A Joyful Practice

Dwelling in the Human Possibility (mostly the music) December 10, 2022

“For Occupation – This –

The spreading wide my narrow Hands

To gather Paradise –”

 

– quoted from the poem “I dwell in Possibility – (466)” by Emily Dickinson (b. 12/10/1830)

«Нядаўна ў мяне адбыўся кароткі дыялог.

— Калі на волю? — спыталіся ў мяне.

— А я і так вольны, у душы, — адказаў я.

Мой вольны дух лунае па-над вязніцай і над кляновым лістом абрысаў Беларусі.

Я зазіраю сабе ўсярэдзіну, і здаецца, што мае ідэалы не змяніліся, не страцілі

каштоўнасць, не патускнелі. Яны заўжды са мной, і я ахоўваю іх, як магу. Яны — як

адлітыя з золата, і іх не бярэ іржа.

Мы хочам уладкаваць нашае грамадства як больш гарманічнае, справядлівае і спагаднае.

Дабіцца незалежнай, дэмакратычнай Беларусі. Марым, каб яна была ўтульнай і

прывабнай для жыцця.

Гэтая ідэя высакародная, сугучная агульным для свету цывілізацыйным уяўленням. Мы

ж не марым пра штосьці надзвычайнае, мы хочам усяго толькі ‹людзьмі звацца›, як

сказаў наш класік Янка Купала. Тут — і павага да сябе саміх, і да іншых, тут і правы

чалавека, дэмакратычны лад жыцця, беларуская мова і нашая гісторыя.»

“I recently had a short dialogue.

– When will you be released? – they asked me.

– I am already free, in my soul, was my reply.

My free soul hovers over the dungeon and over the maple leaf outlines of Belarus.

I look inside myself, and my ideals have not changed, have not lost their value, have not faded. They are always with me, and I guard them as best I can. They are like cast from gold, immune from rusting.

We want to build our society as more harmonious, fair and responsive to the needs of its sons and daughters. To achieve an independent, democratic Belarus, free of foreign coercion. We dream that it will be a country full of warmth and advantageous to live in.

This is a noble idea, concordant with the global ideas of civility. We are not dreaming of something special or extraordinary, we just want ‘to be called human’, as our classic Yanka Kupala said. It implies respect for ourselves and for others, it implies human rights, a democratic way of life, the recognition of the Belarusian language and of our history.”

– quoted from the 2022 Nobel Peace Prize lecture by Ales Bialiatski, as delivered (in Belarusian) by his wife Natallia Pinchuk, Oslo, 10 December 2022 (Copyright © The Nobel Foundation, Stockholm, 2022.)

Please join me for a 90-minute virtual yoga practice on Zoom today (Saturday, December 10^th) 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.

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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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