A Joyful Practice

Take Care (the post-practice Monday post) February 3, 2025

“Nine days and nine nights of blessings and happiness if you are celebrating Magha Gupta Navaratri!” “Happy (Lunar) New Year!” and/or “Happy Carnival!” to those who are celebrating! Many blessings to everyone, and especially those observing Maha Kumbh Mela and/or Vasant Panchami / Saraswati Puja.

Peace, ease, and contemplation throughout this “Season for Nonviolence” and all other seasons!!!

This post-practice compilation for Monday, February 3^rd features new and previously posted content, as well as excerpts. The 2025 prompt question was, “What is a way you care for yourself, care for those around you, and care for the world?” 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).

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Check out the “Class Schedules” calendar for upcoming classes.

“My six non-negotiables for wellness would be yoga, meditation, prayer, diet, sleep, and therapy — or some form of spiritual mentorship, even if that includes reading books. If I don’t do these six non-negotiables I know that, just because of the familiarity of tension, that in conflict or in crisis I will without a doubt become reactive. I will say or do something that will actually create more conflict for myself and for the other person; making a situation escalate in a way that’s unnecessary, because I’m not actually dealing with some of my own suppressed emotions. And, so, I have to commit to what works for me.”

“So those are my six non-negotiables for myself. The seventh one, that I’m awful at, but I highly recommend — it’s something I’m trying to bring more of in my life, because I really do understand the importance of it in terms of wellness — and that would be play.”

— Seane Corn, quoted from the video “7 Non-Negotiables for Wellbeing | Seane Corn”

Almost a decade ago, Lead with Love asked Seane Corn to share her non-negotiables for wellbeing (see video below). We all have non-negotiables, meaning things we do in order to show up in the world at our best and as the best versions of ourselves. My top three are music, yoga, and stories — not necessarily in that order — and, in addition to including those non-negotiables into every day, I share them as one of the ways I take care of others (and, on a certain level, the way I take care of the world).

Maybe yours are the same or similar to hers, or to mine, or maybe they are really different. What is important — especially in challenging times — is that we know what we need to do to take care our ourselves, as if we are our own fiercest protector and nurturer.

“In his research on Durgā worship in Varansi, Hillary Rodrigues asked both males and females how they understood these goddesses and what lent the group internal coherence. Males, for the most part, stressed the fact that all were manifestations of Durgā or the Mahādevī, that they represented her different manifestations in the world. When pressed, some males interpreted the nine goddesses as different stages in the evolution of prakṛti (the physical creation) or as different elements in it….

Interpretations of the nine Durgās by women differed dramatically from this rather philosophical view of the goddesses. According to certain females, the nine Durgās represent the stages in a woman’s life; as one woman put it: ‘These nine Durgās are our life, women’s life.’”

— quoted from the “Religious Materials Are Heavily Gendered” section of “1. Women’s Studies in the History of Religions” by David Kinsley, as published in Methodology in Religious Studies: The Interface with Women’s Studies, edited by Arvind Sharma

This fifth day of Navaratri, the Hindu festival of “nine nights” celebrating divine feminine energy in various manifestations, is devoted to Skandamata, who is a fierce mother as protector — a woman who simultaneously holds her baby, rides a lion, and keeps her eyes (especially her third eye) open for any and all danger. If we follow the story and see each manifestation as a different stage in a woman’s life and development, then each version of Durga/Parvati prepares her for the next stage of her life. Skandamata, then, is someone who can take care of herself and also take care of others.

Coincidentally, the “Season for Nonviolence” principle for today is “Caring” — and Skandamata is a reminder that in order to take care of others, we must take care of ourselves.

A MUSIC STORY

“Everyone deserves music, sweet music”

— quoted from the song “Everyone Deserves Music” by Michael Franti & Spearhead

Since the Monday practice is, technically, one of the practices without a playlist, I typically avoid themes related to music or just mention them in passing. For instance, this date on the Gregorian calendar, is known as “The Day the Music Died” and I normally tell the story of the disastrous “Winter Dance Party” tour and how a plane carrying Buddy Holly, Ritchie Valens, and J. P. “The Big Bopper” Richardson, as well as the pilot, Roger Peterson, crashed just outside of Clear Lake, Iowa, today in 1959.

CLICK ON THE EXCERPT TITLE BELOW FOR THE STORY (& MUSIC).

Today, 1959 (the Wednesday post about the music that died)

CLEANSING /DETOXIFYING STORIES

“Cos it is good for me
It can be good for you”

— quoted from the song “Good For You” by Hothouse Flowers (written by Hothouse Flowers and Stewart Levine)

Water and staying hydrated are, obviously, non-negotiables for everyone. Water is recognized as an element of purification and an integral part of many rituals and traditions around the world. In fact, today is the third Amrit Snan (“necter baths”) or Shahi Snan (“royal baths”) during this year’s Maha Kumbh Mela celebrations. This fourth (of six) most auspicious dates this year to bathe in the sacred river occurs on Vasant Panchami (also known as Saraswati Puja), which is dedicated to the Hindu goddess Saraswati and marks the beginning (or the preparations for the beginning) or Spring.

Water and spring cleaning are also highlighted on this sixth day of the Lunar New Year / Spring Festival in some stories related to the Clear-Water Grand Master and the Ghost of Poverty.

CLICK ON THE EXCERPT TITLE BELOW FOR SOME LUNAR YEAR DAY 6 STORIES.

When You Need A Good Hard Rain (the “missing” Sunday post)

A STORY ABOUT TAKING CARE OF YOURSELF, OTHERS, & THE WORLD

“‘Follis was a natural hitter and he had an ease about him and a confident smile that always seemed to worry opposing pitchers,’ one report said. ‘As a football player and as a baseball player he gained the respect of his associates and opponents as well by his clean tactics and his gameness,’ said another.”

— quoted from “Charles Follis” by Milt Roberts (originally in Black Sports, Nov. 1975), reproduced in THE COFFIN CORNER: Vol. 2, No. 1 (1980)

I mentioned before that stories (and sharing stories) are one of the ways I take care of myself (and others) and can also be a way to take care of the world. I think this is true about all manner of stories (fictional as well as non-fictional), because all stories can teach us about ourselves and can teach us about our lives — especially if we practice a little svādhyāya (“self-study”). It can be particularly help to learn how other people dealt with challenging situations and how those people changed/made history.

A perfect example of such a story is the story (really, stories) of Charles W. Follis, who was born today in 1879. Known as “the Black Cyclone”, Mr. Follis not only made history, the way he dealt with racism inspired others to change the world around them.

The Black Cyclone (a special Black History note)

There is no playlist for the Common Ground Meditation Center practices.

Check out Seane’s explanation of her non-negotiables.

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).

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