jump to navigation

Q: Who Could Use A Hug Today? A: Everybody! January 21, 2025

Posted by ajoyfulpractice in Healing Stories, Health, Life, Love, One Hoop, Yoga.
Tags: , , , , , , , , , ,
add a comment
Many blessings to everyone, especially those observing Maha Kumbh Mela. May everyone breathe deeply and receive the love you need (the way you need it)! May you be safe and protected / May you be peaceful and happy / May you be healthy and strong!

“The world is not comprehensible, but it is embraceable: through the embracing of one of its beings.”

— Martin Buber

You can hug yourself (and embrace yourself) every day! There is, also, something to be said for being hugged (and embraced) by others. Humans are sensational beings (i.e., creatures full of sensation) and the largest organ of the human body is skin: the sense organ associated with touch. In a 2024 Harvard University article entitled, “Exploring Our Sense of Touch from Every Angle: Harvard Medical School researchers are illuminating one of the most mysterious — and most essential — senses”, Catherine Caruso wrote, “Touch is the process by which specialized neurons sense tactile information from the skin and other organs and convey this information to the brain, where it is perceived as sensations such as pressure, temperature, vibration, and pain.” Touch can be healing. While there are times when we don’t notice touch — and/ or take it for granted — and there are times when touch can be too much sensation, there are definitely times when we can have too little touch. There are times when we need touch. Sometimes, we even need a specific kind of touch: a hug. Hugs activate our sense of touch and have the added benefit of putting a little compression on the nervous system, which can be particularly helpful in certain situations. Keeping all of that in mind, Kevin Zaborney, who was friends with the granddaughter of the owner of Chase’s Calendar of Events, created National Hugging Day. Now celebrated all over the world, it was first celebrated in 1986 in Clio, Michigan and today is the day! So, hug yourself and hug someone else (physically, with their permission) and hug everyone (metaphorically)!! Happy International Hugging Day!!!

“We need 4 hugs a day for survival. We need 8 hugs a day for maintenance. We need 12 hugs a day for growth.”

— Virginia Satir

Please join me today (Tuesday, January 21st) 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 “02082022 Celebrating Being Humans”]
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.)

### ((o0)) ###

DID YOU KNOW #5: Keep Calm & Kiss My Asana (A Kiss My Asana offering) April 19, 2024

Posted by ajoyfulpractice in 7-Day Challenge, Changing Perspectives, Donate, Gratitude, Healing Stories, Hope, Karma Yoga, Life, Love, One Hoop, Philosophy, Twin Cities, Volunteer, Wisdom, Yoga.
Tags: , , , , , , , , , ,
add a comment

“Happy Riḍván!” to those celebrating “the Most Great Festival.” Many blessings to everyone, and especially to anyone observing Great Lent! Happy National Poetry Month!

“Too often we underestimate the power of a touch, a smile, a kind word, a listening ear, an honest compliment, or the smallest act of caring, all of which have the potential to turn a life around.”

— Leo F. Buscaglia, PhD

Dr. Buscaglia’s observations really speak to the very foundation of Mind Body Solutions and the Kiss My Asana yogathon. I’ll get to what that means in an upcoming post; but, first, I want to touch on “the power of touch.” It is often, as “Dr. Love” pointed out, underestimated in our general society. Sure, there are times — like when people are touch-deprived — that we appreciate that power. Other times, however, people can take it for granted.

You know who doesn’t take the power of touch for granted? People who study with Matthew Sanford. It doesn’t matter if it is an adaptive yoga practice or a traditional/Iyengar practice, touch is utilized as much — if not more — than any prop. The video below is just a little taste of how a little touch can be beneficial in your practice.

NOTE: To get the full effect, watch the video on YouTube.

The video above is part of my 2024 offering for the 11th annual Kiss My Asana yogathon, which benefits Mind Body Solutions (MBS). I am super excited to dedicate this week (April 13th — 19th) to raising awareness and resources for MBS’ life-affirming work “to help people live better in the body they have.” You can help by joining me as we practice with purpose, by sharing this page, and/or by making a donation that creates opportunities for more people to practice yoga.

Each year, in addition to hosting my fundraising page and making my own personal donation, I offer a blog post and/or a YouTube post — sometimes even a whole practice. This year, I wanted to highlight elements of the practice that we may overlook or take for granted. I also wanted to underscore that participating in the Kiss My Asana yogathon is just a tangible way to do what we do in every practice: set an intention and dedicate the merits of the practice to someone other than ourselves. Finally, I wanted to offer something that reflects my inspirations; something that “begins in delight and ends in wisdom;” and something that was short, fun, and full of insight (or, maybe it’s just randomly useful information) — something that I think of as the video equivalent of a villanelle (check out that last link for details).

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!) 

If you’re interested in my previous KMA offerings, check out the following (some links only take you to the beginning of a series and/or to YouTube):

Check out this 2023 class post to find out one of the reasons why Mind Body Solutions is so important to me!

If you subscribe to my YouTube channel, you can be notified as soon as the videos are posted.

### I WOULD BE SO TOUCHED IF YOU KISS MY ASANA! ###