Many blessings to everyone and especially to anyone cultivating healing, kindness, friendship, peace, freedom, understanding, gratitude, and wisdom during Advent; during the Nativity / St. Philip’s Fast; and on one of the “16 Days of Activism against Gender-Based Violence”.
May you be safe and protected / May you be peaceful and happy / May you be healthy and strong!
“I was beginning to see then what I have learned now. It’s not forgetting that heals. It’s remembering.”
— quoted from Bloodroot by Amy Greene
Silence and stillness. They are such powerful things and, yet, we can take them for granted. We sometimes take for granted that peace and healing and God (whatever that means to you at this moment) are found in silence and stillness.
Since today is the anniversary of the 1941 attack on Pearl Harbor, we begin with a moment of silence (and stillness). As we remember those that died during the attack, we also remember those who survived. We remember survivors like Quartermaster Lou Conter, Fire Control Chief Petty Officer Lauren Bruner, and Petty Officer Second Class Doris “Dorie” Miller — all three of whom survived the attack and went on to continue their service (even though Petty Officer Second Class Miller would be killed later in the war).
Throughout this practice, in moments of silence and stillness (as well as in the movement), we are reminded that as individuals, as groups, as peoples and nations, we just need a little recovery time to heal. However, in our overstimulated, trigger-happy, litigious society, there are times when we have to very mindfully, deliberately, and intentionally cultivate silence and stillness. We very mindfully, deliberately, and intentionally cultivate these moments of remembering and healing.
“Of the more than 16 million Americans who served in the war, more than 1.2 million were Black American men and women, 500,000 were Latinos, and more than 550,000 Jews were part of the military. Among the many ethnic groups who fought, Indigenous Americans served at a higher percentage than any other ethnic group—more than a third of able-bodied Indigenous men between the ages of 18 and 50 joined the service—and among those 25,000 soldiers were the men who developed the famous “Code Talk,” based in tribal languages, that codebreakers never cracked.”
— quoted from December 6, 2025 Substack post by Heather Cox Richardson
Please join me today (Sunday, December 7th) at 2:30 PM for a yoga practice on Zoom. You can use the link from the “Class Schedules”calendar if you run into any problems checking into the class. You can request an audio recording of this practice via a comment below or (for a slightly faster reply) you can email myra(at) ajoyfulpractice.com.
Sunday’s playlist is available on YouTube and Spotify. [Look for “12/7 and Healing 2021”]
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.
Many blessings to everyone and especially to anyone grateful for friendship, peace, freedom, understanding, and wisdom.
May you be peaceful and happy / May you be healthy and strong!
“‘People who eat too much or too little or who sleep too much or too little will not succeed in meditation. Eat only food that does not heat up the body or excite the mind. When you balance and regulate your habits of eating, sleeping, working, and playing, then meditation dissolves sorrow and destroys mental pain.’”
— Krishna speaking to Arjuna (6.16 – 6.17) in The Bhagavad Gita: A Walkthrough for Westerners by Jack Hawley
Click on the excerpt title below for the Movember overview.
Please join me today (Sunday, Movember 16th) at 2:30 PM for a yoga practice on Zoom. You can use the link from the “Class Schedules”calendar if you run into any problems checking into the class. You can request an audio recording of this practice via a comment below or (for a slightly faster reply) you can email myra(at) ajoyfulpractice.com.
Sunday’s playlist is available on YouTube and Spotify. [Look for “Movember 3rd 2020”]
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.
Gratitude to those who serve. Many blessings to everyone and especially to anyone cultivating friendship, peace, freedom, understanding, and wisdom on Armistice Day / Veterans Day.
Stay safe! Hydrate and nourish your heart, body, and mind. CONTINUE TO BREATHE!
“Compassion. Respect. Common Sense.”
— Retired Marine Staff Sergeant Tim Chambers (a.k.a The Saluting Marine) when asked what he wanted to inspire in people who see him standing/saluting
People serve in the armed forces for different reasons. Even in countries where service is compulsory, there are people who volunteer. Even when we had wartime drafts in the United States, there were conscientious objectors, like Desmond Doss, who served with distinction — without carrying or firing a weapon.
Regardless of what any of us believe about wars and violence, common sense indicates that we can offer compassion and respect to those who serve(d).
Calm fell. From Heaven distilled a clemency; There was peace on earth, and silence in the sky; Some could, some could not, shake off misery: The Sinister Spirit sneered: ‘It had to be!’ And again the Spirit of Pity whispered, ‘Why?’”
— from the poem “And There Was a Great Calm (On the Signing of the Armistice, 11 Nov 1918)” by Thomas Hardy
Please join me today (Tuesday, November 11th) at 12:00 PM or 7:15 PM for a yoga practice on Zoom. You can use the link from the “Class Schedules” calendar if you run into any problems checking into in the class.You can request an audio recording of this practice via a comment below or by emailing myra(at) ajoyfulpractice.com.
Tuesday’s playlist is available on YouTube and Spotify. [Look for “11/11 @ 11”]
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.
Many blessings to everyone and especially to looking for friendship, peace, freedom, understanding, and wisdom.
Stay safe! Hydrate and nourish your heart, body, and mind. CONTINUE TO BREATHE!
For Those Who Missed It: The following was originally posted on November 10, 2024. Date-specific items have been revised. The 2025 prompt question was, “What is on your heart and mind?”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.
“You are not only responsible for what you say, but also for what you do not say.”
— Martin Luther (b. 1483)
There is often a contradiction between what someone thinks they will do in a situation and what they actually do in that situation. Sometimes this is because our ideals don’t line up with our actual actions (i.e., thoughts, words, and deeds). Sometimes it is because the situation is much messier than what we imagined. That messiness can come from our own hearts and minds — and it can also come from the hearts and minds of others.
For a lot of people, things are messy right now. You might find — even if things are [quote-unquote] going your way — that your sympathetic nervous system is kicking in and that you want to fight, flee, or freeze (collapse). Take a moment to breathe and come back to (a variation of) the “formula” I mentioned [this week in 2024]:
What are you seeing/hearing?
What are you thinking?
What are you feeling?
What do you want?
What can you do?
It is in this moment, this liminal or threshold moment, that we choose how we untangle this double bind of Catch-22 situation.
CLICK ON THE EXCERPT TITLE BELOW FOR A RELATED POST.
“‘The enemy,’ retorted Yossarian with weighted precision, ‘is anybody who’s going to get you killed, no matter which side he’s on, and that includes Colonel Cathcart. And don’t you forget that, because the longer you remember it, the longer you might live.’”
— quoted from Catch-22 (Chapter 12) by Joseph Heller (pub. 1961)
There is no playlist for the Common Ground Meditation Center practices.
NOTE: In previous years, we have used different pratyahara playlists. In 2024, we used a playlist available on YouTube and Spotify [Look for “05252022 Pratyahara II”]. Click on the excerpt title above for the previous playlist.
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.
May we all be safe and protected / May we all be peaceful and happy / May we all be healthy and strong!
For Those Who Missed It: The following was previously posted. Links, class details, and excerpts have been added.
“‘We respond differently to life’s unexpected challenges. Sometimes, though, that can leave us feeling worried or overwhelmed. It’s our hope that we can connect men with the right support, and equip their peers with the confidence and skills to reach out and help when it’s most needed.’”
— Brendan Maher, Global Director of Mental Health and Suicide Prevention, Movember
I don’t [know] about you, but — with all that’s going on — I feel some kind of way. What kind of way, you might ask and — depending on who you are and how you ask — I will be anything from vaguely honest to brutally honest. While you might think that the determining factor on that spectrum is the “who” part, it actually may be the “how” part.
As I mentioned a couple of years ago, there has been some heightened awareness around how to ask someone how they were doing. In particular, given some of the things that happened in 2020, there started to be growing awareness around how people asked when they were asking someone who might be perceived as being different from them. That perceived difference might be related to race, ethnicity, nationality, religion, age, weight, ability/disability, sexuality, gender… political affiliation. (Just saying.)
Well, today seems like as good a day as any to check back in about how we check in and why it’s so important to check in.
Click on the excerpt title below if you missed the Movember history lesson.
“We repeat, there is nothing that we can do but love, and dear God – please enlarge our hearts to love each other, to love our neighbor, to love our enemy as well as our friend.”
— quoted from “Love Is The Measure” printed in The Catholic Worker (June 1946, 2) by Dorothy Day (b. 1897)
Click on the excerpt title below for my post on checking in (with little nods to Dorothy Day (born today in 1897).
“What’s happening now is impacting us all in different ways. Sometimes it’s hard to know what to do, where to start or what to say. As we push through this together, we hope we can empower people to connect with others who are struggling and find the help they need now.”
— Brendan Maher, Global Director of Mental Health and Suicide Prevention, Movember
Please join me for a virtual yoga practice on Zoom, today (Saturday, Movember 8th) at 12:00 PM. You can use the link from the “Class Schedules”calendar if you run into any problems checking into the class. You can request an audio recording of this practice via a comment belowor (for a slightly faster reply) you can email me at myra (at) ajoyfulpractice.com.
Saturday’s playlist is available on YouTube and Spotify. [“Look for Movember 3rd 2020”]
Ask
Listen
Encourage Action
Check (Back) In
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.)
Many blessings to everyone and especially to anyone gathering friendship, peace, freedom, understanding, and wisdom.
May you be peaceful and happy / May you be healthy and strong!
For Those Who Missed It: The following was posted in 2023/2024. Class details and links have been updated/added.
“I wish I had the voice of Homer To sing of rectal carcinoma, Which kills a lot more chaps, in fact, Than were bumped off when Troy was sacked.
Yet, thanks to modern surgeon’s skills, It can be killed before it kills Upon a scientific basis In nineteen out of twenty cases.”
— quoted from the poem “Cancer’s a funny thing” by J. B. S. Haldane
Today, Movember 5th, is a day when I typically sport a mou’ that is a cross between one associated with Guy Fawkes — because he was arrested today in 1605, making today Guy Fawkes Day — and one similar to the ones in pictures of J. B. S. Haldane (b. 1892), who died of colorectal cancer at the age of 72. For slightly different reasons, I associate both of these people with their fabulous facial hair and with the first two chakras or energetic “wheels” as they come to us from India.
The first is the root chakra (which is symbolically and energetically connected to the lower body) and then there is the sacral chakra (which is symbolically and energetically connected to the hips and lower abdominal cavity). Today’s practice features poses from a sequence recommended for the colon and highlights the feeling of being grounded/supported.
Today is also the anniversary of the birth of Sam Shepard (b. 1943), as well as the birthday of Bryan Adams OC OBC FRPS (b. 1959), and Jonny Greenwood (b. 1971) — three mostly mou-less guys (two of whom are featured on the playlist)!
“So do not wait for aches and pains To have a surgeon mend your drains;”
— quoted from the poem “Cancer’s a funny thing” by J. B. S. Haldane
Please join me today (Wednesday, Movember 5th) at 4:30 PM or 7:15 PM for a yoga practice on Zoom. You can use the link from the “Class Schedules”calendar if you run into any problems checking into the class. You can request an audio recording of this practice via a comment below or (for a slightly faster reply) you can email myra(at) ajoyfulpractice.com.
Wednesday’s playlist is available on YouTube and Spotify. [Look for “Movember 5th 2022”]
“A spot of laughter, I am sure, Often accelerates one’s cure; So let us patients do our bit To help the surgeons make us fit.”
— quoted from the poem “Cancer’s a funny thing” by J. B. S. Haldane
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.)
Many blessings to everyone and especially to anyone gathering friendship, peace, freedom, understanding, and wisdom.
May you be peaceful and happy / May you be healthy and strong!
“A gag, to be any good, has to be fashioned about some truth. The rest you get by your slant on it and perhaps by a wee bit of exaggeration, so’s people won’t miss the point.”
— Will Rogers (b. 1879)
It’s officially Movember! Since there was no online practice yesterday, I mou’ you an extra excerpt (just to explain what’s up, to the uninitiated).
“When the Oakies left Oklahoma and moved to California, it raised the I.Q. of both states.”
— Will Rogers
For Those Who Missed It: The quotes and the following note with excerpts were previously posted.
Born October 4, 1879, in Oologah, Cherokee Nation, Indian Territory (now Oklahoma), Will Rogers was a symbol of the self-made man and the common man, who believed in working hard, progress, and the possibility of the American Dream. One of his jokes is the reason why stage migration is known as “the Will Rogers phenomenon”.
“There are three kinds of men. The ones that learn by readin’. The few who learn by observation. The rest of them have to pee on the electric fence for themselves.”
— Will Rogers
Please join me today (Tuesday, Movember 4th) at 12:00 PM or 7:15 PM for a yoga practice on Zoom. You can use the link from the “Class Schedules” calendar if you run into any problems checking into in the class.You can request an audio recording of this practice via a comment below or by emailing myra(at) ajoyfulpractice.com.
Tuesday’s playlist is available on YouTube and Spotify. [“Look for “Mov 4th & Will Rogers 2020”]
NOTE: An instrumental playlist (with a focus on light) is also available on YouTube and Spotify.[Look for “Diwali 4 on Movember 5 2021”]
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.
“Chag sameach!” to those celebrating Sukkot & Shemini Atzeret! Many blessings to everyone and especially to anyone grateful for friendship, peace, freedom, understanding, and wisdom on this feast day dedicated to the Intercession of the Theotokos / The Protection of Our Most Holy Lady the Theotokos and Ever-Virgin Mary.
May everyone be healthy and strong; may everyone be peaceful and happy.
Please join me today (Tuesday, October 14th) at 12:00 PM or 7:15 PM for a yoga practice on Zoom. You can use the link from the “Class Schedules” calendar if you run into any problems checking into in the class. You can request an audio recording of this practice via a comment below or by emailing myra(at) ajoyfulpractice.com.
Due to technical difficulties, I did not have the remixed playlist ready for the Noon practice (so we used last week’s music). If you are using the NOON recording, you can use either playlist.
Tuesday’s NOON playlist is available on YouTube and Spotify. [Look for “10072025 More Time to… Give Thanks”]
Tuesday’s EVE playlist is on YouTube and Spotify. [Look for “10142025 ‘i carry your heart’ [the celebrations remix]”]
If you are struggling, 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.
“Chag sameach!” to those celebrating Sukkot! Many blessings to everyone and especially to anyone grateful for friendship, peace, freedom, understanding, and wisdom.
May everyone be healthy and strong; may everyone be peaceful and happy.
“All of those years we spent together (spent together)
Well they’re part of my life forever
I hold the joy with the pain
And the truth is
I miss you my friend”
— quoted from the song “Time Is a Healer” by Eva Cassidy (written by Diane Scanlon, Gregory Smith)
Please join me today (Tuesday, October 7th) at 12:00 PM or 7:15 PM for a yoga practice on Zoom. You can use the link from the “Class Schedules” calendar if you run into any problems checking into the class. You can request an audio recording of this practice via a comment below or by emailing myra(at) ajoyfulpractice.com.
Tuesday’s playlist is available on YouTube and Spotify. [Look for “10072025 More Time to… Give Thanks”]
NOTE: For continuity and timing, I switched a track between classes.
“Would you teach your children to tell the truth
Would you take the high road if you could choose
Do you believe you’re a victim of a great compromise
‘Cause I believe you could change your mind and change our lives”
— quoted from the song “Your Life Is Now” by John Mellencamp (b. 1951) (written by John Mellencamp, George Michael Green)
If you are struggling, 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.
“Chag sameach!” to those celebrating Sukkot! Many blessings to everyone and especially to anyone grateful for friendship, peace, freedom, understanding, and wisdom.
May everyone be healthy and strong; may everyone be peaceful and happy.
This post-practice post for Monday, October 6th, is a compilation post featuring previously posted content (For Those Who Missed It) and a couple of related excerpts. Please note that linked excerpts direct you to posts that will include content related to a specific year. The 2025 prompt question was, “What is something you are looking forward to?”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.
“Be joyful at your festival – you and your son, and your daughter, and your manservant, and your maid-servant, and the Levite, and the stranger, and the orphan, and the widow who live within your city.
For seven days you must celebrate the Festival to YHVH*, your God, in the place which YHVH* shall choose, because the Lord, your God, will bless you in all your produce, and in all the work of your hands, and you will only be happy.”
(*NOTE: YHVH is commonly translated as “the Lord” in English.)
— quoted from Devarim – Deuteronomy (16:14 – 15)
In the Torah (and the Christian Old Testament), there are a list of commandments. Mixed into that list are certain dates the faithful are commanded to observe. We think of them, in the modern context, as “holidays” and they are filled with ritual and tradition. Sometimes the mandate is general and left to interpretation (like when it says in Deuteronomy, “‘… and they shall not appear before the Lord empty: Every man shall give as he is able, according to the blessing of the Lord thy God which he hath given thee.’” Other times, however, it is very specific about who, what, when, and even where. Sukkot, the “Festival (or Feast) of the Tabernacles (or Booths)” is one of the times where the details are specific — even when they appear vague.
For seven days, 8 in the diaspora, people within the Jewish community and people who observe the commanded holidays, eat, sleep, socialize, and sometimes work in a temporary shelter. The shelter, a sukkah, consists of three walls of any material and a roof made of natural fiber. (Natural being something grown from the earth.) In 2020, when the pandemic created so many obstacles to the ways in which people typically observed and practiced their faith here, finally, was a time when there was less challenge. Yes, true, it was still best for people [around this time in 2020] to socially distance, wear masks, wash your hands, and avoid big gatherings — but, it was also best (when gathering) to be outdoors. It’s like Sukkot was tailor-made for 2020.
“1. Give yourself permission to be human.
2. Happiness lies at the intersection between pleasure and meaning.”
— quoted from the Psychology 1504 (“Positive Psychology”) course by Dr. Tal Ben-Shahar
One of the significant things about Sukkot is that it is a time for people to come together regardless of their circumstances, gender, religion, or political affiliation. It is a time for all to remember challenges of the past; while also celebrating better days ahead. Another especially noteworthy thing about Sukkot is the symbolism behind the rituals. For instance, one of the points of being outside in the most basic of shelters, exposed to the elements, is to remind people of the time when their ancestors were living in simple, temporary shelters when they were exiled in the desert for 40 years. It is also a good time to remember how much we have — as well as the fact that we could be happy with less. Sukkot is a reminder that life can be full, even when it is simple and bare-boned. It is a time of appreciation and it is also about accepting the present moment.
That last part — accepting the present moment — is easy to overlook. However, the commandment specifically states that the celebration occurs in a place chosen by God. In other words, we might not be where we want to be or where we thought we would be. (Hello, 2020!) This is something I point out every year, but it was especially pointed out to me in 2016, when the creamery, where I held my 2015 Sukkot retreat was no longer available… and again, in 2017, when it was no longer as easy to schedule time in the church where I held the second retreat… and again, in 2019, when the church camp I had planned to use experienced a fire and had to cancel the bulk of their season. And, then, 2020… once again, things were not as we planned — despite the fact that CP graciously offered to help me plan that year’s retreat. On the face, it might sometimes seem that we are “destined” not to observe this time — and yet, we do, every year… just not necessarily in the place that we thought.
“3. Keep in mind that happiness is mostly dependent on our state of mind, not on our status or the state of our bank account.
4. Simplify!”
— quoted from the Psychology 1504 (“Positive Psychology”) course by Dr. Tal Ben-Shahar
Many people refer to Sukkot as the “Season of Happiness”, because they view the instructions in the Bible as a mandate to be happy. Since the instruction is to be joyful, or rejoice, about things that have yet to happen — blessings yet to come — one has to wonder: What does it mean to be happy?
Click on the first excerpt title below for a few ways we can define “happy” and the second excerpt title for more about the ways we may experience it.
— quoted from the Psychology 1504 (“Positive Psychology”) course by Dr. Tal Ben-Shahar
Another thing we may wonder is how can we be “independently happy” and celebrate something that hasn’t happened yet? It’s a good question. And, it turns out, there are some really good answers.
Dr. Tal Ben-Shahar, an expert in Positive Psychology and the author of Happier: Learn the Secrets to Daily Joy and Lasting Fulfillment and A Clash of Values: The Struggle for Universal Freedom, used to teach a class at Harvard University called “Happiness 101”. In his class and through his research, he offered 6 very practical tips for cultivating happiness. Those tips are featured in the practices during Sukkot (and are highlighted throughout this blog post).
— quoted from the Psychology 1504 (“Positive Psychology”) course by Dr. Tal Ben-Shahar
There is no playlist for the Common Ground Meditation Center practices.
If you are thinking about suicide, worried about a friend or loved one, or would like emotional support, you can dial 988 (in the US) or call 1-800-273-TALK (8255)for the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline. You can also call this TALK line if you are struggling with addiction or involved in an abusive relationship. The Lifeline network is free, confidential, and available to all 24/7. YOU CAN TALK ABOUT ANYTHING.
White Flag is an app, which I have not yet researched, but which may be helpful if you need (non-professional) support.
###
A Joyful Practice 