May you be safe and protected / May you be peaceful and happy, during the 16 Days of Activism Against Gender-based Violence (November 25th – December 10th) and on all the other days of your life.
“As for him who neither possesses nor can acquire them, let him take to heart the words of Hesiod; ‘He is the best of all who thinks for himself in all things. He, too, is good who takes advice from a wiser. But he who neither thinks for himself, nor lays to heart another’s wisdom, this is a useless man.’”
— quoted from “Book I, Chapter II” of The Ethics of Aristotle: Volume The First by Aristotle (London: Arthur L. Humphreys 1902, Revised from the translation by D. P. Chase, published at Oxford in 1847)
Everyone needs a moment (or two) of discernment; a moment (or two) to pause, reflect, and reevaluate. Part of me wishes I could say that that is all I did over this last week. However, I am very grateful to note that my week away from teaching include a lot of craic: good food, music, laughter, and stories (sometimes in the form of movies) with some of my chosen family, friends, and a couple of wonderful doggies.
There were also some unexpected complications and those, it turns out, led to quite a bit of insight. Some of which I will share with you at a later date. In the meantime, here are excerpts (and a video) from some of the blog posts related to the last week of classes.
THANKSGIVING
“Enter into his gates with thanksgiving, and into his courts with praise: be thankful unto him, and bless his name.”
“Will Rogers, billed as the Oklahoma Cowboy, in a rope act is a feature at the Orpheum this week. He does wonders in rope spinning but you get so much interested in his ‘patter’ that you forget to watch the tricks, as he calls them. He is a monolinguist disguised in chaps, and one of the best ever….
PD. Printed in Kansas City Post and Journal, ca. 26 October 1914. Scrapbook 1914, CPpR”
— quoted from The Papers of Will Rogers: From Vaudeville to Broadway: Volume Three, September 1908 – August 1915 by Will Rogers, edited by Arthur Frank Wertheim and Barbara Bair
“The reader who finds these three episodes of no interest need read this book no further, for in a sense the central theme of my life is about nothing else. For those who are still disposed to proceed I will only underline the quality common to the three experiences; it is that of an unsatisfied desire which is itself more desirable than any other satisfaction. I call it Joy, which is here a technical term and must be sharply distinguished both from Happiness and Pleasure. Joy (in my sense) has indeed one characteristic, and one only, in common with them; the fact that anyone who has experienced it will want it again. Apart from that, and considered only in its quality, it might almost equally well be called a particular kind of unhappiness or grief. But then it is a kind we want. I doubt whether anyone who has tasted it would ever, if both were in his power, exchange it for all the pleasures in the world. But then Joy is never in our power and pleasure often is.”
— quoted from Surprised by Joy: The Shape of My Early Life by C. S. Lewis
“‘Mine was the first cry for justice, and a loud one. I made it so that our own adult leaders couldn’t just be nice anymore. Back then, as a teenager, I kept thinking, Why don’t the adults around here just say something?’”
— quoted from Claudette Colvin: Twice Toward Justice by Phillip Hoose
We shall breathe and break things down (i.e., metabolize things) during the First Friday Night Special on December 5th, 7:15 PM – 8:20 PM, CST)
&
I will offer in-person classes at the beginning of January 2026. (*DETAILS COMING SOON!*)
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.
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.)
“Ramaḍān Mubarak, Blessed Ramaḍān!” to anyone observing the holy month of Ramaḍān. Many blessings also to all, and especially to those who were celebrating and/or observing the Baháʼí 19-Day Fast, Great Lent, and/or Lent!
“Nowruz Mubarak!” Happy New Year to those who are celebrating and Happy Vernal (Spring) Equinox to those in the Northern Hemisphere.
Peace, ease, dialogue, and compassion to all, throughout this “Season for Nonviolence” and all other seasons!
Pardon me while I catch up. The following is a 2-for-1 post-practice post for Monday, March 10th and Monday, March 17th.It includes some new content, excerpts, and a repost (For Those Who Missed It). There is also a bonus link to a music-related post for March 21st.
The 2025 prompt question for 3/10 was, “Who is someone to whom you can talk (about anything) and who is someone to whom you can listen?” (NOTE: It can be the same person/people.)
The 2025 prompt question for 3/17 was, “Conas a tá tu? (How are you doing?)”
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.
“There are answers in the music And there are answers in the words And if we stopped talking in circles We might get closer to the earth”
— quoted from the song “Be Good” by Hothouse Flowers (written by Liam Tadg O’maonlai, Fiachna Seosamh O’braonain, Peter Mary O’toole, Jeremiah Michael August Fehily, Leo Barnes)
There are some people who believe music has no place in (their) yoga practice. Others practice Nāda (“sound” or “voiced”) yoga, which involves silent, internal vibrations as well as mantra and music. Then there’s kirtan (“narrating, reciting, telling, describing”), which is a form of Bhakti yoga (“union [through] devotion or love”) that incorporates chanting with music. If we pay attention to what it says in the Bhagavad Gita (which I do), then all these paths are valid and valued.
Personally, I like to practice in a lot of different ways and often find myself somewhere in the middle of these different ways to practice. In other words, I like silence… and I like a good playlist.
When I am teaching, more often than not, I am using music. Sometimes, in fact, I will build a whole practice around music — or, more specifically, the messages/answers in the music. Sometimes, I will even be inspired by the messenger(s). When I teach practices without music — for instance, if we are outside or I am teaching the Monday night class affiliated with Common Ground Meditation Center — I have to ask an important question: Does this practice (or theme) work without the music?
If the answer is no; then, I need a different focus. When the answer is yes, as it was for the last two Mondays, we just go a little deeper.
3/10 — ADVENTURES AND MUSIC
“Some ideas may resonate, others may not. A few may awaken an inner knowing you forgot you had. Use what’s helpful. Let go of the rest.
Each of these moments is an invitation to further inquiry: looking deeper, zooming out, or in. Opening possibilities for a new way of being.”
— quoted from the prelude to The Creative Act: A Way of Being by Rick Rubin
In 2024, I wondered, “What would happen if every practice — and, really, everything we did — started with the reminder above (which comes courtesy of a person who has been meditating for almost fifty years)?”
In 2025, when the “Season for Nonviolence” principle of the day (for March 10th) was “dialogue”, I focused on how different conversations would be if we all followed the aforementioned advice of Rick Rubin, who was born March 10, 1963.
For Those Who Missed It: “Beannachtaí na Féile Pádraig. (Happy Saint Patrick’s Day.)”The following was originally posted in 2024.
Take a moment to notice how you feel on the inside, knowing that how you feel on the inside affects how you move on the outside. Of course, how you move on the outside is going to affect how you feel on the inside. This is especially true today, especially in the United States, when a lot of people celebrate feeling “Irish on the inside.” Like Valentine’s Day — and, even Saint Stephen’s Day, on a certain level — Saint Patrick’s Day is celebrated more as a cultural holiday than it is celebrated as a feast day.
The way Saint Patrick’s Day is celebrated is particularly interesting when you consider three coincidences about that the fifth century (or late fourth century) priest. First, when he was sent to Ireland to minister to Christians who were there and to convert those still practicing the Celtic religions, he chose to co-opt — um, I mean, incorporate — the Irish culture into Catholicism. So, he was all about the heritage… but in a problematic way. Second, Saint Patrick was never canonized — which means that one of the most famous saints was (technically speaking) a saint in name only. While he has a feast day in several traditions, including in the Roman Catholic tradition, I find it fitting that he is remembered as a Saint because people felt like was a saint.
Finally, most of what we know about Saint Patrick comes from exaggerated stories, legends, like the one about how he ran all the snakes out of Ireland — and what would Saint Patrick’s Day be without “me good yarn?”
If you read the title of this post correctly, you know that I think Saint Patrick’s Day is a good time to have “a good time.” In keeping with the feeling, there will be music, dancing, and a story. The Irish tale I like to tell today isn’t about Saint Patrick (in fact it is most often associated with a different saint); but, it can be seen as an allegory. It is also fun to tell with the poses — because, y’all, there are a lot of bird poses in yoga!
CLICK ON THE EXCERPT BELOW FOR MORE ABOUT THOSE BIRD POSES.
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.
“So listen people what I tell you now Life is hard but it’s worth keeping on Listen people what I can tell you straight It’s not too late to
Try and get through I’m just trying to get through”
– from “Trying to Get Through” by Hothouse Flowers
All of my in-studio classes are officially cancelled for at least 2 weeks.
When I taught what turned out to be my last few in-studio classes for a bit, I ended by explaining that one of the reasons I was doing my regular March 15th theme, based on President Lyndon B. Johnson’s “American Promise” (aka “We Shall Overcome”) speech, was because I recognize that sometimes we step on the mat to help us deal with what’s going on off the mat and, also, sometimes to just have a moment away from what we’re dealing with off the mat. It is a few minutes, or hour, where the practice requires us to be fully present, right in the here and now – without getting sucked into what happened in the past or what might happen in the future. Those much needed respites … they are part of how we get through all this. So, keeping that in mind…
“Beannachti na fėile Pádraig, dia dhui. Mise Myra. Conas ata tu? Happy Saint Patrick’s Day, everyone. My name is Myra. How are you? OK, since it doesn’t seem like anyone else speaks Gaelic, I’ll stick to English and Sanskrit for the rest of the practice.”
– My usual introduction on March 17th”
The physical practice of yoga features a lot of bird poses. I mean, there are a lot, a lot, a lot of poses inspired by birds. Ergo, on Saint Patrick’s Day I usually guide a practice that tells the story of how the wren became the King of the Birds. The legend is usually associated with the Saint Stephen’s Day (instead of Saint Patrick’s Day) and the wren is the villain. However, I first heard about the legend in relation to “wren singers” singing in the round and the idea that it’s great “craic” for the music to never end at a “ceili.” So, when I tell the story, the wren is the heroine…and there are lots and lots of bird poses. (Not all of them, but a lot.)
You can read more about the ideas behind the physical sequence in a post from 2012. At some point on Tuesday, I will record a class for people who would normally attend on Tuesdays at Nokomis. (I apologize for not having it together in time for you to practice at your regular scheduled time.) If you’re not on my Tuesday list (you can message me) or you want to practice now, you can use the poses and playlist below to create your own sequence.
FEATURED BIRD POSES IN THE WREN CYCLE:
The Ruddy Goose: There are two (2) so-called “Ruddy Goose” poses or sequences. Today we’ll just do the first. Come to your hands and knees – or into a standing squat if you need to modify. Stack shoulders over elbows, elbows over wrists, hips over knees. This is a good place to do a little cat-cow. Balance the weight in all form limbs, even as you curl your right toes under and stretch the right leg back. Use your core to lift the back leg up and then, if it’s accessible to you, lift the left arm up. Now, to turn your 2-Legged Table into Ruddy Goose, bend your lifted knee as if you are standing on the ceiling. Hold here for a few breaths and then repeat on the other side (including the cat-cow).
The Wren: My so-called Wren Pose doesn’t really exist, except in the Wren Cycle and maybe in some kids yoga classes. From standing or Downward Facing Dog, make your way into a standing forward fold. Look up and lengthen into a “Half-Lift, Flat Back” position. Find that place where your spine is long, shoulders are relaxed, and core is engaged. On an inhale, stretch your arms back behind you, so wrists are beside the hips. In “Wren Pose” you can wiggle your fingers to “shake your tail feathers.” In a vinyasa practice, “Half-Lift, Flat Back” is one of the repeated poses so whenever you inhale into the half-lift on Saint Patrick’s Day, simultaneously extend your heart-gaze forward and your arms backwards. To release, exhale into a Standing Forward Fold. (NOTE: You can also turn a low lunge into a modified “Flying Wren.”)
Flamingo: Yes, yes, I know, you’re unlikely to see a Flamingo in Ireland outside of a zoo. That said, it’s in my version of the story and comes courtesy of my first teacher, Robert Boustany. It’s a big hip pose, so be warned. If you are not familiar with the sequence, just stick to Standing Splits (from a Standing Forward Fold), which is the beginning of the sequence.
Eagle: Come into Chair Pose, knees over ankles, shoulders over hips, big awkward smile on your face (just cause). Take a deep breath in and the exhale your right arm under your left, taking the double bind or the single bind. Lift the bound elbows up and the move the bound hands away from your face. As you inhale, step your right leg over your left (taking the double bind or using your right toes as a kickstand). Squeeze the thighs together and press the right hip back. Hold the pose for several breaths and then make your way through any additional (2 – 3) standing poses on the right.
“Flying Eagle”: From Warrior I on the right side, making sure hips are balanced (right hip back, left hip forward), stretch up as you inhale and then cross LEFT arm under the right for “Eagle arms.” Exhale and bring elbows to the right knee so that back is flat. Shift your weight forward as you inhale. Engage your core on the exhale and then use your inhale to soar into Warrior III with Eagle Arms. Stretch the arms out on an inhale (as the Eagle spreads out its wings and turns around to claim its crown). On an exhale, sweep the arms backwards into “Flying Wren” and hold. I usually add a Tree Pose here or before the first Eagle (so the other birds can watch the end of the competition). Repeat the Eagle/Flying Eagle/ Flying Wren section on the other side.
Pigeon and Royal Pigeon: These are fully puffed-up Pigeon poses (not one of the One-Legged Royal Pigeon variations). These are big heart openers, so if they are not in your practice modify with the prep pose. For Royal Pigeon, set yourself up for Floor Bow (prep pose) and then bring your head and feet together. For Pigeon, come into Camel Pose and then, if this variation is in your practice, work your head and elbows down to the floor behind you. Bind off with the feet and shins.
Heron: Come into Staff Pose, sitting on the floor with your legs stretched out in front of you. Bend your left knee to the left, with the knee on the ground, if you need more support. Hug your right knee into your chest and then use your hands (or a strap) to hold onto your arches or ankles. In Heron Pose, it is more important for your back to be straight (spine long) and for your to be balanced on your sit bones (fully upright, not leaning back) than it is to have your leg straight. So, first align your head, neck, and trunk. If you can keep your back straight, shoulders over the hips, use an inhale to straighten out your right leg. If it’s accessible to you, you can bring your shin to your chin. Hold for a few breaths, then release into a twist to the right (prenatal is to the left) before repeating on the other side.
Crow: Here’s one of the poses everyone expected. If it’s in your practice, use your Crow for one final vinyasa into Savasana.
Below is a playlist that features Irish artist and tells the story in 65 – 90 minutes (with or without the featured bird poses). Some songs on my in-class playlist are not available on YouTube so I’ve left them out. Also, you can easily skip a few towards the end to fit a shorter time frame. The HemiSync track is the last Savasana track. Garth, of course, marks the after party!
(This is freely given and freely received. I do not own the rights to these songs, but highly encourage you to buy them!)
A Joyful Practice 