Posted by ajoyfulpractice in Art, Books, Changing Perspectives, Faith, Healing Stories, Lent / Great Lent, Life, Music, One Hoop, Philosophy, Poetry, Ramadan, Religion, Swami Vivekananda, Wisdom, Writing, Yoga.
Tags: Eiko Kadono, Hans Christian Andersen, International Children's Book Day, Kęstutis Kasparavičius, Nana Furiya, Octave of Easter, Ramadan, Ramadān, Season for Nonviolence, Season of Non-violence, Swami Vivekananda, Yoga Sutra 4.8
Happy International Children’s Book Day! “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, today and throughout this “Season for Nonviolence” and during all other seasons!
“‘Oh, I can hear your heart. It’s beating faster.
Flitter-flutter, thumpity-thump, pitter-patter, bumpety-bump.
The traveling story has jumped inside and set your heart racing.
You’ll become one yourself next, spreading your wings to fly.
And so, another traveling story is born.’”
— quoted from the 2024 International Children’s Book Day poem & message “Cross the Seas on the Wing of your Imagination” by Eiko Kadono (translated from Japanese by the author)
Click here for Eiko Kadono’s entire poem and see the accompanying poster by Nana Furiya [on the United States Board on Books for Young People (USBBY) website].
Please join me today (Tuesday, April 2nd) 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 “11142021 A Day for Children”]
Here’s a little excerpt from my 2019 post on this date:
“Pretty much everything Kęstutis Kasparavičius wrote about books, in his 2019 International Children’s Book Day message, can be stated about yoga. There’s something that happens when you get on the mat, when you tap into the breath — even when you move with the breath. Like reading, practicing yoga is accepting an invitation to explore.”
“And if I take an animal body, only the animal desires will come up, and the good desires will wait. What does this show? That by means of environment we can check these desires. Only that Karma which is suited to and fitted for the environments will come out. This shows that the power of environment is the great check to control even Karma itself.”
— quoted from the commentary on Yoga Sūtra 4.8 from Raja Yoga by Swami Vivekananda
“Being born in a duck yard does not matter, if only you are hatched from a swan’s egg.”
— quoted from the children’s story The Ugly Duckling by Hans Christian Andersen (b. 04/02/1805)
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.)
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Posted by ajoyfulpractice in Faith, Healing Stories, Karma, Life, Music, Philosophy, Wisdom, Yoga.
Tags: Jackie Robinson, samskāras, Stuart Chase, vasanas, Yoga Sutra 4.10, Yoga Sutra 4.8, Yoga Sutra 4.9, Yoga Sutras 4.1-4.7
“Chag Sameach!” “Happy Festival!” to anyone celebrating Passover. “Ramadān Mubarak, Blessed Ramadān!” to anyone who was observing the holy month of Ramadān. Many blessings to all, and especially to those celebrating or observing Holy Saturday, Lazarus Saturday, and/or Hanuman Jayanti!
“For those who believe, no proof is necessary. For those who do not believe, no proof is possible.”
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– Stuart Chase
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Please join me for a 90-minute virtual yoga practice on Zoom today (Saturday, April 16th) at 12:00 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.
Saturday’s playlist is available on YouTube and Spotify. [Look for “04112020 LSPW”]
Here’s a little excerpt from my 2020 post on this date: “Most people, I think, would agree that freedom is priceless. I mean, at least, I think we can all agree about that when we are talking about our own freedom. Things get a little twisted when we are talking about someone else’s freedom. How much do we value the freedom – or even the life – of someone we perceive as different from us? How much do we value the freedom – or even the life – of someone with whom we disagree about even the meaning of freedom?” Click here for to read the rest of the post .
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.)
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Posted by ajoyfulpractice in Faith, Healing Stories, Karma, Life, Music, Philosophy, Wisdom, Yoga.
Tags: Eleanor Roosevelt, Marian Anderson, memory, samskāras, vasanas, Yoga Sutra 4.8, Yoga Sutra 4.9, Yoga Sutras 4.1-4.7
“Ramadān Mubarak, Blessed Ramadān!” to anyone who was observing the holy month of Ramadān. Many blessings to all, and especially to those celebrating Chaitra Navaratri or observing Lent or Great Lent!
“You had an opportunity to lead in an enlightened way and it seems to me that your organization has failed.”
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– quoted from a DAR resignation letter written by First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt in the Spring of 1939
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Please join me for a 90-minute virtual yoga practice on Zoom today (Saturday, April 9th) at 12:00 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.
Saturday’s playlist is available on YouTube and Spotify.
(NOTE: I completely remixed this playlist, because while I own a copy of the Marian Anderson’s Lincoln Memorial concert with the speeches, it is not available on YouTube. It is available on Spotify; search for “Marian Anderson Let Freedom Ring.”)
Here’s a little excerpt from my 2019 post on this date: “Sometimes triumph comes because someone surrenders; sometimes it comes because someone persisted. If you go back in history you will find examples of both happening on any given day – including this day.” Click here for to read the rest of the post and to practice the featured pose.
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.)
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Posted by ajoyfulpractice in Books, Changing Perspectives, Faith, Healing Stories, Hope, Karma, Life, Music, Philosophy, Suffering, Wisdom, Writing, Yoga.
Tags: Hans Christian Andersen, kaivalya, samskaras, samskāras, Swami Vivekananda, vasanas, Yoga Sutra 4.8, Yoga Sutras 4.1-4.7
“Ramadān Mubarak, Blessed Ramadān!” to anyone who was observing the holy month of Ramadān. Many blessings to all, and especially to those observing Lent or Great Lent!
“And if I take an animal body, only the animal desires will come up, and the good desires will wait. What does this show? That by means of environment we can check these desires. Only that Karma which is suited to and fitted for the environments will come out. This shows that the power of environment is the great check to control even Karma itself.”
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– quoted from the commentary on Yoga Sūtra 4.8 from Raja Yoga by Swami Vivekananda
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“Being born in a duck yard does not matter, if only you are hatched from a swan’s egg.”
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– quoted from the children’s story The Ugly Duckling by Hans Christian Andersen (b. 04/02/1805)
Please join me for a 90-minute virtual yoga practice on Zoom today (Saturday, April 2nd) at 12:00 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.
Saturday’s playlist is available on YouTube and Spotify. [Look for “11142021 A Day for Children”]
Here’s a little excerpt from my 2019 post on this date: “Pretty much everything Kęstutis Kasparavičius wrote about books, in his 2019 International Children’s Book Day message, can be stated about yoga. There’s something that happens when you get on the mat, when you tap into the breath – even when you move with the breath. Like reading, practicing yoga is accepting an invitation to explore.” Click here for to read the rest of the post and to practice the featured pose.
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.)
“’No? then I don’t understand you. You may have thousands of my days, but I have thousands of moments in which I can be merry and happy. Does all the beauty of the world cease when you die?’
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‘No,’ replied the tree; ‘it will certainly last much longer, infinitely longer than I can think of.’
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‘Well, then,’ said the little fly, ‘we have the same time to live, only we reckon differently.’ And the little creature danced and floated in the air, rejoicing in its delicate wings of gauze and velvet, rejoicing in the balmy breezes laden with the fragrance from the clover fields and wild roses, elder blossoms and honeysuckle, and from the garden hedges of wild thyme, primroses, and mint.”
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– quoted from the children’s story The Last Dream of the Old Oak by Hans Christian Andersen (b. 04/02/1805)
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A Joyful Practice 