verse 32].) still it will not express my gratitude to you!”

— quoted from “Epistles — Second Series: XL (From a letter written to H. H. the Maharaja of Khetri) American, 1894.” as printed in Complete Works of Swami Vivekananda (Volume 6) by Swami Vivekananda

Normally, when Kiss My Asana is in April and the donation pages are officially open until sometime in May, this is around the time when I post a little thank you for all the support. Even though KMA (or, at least the corresponding Salon) has been rescheduled this year, I still want to take this opportunity to say thank you. This is a big thank you, because I want to thank everyone who has supported me and this practice and this yoga community over the years.

Big shoutout and thank you to those of you who remember me teaching yoga in your living rooms. Thank you to the A-Team and the Wolf Team (my cohorts during my first teacher training) and all the teachers and students in all of my trainings. Thank you to everyone who regularly (or sporadically) came to classes at the YMCAs, the studios, Common Ground Meditation Center, and/or a condo or community center classes. Thank you to all my meditation buddies.

Thank you to everyone who has supported Kiss My Asana over the years. Thank you to everyone who have showed up (at multiple locations) for the Yoga Week classes over the last few years — not to mention those who helped me find and secure those multiple locations. I will also appreciate you showing up in the future.

Thank you to everyone who showed up for Sunrise Yoga during Northern Lights, for practices during Don’t You Feel It To? events, and/or for one of the special practices at one of the museums. Thank you for everyone who has attended (or will attend) a retreat. Thank you to the coordinators of those events, who invited me to teach, as well as to the supervisors and studio owners/managers I have met along the way. Thank you to the Carry Prenatal Yoga and Meditation App founders and support team — as well as everyone who has downloaded the app. Thank you for the students, teachers, and staff at Bend Yoga Center.

Thank you to those of you who invited me to teach outside by the lake or creek and those of you who invited me to teach for your birthday… or the birthday of someone you love. Thank you to the couples who invited me to officiate their weddings and to the people who asked me to be a part of a moment marking the beginning of new life or the end of a life well-lived.

Thank you to the handful of you who invited me to share the practice with your co-workers, family, and friends. Thank you to those of you who recommended me to your friends (not to mention your parents or kids), as well as those of you who intentionally (or serendipitously) ended up having a private practice.

Thank you to the handful of you who have opened your homes to me and to everyone (and anyone) who shows up! Thank you to the cooks and for everyone who has shared a dish and/or a whole meal when we all get together!!

Thank you to everyone who has ever purchased a class, made a donation, and/or given me treats. Thank you to everyone who has shared a meal, a hot beverage, a conversation, and/or a giggle with me. Thank you for everyone who has offered me feedback (positive or negative) and recommendations. Thank you to for the tangible gifts as well as those that don’t fit in a box. Thank you for everyone who has made sure I got where I needed to go (not to mention those who made sure I had a place to go).

Thank you to everyone who has continued this journey — either on Zoom; via a recording; through the blog, YouTube, and Spotify channels; and/or at those few times a year when I am offering in-person classes.

Additionally, here’s an extra special shout out and thank you to those of you who don’t practice (and may never practice), but make sure that someone you love has the space, time, technology, and other resources to join the rest of us on the mat and on the cushion.

I apologize if I have forgotten anyone. Please know that I appreciate you and that, as much as I am grateful for how our paths have crossed in the past, I am doubly grateful for how they will crisscross in the future.

Speaking of the future, don’t forget that there is still space for the upcoming gratitude retreat!

“Whoa, whoa, life is better with you
Whoa, whoa, life is better with you
And when I think about the things that we’ve been through
I know just one thing is true, life is better”

— quoted from the song “Life Is Better With You” by Michael Franti & Spearhead (written by Michael Franti, Jason Patrick Bowman)

Final shout-outs and thank yous: I am forever grateful for my yoga and meditation practices — and for the ways in which they became part of my everyday life. It is hard to imagine how I would be (or where I would be) without these practices and it is my continuous hope that your experiences with yoga are similarly profound.

On that note, thank you to my yoga teachers — especially the first ones — and an extra special decades-in-the-making thank you to the person who coordinated my first set of classes (and my second set of classes) and the other person who consistently showed up for the first set of classes (and the handful who showed up for the second set). You know who you are.

Music has always been a big part of my life and, so, it naturally became a big part of my practice. I am grateful for music and the way it opens us up — on so many different levels. I am also grateful that I was introduced to a lot of different music at a very early age. Fun fact: If I hadn’t learned how to read music (when I was a child), I may not have worked at the ballet (the second time around), which means I might not have started practicing yoga when I did… which means I might not have crossed paths with any of you… which means I wouldn’t be nearly as grateful as I am right now.

If you are also grateful for music (on or off the mat), please click here and check out this video for the South High Music Booster Club.

“Everyone deserves music, sweet music
Even our worst enemies Lord, they deserve music, music
And even the quiet ones in our family, they deserve music

So if you’re feelin’ down and out, got no place to go now
Just sing along to the music y’all, let it fill your soul now
Because everyone deserves music, sweet music

Even the quiet ones, the lonely ones
The happy ones ain’t the only ones, y’all
Everyone deserves music”

— quoted from the song “Everyone Deserves Music” by Michael Franti & Spearhead (written by Michael Franti, David Shul, Carl Rogers Young)

NOTE: In his 1894 letter, which recounted some of his experiences at the 1893 Chicago World’s Fair and Parliament of the World’s Religions, Swami Vivekananda was specifically expressing gratitude for “American women!” (His exclamation mark, not mine.) Towards the end of the letter, he said, “They intuitively know that it is a question of positivity and not negativity, a question of addition and not subtraction. They are every day becoming aware of the fact that it is the affirmative and positive side of everything that shall be stored up, and that this very act of accumulating the affirmative and positive, and therefore soul-building forces of nature, is what destroys the negative and destructive elements in the world.”

### Gracias ♥ Merci ♥ Grazie ♥ Danke ♥ Go Raibh Maith Agat ♥ 谢谢 [Xièxie] ♥ धन्यवाद [Dhanyavāda] ♥ Dankon ♥ ありがとう [Arigatō] ###

Believing in the Power… [of Music & Connections] (the “missing” Tuesday post with excerpts) February 3, 2026

Posted by ajoyfulpractice in Art, Baseball, Faith, Football, Healing Stories, Health, Hope, Loss, Minnesota, Music, One Hoop, Philosophy, Religion, Science, Suffering, Tragedy, Yoga.
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“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 ###