Where We Begin… & Understanding How Things Work, Redux (the “missing” compilation post for Sunday) April 12, 2026
Posted by ajoyfulpractice in Healing Stories, Lent / Great Lent, One Hoop, Poetry, Religion, Women, Writing, Yoga.Tags: 988, Bright Week, Easter, Gary Soto, Octave of Easter, Paschalion, Poetry, poetry month
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Happy Pascha, to those who are celebrating Bright Week!! Peace and many blessings to everyone and especially to anyone Counting the Omer and/or celebrating and/or observing Eastertide and the Octave of Easter or Bright Week.
Happy Poetry Month!!
This “missing” compilation post for Sunday, April 12th , contains new and “renewed” content. Links to the related Kiss My Asana offerings can be found at the of this post. Poetry links in the final notes section will direct you to sites outside of this blog. NOTE: There is a passing reference to an accidental death.
You can request an audio recording of this practice or a previous practice via a comment below or (for a slightly faster reply) you can email myra (at) ajoyfulpractice.com.
In the spirit of generosity (“dana”), the Zoom classes, recordings, and blog posts are freely given and freely received. If you are able to support these teachings, please do so as your heart moves you. (NOTE: You can donate even if you are “attending” a practice that is not designated as a “Common Ground Meditation Center” practice, or you can purchase class(es).
Donations are tax deductible; class purchases are not necessarily deductible.
Check out the “Class Schedules” calendar for upcoming classes.
“Beneath my steps, my breath”
— quoted from the poem “Oranges” by Gary Soto
(for my twin and her best friend)
This is how we begin. On the mat (and, ideally, off the mat), we build from the ground up. We establish a foundation by placing some part(s) of our body on the floor, on the mat, on a prop, or even on a chair. Everything else stacks up from there.
We find the balance between effort and relaxation that allows us to focus on the breath — and not be distracted by the possibility of falling over and/or by some random pain, discomfort, and/or disease.
Then we breathe… and pay attention to the breath. We also pay attention to how it feels to breath in the pose, the asana, the seat.
Then, we do it all over again.
In the process, we start to notice cause and effect. We start to notice that where — and how — we begin determines how things unfold.
We start to notice how things work.
“Today it’s going to cost us twenty dollars
To live….”
— quoted from the poem “How Things Work” by Gary Soto
For Those Who Missed It: Variations of the following have been previously posted.
“As far as I can tell, daughter, it works like this:
You buy bread from a grocery, a bag of apples
From a fruit stand, and what coins
Are passed on helps others buy pencils, glue,
Tickets to a movie in which laughter
Is thrown into their faces.
If we buy a goldfish, someone tries on a hat.
If we buy crayons, someone walks home with a broom.
A tip, a small purchase here and there,
And things just keep going. I guess.”
— quoted from the poem “How Things Work” by Gary Soto
Born April 12, 1952, in Fresno, California, Gary Soto is a poet, novelist, playwright, essayist, memoirist, and film director/producer, who also writes literature for children and young adults. He was the first Mexican-American to earn a Master of Fine Arts (MFA, 1976), at the University of California, Irvine, and taught at both the University of California, Berkeley, and at the University of California, Riverside. In addition to being a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize and the National Book Award, he won Before Columbus Foundation’s American Book Award for his memoir Living Up the Street (1985); the 2014 Phoenix Award for his children’s book Jesse (1994); and a Nation/Discovery Award and the Levinson Award from Poetry.
Mr. Soto is a two time recipient of both the California Library Association’s John and Patricia Award and fellowships from the National Endowment for the Arts and was once named NBC Person of The Week (1995). Eight of his books have been translated into French, Hindi, Italian, Japanese, Korean, and Spanish. Additional accolades have come from his work on movies like The No-Guitar Blues, based on the story of the same name in his collection Baseball in April and other stories (1990) and the movie based on his book The Pool Party (1993, illustrated by Robert Casilla). He wrote the libretto to the Los Angeles Opera’s Nerdlandia and has also collaborated with the illustrator Susan Guevara on the bilingual Chato series (about “the coolest low-riding cat in East L.A… and his best friend, Novio Boy”).
“Ellen Lesser, writing in Voice Literary Supplement, was charmed by Soto’s poetic tone, ‘the quality of the voice, the immediate, human presence that breathes through the lines.’”
— quoted from the Poetry Foundation profile “Gary Soto”
Gary Soto’s work mirrors the Mexican-American communities of his youth (and his adulthood) as well as his early fascination with English (Western canon) literature, which did not reflect his lived experience. His parents were immigrants and day labors. When his father died, when Mr. Soto was five years old, the future award-winning author worked in the fields in San Joaquin and had little time for school. Later, he worked in factories of Fresno to help support his family. By high school, however, he had discovered his love of fiction and poetry and wanted to create literary worlds that felt like home. He mixed dirt with philosophy; English with Spanish; reality with fantasy. His fiction and poetry have the feel and texture of real life being lived in the moment or, they are, as he puts it, “portraits of people in the rush of life.”
In answering a question about what inspires him, he wrote, “I’m also a listener. I hear lines of poetry issue from the mouths of seemingly ordinary people. And, as a writer, my duty is not to make people perfect, particularly Mexican Americans. I’m not a cheerleader. I’m one who provides portraits of people in the rush of life.” And, in writing about people’s day-to-day experiences, he writes about cause and effect, and about “how things work”.
Gary Soto’s portraits also illustrate how we are all connected, how our stories are all interconnected, and how it all comes back to what we believe.
“How strange that we can begin at any time.
With two feet we get down the street.
With a hand we undo the rose.
With an eye we lift up the peach tree
And hold it up to the wind – white blossoms
At our feet. Like today. I started”
— quoted from the poem “Looking Around, Believing” by Gary Soto
As someone who loves stories and loves yoga, I often quote Maty Ezraty who said, “A good sequence is like a good story. There is a beginning (an introduction), the middle (the heart of the story), and the end (the conclusion).” However, as I have pointed out before, life is a little different in that we meet each other in the middle of our stories and simultaneously progress forward and back (as we learn about each other’s back stories). We are also, simultaneously, living the middle, beginning, and end of some part of our stories — while also telling the beginning, middle, and end of some part of our stories — every time we inhale and every time we exhale. As Gary Soto put it, “We’re here in the day. One step, / A simple hello, and we’re involved.”
When we are sharing our stories with each other, we pick where we begin. Where we begin, when we tell a story, is based on what we know/understand about the story and may change the way the story is understood (by ourselves and others).
“Light in her eyes, a smile
Starting at the corners
Of her mouth. I fingered
A nickle in my pocket,
And when she lifted a chocolate
That cost a dime,
I didn’t say anything.
I took the nickel from
My pocket, then an orange,
And set them quietly on
The counter. When I looked up,
The lady’s eyes met mine,
And held them, knowing
Very well what it was all
About.”
— quoted from the poem “Oranges” by Gary Soto
Gary Soto’s birthday often overlaps with one or more religious holidays. Although April 12, 2026, was the Great and Holy Pascha in Orthodox Christian communities; the Second Sunday of Easter / the Octave of Easter in some Western Christian traditions; and the Counting of the Omer in some Jewish traditions, no holiday-related stories were central to this year’s practice. I stayed focused on Gary Soto, the poems, and the physical aspects of the poetry-inspired practice. At the end, however, I shared a little snippet of a story about my encounters with the poem “Oranges”.
For context, I should mention that (back in 2021) I used the first line of the poem “How Things Work” (quoted above) to illustrate how our experiences (re)frame understanding. I should also mention that I hadn’t read Gary Soto’s poem “Oranges” in years. So, when I was getting ready for the (2026) class and I went back to the 2019 post, where I originally quoted the line about steps and breath, I was not surprised that those were the words that jumped out at me. However, I couldn’t remember why I dedicated the line to “my twin and her best friend”.
What was I thinking? What was the story?
Re-reading the poem about a first date, I thought about how much has changed. My twin and her best friend got married several months after I wrote that post and now they have a little girl. At the end of practice, I said I didn’t know if the little girl likes oranges and/or chocolate. But, if I hadn’t gotten choked up by the memories, I would have mentioned that she had s’mores for the first time this week — and she seemed to enjoy that well enough.
“Love,
The moon is between clouds,
And we’re between words
That could deepen
But never arrive.”
— quoted from the poem “Between Words” by Gary Soto
Sunday’s playlist is available on YouTube and Spotify. [Look for “10202020 Pratyahara”]
If you are thinking about suicide, worried about a friend or loved one, or would like emotional support, you can dial 988 (in the US) or call 1-800-273-TALK (8255) for the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline. You can also call this TALK line if you are struggling with addiction or involved in an abusive relationship. The Lifeline network is free, confidential, and available to all 24/7. YOU CAN TALK ABOUT ANYTHING.
White Flag is an app, which I have not yet researched, but which may be helpful if you need peer-to-peer (non-professional) support.
If you are a young person in crisis, feeling suicidal, or in need of a safe and judgement-free place to talk, you can also click here to contact the TrevorLifeline (which is staffed 24/7 with trained counselors).
PRACTICE & POETRY NOTES:
If you are interested, click on the year for the Kiss My Asana offerings in 2018 and 2019, which feature practices inspired by Gary Soto’s poems. You can also click here (or above) for the aforementioned 2021 post.
I also encourage you to click on the titles below to read the highlighted poems:
You’re Invited to Bend… & To Take The Deepest Breath You’ve Taken — On Retreat!
September 25 — 27, 2026
### A LITTLE MORE KINDNESS, PLEASE ###
Where We Begin… & Understanding How Things Work, Redux (mostly the music & blessings) April 12, 2026
Posted by ajoyfulpractice in Healing Stories, Lent / Great Lent, One Hoop, Poetry, Religion, Women, Writing, Yoga.Tags: 988, Bright Week, Easter, Gary Soto, Octave of Easter, Paschalion, Poetry, poetry month
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Happy Pascha, to those who are celebrating Bright Week!! Peace and many blessings to everyone and especially to anyone Counting the Omer and/or celebrating and/or observing Eastertide and the Octave of Easter or Bright Week.
Happy Poetry Month!!
“Beneath my steps, my breath”
— quoted from the poem “Oranges” by Gary Soto (b. 1952)
(for my twin and her best friend)
Please join me today (Sunday, April 12th) 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 in the class. You can request an audio recording of this practice via a comment below or by emailing myra (at) ajoyfulpractice.com.
Sunday’s playlist is available on YouTube and Spotify. [Look for “10202020 Pratyahara”]
If you are thinking about suicide, worried about a friend or loved one, or would like emotional support, you can dial 988 (in the US) or call 1-800-273-TALK (8255) for the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline. You can also call this TALK line if you are struggling with addiction or involved in an abusive relationship. The Lifeline network is free, confidential, and available to all 24/7. YOU CAN TALK ABOUT ANYTHING.
White Flag is an app, which I have not yet researched, but which may be helpful if you need peer-to-peer (non-professional) support.
If you are a young person in crisis, feeling suicidal, or in need of a safe and judgement-free place to talk, you can also click here to contact the TrevorLifeline (which is staffed 24/7 with trained counselors).
In the spirit of generosity (“dana”), the Zoom classes, recordings, and blog posts are freely given and freely received. If you are able to support these teachings, please do so as your heart moves you. (NOTE: You can donate even if you are “attending” a practice that is not designated as a “Common Ground Meditation Center” practice, or you can purchase class(es).
Donations are tax deductible; class purchases are not necessarily deductible.
Check out the “Class Schedules” calendar for upcoming classes.
You’re Invited to Bend… & To Take The Deepest Breath You’ve Taken — On Retreat!
September 25 — 27, 2026
### A LITTLE MORE KINDNESS, PLEASE ###
The Emptiness is Full of Connection (the “missing” Saturday compilation post w/excerpt & video) April 11, 2026
Posted by ajoyfulpractice in Books, Faith, Healing Stories, Lent / Great Lent, Meditation, Music, One Hoop, Philosophy, Poetry, Religion, Wisdom, Writing, Yoga.Tags: 988, Alessia Cara, Alessia Caracciolo, Arjun Ivatury, Atma, Beth Hirsch, Counting the Omer, Drew Taggart, Dylan Wiggins, Eastertide, John Cage, Khalid, Khalid Robinson, klishtaklishta, klişţāklişţāh, Logic, Mark Strand, Misuzu Kaneko, Octave of Easter, Pandit Rajmani Tigunait, Poetry, poetry month, R. S. Thomas, Rainer Maria Rilke, Sir Robert Bryson Hall II, Thích Nhất Hạnh, Thich Nhat Hanh, Wasis Diop, Xavier Derouin, yoga sutra 1.34, Yoga Sutra 1.5, Yoga Sutra 2.3-2.9, Yoga Sutras 2.54-2.55
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Peace and many blessings to everyone and especially to anyone Counting the Omer and/or celebrating and/or observing Eastertide and the Octave of Easter or Great Lent.
Happy Poetry Month!!
This “missing” compilation post for Saturday, April 11th , includes new and revised/re-purposed content. Links to the related Kiss My Asana offerings can be found at the beginning of the 2021 post on this date. Links in the notes section will direct you to sites outside of this blog. WARNING: There is a passing reference to suicide in the last half of this post (and in the video). You can request an audio recording of this practice or a previous practice via a comment below or (for a slightly faster reply) you can email myra (at) ajoyfulpractice.com.
In the spirit of generosity (“dana”), the Zoom classes, recordings, and blog posts are freely given and freely received. If you are able to support these teachings, please do so as your heart moves you. (NOTE: You can donate even if you are “attending” a practice that is not designated as a “Common Ground Meditation Center” practice, or you can purchase class(es).
Donations are tax deductible; class purchases are not necessarily deductible.
Check out the “Class Schedules” calendar for upcoming classes.
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Yes, the space above was intentionally blank.
What was your reaction to all that “empty” space? Did you react the same way you do in a yoga class when the instructor suddenly stops speaking? Did it make you nervous? Did you think it was a mistake? Did you think I was posting about the first photograph of a black hole? Did you notice it at all?
There are no right or wrong answers to these questions; just the truth. And, the truth is that emptiness, stillness, and nothingness are powerful states that can simultaneously be experienced as uncomfortable and/or as welcoming. We can perceive them as peaceful; as the calm before the storm; and/or as a sign that something is wrong. Just as this is all true when we are talking about external emptiness, stillness, and nothingness; it is also true when we are talking about internal emptiness, stillness, and nothingness.
We live in an overstimulated world full of things — and, that means we are overstimulated and full of things. Yet, we somehow want more. That’s part of what makes us human. It is human nature to crave a sense of belonging and to desire being part of something more than ourselves — to be full. And, yet, those very human desires can lead to very human suffering. The suffering comes, in part, because (as the song goes) “everything is never quite enough”.
The solution to that suffering?
Let everything go.
“We are accustomed to living in a world defined by and confined to the forces of time, space, and the law of cause and effect. Out deep familiarity with ourselves as a limited entity makes embracing our limitless self extremely distressing. We prefer becoming ‘big’ in our familiar little world to losing ourselves in the vastness of pure consciousness.”
— quoted from the commentary on Yoga Sūtra 2.6, from The Practice of the Yoga Sutra: Sadhana Pada by Pandit Rajmani Tigunait, PhD
Emptiness, stillness, and nothingness come up a lot in philosophies like Yoga and Buddhism — and, they are often misunderstood. Concepts like anattā (“non-self” or “no-self”) are hard to grasp (pun intended) if one is not in the habit of practicing non-attachment. Further confusion can ensue when we consider that Patanjali’s Yoga Sūtras (and other ancient texts) discuss Ātman or Ātma (“essence, breath, soul”) as one’s true/highest “Self” and, also, describe a “false sense of self-identity” (āsmita) as one of the five afflicted/dysfunctional thought patterns1 that leads to suffering. (YS 2.3 & YS 2.6) That false sense of self, i-ness, or (sense of) ego comes from the next two afflicted/dysfunctional thought patterns — “attachment” (rāga) and “aversion” (dveṣā)— and lead directly to the final affliction: “fear of death or loss” (abhiniveśāḥ). (YS 2.3-2.9)
“We now see the world through the lens of asmita. The samskaric properties of this false self-identity create a world filled with friends and enemies, virtue and vice. Asmita leads us to experiences of success and failure, gain and loss, honor and insult, and burdens us with inferiority and superiority complexes. Our inner luminosity becomes dim….”
— quoted from the commentary on Yoga Sūtra 2.6, from The Practice of the Yoga Sutra: Sadhana Pada by Pandit Rajmani Tigunait, PhD
Whether we realize it or not, our attachments turn life into a zero-sum game… that everyone is losing. Of course, giving up our sense of self — not to mention our attachments and aversions — is one of the hardest things to do. Part of the challenge is that giving up how we define ourselves (and/or how we think we fit into the world) feels like physical death. This is why it is so hard for people to leave a community and/or an organization even when being part of said community and/or organization causes harm to themselves and others. It is especially hard when we don’t recognize the harm.
It’s hard, but not impossible.
Non-attachment takes practice. It takes (re)conditioning. It requires an understanding and appreciation of emptiness, stillness, and nothingness that may not be (and probably is not) part of our background.
Remember, our understanding and appreciation of everything reflect (or echo, if you will) our previous experiences. If we learn to embrace moments of stillness and quite, we also learn to appreciate that sense of emptiness. If we study/practice the aforementioned philosophies, we learn — as John Cage did — that there is never nothing: “Every moment is an echo of nothing.” If we get still and quite, we can be full… of the stillness and the quiet.
“We cannot say that emptiness is something which exists independently. Fullness is also the same. Full is always full of something, such as full of market, buffaloes, villages or Bhikshu. Fullness is not something which exists independently.
The emptiness and fullness depends on the presence of the bowl, Ananda.
Bhikshu’s look deeply at this bowl and you can se the entire universe. This bowl contains the entire universe. This is only one thing this bowl is empty of and that is separate individual self.
Emptiness means empty of self.”
— quoted from Old Path White Clouds: Walking in the Footsteps of the Buddha by Thich Nhat Hanh
Just as these ideas come up in certain philosophies, they also come up in poetry. Rainer Maria Rilke, for instance, wrote about such things. As did R. S. Thomas. In many ways, however, those two poets had similar backgrounds (even though they had some very different life experiences). But, what happens when two very different poets, with vastly different backgrounds and experiences, have similar relationships with emptiness, stillness, and nothingness?
Do their poems highlight the fact that emptiness, stillness, and nothingness are part of life? Can they show us the value of the intangible and (almost) undefinable?
For Those Who Missed It: Variations of the following have previously been posted.
“In a field
I am the absence
of field.
This is
always the case.
Wherever I am
I am what is missing.”
— quoted from the poem “Keeping Things Whole” by Mark Strand
Today is the anniversary of the birth of Misuzu Kaneko (b. 1903) and Mark Strand (b. 1934). Although the two poets lived very different lives in very different places, they wrote poems on very similar themes2 and were both considered literary celebrities during their lifetimes.
Born Tero Kaneko, Kaneko was able to attend school through the age of 17, despite most Japanese girls of the time only attending up to 6th grade. Her poems started to become very popular when she was 20 years old. Unfortunately, her private life as an adult was so tumultuous and tragic that Kaneko committed suicide just before her 27th birthday. At the time of her death, she had published 51 poems.
When Strand was born in Canada, four years after Kaneko’s death, Kaneko’s poems had been all but lost.
Strand grew up moving around the United States, Columbia, Mexico, and Peru. Raised in a secular Jewish home, he went to a Quaker-run college preparatory school in New York; earned a BA at Antioch College in Ohio; moved to Connecticut to study art and graduated with an MFA from Yale; studied poetry in Italy on a Fulbright scholarship; and finally attended the Iowa Writers’ Workshop (where he received an MA in writing) before teaching all over the East Coast and spending a year as a Fulbright Lecturer in Brazil. In addition to ultimately teaching all over the U.S., Strand won a Pulitzer Prize, served as U. S. Poet Laureate, and was honored with numerous other awards and titles. At the time of his death, at the age of 80, he had published at least 21 collections of poetry, plus three children’s books, several books of prose, and served as editor and/or translator for at least 13 more publications.
To my knowledge, Kaneko never left Japan.
Despite the wildly different details of their lives, both poets wrote about loss and darkness, belonging vs. being alone, how personal perspectives create our world, humans vs. nature, and [the concept of] personal responsibility. They may have used different words, but they seemed to share an underlying idea: True power comes from being present with what is despite our desire to possess, change, and understand everything around us.
“Are you just an echo?
No, you are everyone.”
— quoted from the poem (and book) Are You An Echo? by Misuzu Kaneko
Click here (and scroll down) for the 2019 practice of Triangle Pose (Trikonāsana) through the lens of the poems.
“Benten Island was still there
floating on top of the waves
wrapped in golden light,
green as always.”
— quoted from the poem “Benten Island” by Misuzu Kaneko
Click on the excerpt title below for a (slightly) longer physical practice and a special look at Yoga (from 2018).
Keeping Things Yoga…keeping things yoga – 2018 Kiss My Asana Offering #11
“And we stood before it, amazed at its being there,
And would have gone forward and opened the door,
And stepped into the glow and warmed ourselves there,
But that it was ours by not being ours,
And should remain empty. That was the idea.”
— quoted from the poem “The Idea” by Mark Strand
Saturday’s playlist is available on YouTube and Spotify [Look for “05252022 Pratyahara II”]
If Misuzu Kaneko’s story resonates with you, because you or someone you know is struggling emotionally, please call dial 988 (in the US) or call 1-800-273-TALK (8255).
If you are thinking about suicide, worried about a friend or loved one, or would like emotional support, you can dial 988 (in the US) or call 1-800-273-TALK (8255) for the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline. You can also call this TALK line if you are struggling with addiction or involved in an abusive relationship. The Lifeline network is free, confidential, and available to all 24/7. YOU CAN TALK ABOUT ANYTHING.
White Flag is an app, which I have not yet researched, but which may be helpful if you need peer-to-peer (non-professional) support.
If you are a young person in crisis, feeling suicidal, or in need of a safe and judgement-free place to talk, you can also click here to contact the TrevorLifeline (which is staffed 24/7 with trained counselors).
“I want you to be alive” (WARNING: Some images may be disturbing.)
You’re Invited to Bend… & To Take The Deepest Breath You’ve Taken — On Retreat!
September 25 — 27, 2026
NOTES:
1Avidyā (“ignorance”) is the first afflicted/dysfunctional thought pattern and the bedrock of the other four.2Click here to read “Benten Island” by Misuzu Kaneko. Then, click here to read “The Idea” by Mark Strand. Notice how they are connected.
CORRECTION:
In earlier posts, I accidently referenced Benton Island as opposed to Benten Island.
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The Emptiness is Full of Connection (mostly the music & blessings) April 11, 2026
Posted by ajoyfulpractice in Books, Faith, Healing Stories, Lent / Great Lent, Meditation, Music, One Hoop, Religion, Yoga.Tags: 988, Counting the Omer, Eastertide, Mark Strand, Misuzu Kaneko, Octave of Easter, Yoga Sutras 2.54-2.55
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Peace and many blessings to everyone and especially to anyone Counting the Omer and/or celebrating and/or observing Eastertide and the Octave of Easter or Great Lent.
Happy Poetry Month!!
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Yes, the space above is intentionally blank. Please join me today (Saturday, April 11th) at 12:00 PM for a yoga practice on Zoom to discover why. 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.
Saturday’s playlist is available on YouTube and Spotify [Look for “05252022 Pratyahara II”]
If you are thinking about suicide, worried about a friend or loved one, or would like emotional support, you can dial 988 (in the US) or call 1-800-273-TALK (8255) for the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline. You can also call this TALK line if you are struggling with addiction or involved in an abusive relationship. The Lifeline network is free, confidential, and available to all 24/7. YOU CAN TALK ABOUT ANYTHING.
White Flag is an app, which I have not yet researched, but which may be helpful if you need peer-to-peer (non-professional) support.
If you are a young person in crisis, feeling suicidal, or in need of a safe and judgement-free place to talk, you can also click here to contact the TrevorLifeline (which is staffed 24/7 with trained counselors).
In the spirit of generosity (“dana”), the Zoom classes, recordings, and blog posts are freely given and freely received. If you are able to support these teachings, please do so as your heart moves you. (NOTE: You can donate even if you are “attending” a practice that is not designated as a “Common Ground Meditation Center” practice, or you can purchase class(es).
Donations are tax deductible; class purchases are not necessarily deductible.
Check out the “Class Schedules” calendar for upcoming classes.
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EXCERPT: “Holy & Divine 2025 (a reboot)” April 8, 2026
Posted by ajoyfulpractice in Books, Buddhism, Changing Perspectives, Faith, Healing Stories, Hope, Lent / Great Lent, One Hoop, Passover, Religion, Suffering, Yoga.Tags: 988, Barbara Kingsolver, Eastertide, Flower Festival, Great Lent, Kanbutsu-e, Octave of Easter, Passover
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“Chag Sameach!” to everyone celebrating Passover and/or Counting the Omer! Peace and many blessings to everyone and especially to anyone celebrating and/or observing the Buddha’s birthday and the Flower Festival (in Japan); Great Lent / Great Week / Passion Week; and/or the Octave of Easter / Eastertide!
Happy Poetry Month!!
“A hundred different paths may lighten the world’s load of suffering.”
— quoted from Animal, Vegetable, Miracle: A Year of Food Life by Barbara Kingsolver (b. 1955)
CLICK ON THE EXCERPT TITLES FOR MORE.
Please join me today (Wednesday, April 8th) 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 in the class. You can request an audio recording of this practice via a comment below or by emailing myra (at) ajoyfulpractice.com.
Wednesday’s playlist is available on YouTube and Spotify. [Look for “04082026 RGLB Stories, the remix”]
If you are thinking about suicide, worried about a friend or loved one, or would like emotional support, you can dial 988 (in the US) or call 1-800-273-TALK (8255) for the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline. You can also call this TALK line if you are struggling with addiction or involved in an abusive relationship. The Lifeline network is free, confidential, and available to all 24/7. YOU CAN TALK ABOUT ANYTHING.
White Flag is an app, which I have not yet researched, but which may be helpful if you need peer-to-peer (non-professional) support.
If you are a young person in crisis, feeling suicidal, or in need of a safe and judgement-free place to talk, you can also click here to contact the TrevorLifeline (which is staffed 24/7 with trained counselors).
In the spirit of generosity (“dana”), the Zoom classes, recordings, and blog posts are freely given and freely received. If you are able to support these teachings, please do so as your heart moves you. (NOTE: You can donate even if you are “attending” a practice that is not designated as a “Common Ground Meditation Center” practice, or you can purchase class(es).
Donations are tax deductible; class purchases are not necessarily deductible.
Check out the “Class Schedules” calendar for upcoming classes.
### PEACE IN / PEACE OUT ###
Hope… from Suffering (mostly the music & blessings) April 23, 2025
Posted by ajoyfulpractice in Baha'i, Buddhism, Changing Perspectives, Donate, Faith, Healing Stories, Hope, Karma Yoga, Life, Music, Mysticism, One Hoop, Pain, Peace, Philosophy, Religion, Riḍván, Suffering, Volunteer, Wisdom, Yoga.Tags: 988, Bright Wednesday, Bright Week, Counting the Omer, Eastertide, jónsi, KISS MY ASANA, Octave of Easter, Riḍván, Sarah Kendzior, sigur rós
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“Happy Riḍván!” to those getting ready to celebrate “the Most Great Festival.” Many blessings to anyone Counting the Omer or celebrating/observing Eastertide / the Octave of Easter / Bright Week!
Peace and many blessings to everyone!! Happy Poetry Month!!
“People ask me how I find hope. I answer that I don’t believe in hope, and I don’t believe in hopelessness. I believe in compassion and pragmatism, in doing what is right for its own sake. Hope can be lethal when you are fighting an autocracy because hope is inextricable from time. An enduring strategy of autocrats is to simply run out the clock.”
— quoted from Hiding in Plain Sight by Sarah Kendzior
Please join me today (Wednesday, April 23rd) 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 “04232023 The Language of Hope”]
NOTE: Since this playlist is not specific to any aforementioned holiday, feel free to email or message me for a different 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 a new app, which I have not yet researched, but which may be helpful if you need peer-to-peer (non-professional) support.
If you are a young person in crisis, feeling suicidal, or in need of a safe and judgement-free place to talk, you can also click here to contact the TrevorLifeline (which is staffed 24/7 with trained counselors).
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 can click here to Kiss My Asana Now! (Or, you can also click here to join my team and get people to kiss [your] asana!)
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Looking Up… & Down (w/excerpts) April 22, 2025
Posted by ajoyfulpractice in 9-Day Challenge, Baha'i, Changing Perspectives, Donate, Faith, Healing Stories, Hope, Karma Yoga, Life, Loss, Meditation, Music, Mysticism, One Hoop, Peace, Philosophy, Religion, Riḍván, Suffering, Volunteer, Wisdom, Yoga.Tags: 988, Bright Tuesday, Counting the Omer, Earth Day, Easter Tuesday, Eastertide, KISS MY ASANA, Octave of Easter, Pope Francis, Rachel Carson, Riḍván, Ridvan
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“Happy Riḍván!” to those getting ready to celebrate “the Most Great Festival.” Many blessings to anyone Counting the Omer or celebrating/observing Eastertide / the Octave of Easter / Bright Week!
Peace and many blessings to everyone!! Happy Poetry Month!!
“In these troubled times it is a wholesome and necessary thing for us to turn again to the earth and in the contemplation of her beauties to know the sense of wonder and humility. There is modern truth to the ancient wisdom of the psalmist: `I will lift up mine eyes unto the hills, from whence cometh my help.’”
— quoted from Rachel Carson’s original submission to “Words to Live By” for This Week Magazine (1951)
Today is Earth Day. It is also the third day of Riḍván (“the Most Great Festival” in the Bahá’i Faith); Easter Tuesday or Bright Tuesday (in Western and Orthodox Christian communities); and “one week and two days” (for people who are Counting the Omer).
Additionally, Roman Catholics around the world have started praying a novena in memory of Pope Francis, who encouraged us to “keep looking up”. Today, I encourage you to look up… and down… and all around you.
Notice what you notice. Notice how you the world affects you and how you affect the world. Notice how just noticing is the beginning of change.
“We often make do with looking at the ground: it’s enough to have our health, a little money and a bit of entertainment. I wonder if we still know how to look up at the sky. Do we know how to dream, to long for God, to expect the newness he brings, or do we let ourselves be swept along by life, like dry branches before the wind? The Magi were not content with just getting by, with keeping afloat. They understood that to truly live, we need a lofty goal and we need to keep looking up.”
— quoted from “Solemnity of the Epiphany of the Lord,” Papal Mass, Homily of Pope Francis (Vatican Basilica, Saturday, 6, January 2018)
CLICK ON THE EXCERPT TITLE BELOW FOR MORE ABOUT EARTH DAY!
CLICK HERE and scroll down to the “ENTERING THE GARDEN” section for information about Riḍván.
Please join me today (Tuesday, April 22nd) 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 “04222020 Earth Day”]
If you are thinking about suicide, worried about a friend or loved one, or would like emotional support, you can dial 988 (in the US) or call 1-800-273-TALK (8255) for the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline. You can also call this TALK line if you are struggling with addiction or involved in an abusive relationship. The Lifeline network is free, confidential, and available to all 24/7. YOU CAN TALK ABOUT ANYTHING.
White Flag is a new app, which I have not yet researched, but which may be helpful if you need peer-to-peer (non-professional) support.
If you are a young person in crisis, feeling suicidal, or in need of a safe and judgement-free place to talk, you can also click here to contact the TrevorLifeline (which is staffed 24/7 with trained counselors).
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 can click here to Kiss My Asana Now! (Or, you can also click here to join my team and get people to kiss [your] asana!)
### Remember: See the forest and the trees. ###
EXCERPT: “The Powerful Thing We Do When We Come Together… Waiting” (a post-practice Sunday post) April 7, 2024
Posted by ajoyfulpractice in Changing Perspectives, Faith, Healing Stories, Hope, Lent / Great Lent, Life, Music, One Hoop, Peace, Poetry, Ramadan, Religion, William Wordsworth, Wisdom, Yoga.Tags: Imam Khalid Latif, KISS MY ASANA, nasheeds, neuroscience, Octave of Easter, Ramadan, Ramadān, Reba McEntire, Science, William Wordsworth
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“Ramadān Mubarak, Blessed Ramadān!” to anyone observing the holy month of Ramadān. (Keep your eyes open.) Many blessings to all, and especially to those observing Great Lent or Eastertide / the Octave of Easter!
This is a post-practice post for Sunday, April 7th. You can request an audio recording of a related practice via a comment below or (for a slightly faster reply) you can email myra (at) ajoyfulpractice.com.
In the spirit of generosity (“dana”), the Zoom classes, recordings, and blog posts are freely given and freely received. If you are able to support these teachings, please do so as your heart moves you. (NOTE: You can donate even if you are “attending” a practice that is not designated as a “Common Ground Meditation Center” practice, or you can purchase class(es). Donations are tax deductible; class purchases are not necessarily deductible.
Check out the “Class Schedules” calendar for upcoming classes.
“Take a moment to break your mind free of any distraction that causes your heart to be shackled in anxiety or pain. Remove from yourself any feeling of emptiness or remorse that comes from having to put on a face that is not your own to gain acceptance from a society that won’t take you as you are. Let your thoughts move away from those who can’t look beyond the color of your skin, the texture of your hair, the accent that you speak with, or anything else that makes you beautiful. Don’t chase after words that are unfamiliar to you but seek and speak with words that are sincerely your own. Be with those who give you hope and courage, who help you to be bold in your prayer. Forget the judgments and harshness of any who have lead you to believe that you cannot ask of your Creator for whatever your heart wishes. Don’t inhibit yourself in anyway. God is Most Generous and Most Merciful, and we all are entitled to benefit from that generosity and mercy. You are going to stand in front of the Creator of the Heavens and the Earth, One who looks for a reason to accept from you, not push you away.”
— quoted from a 2012 “Ramadān Reflection” (Day 26) for Huffington Post by Imam Khalid Latif
The following excerpt is from a 2023 post:
“All over the world, people come together. Sometimes physically; sometimes virtually; sometimes spiritual; and sometimes religiously. It happens a lot when Nature cooperates — and/or when people work together to overcome natural (and man-made) disasters. It also happens this time of year, because so many communities are engaged in holy obligations, observations, and celebrations. I’ve talked about such things quite a bit recently and, this week, I again focus on a holy time — this time on the holy month of Ramadān.*
However, in addition to using this time (wisely) to share information that can bring us all closer together; I also want to use today to bring awareness to how powerful we all are (and can be) when we come together. Because, there is so much power in what we do when we come together – even virtually. There is power in coming together and waiting together. What is especially powerful is what we do, in community, when we come together and wait together. People have known about this power for eons upon eons. We see it in rituals and traditions around the world: in people coming together, as a community, during different sacred times throughout the year.
What is funny (ironic) to me is how, despite years of proof, Western science is only recently figuring out and acknowledging this power.”
Click on the first link below for the entire post.
The Powerful Thing We Do When We Come Together… Waiting (the Tuesday post)
Please join me for a 65-minute virtual yoga practice on Zoom today (Sunday, April 7th) at 2:30 PM. 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.
Sunday’s playlist is available on YouTube and Spotify. [Look for “Ramadan & Eid 2024”]
Some quick notes about the music: First, my playlists for the final days of Ramadān are not halal (“permissible”) in all Islamic traditions, because of the orchestrations. They do, however, feature musicians who are Muslim (with a few exceptions).
Reba McEntire is one of the notable exceptions — notable, because in previous years she was the only female soloist and the only non-Muslim singer on the playlists. While this year’s playlists include several Muslim women as musicians and composers, “Pray for Peace” is still highlighted because it was re-released during the month of Ramadān in 2014 — but not just randomly in the month, the song was released in the last ten days of the month (during the holiest part of the month)!
Some songs on the playlist are Nasheeds (meaning they are religiously moral songs) that, in some traditions, are meant to be sung without instrumentation or only with percussion. I have, however, included orchestrated versions of these songs, because this seems to have worked best in an in-studio setting. I mean no disrespect by this choice. As far as I know, percussion or voice only recordings of the Nasheeds are available (if you want to build your own playlist). Alternatively, you can practice without the music — which is always a suitable option.
Finally, the YouTube version currently includes some additional before/after music.
*HOLIDAY & DATE NOTE: I did not reference the biblical stories related to the Octave of Easter or Great Lent. I did, however, make a passing reference to William Wordsworth (born today in 1770). You can click on the link below for more about his “Happy Warrior.”
###
DID YOU KNOW,
A TEAM CAN
KISS MY ASANA?
(April 13th – 19th)
###
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Ramadān & Gandhi in Dandi (the “missing” Saturday post — that is mostly notes, links, and music) April 7, 2024
Posted by ajoyfulpractice in Books, Changing Perspectives, Faith, Gandhi, Healing Stories, Hope, Karma, Lent / Great Lent, Life, Love, Music, Mysticism, One Hoop, Pain, Peace, Philosophy, Poetry, Ramadan, Religion, Suffering, Wisdom, Women, Writing, Yoga.Tags: Ahimsa, Eastertide, Islam, KISS MY ASANA, Laylat al-Qadr, Mohandas Gandhi, nasheeds, Octave of Easter, Ramadan, Ramadān, Reba McEntire, Salt Satyagraha, satya, satyagraha, Shriman Narayan, Valji Govindji Desai, Yusuf Islam
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“Ramadān Mubarak, Blessed Ramadān!” to anyone observing the holy month of Ramadān. (Keep your eyes open.) Many blessings to all, and especially to those observing Great Lent or Eastertide / the Octave of Easter!
This is the “missing” post for Saturday, April 6th. My apologies for not posting the music before the practice on Zoom. You can request an audio recording of a related practice 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.
Check out the “Class Schedules” calendar for upcoming classes.
“The eternal source of love
Was implanted
In every part of existence
The desire for another
Though night and day
Outwardly appears enemies
Yet both serve one purpose
Each seeking the other”
— quoted from the poem “Whispers from a Spiritual Garden” by Yusuf Islam
At the end of the day, we all desire an end to our suffering. However, since our experiences and circumstances are different, we articulate our desires in different ways. We cry, we sing, we wish, we hope, we pray, we contemplate — and, at some point, we have to do… something.
What we do and how we do it is also based on our experiences and circumstances. Some people give peace (and people) a chance. Some people choose war — and a twisted concept of power that prevents them from recognizing a power so great it is referenced in every major religion and spiritual philosophy: Divine or Universal Love.
“Truth (Satya) implies love, and firmness (agraha) engenders and therefore serves as a synonym for force. I thus began to call the Indian Movement ‘Satyagraha’ , that is to say, the Force which is born of Truth and Love or non-violence, and gave up the use of the phrase ‘passive resistance’ in connection with it, so much so that even in English writing we often avoided it and used instead the word ‘Satyagraha’ itself or some other equivalent English phrase.”
— quoted from “12. THE ADVENT OF SATYAGRAHA” in Satyagraha in South Africa by M. K. Gandhi (as published in THE SELECTED WORKS OF MAHATMA GANDHI, VOLUME TWO, translated from the Gujarati by Valji Govindji Desai; General Editor Shriman Narayan)
In 1930, facing the suffering caused by unjust laws, Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi decided salt would be the focus of a direct action, non-violent mass protest. The protest movement became known as the Salt Satyagraha and today (April 6th) is the anniversary of Gandhi, in Dandi, breaking the law.
This also happens to be one of the final days of Ramadān — and the beginning of the month when the Saturday classes will be heart(chakra)-focused.*
Click on the links below for more information and insight.
Saturday’s playlist is available on YouTube and Spotify. [Look for “04062024 Satyagraha & Ramadan”]
Some quick notes about the music: First, my playlists for the final days of Ramadān are not halal (“permissible”) in all Islamic traditions, because of the orchestrations. They do, however, feature musicians who are Muslim (with a few exceptions).
Reba McEntire is one of the notable exceptions — notable, because in previous years she was the only female soloist and the only non-Muslim singer on the playlists. While this year’s playlists include several Muslim women as musicians and composers, “Pray for Peace” is still highlighted because it was re-released during the month of Ramadān in 2014 — but not just randomly in the month, the song was released in the last ten days of the month (during the holiest part of the month)!
Some songs on the playlist are Nasheeds (meaning they are religiously moral songs) that, in some traditions, are meant to be sung without instrumentation or only with percussion. I have, however, included orchestrated versions of these songs, because this seems to have worked best in an in-studio setting. I mean no disrespect by this choice. As far as I know, percussion or voice only recordings of the Nasheeds are available (if you want to build your own playlist). Alternatively, you can practice without the music — which is always a suitable option.
Finally, the YouTube version currently includes some additional before/after music.
*HOLIDAY NOTE: I did not reference the biblical stories related to the Octave of Easter or Great Lent.
###
DID YOU KNOW, IT’S ALMOST TIME TO
KISS MY ASANA?
(April 13th – 19th)
###
First Friday Night Special #42: An Invitation to “Planting & Transforming” (a post-practice post with an excerpt and links) April 5, 2024
Posted by ajoyfulpractice in "Impossible" People, Art, Bhakti, Books, Changing Perspectives, Confessions, Dharma, Faith, Healing Stories, Hope, Lent / Great Lent, Life, Meditation, Music, Mysticism, One Hoop, Pain, Peace, Philosophy, Poetry, Ramadan, Religion, Suffering, Tragedy, Wisdom, Women, Writing, Yoga.Tags: Azima Melita Kolin, Epistle of Paul the Apostle to the Galatians, Imam Khalid Latif, Jane Goodall, khorasan, KISS MY ASANA, Laylat al-Qadr, Maryam Mafi, Mishlei, Narguess Farzad, nasheeds, Octave of Easter, Paulo Coelho, poetry month, Proverbs, Ramadan, Ramadān, Reba McEntire, Rumi, Sami Yusuf
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“Ramadān Mubarak, Blessed Ramadān!” to anyone observing the holy month of Ramadān. (Keep your eyes open.) Many blessings to all, and especially to those observing Great Lent or Eastertide / the Octave of Easter!
This is the post-practice post for tonight’s “First Friday Night Special.” You can request an audio recording of tonight’s Yin Yoga practice 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.
“The body is like a pot with the lid on
lift the lid to see if it is filled
with the Water of Life or the poison of death.
Focus on the contents and you will become a master
focus on the pot and you will be misguided.
Your eyes only see the body
while the spiritual eye perceives the soul.”
— quoted from the poem by Rumi as published in Rumi’s Little Book of Life: The Garden of the Soul, the Heart, and the Spirit, translated by Maryam Mafi and Azima Melita Kolin (with an introduction by Narguess Farzad)
This First Friday Night Special fell on a night that could be, might be (and to many probably is), one of the holiest nights of Ramadān: Laylat al-Qadr. Since April is Poetry Month, there was poetry as well as an explanation about this sacred time. While I ultimately did not include references to scripture related to the the Octave of Easter, there was a bit of context about why we were focusing on these observations — and, really, a little context about why we focus on more than the body (as well as why that often includes things outside of the Yoga Philosophy lineage). This post is just a little expansion of the explanatory comma (with an excerpt related to Laylat al-Qadr).
As often happens at least once year, someone said they weren’t sure where I was going with my narrative. In this particular case (on Monday), the confusion was understandable and (to be honest) a little intentional. Later in the week, a very wise and dear friend asked me why I teach the things I teach. In some ways, these are the same question: What’s the proverbial (or metaphorical) destination? What’s the point?
I actually ask myself these questions all the and I normally have pretty standard answers. These standard answers can be delivered via any number of stories from any number of cultures, authors, songs, historical events, and/or my own history. For instance, since I grew up around so many cultures and religious traditions, I like “…looking at the same mountains from different angles.” (to quote Paulo Coelho) and value the richness and wisdom that can be found in so many manifestations of humanity. However, as we see in many of the Eastern philosophies and traditional sciences, everything has a flipside.
Just as some people have riches, some people have next to nothing. Just as some people are grateful for everything, some people are never satisfied. Just as some people take without thinking, some people give without thought. Just as some people have the time and the space to sit and meditate in quiet, some people are in the middle of (external and/or internal) battles. Just as some people express love and kindness, some people express anger and frustration. There is joy and peace, just as there is anxiety and worry. There is fear and there is wisdom.
Sometimes I find that dichotomy exhausting. In fact, I recently admitted to some friends that I’ve been feeling a little world-weary. That weariness has made it hard to put in the work to do certain things… to teach certain things — even to blog about certain things.
I know I am not alone in this…. I also know some ways to overcome this. That is one of the reasons I do what I do. Because, whatever we do (or don’t do) and how ever we do it (or don’t do it), makes an impact and leaves an impression.
“Use your time wisely. Spend it only in pursuit of things that are good. Hold the world in your hand if you so desire, but never let the world use your heart as its abode. Your understanding of the world around you will be based off of how you take care of the world within you. Treat your heart as something precious and let only what is good for [it] have the privilege of receiving its love.”
— quoted from a 2013 “Ramadān Reflection” for Huffington Post by Imam Khalid Latif
Our thoughts, words, and deeds make an impact on our own self, on the world, and on those around us. That’s what Dame Jane Goodall was saying on Wednesday… and that’s one of the lessons of the Yoga Philosophy: Everything we do is planting a seed — and also, nourishing, harvesting, and/or uprooting what has been planted.
We see it in all the major religions and philosophies and in various sacred texts and scriptures. Throughout the Yoga Sūtras, Patanjali outlined how we can be more conscious about the seeds we are planting and the seeds we need to uproot. In the Book of Proverbs — Mishlei, before King Solomon emphasized the importance of wisdom, knowledge, understanding, discernment, and patience as being connected to “righteousness, justice, and equity, every good path” (P — M 2:9), he talked about the different ways “[one] who sows injustice will reap violence” (P — M 22:8). Of course, the latter sentiment is echoed in Saint Paul’s Epistle to the Galatians (6:7), where it is applied to whatever/everything. While it is spelled out in different ways by different authors, the message is the same.
We are creating the world in which we live and we are creating the path we will ultimately walk.
“Once a believer asked the angel of the Gate,
‘Is it true that hell is the road through which
both believers and unbelievers pass?
For on my way here I saw neither smoke nor fire.’
‘The road you passed was hell indeed,’ the angel smiled.
‘but since you have overcome your lower nature
to you it appears as a garden.
Having planted the seeds of devotion, you transformed
the fire of anger into compassion and ignorance
into wisdom. The thorns of envy have turned into roses
so now your fiery soul has become a rose garden
where nightingales sing praises.’”
— quoted from the poem by Rumi as published in Rumi’s Little Book of Life: The Garden of the Soul, the Heart, and the Spirit, translated by Maryam Mafi and Azima Melita Kolin (with an introduction by Narguess Farzad)
The following excerpt is from a 2022 “renewed” post:
“Laylat al-Qadr, translated as ‘Night of Power,’ ‘Night of Destiny,’ ‘Night of Value,’ ‘Night of Measure,’ ‘Night of Decree’ or ‘Night of Honour,’ commemorates the anniversary of the Qur’ān being reveled to the angel Gabriel in a verse-by-verse recitation, which Gabriel then recited to the Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) over the last 23 years of his (the Prophet’s) life. It is also considered the night when a certain evil spirit can do no harm/evil, when past transgressions are forgiven, and when Allah decides everyone’s destiny. (Notice the similarity to the High Holidays in Judaism?) It is a night so powerful that people will stay up all night praying because it is believed their prayers are more powerful on this most holy night.
There’s just one problem….
No one knows which night is the holiest night.”
CLICK HERE for the entire 2022 post about Laylat al-Qadr.
The April First Friday Night Special features a Yin Yoga Yoga practice (partially inspired by Sarah Powers and Yin Yoga with Matt). It is accessible and open to all.
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).
Friday’s playlist is available on YouTube and Spotify. [Look for “Ramadan 2024: Planting & Transforming”]
Some quick notes about the music: First, my playlists for the final days of Ramadān are not halal (“permissible”) in all Islamic traditions, because of the orchestrations. The do, however, feature musicians who are Muslim (with a few exceptions). This First Friday Night Special playlist is all instrumental (during the practice); includes women as musicians and composers; and the YouTube version currently includes some additional before/after music. Please note that all practices can be done without music and, in fact, some people prefer practicing yoga without music.
One of the notable exceptions — notable, because on the other Ramadān playlists she is the only female soloist and the only non-Muslim singer — is Reba McEntire. While this playlist is a little different, her song “Pray for Peace” is on the playlists because she re-released it during the month of Ramadān in 2014 — but not just randomly in the month, the song was released in the last ten days of the month!
Additionally, there are some songs on the playlist that are Nasheeds (meaning they are religiously moral songs) that, in some traditions, are meant to be sung without instrumentation or only with percussion. I have, however, included orchestrated versions of these songs, because this seems to have worked best in an in-studio setting. I mean no disrespect by this choice. As far as I know, percussion or voice only recordings of the Nasheeds are available (if you want to build your own playlist). Alternatively, you can practice without the music.
Finally, one of the songs is on the playlist three (3) times and was inspired by “the stories in In Baghdad Dreaming Of Cairo: In Cairo, Dreaming Of Baghdad by Rumi and by The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho.” The song is moving in English (and as an instrumental, which is how it shows up during the practice), but it is next level in Arabic. Let’s go. Better yet, let’s make the whole world feel like home.
A Joyful Practice 