Many blessings to everyone, everywhere. Stay hopeful and hydrated.
Pardon me while I catch up. The following excerpts and video are related to Monday, August 4th. The excerpts are in “story” order. The 2025 prompt question was, “What do you have in common with someone who inspires you?”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.
“Of course, such classes must be somehow distinguished or distinguishable from others, or the symbols would not be significant. If I am to make use of the terms x and y to any purpose, I must obviously have some means of making it clear to myself and to others which things are x and which are not, which are y and which are not.”
— quoted from “Chapter II. Symbols of Classes and Operations.” in Symbolic Logic by John Venn Sc.D. ; F.R.S. (b. 1834)
Click on the excerpt titles below for more about the musician, the president, and the duchess — not to mention the mathematician and poet — who celebrate(d) birthdays today.
The playlist for the video practice is available on YouTube and Spotify. [Look for “08042021 Wonderfully, Hopefully, Fearlessly Impossible”]
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.
This “missing” invitation for the “First Friday Night Special” on August 1stis a compilation post with excerpts, an embedded link to a related post, and a couple of videos.
You can request an audio recording of this Yin 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).
Donations are tax deductible; class purchases are not necessarily deductible.
“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
In “Part I: The Practice of Yoga — 1. Yoga: Concept and Meaning” of The Heart of Yoga: Developing A Personal Practice, T. K. V. Desikachar offered several English definitions of the Sanskrit word “yoga”, including “‘to come together’” and “‘to attain what was previously unattainable.’”
There are many reasons why something may not have been done or may not have been done by us (specifically). In Yoga Sūtras 1.30 – 1.31, Patanjali highlighted nine obstacles/distractions and four accompanying conditions that we can expect when we practice. The nine obstacles/distractions are disease, mental inertia/dullness, doubt, carelessness/negligence, sloth/laziness, cravings (and the inability to withdraw from them), clinging to misperceptions, frustration (related to failure), and instability (or failure to maintain a certain level of practice). Co-arising and/or resulting directly from the obstacles/distractions are pain, mental agitation (which can come in the form of sadness and frustration), unsteadiness or trembling in the body, and irregular breath. You may notice that these are things people experience even if they have never practiced yoga (physically and/or philosophically). However, Patanjali offers a solution to these obstacles/distractions and their accompanying ailments: yoga and the practice of single-pointed focus. (YS 1.2 and YS 1.32)
In other words, “yoga” — and single-pointed focus — can be the path to doing what some might consider “impossible”.
A portion of the following is excerpted from a 2020 post.
“There can be no doubt, that, in most cases, their judgment may be equal with the other sex; perhaps even on the subject of law, politics or religion, they may form good judgment, but it would be improper, and physically very incorrect, for the female character to claim the statesman’s birth or ascend the rostrum to gain the loud applause of men, although their powers of mind may be equal to the task.”
— quoted from “II: Becoming an Advocate” in Observations on the Real Rights of Women , with Their Appropriate Duties, Reminiscences and Traditions of Boston, Agreeable to Scripture, Reason and Common Sense by Hannah Mather Crocker (published 1818)
Believe it or not, Hannah Crocker was advocating for women’s rights when the wrote the above, in 1818, and stated that “It is woman’s peculiar right to keep calm and serene under every circumstance in life, as it is undoubtedly her appropriate duty, to soothe and alleviate the anxious cares of men, and her friendly and sympathetic breast should be found the best solace for him, as she has an equal right to partake with him the cares, as well as the pleasures of life.” Taken out of context, and viewed with a modern mind, it is easy to think that Crocker would have disapproved of Maria Mitchell, who was born August 1, 1818 (on the island of Nantucket in Massachusetts).
Miss Mitchell, as the king of Denmark would refer to her, was the first acknowledged female astronomer. Her Quaker parents believed in equal education for the 10 offspring, regardless of gender, and her father shared his love of astronomy with all of his children. Miss Mitchell, however, was the only one really interested in going deeper into the math and science of what they viewed as “a hymn of praise to God.” She was assisting her father by the age of 12; opened and taught at a school for girls by the age of 17; and starting working as the librarian at the Nantucket Atheneum in her twenties. On October 1, 1848, she observed what she initially thought was a distant star, but quickly suspected was actually a comet. Further observation proved her correct and, after her father wrote to the Harvard Observatory, her conclusion was reported to the King of Denmark who awarded her a gold medal and named the newly sighted object “Miss Mitchell’s Comet”.1
Maria Mitchell would go on to be the first woman appointed to the American Association of the Advancement of Science (also in 1848); the first woman to earn an advanced degree (1853); the first woman appointed to the faculty of Vassar Female College (as their astronomy professor and head of their observatory, in 1865); and, therefore, the first woman in American history to earn a position as an astronomy professor. She is what I refer to this week as an impossible woman and Hannah Crocker may or may not have approved.
Take a moment to notice that Miss Mitchell was raised in a household where her interests and endeavors were supported. Despite the fact that she was born in a time and place where some believed her sex and gender should dictate/limit her vocation and occupation, she was able to focus on her goal, in part, because of her family “‘coming together’” to support her.
“First, no woman should say, ‘I am but a woman!’ But a woman! What more can you ask to be? Born a woman — born with the average brain of humanity — born with more than the average heart — if you are mortal, what higher destiny could you have? No matter where you are nor what you are, you are power.”
— quoted from Maria Mitchell: Life, Letters, and Journals by Maria Mitchell
We all have some power(s) and part of the yoga philosophy is about (re)gaining access to our power(s). (YS 1.3, 2.55, 4.1) We have all witnessed (and/or directly experienced) how that power is magnified when people “unite”. This is true even when people are together and yet doing their own thing. For instance, individuals are often able to do things in a group setting (i.e., practicing in a yoga class) that they may not be able to do — with the same ease or at all — when they are alone.
Part of the group experience is the energetic power of being together and part of it may be about having an “accountability buddy”, even if that buddy is a stranger with whom you never directly interact. You could also tap into that same energy dynamic when writing in a café or — or, as Herman Melville did, while living in close proximity with another writer.
“Whenever I find myself growing grim about the mouth; whenever it is a damp, drizzly November in my soul; whenever I find myself involuntarily pausing before coffin warehouses, and bringing up the rear of every funeral I meet; and especially whenever my hypos get such an upper hand of me, that it requires a strong moral principle to prevent me from deliberately stepping into the street, and methodically knocking people’s hats off – then, I account it high time to get to sea as soon as I can.”
— quoted from Moby-Dick, or the Whale by Herman Melville
Born in New York City on August 1, 1819, exactly a year to the day after Maria Mitchell, Herman Melville shared a love of the sea (and certain other experiences) with Nathanial Hawthorne. During Melville and Hawthorne’s brief friendship, they were both their most prolific. They also published what would become their most popular works, including Melville’s Moby-Dick and Hawthorne’s The Scarlet Letter. Both wrote about people who obsessively purposed their goals (something that is encouraged in yoga), but their characters did not always temper their determination with devoted surrender and non-attachment (which is something that is also encouraged in yoga). Lest you think it was only Hawthorne who focused on commandments, read on.
“Think not, is my eleventh commandment; and sleep when you can, is my twelfth.”
— quoted from Moby-Dick, or the Whale by Herman Melville
You can click on the first excerpt below for the original (2020) post about Maria Mitchell and Herman Melville (which has a different yoga philosophy focus) or the second excerpt title for more about Herman Melville.
“When Herman Melville was writing Moby Dick, he wasn’t writing about a man looking for a whale. He was writing about a man trying to find his higher self. He said these words, ‘… for as this appalling ocean surrounds the verdant land, so in the soul of man lies one insular Tahiti, full of peace and joy, but encompassed by all of the horrors of the half-lived life.’
In every moment of your life, as you leave here today, you have this choice, you can either be a host to God, or a hostage to your ego.”
(NOTE: There will be a little bit of quiet space in this practice.)
Friday’s playlist is available onYouTube and Spotify. [Look for “06042021 Having Our Say / Let’s Get Loud” – I recommend Track 1 or Track 2.]
(NOTE:The YouTube playlist has videos not available on Spotify and the Spotify app may add extra tracks.)
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 will also be handy.
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.
1NOTE:“Miss Mitchell’s Comet” is formally designated as C/1847 T1.
As this is the anniversary of the 1-35 bridge collapse, please hold a neighbor in your hearts and minds today. So many people are suffering with current events, but let us not forget that some people are still grieving and healing from past events. To quote my dad, “Sounds like we’ve got a lot of work to do.”
This is a “missing” post for Sunday, June 29th.This post includes passing references to sex, gender, sexuality, and to incidents of terrorism and of homophobia. Also, note that at least one of the embedded links directs you to YouTube. My gratitude for your patience if you came to the Zoom practice and my apologies for not posting this earlier. 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.
“Now you cannot change this You can’t erase this You can’t pretend this is not the truth”
— quoted from the song “Tuesday Morning” by Melissa Etheridge (written by Melissa Etheridge and Jonathan Taylor)
Since this is the last weekend of June, some people are celebrating PRIDE (and some people who are celebrating PRIDE are also bringing awareness to men’s mental health, since June is dedicated to both). I mentioned, yesterday, that this year hits / feels different to me because the days and dates coincide exactly with the Stonewall Uprising in 1969. So, obviously, I shared bits of PRIDE’s backstory and offered a brief history of the Stonewall Inn and the Stonewall Uprising — which included gay people, lesbians, bisexual people, transgender people, queer (and questioning) people, intersex people, asexual people (ace), aromantic people (aro), demi-sexual people, non-binary people, and a whole lot of other people. My catch-all “a whole lot of other people” includes straight people; because, allies have always been part of PRIDE.
Sadly, haters — in all categories — have also always been part of the story.
And there’s the other reason this year hits hard for a lot of people: because there are people in power who want to strip people within the LGBTQIA+ community of their civil rights, their humanity, their identity, their history, their hope, and their joy. While, a lot of people get distracted (positively and negatively) by the PARTY that is PRIDE, aspects of PRIDE have always been about maintaining / retaining civil rights and humanity as well as giving people an opportunity to define themselves while also sharing history, hope, and joy.
So today, as this month’s PRIDE celebrations are coming to a close, I wanted to go a little deeper into the history and share the true stories of some people you may not know were/are in the community.
“It was a rebellion, it was an uprising, it was a civil rights disobedience – it wasn’t no damn riot!”
— Stormé DeLarverie
Just to clarify, I talk about people within the LGBTQIA+ community throughout the year. Sometimes, I mention their sexuality and/or their identity; but, sometimes I don’t — because, honestly, it’s often the least interesting thing about the people I highlight throughout the year. The same can be said about the people I am highlighting today. In most cases, their identity and/or sexuality is only notable because of the times in which the lived (and often thrived, despite the sociopolitical climate in which they lived).
So, why not highlight these people throughout the year?
Honestly, there’s just too many things and people I would like to highlight.
Some of these people I’ve struggled to figure out days when I can squeeze them all in. This year, this became the day (because of the last person I am highlighting).
“So what do we do when they say our love is forbidden And what if I don’t wanna pray our love is forgiven I’m willing to fight every day of life that I’m given You’re a rule that I’m willing to break An exception I’m willing to make You’re a risk that I’m willing to take”
— quoted from the song “Forbidden” by Todrick Hall, featuring Jade Novah & Keala Settle (written by Carl Seante Mcgrier, Jean-yves G. Ducornet, Todrick Dramaul Hall, Kofi A. Owusi-ofori)
Most of the people on today’s list are people I have never mentioned in class (or on the blog). However, the first person I highlighted is someone I have referenced — in passing — over the years. Her name is Tam O’Shaughnessy, PhD (b. January 27, 1952). She is a science teacher and an associate professor emeritus of school psychology, who researched preventive interventions for children with reading difficulties — which I find super interesting, as someone who loves to read (and is also interested in how the brain works). She is also a former professional tennis player (who played in the U.S. National Championships, now known as the U.S. Open, in 1966, 1970, and 1972.
Dr. O’Shaughnessy is the author of 12 science books for children — 6 of which she wrote with the astronaut Sally Ride, who was her life partner for 27 years. In addition to writing together, the couple co-founded the science education company Sally Ride Science at University of California, San Diego (along with Karen Flammer, Terry McEntee, and Alann Lopes).
“Gladstone calls herself ‘queer’, ‘pansexual’ and ‘straight’. ‘I can’t put a label on it,’ she says. ‘One of the big things that tipped me to my queerness is I don’t have the draw to motherhood the way a lot of women have. There was a period of my life when I thought I might be asexual because I had no sexual attraction to anybody. I had a romantic attraction to everybody but no sexual desire. Then the word “demisexual” came into play, where it’s, like, I don’t feel sexual stirring at all unless I actually care about this person, no matter who they are.’ That’s a better fit, she thinks, although she won’t say if she has a partner.”
— quoted from the April 25 2025, The Times article, entitled “Lily Gladstone: queer, pansexual or straight? I might be demisexual — The star of Killers of the Flower Moon talks about her new comedy Wedding Banquet, defining her sexuality and hanging out with Leonardo DiCaprio” by Ed Potton
Lily Gladstone (born August 2, 1986) is an actress who was raised on the Blackfeet reservation. She is of Piegan Blackfeet, Nez Perce, and European heritage and her ancestors include a Kainai Nation chief (Red Crow) and a British Prime Minister (William Ewart Gladstone). She is the first Native American to win the Golden Globe Award for Best Actress in Motion Picture Drama and the first Native American to be nominated for the Academy Award for Best Actress.
To me, what is even more interesting than their awards, is the fact that they taught an image theatre acting method where the actor/sculptor molds the actors/statues through touch. This “sculpture garden”, as they called it, was part of a violence prevention program sponsored by the National Indigenous Women’s Resource Center.
And, yes, I switched pronouns on you, which might be interesting when you consider the context — and the reminder that Two Spirit people (not to mention Muxe and other indigenous people who are gender non-conforming, by our modern/Western ideas) existed on this continent long before there was a United States of America (or even a set of European colonies).
“‘And in most Native languages, most Indigenous languages, Blackfeet included, there are no gendered pronouns. There is no he/she, there’s only they,’ Gladstone adds.”
“‘So Blackfeet, we don’t have gendered pronouns, but our gender is implied in our name. But even that’s not binary,’ says Gladstone….”
“‘So, yeah, my pronoun use is partly a way of decolonizing gender for myself.’”
— Lily Gladstone, quoted from the December 31, 2023, People article, entitled “Lily Gladstone on Why She Uses She/They Pronouns: A Way of ‘Decolonizing Gender for Myself’” by Eric Andersson
The musician Melody McKiver, who is featured on the playlist, is a member of the Obishikokaan Luc Seul First Nations, who shared similar sentiments in the April 12, 2017 ICT News interview “Great Videos and Music from 8 Indigenous LGBTIA and/or Two Spirit Musicians” by DeLesslin George-Warren, stating:
“‘Fundamentally, everything in my body of work is a part of my work as a 2S musician because it’s who I am’”
We like to put people in narrow boxes, but most people are not one thing. We are multifaceted and every bit of light is part of the whole. In that way, we are like a rainbow: people may see different things about us on the outside, but what shines through is coming from the same source.
Rainbows, as a symbol, show up in the world in a lot of different ways and they showed up in my childhood in multiple ways. They are a symbol of hope in the Abrahamic religions and, throughout my childhood, they also popped up as a symbol of people from different racial and ethnic backgrounds coming together to fight for equality (here in the United States and in South Africa). Finally, there was that myth about a pot of gold at the end of the rainbow.
Growing up, that leprechaun’s gold was Romantic and symbolized success and the life of one’s dreams. To me, doing what you love, loving what you do, and being successful is like finding the gold — which means we are all “chasing rainbows”. Just like Alice Anderson.
Alice Anderson (born June 8, 1897) was the founder and owner of Miss Anderson’s Motor Service (Kew Garage), the first all-women garage in Australia. She also wrote a regular motoring column for Woman’s World and once drove the smallest car in the world across the Never Never. While anyone could use the services of Miss Anderson’s garage — services that included full auto repair, chauffeuring, interstate touring trips, driving classes, and petrol stations — Alice Anderson only hired women as mechanics and professional drivers. Like those in her employment, Miss Anderson not only worked in a male-dominated industry, she wore breeches, suits, and ties.
It’s important to remember that people’s concepts of what is gender-conforming is different in different cultures and can change (within a culture) over time. For example, there was a time when “a proper man” in some European cultures wore stockings, wigs, and painted their face (as well as their nails). Similarly, Alice Anderson lived in a time and place where the things she liked to do (and the clothes she liked to wear) were, on a certain level, acceptable. Of course, that didn’t stop her mother (who was born and bred in Ireland) from disapproving of her career and life choices.
Neither did it stop Alice from inspiring generation after generation of drivers, mechanics, and entrepreneurs.
“An LGBTQ advocacy group has taken the name Alice’s Garage, and Anderson’s tie pin, engraved with same Joan of Arc-inspired motto that was stamped on her business cards—‘Qui ne risque, rien n’a rien,’ or ‘Nothing ventured, nothing gained,’— is on permanent display at the National Motor Museum in Birdwood, South Australia.”
— quoted from “Founder of Australia’s First All-Women Garage Alice Anderson 1897–1926” by Briohny Doyle, published in Overlooked: A Celebration of Remarkable, Underappreciated People Who Broke the Rules and Changed the World by Amisha Padnani and the [New York Times] Obituaries Desk
Inspiration is one of the reasons that representation matters; because it is hard to believe you can do something if you haven’t seen anyone like you do anything remotely like the thing you want to do. Without representation, certain things can feel “impossible”.
Just consider, for a moment, that there is a young ventriloquist who is very popular in this day and age. She has blond hair, blue eyes, and is sweet as a button. She looks and sounds like a southern belle, In other words, she fits some people’s stereotype of classic femininity. In interviews, she has mentioned being inspired by a particular male ventriloquist and, if you are of a certain age, maybe you can only think of a handful of male ventriloquist. However, there are some women who became famous as ventriloquist — including Terri Rogers (born May 4, 1937).
Terri Rogers and her doll, Shorty Harris, toured the world and even appeared on the HBO special Blockheads. She was also a magician — although, when it came to magic, she is remembered more for the illusions she crafted from people like David Copperfield and Paul Daniels.
Her comedy could be shocking and bawdy (the doll’s name was Cockney slang for “short arse” after all), but could also be cleaned up for shows like the ones she did at NATO headquarters. What really stood out for people, though, was the way she made you forget that she was acting and that she was also the doll. Then there was her voice. People were often struck by Terri Rogers’s her incredible vocal range. What most of those people didn’t know was that she was transgender.
“[Terri] Roger’s partner, the magician Val Andrews, once wrote that she remembered the comedian Jimmy Wheeler admonishing her audience: ‘Blimey, you don’t realize what you’ve seen and heard!’”
— quoted from “Transgender Ventriloquist and Magician Terri Rogers 1937–1999” by Jeanne Thornton, published in Overlooked: A Celebration of Remarkable, Underappreciated People Who Broke the Rules and Changed the World by Amisha Padnani and the [New York Times] Obituaries Desk
Terri Rogers wasn’t the first (nor the last) to perform in clothes typically associated with a different sex or gender from the one they were assigned at birth. There is a difference, however, between someone who dresses and/or performs in drag and someone who is transgender (who might also perform in drag). Consider many (if not most) actors have appeared in drag. Similarly, many politicians have dressed in drag — which makes some of them hypocrites, but that’s another story for another day.
While drag queens get a lot of attention (just as there is a lot of focus on transgender women), there are drag kings (just as there are transgender men). But, again, there is a difference. Of course, when we look back at people in history, it can be hard to tell sometimes if someone was performing in drag, transgender, or both.
For example, Gladys Bentley (born August 12, 1907) was one of the most famous entertainers of the Harlem Renaissance. Poets like Langston Hughes and Countee Cullen sang her praises. If you’re thinking, “Wait a minute, how can someone be so famous and I’ve never heard of them?” Well, she was a Black, gay/lesbian person who mostly performed sang, danced, and played the piano in a top hat and tails. She referred to herself as a woman and yet she is quoted as saying that she didn’t feel like a woman. In fact, she felt more comfortable in men’s clothes and, when necessity required it, she presented as a man.
The thing about Gladys Bentley is that she was focused on survival at a young age. She ran away from home at 16 years old — after what was essentially 16 years of rejection from most of her family members — and she got her first job as an entertainer, because she presented as a man. Later, as the government changed and laws changed, she forced herself to wear a dress to perform (and even married a man, after claiming she had married a woman). But, Gladys Bentley wasn’t as successful as an entertainer wearing dresses as she was wearing pants.
Maybe, because she wasn’t comfortable in the dresses, because she didn’t feel like herself.
“Scholars who have studied [Gladys] Bentley’s life said that the story Bentley told about being ‘cured’ in the Ebony article [‘I Am A Woman Again’, written in 1952] was likely a response to the McCarthy Era and its hostile claims that homosexuality and communism were threats to the country. [Jim] Wilson also says that Bentley, who was aging and no stranger to reinvention, was likely making deft use of the press. ‘I like to believe that Gladys Bentley had her thumb on the pulse of the time. She knew what was popular, what she could do, and what people would pay to see,’ he says.”
— quoted from the March 14, 2019 “Women Who Shaped History: A Smithsonian magazine special report” entitled “The Great Blues Singer Gladys Bentley Broke All the Rules: For the Smithsonian’s Sidedoor podcast, host Haleema Shah tells the story of an unapologetically gay African-American performer in 1920s and 30s” by Haleema Shah
The next person on the list is the second person that I sometimes mention is passing: Marsha P. Johnson, one of the people who was at Stonewall on June 28-29, 1969. She was a transgender, gay rights activist who also worked as a prostitute and (occasionally) performed in drag. While she battled with mental health issues and was often homeless, she seemed tireless when working on behalf of homeless youth and/or advocating for the healthcare of people with HIV and AIDS.
Since “transgender” was not a widely used term during much of her lifetime, Marsha P. Johnson used women’s pronouns and “referred to herself as gay, as a transvestite, or simply as a queen” (according to her Overlooked obituary written by Sewell Chan). People have describe Marsha P. Johnson as fierce and fearless and people also remember her for her grace, her whimsical nature, and her joy for life. She was all that… and a bag of chips.
Or, er, peaches.
“Johnson was also part of a drag performance group, Hot Peaches, which began performing in 1972. She told anyone who asked—including, once, a judge— that her middle initial stood for ‘pay it no mind.’ The surname came from a Howard Johnson’s restaurant where she liked to hang out.”
— quoted from “Transgender Pioneer and Activist 1945–1992” by Sewell Chan, published in Overlooked: A Celebration of Remarkable, Underappreciated People Who Broke the Rules and Changed the World by Amisha Padnani and the [New York Times] Obituaries Desk
Just in passing (since I’m about to quote them), I want to mention the Wachowski Sisters. Lana (born June 21, 1965) and Lilly (December 29, 1967) Wachowski are writers, directors, and producers who co-created the Matrix franchise as well as V for Vendetta (2005) and live-action Speed Racer (2008). In addition to movies and television, the siblings have also collaborated on comic books and video games. With regarded to their gender identity, they have repeatedly stated that the original Matrix (1999) movie was an allegory about how we consume information and how we form identity and understanding based on our consumption of media — and, in particular, how a person’s outward identity may or may not reflect the inward experience (and vice versa). In other words, it’s a transgender allegory that is also about waking up to reality — something a lot of people seem to have missed.
“Morpheos [to Neo]: …Remember: all I’m offering is the truth. Nothing more.”
— quoted from the 1999 movie The Matrix written and directed by The Wachowskis
While we are on the subject of gender identity, it’s important to remember that sex and gender (as well as gender expression) are not the same things (and not the same for everyone). Again, different countries and cultures have different expectations around sex and gender and individuals have individual experiences. Someone can be female, be a cisgender woman, and present in a very feminine (girly way) and/or in a very masculine way — simply based on what feels good and how they think they look — and they may not get the side or a double take. This is also true for other people; however, it can be more challenging for someone who is a cisgender man to present as feminine in some places.
More to the point, however, there are people who can now be identified by Western science as intersex, which is an umbrella term to describe a variety of people whose sex characteristics — including chromosome patterns, gonads, or genitals — “do not fit typical binary notions of male or female bodies”. (NOTE: The fact that Western science is constantly evolving means that there might come a day when doctors pinpoint a reason some people are transgender.)
Here, again, if you have heard of someone (on the news, on social media, or even in a book) who is intersex, there is a good chance that it was an athlete like Caster Semenya (born January 7, 1991) who, for most of her life, did not know she could be medically diagnosed as intersex. You may not, however, have heard of someone like the John Kenley (born February 20, 1906) whose atypical sex organs were identified at birth, but whose parents decided his life would be easier as a man than as a woman. Even though he was baptized in the Russian Orthodox church as a boy and served in the Merchant Marines during World War II, the American theatre producer (of Slovakian descent) never really felt comfortable as a man and reportedly spent his downtime living as a woman named Joan.
John Kenley may not have been comfortable in his own skin, but he was successful. He revolutionized summer stock by inviting celebrities (specifically television and movie stars) to star in live theatre productions. He was also the first theatre producer to desegregate a theatre in Washington, D. C.
“The ways in which trans people have been represented have suggested that we’re mentally ill, that we’re that we won’t exist. And yet here we are. And we’ve always been here.”
— Laverne Cox, quoted in the trailer for her 2020 Netflix documentary Disclosure: Trans Lives on Screen
During the (live) 2025 class, I inadvertently mixed up some of the details about John Kenley with the details about Alan L. Hart (born October 4, 1890). Also known as Robert Allen Bamford Jr., Dr. Alan Hart was a physician, radiologist, tuberculosis researcher, and writer. He published over nine short stories and four novels and his revolutionary (at the time) use of X-ray photography in tuberculosis detection continues to save innumerable lives.
However, much of what he accomplished professional almost didn’t happen because he was transgender and his medical degree was issued in his birth name (with a note added to his records) — which did not match his outward appearance and effect or his name once he legally changed it.
Alan Hart was one of the first people (in the United States) to receive counseling and surgery (including a hysterectomy) with regard to his gender dysphoria. At the point (in his adulthood) that he medically transitioned, he had lived most of his life as a man and he was fortunate that his family accepted his gender identity at a very young age. He was also fortunate that, for the most part, he was able to be recognized as a boy and then a man throughout his school years. However, he did fear that his prospects were limited because how he appeared on the outside (and felt on the inside) did not match his credentials.
“Unpopular ideas can be silenced, and inconvenient facts kept dark, without the need for any official ban. Anyone who has lived long in a foreign country will know of instances of sensational items of news — things which on their own merits would get the big headlines-being kept right out of the British press, not because the Government intervened but because of a general tacit agreement that ‘it wouldn’t do’ to mention that particular fact. So far as the daily newspapers go, this is easy to understand. The British press is extremely centralised, and most of it is owned by wealthy men who have every motive to be dishonest on certain important topics. But the same kind of veiled censorship also operates in books and periodicals, as well as in plays, films and radio. At any given moment there is an orthodoxy, a body of ideas which it is assumed that all right-thinking people will accept without question. It is not exactly forbidden to say this, that or the other, but it is ‘not done’ to say it, just as in mid-Victorian times it was ‘not done’ to mention trousers in the presence of a lady. Anyone who challenges the prevailing orthodoxy finds himself silenced with surprising effectiveness. A genuinely unfashionable opinion is almost never given a fair hearing, either in the popular press or in the highbrow periodicals.”
— quoted from an originally unpublished introduction to Animal Farm by George Orwell
Just as there is a difference between sex and gender, there is also a difference between someone’s sex and/or gender and their sexuality. And this is a big point of contention for some folks within the community, who feel like the community is too inclusive and/or has become like a big state whose geographic regions have completely different interests, concerns, and priorities.
And yet, the same people who want to erase transgender people from history (including from the history of Stonewall) are the same people who want to ignore the fact that Bayard Rustin (born March 17, 1912) was a gay rights activist as well as the primary organizer of the March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom (in 1963) and the Freedom Rides, as well as one of the organizers of Southern Christian Leadership Conference — all of which provided a platform for the Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. The same people that made it impossible for Mr. Rustin and his partner, Walter Naegle, to get married want you to ignore the fact that the couple found a creative work around so that could legally be connected and not let their sexuality overshadow their activism.
Those same people don’t want you to know that Tam O’Shaughnessy and Walter Naegle both accepted Presidential Medal of Freedom awards that were posthumously awarded to their late partners in 2013.
Those same people also don’t want you to know that the British mathematician Alan Turing, PhD (born June 23, 1912) was persecuted for being gay — even though his computer and code breaking skills accelerated the end of World War II. Using a computer called the Bombe, Dr. Turing was one of the cryptanalysts charged with deciphering the Enigma code used by Nazi Germany. In doing so, they enabled the Allied forces to evade German submarines. His success meant that he had briefings with then-Prime Minister Winston Churchill and then-President of the United States Franklin D. Roosevelt. He was also the inventor of the Turing Machine and innovations in computing that are still leading to advancements in computer technology.
Now, someone may say that his persecution was really just justice for gross indecency. However, if you look at the details of his case, you will find that Dr. Turing called the police to report a burglar. When it came out he and the other victim in the crime were in a relationship, they were both charged with breaking Section 11 of the United Kingdom’s Criminal Law Amendment Act 1885 (48 & 49 Vict. c. 69). The law, most of which has been repealed, was intended to protect women and girls. Somehow, however, it included a provision that meant a man could be charged and convicted for having a consensual romantic relationship with another man. Note: This law applied to public and private spaces and was not (necessarily) related to sexual intercourse.
In Dr. Alan Turing’s case, his security clearances were revoked, he lost his ability to continue his work with the government, he was barred from traveling to the United States and he had to undergo “chemical castration” — which was basically hormone therapy. While it was not intended to make him sterile, the therapy did make him impotent and caused his breast tissue to grow. Additionally, the British government monitored his correspondence (which he may or may not have known) and deported someone coming to visit him before they could meet.
In 2009, then-Prime Minister Gordon Brown responded to the first in a series of petitions by acknowledging the the travesty of Alan Turing’s situation and offering a formal apology to “Alan and the many thousands of other gay men who were convicted, as he was, under homophobic laws….” There was, however, no pardon. More petitions and letter writing campaigns followed, which led to several bills being presented to Parliament requesting that Alan Turing be pardoned (posthumously). Despite the fact that people in the House of Lords and the House of Commons repeatedly blocked the bills, Queen Elizabeth II signed an immediate pardon for Alan Turing on December 24, 2013 and pronounced it in August 2014. The Policing and Crime Act 2017 includes a a passage referred to as the “Alan Turing law”, which pardons men who were convicted for homosexual acts that are no longer considered criminal offenses.
“44”
— can be police radio code for “suspicious person”, “aggravated kidnapping”, etc. depending on country, region, and department
In my book, as in many people’s books, Alan Turing was a hero who saved countless lives — and you can’t change that fact. Neither can you change the fact that Mark Bingham, another hero, was gay.
You may or may not know Mark Bingham (born May 22, 1970) by name. You may or may not remember his smile. However, if I mention that he died on Tuesday, September 11, 2001 — and reference United Airlines Flight 93 — you start to get the picture.
Mr. Bingham was a 6-foot, 4 inches (193 cm) tall, 225-pound (102 kg) rugby player who was interested in filmmaking and worked as a Public Relations executive. He was the owner of the Bingham Group and, since he had just opened up a satellite office in New York, he was planning to put together a rugby team so he could play on both coasts. He was running late that ill-fated Tuesday and almost the flight that was headed to San Francisco, where one of his fraternity brothers was getting married.
Mark Bingham ended up sitting next to Thomas Edward Burnett Jr., who was originally from Bloomington, Minnesota. The PR exec and the vice-president and chief operating officer of a medical devices company weren’t that far apart in age (31 and 38, respectively) and they grew up in different parts of the country. But, they probably could have had a really great conversation during their trip — even though their lives were different in some fairly obvious ways. Mr. Burnett was married and had 4 children (included a daughter he had given up adoption when he was young). Todd Beamer and Jeremy Glick, sitting a few rows back, were also married with children (3 and 1, respectively). On the flip side, Mark Bingham couldn’t legally get married.
Even though their lives were different, when it became obvious that the plane had been hijacked by terrorists and that the hijacking was part of a larger plan, the four men came together and decided to retake the plane. They were the tip of the arrow; Lou Nacke, Rich Guadagno, Alan Beaven, Honor Elizabeth Wainio, Linda Gronlund, and William Cashman, as well as flight attendants Sandra Bradshaw and Cee Cee Ross-Lyles joined in the planning and became the shaft.
The four men were not able to land the plane, but they were able to prevent the hijackers from hitting their intended target — and, in doing so, they saved hundred of lives.
“And the things you might take for granted Your inalienable rights Some might choose to deny him Even though he gave his life Can you live with yourself in the land of the free And make him less of a hero than the other three?”
— quoted from the song “Tuesday Morning” by Melissa Etheridge (written by Melissa Etheridge and Jonathan Taylor)
Even though I tell the story of 9/11 on that date, I don’t know the individual stories of all the passengers, all the people in and around the Twin Towers, all the people at the Pentagon that day, and all the first responders. For instance, I didn’t know that one of those big burly, heroic men was gay.
But now I can’t unknow it — and neither can you.
And, if you are one of those people who only thinks in stereotypes, consider this: When Todd Beamer said, “Okay. Let’s roll.”, Mark Bingham did did not back down; he did not let go.
“So you have to, at some point, start putting aside your lack of understanding and saying, like, ‘I support human rights, period. It doesn’t matter if I understand.’ Because, look, I don’t understand your experiences as a cis-person, but that doesn’t mean I’m going to withhold my support for your civil and human rights until you can explain it to me.”
— Journalist, author, artist, parent, and activist Beau Brink, interviewed in the Conspirituality podcast episode “143: Trans Reality, Trans Possibility”
Sunday’s playlist is available on YouTube and Spotify. [“06292025 PRIDE, biographies”]
NOTE:The Spotify playlist includes an extra interlude track (since this message Sunday is not part of the studio recording. The YouTube playlist includes videos, at least one of which is referenced during the practice.
“When you look at me What do you see Am I not breathing with the same Respiratory”
— quoted from the song “Stop Killing Us” by Neverending Nina
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.
“But [Gil] Scott-Heron also had something else in mind—you can’t see the revolution on TV because you can’t see it at all. As he [said] in a 1990s interview:
‘The first change that takes place is in your mind. You have to change your mind before you change the way you live and the way you move. The thing that’s going to change people is something that nobody will ever be able to capture on film. It’s just something that you see and you’ll think, “Oh I’m on the wrong page,” or “I’m on I’m on the right page but the wrong note. And I’ve got to get in sync with everyone else to find out what’s happening in this country.”’
If we realize we’re out of sync with what’s really happening, we cannot find out more on television. The information is where the battles are being fought, at street level, and in the mechanisms of the legal process.”
— quoted from the Open Culture article “Gil Scott-Heron Spells Out Why ‘The Revolution Will Not Be Televised’” by Josh Jones (posted June 2nd, 2020)
### PROTECT YOUR JOY / MAINTAIN YOUR PEACE & DIGNITY ###
“Nowruz Mubarak!” Happy New Year to those who are celebrating and Happy Spring to those in the Northern Hemisphere.
[This post is related to three Saturdays, March 6th; March 13th; and March 20th. You can request an audio recording of any of the practices 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.
“At a time of another crisis, ‘Abdu’l-Bahá offered these words of counsel: ‘In a day such as this, when the tempests of trials and tribulations have encompassed the world, and fear and trembling have agitated the planet, ye must rise above the horizon of firmness and steadfastness with illumined faces and radiant brows in such wise that, God willing, the gloom of fear and consternation may be entirely obliterated, and the light of assurance may dawn above the manifest horizon and shine resplendently.’ The world stands more and more in need of the hope and the strength of spirit that faith imparts. Beloved friends, you have of course long been occupied with the work of nurturing within groups of souls precisely the attributes that are required at this time: unity and fellow feeling, knowledge and understanding, a spirit of collective worship and common endeavour. Indeed, we have been struck by how efforts to reinforce these attributes have made communities especially resilient, even when faced with conditions that have necessarily limited their activities. Though having to adapt to new circumstances, the believers have used creative means to strengthen bonds of friendship, and to foster among themselves and those known to them spiritual consciousness and qualities of tranquillity, confidence, and reliance on God.”
– quoted from a rare “New Year” message from the Universal House of Justice “To the Bahá’is of the World,” dated Naw-Ruz 177 (March 20, 2020, in reference to COVID-19 recommendations)
Today, Saturday, March 20th, was the Vernal (or Spring) Equinox in the Northern Hemisphere – which coincides with Nowruz, also known as the Persian New Year or Iranian New Year, which is also the Zoroastrian and the Bahá’i New Year. Nowruz is a compound of two Persian words and literally means “new day.” As this is a new beginning for so many around the world, it feels like an auspicious time to start catching back up on my blog posts!
The date of this New Year (and of the Vernal Equinox) is established every year through the astronomical observations that result in the Solar Hijri (Persian) calendar, which is the oldest and most accurate solar calendar. Technically, the Bahá’i New Year started at sunset on Friday evening; but it is also a moveable based on the change in seasons.
In “the Most Holy Book” of the Bahá’i faith, the Kitáb-i-Agdas, the prophet Bahá’u’lláh explained that the equinox was a “Manifestation of God” and, therefore, would mark the new day/year. He also indicated that the actual date would be based on a “standard” place chosen by the Universal House of Justice (the nine-member ruling body of the worldwide community) in Haifa, Israel. In 2014 (which was year 171 in their community), the Universal House of Justice chose Tehran as the special place in the world that would serve as the observational standard. This is year 178.
People within the Bahá’i community spend the last month of the year preparing for the New Year by observing the 19-Day Fast. Throughout various parts of Asia, the Caucasus, the Black Sea Basin, and the Balkans people from a variety of faiths have traditions which sometimes include a month’s worth of (preparatory) celebrations. These celebrations include “spoon-banging” and costumed visitors in a practice similar to Halloween’s trick-or-treaters; rituals related to light; a celebration of the elements; a celebration of ancestors; and stories about how light (literally and symbolically) overcomes darkness.
“But his splendid son, Jamshid, his heart filled with his father’s precepts, then prepared to reign. He sat on his father’s throne, wearing a golden crown according to the royal custom. The imperial [divine glory] was his. The world submitted to him; quarrels were laid to rest, and all demons, birds and fairies obeyed Jamshid’s commands. The royal throne shone with luster, and the wealth of the world increased. He said, ‘God’s glory is with me; I am both prince and priest. I hold evildoers back from their evil, and I guide souls towards the light.’”
– quoted from “The First Kings” in Shanameh – The Persian Book of Kings by Abolqasem Ferdowsi (translated by Dick Davis)
One such story appears in the Shāhnāma (“The Book of Kings”), an epic Persian poem written by Abul-Qâsem Ferdowsi Tusione around the 10th and 11th centuries and one of the world’s longest poems attributed to a single author. According to the legend, there was a time when the world was plunged into darkness and a deadly winter that caused most people to lose hope. However, the mythical King Jamshid, who spent over 100 years building a great kingdom, saved the world and restored hope by building a throne out of gems and precious metals. He then sat on the throne and had “demons” lift him up to catch the dying light so that he became as bright as the sun. More gems were gathered around him and he became even brighter. This became the “New Day.”
I often mention that every day, every inhale, and every exhale is the beginning of a New Year. We don’t often think of it that way, and we certainly don’t (as a whole) view and celebrate life that way. But, the bottom line is that every moment of our lives is a “liminal” moment: a transitional or threshold moment that serves as a doorway between times. We mark notice we have more daylight, more sunshine, and we call it “Spring!” But, in some ways, this moment is arbitrary because we have been getting more daylight since the Winter Solstice.
Sometimes, when the winter is really cold and really dark (or we’ve been cooped-up inside too much) we pay attention to the little incremental differences between one day and the next. We notice the lengthening shadows and the extra seconds. Most times, however, we don’t start noticing the changes until we are told to notice the changes. Even then, however, what we notice is the end result – the culmination of all the little changes; not the transitions themselves. In the Yoga Sūtras, Patanjali instructs us to pay attention to the transitions.
“The transition from one year to the next year happens in an infinitely short moment that is actually non-existent in time. So too, there are transitions in the moments of life and the moments of meditation. Mindfulness of transitions in daily life and during meditation time is extremely useful on the spiritual journey to enlightenment.”
– quoted from the commentary on “Yoga Sutras 3.9-3.16: Witnessing Subtle Transitions With Samyama” by Swami Jnaneshvara Bharati (“Swami J”)
When detailing how the practice of “concentration” “progresses,” Patanjali explores the final three limbs of the Yoga Philosophy (dhāranā, dhyāna, and samādhi) and refers to them collectively as samyama. Once he explains how each one flows from the previous ones (all stemming from the earlier practices of prāņāyāma and pratyāhāra) – and cautions against efforts to skip the stages of progression – he delineates the difference between external and internal experiences. We often think of these as being very obviously related to things that are happening outside of the body and/or separate from us versus things happening inside the body and/or directly related to us. We may even break things down as things we can touch/hold versus things that are not tangible.
Obvious, right? But what happens when we “Get Inside” (as we did on Saturday, March 6th)?
Michelangelo di Lodovico Buonarroti Simoni, the artist, was born March 6, 1475, in Caprese (then the Republic of Florence and now Tuscany, Italy). Known for works like David, the Pietá, and some of the most well-known frescoes in the Sistine Chapel, Michelangelo was known as Il Divino (“The Divine One”) by his contemporaries, because he had the ability to bring inanimate objects to life and to create terribilitá (a sense of awesomeness or emotional intensity). He said, “Every block of stone has a statue inside it and it is the task of the sculptor to discover it.” He also said, “I saw the angel in the marble and carved until I set him free.”
In the practice of Yoga, we use the first four limbs of the philosophy the way Michelangelo used his carving and painting tools: to bring what is inside out, to set our inner angel free. Or, as I mentioned on the 6th, we can use it to set our inner GOAT free.
“‘He who is not courageous enough to take risks will accomplish nothing in life.’”
– quoted from the Ebony Magazine article, “Muhammad Ali: ‘Don’t Count Me Out’ – Despite his medical problems, ‘The Greatest’ says there is plenty of fight left in his body” by Walter Leavy (published March 1985)
In 1964, it was announced to the world that the boxer we now know as The Greatest of All Times would no longer go by his birth name or “slave name” – which was also his father’s name. The heavy-weight champion’s grandfather had named his son (Cassius Marcellus Clay, Sr.,) after a 19th-century abolitionist politician in Kentucky (Cassius Marcellus Clay) who, by some accounts, strong-armed President Abraham Lincoln to emancipate Confederate slaves and freed some of his own slaves in 1844, but still kept some slaves on hand. Muhammad Ali wanted to distance himself from that legacy of slavery and forge his own path; so, he chose a name that reflected his faith and his skills: Muhammad Ali.
The name change wasn’t even close to instantaneous. In fact, with the major exception of Howard Cosell, who coincidentally had changed his own last name back to his family’s original Polish surname, most journalists and media outlets continued to refer to the prizefighter as “Cassius Clay” for over a decade. And it wasn’t just a matter of people getting use to the new name. Because he refused to answer to his birth name, journalist would address him as Muhammad Ali in-person, but then write about “Cassius Clay.” By their own account, The New York Times wrote about over 1,000 articles about “Cassius Clay” from 1964 to 1968, but only referenced “Muhammad Ali” in about 150. This practice continued well into the 1970’s! But the practice wasn’t even consistent; the media seemed to have no problem referencing “Malcolm X” – even though, at the time, he was still legally “Malcolm Little.”
Muhammad means “One who is worthy of praise” and Ali means “Most high.” The names, as he clearly stated, were symbolic in nature – as all names are. By changing his name, Muhammad Ali honored his outside (i.e., the color of his skin) while also placing emphasis on the inside (i.e., his talent and his beliefs). He also gave the world tools to focus on the inside and to become more intimate. Sadly, some folks kept themselves stuck on the outside.
Yoga Sūtra 3.7: trayam antarangam pūrvebhyah
– “These three practices of concentration (dhāranā), meditation (dhyāna), and samādhi are more intimate or internal than the previous five practices.”
Patanjali devotes a series of “threads” to the distinctions between internal/intimate and external in order to illustrate that perspective can make something that feels internal feel “external” simply because there is something more “internal.” One great example of this can be illustrated by comparing different types of physical practices of yoga. For instances: A vinyāsa practice (because it is a moving practice) is more “yang” or active than a YIN Yoga practice (in which part of the practice is not moving for what can feel like an incredibly long amount of time). On the flip side, the Primary Series of Ashtanga Yoga can be significantly more “yang” or active than a “Slow Flow” and a Restorative Yoga practice can be significantly more “yin” than a YIN yoga practice.
By the same token, focusing on the breath and the awareness of the breath begins to feel more internal than just moving the body without breath awareness, but the former begins to feel more external when you can concentrate without actively thinking about the fact that you are concentrating on your breath (or anything else). In other words, the object of focus is the “seed” – something tangible and understandable, with a reference point. Then, there is a point in the practice when the focus becomes “seedless” – at which point being “Deeper Inside Makes That ‘Outside’” (which was our thread on Saturday, March 13th).
Yoga Sūtra 3.8: tad api bahir-angam nirbījasya
– “These three practices are external, and not intimate compared to nirbija samadhi, which is samadhi that has no object, nor even a seed object on which there is concentration.”
In our physical practice, more often than not, we use the breath as our primary “seed.” At first we may simultaneously engage it on multiple levels. After all, we can feel it, we can direct it, and (under the proper conditions) we can see it. Eventually, however, we become absorbed in the experience of breathing and being alive – which is obviously a different experience than actively working with the breath, but it is also a different experience than breathing and living without being aware of the breath. I often think about the breathing (and awareness of breath) of someone like Joseph Priestley, just as I think about the breathing (and awareness of breath) of those three people who left footprints on the side of a mountain in Italy over 350,000 years ago.
On March 13, 2003, Nature Journal published the work of three paleontologists who had identified fossilized footprints (and handprints) as belonging to three homo-genus individuals fleeing the then-actively erupting Roccamonfino volcano. Through those external impressions (embedded deep in the earth), we get an intimate glimpse into a brief moment of their lives. We know two fled the volcano together, one assisting the other. We know about their pace and trajectory, based on the zigzag patterns and the places where it appears one or more supported themselves with their hands. We can use their steps as tools and then, based on our own experiences, move deeper from there.
Joseph Priestley, born March 13, 1733 (according to the Julian calendar) was an 18th-century English theologian, clergyman, natural philosopher, chemist, educator, liberal political theorist, and a member of the Lunar Circle (also known as the Lunar Society). He is credited with discovering oxygen in its isolated gaseous state (which he considered “dephlogisticated air”). He also inventing soda water – which, he believed, could cure scurvy and which he called “impregnated water.” He also believed science was integral to theology and, therefore, all of his scientific work was a reflection of his liturgical work, and vice versa.
Even though much of what Joseph Priestley believed, scientifically speaking, has been superseded by advancements in technology and science, his work is one of the steps that brought us closer to the knowledge we have now. Think of his phlogiston theories as “seeds” at the beginning of the process. Now, consider, how – having moved beyond that point of understanding – we start anew… and go deeper. (As we did today, March 20th.)
“Could we have entered into the mind of Sir Isaac Newton and have traced all the steps by which he produced his great works, we might see nothing very extraordinary in the process.”
– Joseph Priestley
This week’s “threads” can be a little hard to take in just from the sūtras themselves. However, the point is to experience them and, once we have experienced them (in context) we realize they are easier to understand. There are some really great analogies related to movement and transition – which is the whole point of these threads – but the one that came to mind today takes us back to the boat analogy.
Take a moment to imagine your breath as a wave, with you floating on your back or floating in a boat. It doesn’t matter if you are lazily enjoying some time off or in a rush to go somewhere. Either way, there are times when you will have to make an adjustment – a course correction, if you will. Sometimes, you have to make big adjustments in order to stay focused; other times, little adjustments. Every now and again, however, there is a moment where you don’t need to make any adjustments or modifications. You don’t have to peddle to stay afloat and you don’t have to steer yourself in the right direction. You are one with the waves, going with the flow and “in the zone.” This is the next level of the Yoga experience.
– “When the vision of the lower Samadhi is suppressed by an act of conscious control, so that there are no longer any thoughts or visions in the mind, that is the achievement of control of the thought-waves of the mind.”
Yoga Sūtra 3.10: tasya praśānta-vāhitā samskārāt
– “When this suppression of thought waves becomes continuous, the mind’s flow is calm.”
The playlist for Saturday, March 6th (the “Getting Inside or ‘What Is Inside, IV’” practice) is available on YouTube and Spotify. [Look for “09132020 What Is Inside, II”]
The playlist for Saturday, March 13th (the “Deeper Inside Makes That ‘Outside’” practice) is available on YouTube and Spotify. [Look for “10202020 Pratyahara”]
The playlist for Saturday, March 20th (the “New Year, New Season” class) is available on YouTube and Spotify.
“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
A Joyful Practice 