¡Vamos Otra Vez! (a collection of excerpts) May 5, 2024

Feliz Cinco de Mayo! Many blessings to everyone and especially to anyone observing the Great and Holy Pascha, Counting the Omer, and/or working for peace (inside and outside).

“One must first learn to know himself before knowing anything else. Not until a man has inwardly understood himself and then sees the course he has to take does his life gain peace and meaning; only then is he free….”

— quoted from a journal entry #5100 “Gilleleie, dated August 1, 1835” by Søren Kierkegaard

The following excerpt is from a 2023 “First Friday Night Special” post:

“Even though he shares a birthday with some great people I know, I hardly ever mention the existential philosopher Søren Kierkegaard on his actual birthday. That’s because he was born today, May 5, 1813. Sure, he was born in Copenhagen, Denmark, Denmark–Norway, 49 years before the Battle of Puebla — which took place on Cinco de Mayo, 1862 in Puebla de Zaragoza, Mexico (almost 9.5 thousand kilometers away from Copenhagen, where Kierkegaard died, seven years before the battle). And, yes, he lived almost 150 years before Cinco de Mayo became a celebration of Mexican heritage in the United States. However, for me, that celebration of heritage is crucial and a great opportunity to breathe and to share the music of Mexican-Americans.

Despite what some people think, Cinco de Mayo has absolutely nothing to do with Mexican Independence Day (September 16^th) and everything to do with the spirit, the will, and the determination of the people in Puebla, Mexico in 1862. The Battle of Puebla took place during the second Franco-Mexican War (also known as the Second French Intervention in Mexico). This was forty-plus years after the Mexican War of Independence….”

¡Vamos, Respiremos!

The following excerpt is from a 2020 post:

“Kierkegaard was a Christian existentialist and yet his thoughts on love, living a life with purpose, honoring community while also knowing your own mind, and connecting with the Divine may be very meaningful to people of different faiths and belief systems. I don’t agree with all of his conclusions. Yet, some of his words definitely resonate with me — especially right now, as we find ourselves alone together and not only having the time to really get to know ourselves, but also having the need to know our own minds. Kierkegaard’s deliberations warn about the ease in which we may be swept away by the crowd, and not only the danger of that, but also the importance of that.”

¡Vamanos!

“Life can only be understood backwards; but it must be lived forwards.”

— Søren Kierkegaard (b. 05/05/1813)

Please join me for a 65-minute virtual yoga practice on Zoom today (Sunday, May 5^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 [baile/dancing] playlist is available on YouTube and Spotify. [Look for “Cinco de Mayo 2020”]

An instrumental playlist is also available on YouTube and Spotify. [Look for “Cinco de Mayo Viernes 2023”]

“Yo tengo Patria antes que Partido.”

— “I have a Homeland before a Party.” quote attributed to General Miguel Negrete (after switching back to the Mexican side during the Second French Intervention in Mexico)

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).

You can still click here to Kiss My Asana Now! (Or, you can also click here to join my team and get people to kiss [your] asana!) 

Donations are tax deductible; class purchases are not necessarily deductible.)

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