Taking Another Look @ Madiba’s Lessons on Compassion, Peace, and Music (the “missing” Saturday compilation post) July 18, 2026
Posted by ajoyfulpractice in "Impossible" People, Art, Changing Perspectives, Dharma, Faith, Gratitude, Healing Stories, Hope, Life, Music, One Hoop, Pain, Peace, Philosophy, Religion, Suffering, Tragedy, Wisdom, Yoga.Tags: #46664, "Impossible" People, 988, Charl Blignaut, David G. Myers, freedom, Jesse Jackson, Madiba, Malcolm A. Jeeves, maya, Nelson Mandela, Quote Investigator, Robert Owen, samskāras, Shabbat Chazon, svadyaya, svādhyāya, Winnie Madikizela-Mandela, Yvonne Chaka Chaka
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“Shabbat Shalom” to anyone observing Shabbat Chazon! Peace and many, many blessings to everyone and especially to anyone practicing peace, freedom, and wisdom (inside and outside)!
This is the “missing” compilation post for Saturday, July 18th. It includes some new and “remixed/re-purposed” content, as well as excerpts. 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.
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.
“If my mind can conceive it, if my heart can believe it, I know I can achieve it….”
— quoted from a March 4, 1979, speech at Anderson College in Anderson, Indiana by Jesse Jackson1
According to the old adage, “What man can conceive, man can achieve”. And, while there are a plethora of different ways to express this sentiment, the Reverend Jesse Jackson proclaimed a crucial piece of the formula: Belief. We have to believe in the thing that we conceive. We have to believe in ourselves. On a certain level, we have to believe in the world. Belief is the tricky part. Because our beliefs are based on previous experiences, doing the “impossible”, requires belief in something with which we have little-to-no experience.
Svādhyāya (“self-study”) is the fourth niyama (internal “observation”) in the Yoga Philosophy and one of the ways that we can examine our beliefs in order to be understand what paves the way to our success and what gets in the way of our success. We can do a little contemplation every time we practice with the 2026 group sankalpa, which includes the word “beliefs”. We can also do a little introspection by putting ourselves in the shoes of another person — not only imagining what it would be like to be in a certain situation, but, also, considering what we would believe if we were in that situation.
Remember, our thoughts (i.e., our beliefs) precede our words and actions. So, what would it take for you to believe you were more than a number? What would it take for you to believe in your own freedom? What would it take for you to believe in your ability to (help) alleviate the suffering of a whole nation?
“Freedom is indivisible; the chains on any one of my people were the chains on me.
It was during those long and lonely years that my hunger for the freedom of my own people became a hunger for the freedom of all people, white and black. I knew as well as I knew anything that the oppressor must be liberated just as surely as the oppressed.”
— quoted from Long Walk to Freedom: The Autobiography of Nelson Mandela by Nelson Mandela
Nelson Mandela, who was born today in 1918, was more than a number. He was Madiba and “Father of the Nation” and so much more. Imagine, for a moment, what you would believe if you lived his circumstances?
What would you believe if you were simultaneously a member of a royal family, a lawyer, and a second-class citizen of your country. Would you believe you could use your personal privilege to fight the injustices that made it impossible for you to live in a free, just, and equitable society?
How would your beliefs change if you spent over 27 years in prison (some of it in solitary confinement and some of it with the least amount of privileges) – while simultaneously being heralded around the world as a hero? Which part of those contradictory experiences would shape your beliefs the most?
Finally, what would you believe if you were a Nobel Peace Prize winner and President of your country?
Now, go back and consider how your beliefs shift/change if consider each belief from the perspective of someone who was also a husband and father, a son and a friend.
Click on the excerpt title below for my 2020 post related to Nelson Mandela, with reference to the Yoga Sūtras.
“During apartheid, Winnie Madikizela-Mandela once summoned Yvonne Chaka Chaka to her Soweto home to deliver a note and a message from her husband in prison on Robben Island.
‘It was just a note to say “your music keeps us, your fathers, alive in jail”,’ the Princess of Africa told me earlier this year. I asked her if Madiba ever told her what song of hers he enjoyed most.
‘Umqombothi,’ she replied. It remains her most popular track.”
— quoted from the 12 Dec 2013 City Press article, “Who was Mandela’s favourite singer?” by Charl Blignaut
What would it take for you to believe that you would one day dance to the music that brightened your darkest days? What would it take for you to believe you would one day raise the glass that marked your homecoming?
Click on the excerpt title below for my 2021 “More Than 46664” post related to Nelson Mandela, with reference to music and vedanā (“sensation” or “feeling”).
More Than 46664 (the “missing” Sunday post, with a reference to Monday’s practice)
“[The reign of truth, charity, and love] are now considerations for the men of progress; for those who are imbued with the sincere desire to improve the condition of the human race, and who are prepared to make personal sacrifices to attain so great, so good, so glorious an object; to attain the emancipation of the world from falsehood, and to establish the universal reign of truth; because truth alone can make all the nations of the earth free from mental bondage, and all the evils thence ensuing.
It is this spirit of language and truth which must pervade the whole mass and the entire of society, before man can conceive what man can achieve, or society united can accomplish.”
— quoted from “Chapter VII. Principles and Practice of Religion.” in “Part First.” of The Book of the New Moral World: Containing the Rational System of Society, Founded on Demonstrable Facts, Developing the Constitution and Laws of Human Nature and of Society by Robert Owen
According to the Quote Investigator, the earliest printed version of the aforementioned old adage can be found in the 1845 edition of The Book of the New Moral World: Containing the Rational System of Society, Founded on Demonstrable Facts, Developing the Constitution and Laws of Human Nature and of Society by Robert Owen. A philosopher, social reformer, and one of the founders of utopian socialism and the co-operative movement, Mr. Owen indicated that the achievements (and beliefs) of one person are predicated on the beliefs (and achievements) of an entire society. Nelson Mandela understood this, believed this, lived this, and endeavored to achieve it.
“As I have said, the first thing is to be honest with yourself. You can never have an impact on society if you have not changed yourself.”
— Nelson Mandela
Saturday’s playlist is available on YouTube and Spotify. [Look for “07182021 More Than 46664”]
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 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 need 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).
You’re Invited to Bend… & To Take The Deepest Breath You’ve Taken — On Retreat!
September 25 — 27, 2026
NOTES:1 Jesse Jackson used variations of this refrain in many speeches. This particular phrasing is cited in Psychology Through the Eyes of Faith (1987) by David G. Myers and Malcolm A. Jeeves.
### Believe in Freedom & Liberation ###
A Quick Note & FTWMI: In The Middle of “The Wild Things” (revised) & EXCERPT: “Here Be The Wild Things” June 10, 2026
Posted by ajoyfulpractice in Books, Changing Perspectives, Depression, Faith, Healing Stories, Health, Hope, Life, Loss, Love, Meditation, Music, One Hoop, Peace, Philosophy, Religion, Suffering, Wisdom, Writing, Yoga.Tags: 988, addiction, Alcoholics Anonymous, Anne Smith, Bill Wilson, Bonnie Taylor-Blake, Christopher Walken, Dr. Bob Smith, Joseph Campbell, Maurice Sendak, mental health, PRIDE, Quote Investigator, Sandra Razieli, Sir Austen Chamberlain, Terry Gross
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Happy Pride! Many, many blessings to everyone and especially to anyone celebrating PRIDE and/or the 2nd Week after Pentecost & the Apostles’ (Peter & Paul) Fast.
“The earliest strong match known to QI appeared in a March 1936 newspaper report in ‘The Yorkshire Post’ of West Yorkshire, England. The expression was used in a speech by an influential British statesman.
Sir Austen Chamberlain, addressing the annual meeting of Birmingham Unionist Association last night, spoke of the ‘grave injury’ to collective security by Germany’s violation of the Treaty of Locarno.
Sir Austen, who referred to himself as ‘a very old Parliamentarian,’ said:—”
“‘…. We move from one crisis to another. We suffer one disturbance and shock after another.’”
— quoted from the December 18, 2015, Quote Investigator post, “Quote Origin: May You Live In Interesting Times” (with credit to “top researcher Bonnie Taylor-Blake”)
I think we can all agree that we are “living in interesting times” and surrounded by “wild things”. All of which activates our nervous systems. To paraphrase my yoga buddy and fellow teacher Sandra Razieli, we need/want to cultivate a resilient nervous system. A yoga practice is one of the many ways we can do that.
For Those Who Missed It: The following (slightly revised) excerpt is from a 2025 post. Some links, a quote, and class details have been updated/added. Links connected to outside sites are identified accordingly.
The other day In 2025, I asked a question — “What are we doing?” — and noted that intonation (and adding a few choice words) can change the context. So, today, I am very much asking with a certain tone (and some choice words): “What in the ever-loving world are we doing?”
People might use the old adage and say we are “living in interesting times”. I’m going to say that we are in the middle of wild times and in the middle of wild things. So, the next question I want to ask you is, “What do you do when you’re in the middle of wild things”?
That last question, like my other questions, can be taken in different ways and will have different answers depending on how you react when your sympathetic nervous system is activated. Some people immediately fight (and that means different things to different people). Some people freeze up or collapse. Some people flee. While all of these very natural reactions are activated by our sympathetic nervous system, they can manifest in different ways. For instance, some people fight with joy or other positive emotional expressions (like a little bit of random fun and silliness). Some people use prayers, mediation, plus rituals and traditions to battle whatever plagues them or those they love. Bottom line: People do what they need to do to survive.
“I only have one subject. The question I am obsessed with is: How do children survive?”
— Maurice Sendak (b. 1928)
It is important to keep in mind that our sympathetic nervous systems can be activated when we are physically in the wild space (where wild things are happening), and/or when we mentally and emotionally find ourselves in the wild space, from viewing wild things on television, hearing things on the radio, or reading and/or viewing something on social media. All of our nervous systems are being activate.
So again, the question is, what do we do when we’re in the middle of the wild things? What do you (specifically) do? What allows you to respond more like Wayman Tisdale than Cole Porter?
And, don’t take this as me being flippant; because, I am absolutely serious when I suggest that you go a little deeper into your knee jerk response(s) and notice what you do when you find yourself “where the wild things are” — and what it takes for you to be like Max (and become the “most wild thing of all”).
“‘And now,’ cried Max, ‘let the wild rumpus start!’”
— quoted from Where The Wild Things Are by Maurice Sendak
Today is the anniversary of the birth of children’s book author and illustrator Maurice Sendak (b. 1928) and the anniversary of the founding of Alcoholics Anonymous (in 1935).
The excerpted post includes passing references to mental health issues and addiction.
CLICK ON THE EXCERPT TITLE BELOW FOR MORE.
FTWMI: Here Be The Wild Things (a post-practice Monday re-post)
“Your sacred space is where you can find yourself again and again. You really don’t have a sacred space, a rescue land, until you find somewhere to be that’s not a wasteland, some field of action where there is a spring of ambrosia—a joy that comes from inside, not something external that puts joy into you—a place that lets you experience your own will and your own intention and your own wish so that, in small, the Kingdom is there. I think everybody, whether they know it or not, is in need of such a place.”
— quoted from A Joseph Campbell Companion: Reflections on the Art of Living by Joseph Campbell
As noted in the excerpted post, it is important to have a sacred space when battling things and people that push you off center. For some people, a sacred space is on the outside; for some it is on the inside; and for some it is both. For some it is all of that mixed in with tradition, ritual, and intention. Ultimately, to go back to the words of Joseph Campbell and Maurice Sendak, it is a place where everything falls into place — where we have good “luck”. It is a place we have to find and/or cultivate, as we do in our practice.
“There should be a place where only the things you want to happen, happen.”
— quoted from Where The Wild Things Are by Maurice Sendak
Please join me today (Wednesday, June 10th) 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 by emailing myra (at) ajoyfulpractice.com.
Wednesday’s playlist is available on YouTube and Spotify. [Look for “06102020 Here Be The Wild Things”]
MUSIC NOTE: YouTube is the original playlist and includes the video below.
My all time favorite rendition!
2025 Practice Note: I changed the narrative for the 2025 practice and did not include the story about Maurice Sendak’s correspondence with a young fan (courtesy of the child’s mother). You can find the story (and a little history about the story) on the Truth of Fiction? website.
“GROSS: Well, I’m so glad you have a new book. I’m really glad we had a chance to talk.
SENDAK: I am too.
GROSS: And I wish you all good things.
SENDAK: I wish you all good things. Live your life, live your life, live your life.”
— quoted from the NPR Fresh Air interview “Maurice Sendak: On Life, Death And Children’s Lit” with Terry Gross and Maurice Sendak (originally aired September 20, 2011)
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
### “I’LL EAT YOU UP!”• “I LOVE YOU!” ###
In The Middle of “The Wild Things” & EXCERPT: “Here Be The Wild Things” (the “missing” Tuesday post) June 10, 2025
Posted by ajoyfulpractice in Books, California, Changing Perspectives, Faith, Healing Stories, Health, Hope, Life, Love, Meditation, Music, One Hoop, Peace, Philosophy, Religion, Suffering, Wisdom, Writing, Yoga.Tags: 988, addiction, Alcoholics Anonymous, Anne Smith, Bill Wilson, Bonnie Taylor-Blake, Christopher Walken, Dr. Bob Smith, Joseph Campbell, Jyeshtha Purnima, Maurice Sendak, mental health, PRIDE, Quote Investigator, Sir Austen Chamberlain, Terry Gross, Third Day of the Holy Trinity
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Happy Pride!
Many blessings to everyone and especially to anyone celebrating festivals associated with Jyeshtha Purnima, Pride, and/or the Third Day of the Holy Trinity.
This is a “missing” compilation post for Tuesday, June 10th, which includes a date-related excerpt. Some links will direct you to websites other than this blog.
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.
“The earliest strong match known to QI appeared in a March 1936 newspaper report in ‘The Yorkshire Post’ of West Yorkshire, England. The expression was used in a speech by an influential British statesman.
Sir Austen Chamberlain, addressing the annual meeting of Birmingham Unionist Association last night, spoke of the ‘grave injury’ to collective security by Germany’s violation of the Treaty of Locarno.
Sir Austen, who referred to himself as ‘a very old Parliamentarian,’ said:—”
“‘…. We move from one crisis to another. We suffer one disturbance and shock after another.’”
— quoted from the December 18, 2015, Quote Investigator post, “Quote Origin: May You Live In Interesting Times” (with credit to “top researcher Bonnie Taylor-Blake”)
The other day I asked a question — “What are we doing?” — and noted that intonation (and adding a few choice words) can change the context. So, today, I am very much asking with a certain tone (and some choice words): “What in the ever-loving world are we doing?”
People might use the old adage and say we are “living in interesting times”. I’m going to say that we are in the middle of wild times and in the middle of wild things. So, the next question I want to ask you is, “What do you do when you’re in the middle of wild things”?
That last question, like my other questions, can be taken in different ways and will have different answers depending on how you react when your sympathetic nervous system is activated. Some people immediately fight (and that means different things to different people). Some people freeze up or collapse. Some people flee. While all of these very natural reactions are activated by our sympathetic nervous system, they can manifest in different ways. For instance, some people fight the with joy or other positive emotional expressions (like a little bit of random fun and silliness). Some people use prayers, mediation, plus rituals and traditions to battle whatever plagues them or those they love.
This year, Jyeshtha Purnima started today (June 10th) and runs through June 11th. This “elder” full moon is dedicated to Vishnu and is one of the most auspicious “moon days” in some Hindu traditions. It falls in the month of Jyeshtha, which some consider sacred to the Goddess Ganges (who is the embodiment of forgiveness, purification, and the river Ganges). In addition to a procession and ritual bathing ceremony in the Ganges, people will pray and meditate; make a puja (“offering”); and also donate to charities. This is a particularly auspicious time for married women — some of whom will pray and wrap thread around a banyan to ensure good health and good fortune for their husbands.
It is important to keep in mind that our sympathetic nervous systems can be activated when we are physically in the wild space (where wild things are happening), and/or when we mentally and emotionally find ourselves in the wild space, from viewing wild things on television, hearing things on the radio, or reading and/or viewing something on social media. All of our nervous systems are being activate.
So again, the question is, what do we do when we’re in the middle of the wild things? What do you (specifically) do? What allows you to respond more like Wayman Tisdale than Cole Porter?
And, don’t take this as me being flippant; because, I am absolutely serious when I suggest that you go a little deeper into your knee jerk response(s) and notice what you do when you find yourself “where the wild things are” — and what it takes for you to be like Max (and become the “most wild thing of all”).
“‘And now,’ cried Max, ‘let the wild rumpus start!’”
— quoted from Where The Wild Things Are by Maurice Sendak
Today is the anniversary of the birth of children’s book author and illustrator Maurice Sendak (b. 1928) and the anniversary of the founding of Alcoholics Anonymous (in 1935). The excerpted post includes passing references to mental health issues and addiction.
CLICK ON THE EXCERPT TITLE BELOW FOR MORE.
FTWMI: Here Be The Wild Things (a post-practice Monday re-post)
“Your sacred space is where you can find yourself again and again. You really don’t have a sacred space, a rescue land, until you find somewhere to be that’s not a wasteland, some field of action where there is a spring of ambrosia—a joy that comes from inside, not something external that puts joy into you—a place that lets you experience your own will and your own intention and your own wish so that, in small, the Kingdom is there. I think everybody, whether they know it or not, is in need of such a place.”
— quoted from A Joseph Campbell Companion: Reflections on the Art of Living by Joseph Campbell
As noted in the excerpted post, it is important to have a sacred space when battling things and people that push you off center. For some people, a sacred space is on the outside; for some it is on the inside; and for some it is both. For some it is all of that mixed in with tradition, ritual, and intention. Ultimately, to go back to the words of Joseph Campbell and Maurice Sendak, it is a place where everything falls into place — where we have good “luck”. It is a place we have to find and/or cultivate, as we do in our practice.
“There should be a place where only the things you want to happen, happen.”
— quoted from Where The Wild Things Are by Maurice Sendak
Tuesday’s playlist is available on YouTube and Spotify. [Look for “06102020 Here Be The Wild Things”]
MUSIC NOTE: YouTube is the original playlist and includes the video below.
My all time favorite rendition!
Practice Note: Since I changed the narrative for this year’s practice, I did not include the story about Maurice Sendak’s correspondence with a young fan (courtesy of the child’s mother). You can find the story (and a little history about the story) on the Truth of Fiction? website.
“GROSS: Well, I’m so glad you have a new book. I’m really glad we had a chance to talk.
SENDAK: I am too.
GROSS: And I wish you all good things.
SENDAK: I wish you all good things. Live your life, live your life, live your life.”
— quoted from the NPR Fresh Air interview “Maurice Sendak: On Life, Death And Children’s Lit” with Terry Gross and Maurice Sendak (originally aired September 20, 2011)
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).
A Joyful Practice 