A Joyful Practice

Getting Ready to Let Go… Again (the “missing” Tuesday post) September 30, 2025

“Chag sameach!” (“Happy Festival!”) to everyone observing the High Holidays. “Nine days and nine nights of blessings and happiness if you are celebrating Sharada Navaratri!” Many blessings to everyone and especially to anyone seeking friendship, peace, freedom, understanding, and wisdom on Canada’s National Truth and Reconciliation Day.

Stay safe! Live well! Hydrate and nourish your heart, body, and mind.

This “missing” compilation post for Tuesday, September 30^th, features new and previously posted content. 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.

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“You know how important that is. That’s the whole, that’s the whole, meaning of life, isn’t it? Trying to find a place for your stuff….”

“Have you noticed that their stuff is [ __ ] and your [ __ ] is stuff?”

— George Carlin, quoted from the standup routine about “A Place for… Stuff” (from his Comic Relief appearance, March 29, 1986)

We all come to the practice with “stuff”. As George Carlin so hilariously pointed out, we all go through life with “stuff”. Even though he was (mostly) talking about material things, I am talking more metaphorically… and energetically. We all have stuff. We all have the things that keeps us moving, the things that keep us stuck, and “the things that keep us here”(centered and grounded).

One thing can fit in more than one category and — because things change — something can move from one category to another. When the latter happens, we may find ourselves holding on to “[ __ ]” that no longer serves us.

The following excerpts are from a 2021 & 2023 versions of a 2020 post.

NOTE: Randomly, coincidentally, or not, two people named Buckley created pieces entitled “The Things That Keep Us Here”. I’ve never read Carla Buckley’s novel, but I’ve used Scott Buckley’s haunting composition on more than one occasion. It is part of his Monomyth album and includes a description that also seems to fit the synopsis of the novel, “Family. Duty. The things that keep us grounded, what keep us from giving up on our hopes, but what also holds us back from stepping across the precipice into the unknown.”

As the High Holidays come to an end, I always find myself thinking about the things to which I cling even though they are no longer serving me — or never served me. I think about how the very “things that keep us grounded” and keep us from stepping into danger can also be the things that keep us from freely moving into our future.

Yoga Sūtra 2.39: aparigrahasthairye janmakathantāasambodhah

— “A person firmly established in the non-possessiveness gains complete understanding of the “why-ness” (or essence of why) of birth.”

Like everyone else, I have my favorite stories for each season; but, I don’t get the chance to tell every story every year…. There is, however, a story I make sure to tell every year, right at the end of the High Holidays. It’s a Charlie Harary story with a timeless message.

Some people may believe that I save today’s story for the one of the final days of the High Holidays because it is sometimes an intense physical practice. But, in reality, there is a bit of symbolism that plays out in the story and in the timing of the story. You see, even though I don’t talk about the significance of Rosh Hashanah, the Ten Days of Awe / Ten Days of Atonement, and Yom Kippur until people are observing them; many people within the Jewish community start planning and observing (a time of contemplation and preparation) 49 days before Rosh Hashanah and some people start fasting forty days before Yom Kippur. They listen for the call of the shofar and recite Psalm 27 twice a day. Some communities even begin a tradition of communal prayers for forgiveness (Selichot). For others, observation begins with Rosh Hashanah and the Ten Days of Repentance — even though, if they plan to go home and/or attend services, they have to make arrangements beforehand. Finally, there are people who may only fast and attend services on Yom Kippur.

There is merit to each person’s timetable. And I see this kind of timetable in other communities — including in the yoga community….

Click on the excerpt titles below for the related 2021 and 2023 posts.

Wow! You’re Still Holding on to That? (the “missing” Wednesday post)

Getting Ready to Let Go

The Fierce Mother Goddess (a revised excerpt):

The High Holidays happen at the same time every year on the Hebrew calendar, but at different times on the Gregorian calendar. Similarly, they overlap with different holidays observed by people using other (religious) calendars. This year, the High Holidays (almost) directly overlap Navaratri, the Hindu festival of “nine nights” celebrating divine feminine energy in various manifestations.

Each of manifestation of Durga/Parvati manifestation is a symbolic milestone (and a reminder that women “contain multitudes”). The final day¹ is devoted to Siddhidhatri, whose name literally means “land/earth of achievements”. Her name can also be translated as “Giver of Perfection”, as She is believed to be endowed with all the siddhis (“abilities” or “powers”) in the Universe and, also, to be able to bestow all of them. Typically, however, She only gives nine of the multitudes — some of which are referenced in the Yoga Sūtras.

In art and literature, she is sometimes depicted as being half of Shiva (with Him being half of Her), meaning that they are the embodiment the yin/yang symbol. When they are shown together in this way, they are each known as Ardhanarishvara, Ardhanaranari, or similar names that all highlight the fact that They are partially a woman.

When we look at the hero(ine)’s journey — as told through each day’s story, we are reminded that Durga/Parvati is a warrior or, if you will, a hero friend.

¹NOTE: During the big celebrations of Navaratri (in the Spring and Fall) the final day is a double celebration — which may mean more feasting in some regions and more fasting in others. For example, some celebrations on the ninth day of Navaratri will also be Ayudha Puja (“worship of tools”), when people celebrate peace and knowledge and give thanks for the tools of their occupation. This means that some will give thanks for musical instruments and others will give thanks for their farming machinery. At the same time, some will make their puja (“offering”) to Saraswati — who is associated with knowledge, the arts, and culture, etc. — and others will direct their attention to Lakshmi — who is associated with prosperity, wealth, and fertility, etc.

These fall celebrations also include a tenth day, Dussehra or Vijayadashami, which commemorates Lord Rama’s victory over a 10-headed demon.

The Part About Truth:

“We must always take sides. Neutrality helps the oppressor, never the victim. Silence encourages the tormentor, never the tormented. Sometimes we must interfere. When human lives are endangered, when human dignity is in jeopardy, national borders and sensitivities become irrelevant. Wherever men and women are persecuted because of their race, religion, or political views, that place must—at that moment—become the center of the universe.”

— quoted from the 1986 Nobel Peace Prize Acceptance Speech by Elie Wiesel

As I mentioned in the 2023 post excerpted above, there are people — myself included — who can get impatient when we decide we are ready for change and when we see that change needs to happen. However, there are times when stopping bad behavior is not the only change that needs to happen. There are times when the end of something horrible is just the beginning of the work that needs to be done in order for there to be healing. This is true of individual insults and injuries (where we individually ask or offer forgiveness). This is also true when it comes to really big things that we must never forget.

Born today (Tuesday) in 1928, in Sighet, Kingdom of Romania, Elie Wiesel was a writer, professor, political activist, polyglot (who spoke at least six languages), and Nobel laureate. He was also a Holocaust survivor who, along with his family and Sighet’s entire Jewish population, was moved into confinement ghettos in March 1944. In May of that same year, the officials within German-occupied Hungary started deporting people to Auschwitz. Elie Wiesel’s mother (Sarah Feig) and younger sister (Tzipora) were murdered upon arrival, as were 90% of the people deported to Auschwitz. Mr. Wiesel and his father (Shlomo Wiesel) would eventually be moved to Buchenwald, where the elder Wiesel was murdered shortly before the camp was liberated.

Elie Wiesel and his two older sisters (Beatrice and Hilda) were the only survivors in their immediate family. The siblings were reunited in a French orphanage and eventually immigrated to North America — with Elie and Hilda settling in the United States and Beatrice moving to Montreal, Quebec, Canada. In April 1969, he married Marion Erster Rose, who survived the Holocaust after she and her family were sent to Gurs internment camp (in France).

For 10 years, Elie Wiesel did not speak or write about his experiences during the war. Eventually, a discussion with a close friend prompted him to write a 900-page memoir Un di velt hot geshvign (And the World Remained Silent) in Yiddish. An abridged version of the book was published in Buenos Aires and then, in 1955, her wrote a shorter version in French and called it La Nuit, which was published in English as Night. While not many copies of Night were initially sold, the book garnered a lot of attention and was eventually translated into 30 languages. To date, over ten million copies of Night have been sold in the US alone. Elie Wiesel wrote over 40 books, including two collections of memoirs and some novels. He also wrote The Trial of God, which he turned into a play of the same name.

Elie Wiesel and Marion Rose Wiesel, who translated 14 of her husband’s books, won numerous awards and honors for their humanitarian efforts. When Mr. Wiesel won the 1986 Nobel Peace Prize, the couple used the Nobel prize money to start the Elie Wiesel Foundation for Humanity.

The Norwegian Nobel Committee referred to Elie Wiesel as “messenger to mankind” and “one of the most important spiritual leaders and guides in an age when violence, repression, and racism continue to characterize the world”. The committee also pointed out that while his activism started with his own trauma, his compassion and desire for peace extended to the whole world.

The Part About Truth & Reconciliation:

“To forget would be not only dangerous but offensive; to forget the dead would be akin to killing them a second time.”

— quoted from “Preface to the New Translation” in Night by Elie Wiesel (a new translation by Marion Wiesel)

September 30^th is National Truth and Reconciliation Day in Canada. It is a day of remembrance and also a day of activism. According to an Indian Country Today article by Mary Annette Pember, Canada’s Truth and Reconciliation commission estimated “that up to 6,000 children died at the schools from disease, abuse, starvation, and other ills.” As I mentioned in a 2021 post, those Canadian numbers become even more appalling when added to the unheard stories of children who suffered similar traumas and tragedies in the United States (which had over 2.5 times as many schools).

Unlike the United States, Canada has made an effort to grapple with the horrors of their past, uncover the truths, and is (officially) “dedicated to moving forward, together in solidarity, across every part of these lands, united in truth, healing and respect.”

“On this National Day for Truth and Reconciliation, we pause to remember the children taken from their families, those who never returned home, and the individuals, families and communities still living with the lasting impacts and trauma caused by the residential school system in Canada. Orange Shirt Day, founded by residential school Survivor Phyllis Webstad, has long been a grassroots movement led by Indigenous Peoples to honour the legacy of Survivors, who have shared their experiences to bring national attention to these truths. This day marks a solemn national commitment to truth, accountability and reconciliation.”

— quoted from the “Statement by Ministers Guilbeault, Alty, Chartrand and Gull-Masty on the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation” (English version)

NOTE: The Statement is also (officially) available in Algonquin, Cree (Eastern), Denesuline, Inuktituk, Innu-Aimun, Mi’kmaq, Michif, Oji-Cree, Ojibway (Western), and Plains Cree

Tuesday’s playlist is available on YouTube and Spotify. [Look for “High Holidays: Drop Your Bags”]

NOTE: The YouTube playlist includes the Charlie Harary story that originally inspired this practice.

The residential school system is a topic that can cause trauma from memories of past abuse. Messages around the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation can be an unwelcome reminder to those who suffered hardships through generations of government policies that were harmful to Indigenous Peoples. A 24-hour support line (1-866-925-4419) provides crisis referral services to survivors and their families and explains how to access further health support from the Government of Canada. The Hope for Wellness Helpline provides immediate, culturally safe, crisis intervention support for First Nations, Inuit and Métis, 24 hours a day, seven days a week through its hotline, 1-855-242-3310, or its online chat at hopeforwellness.ca. The service is available in English, French and, upon request, in Cree, Ojibway and Inuktitut.

If you are struggling, thinking about suicide, worried about a friend or loved one, or would like emotional support, you can dial 988 (in the US) or call 1-800-273-TALK (8255) for the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline. You can also call this TALK line if you are struggling with addiction or involved in an abusive relationship. The Lifeline network is free, confidential, and available to all 24/7. YOU CAN TALK ABOUT ANYTHING.

White Flag is an app, which I have not yet researched, but which may be helpful if you need peer-to-peer (non-professional) support.

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).

### “Gemar chatimah tovah.” (“A good final sealing.”) ###