A Joyful Practice

FTWMI: Exploring & Having Our Say August 18, 2024

Many blessings to everyone and especially to anyone observing the Dormition (Theotokos) Fast, and/or exploring friendship, peace, freedom, and wisdom — especially when it gets hot (inside and outside).

Stay hydrated & be kind, y’all!

For Those Who Missed It: A version of the following was originally posted in 2020 and 2021. In addition to a little revision, some links, formatting, and class details have been updated/added.

“The large woolf found here is not as large as those of the atlantic states. they are lower and thicker made shorter leged. their color which is not effected by the seasons, is gray or blackish brown and every intermediate shade from that to a creen [cream] colored white; these wolves resort [to] the woodlands and are also found in the plains, but never take refuge in the ground or burrow so far as I have been able to inform myself. we scarcely see a gang of buffalo without observing a parsel of those faithfull shepherds on their skirts in readiness to take care of the mamed wounded. the large wolf never barks, but howls as those of the atlantic states do.”

— quoted from journal notes by Meriwether Lewis, dated May 5, 1805

What happens when you explore, really get to know your mind and know your spirit? You start to understand what your body and mind (even your spirit) are capable of doing. You start to notice how things are connected, related, and how working on or with one part of your mind-body-spirit affects other parts — physically, mentally, even energetically and spiritually. And once you’ve explored and gotten to know parts of yourself, parts of yourself start speaking up and wanting their say. Every part of yourself wants to be considered in the work that affects you (and them). This is not unreasonable. This is, also, the way in which your mind, body, and spirit are like a country or sovereign nation — even like a continent or ocean.

Any environment is going to be full of entities (people and things) that are affected by each other and outside factors. Those entities have ways of communicating, but we have to listen — and explore, and then listen some more.

Today is the anniversary of the birth of two explorers, Meriwether Lewis (born today in 1774) and Margaret “Mardy” Murie (born today in 1902). Charged by President Thomas Jefferson to explore the Louisiana Territory in 1804, Captain Meriwether Lewis was quiet, intellectual, and kept meticulous journals. Those journal entries are highly prized today for their detailed information about the flora, fauna, and people the expedition met along the way. The expedition, often called the “Corps of Discovery,” included Second Lieutenant William Clark; Sacagawea and Toussaint Charbonneau; George Drouillard, and York, Clark’s enslaved “body servant.”

Note that while Meriwether Lewis’s mother had a plantation full of enslaved people — people that he, at one time, was meant to supervise — he left the plantation and did not have an enslaved person in his service during the expedition. He did, however, hire a free Black man, John Pernia (or Pearny), as his valet later in his travels. (Although, John Pernia was reportedly not paid his full wages and petitioned President Jefferson for them after Meriwether Lewis’s death.) Also notable is the fact that Meriwether Lewis and William Clark granted Sacagawea (a Shoshone member), Touissant, York, and George Drouillard (a Shawnee-French man) the right to vote during expedition meetings — and that their votes, along with those of half-Canadian, half-Indian servicemen like Private Pierre Cruzatte (who was Omaha-French), were counted the same as the white servicemen. In other words, the leaders of the expedition allowed them to have their say.

“Dear Son,

Don’t forget to be a good boy and help Mrs. Catt put the RAT in ratification.”

— quoted from the letter Mrs. Phoebe “Febb” Ensminger Burn wrote to her son Tennessee Representative Harry Burn in 1920

“I know that a mother’s advice is always safest for her boy to follow.”

— Tennessee State Representative Harry Burns on why he voted “aye” for suffragists, even as he wore a red carnation

The 19^th Amendment to the United States Constitution was ratified today in 1920, giving women the right to vote. Ultimately, the determining vote was cast by a man who carried a woman’s (his mother’s) note in his pocket. So, you could say, Febb Burn had her say and, in doing so, allowed women like Margaret Murie to have their say. (Note, however, that it women like Sacagawea were not legally considered U. S. citizens until the 1924 Indian Citizenship Act and could not vote until 1962).

“Mardy” Murie was 18 when the 19^th amendment was ratified and already had a history of making her thoughts known. In 1924, she was the first woman to graduate from the University of Alaska-Fairbanks and she spent her 8-month honeymoon exploring Alaska with her husband, Olaus. Her notes and reflections became the book Two in the Far North. Her life’s work and her devotion to wildlife preservation led her to be known as the “Grandmother of Conservation.”

“To live a full life, you must have something beyond your household, beyond your family, to broaden your existence.”

— Margaret “Mardy” Murie

Please join me for a 65-minute virtual yoga practice on Zoom today (Sunday, August 18^th) at 2:30 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.

Sunday’s playlist is available on YouTube and Spotify. [Look for “08182020 Exploring & Having Our Say”]

“If we allow ourselves to be discouraged, we lose our power and momentum. That’s what I would say to you of these difficult times. If you are going to that place of intent to preserve the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge or the wild lands in Utah, you have to know how to dance.”

— quoted from Two In the Far North by Margaret “Mardy” Murie

Extreme heat can not only make people lethargic and unmotivated, it can also lead to extreme agitation and anxiety-based fear. We may find it hard to think, hard to feel (or process our feelings), and/or hard to control our impulses. If you are struggling in the US, help is available just by dialing 988.

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.

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

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