[FTWMI] A Quick Note & EXCERPT: “The Difference A Day Made II” July 28, 2026
Posted by ajoyfulpractice in Changing Perspectives, First Nations, Healing Stories, One Hoop, Philosophy, Yoga.Tags: 14th Amendment, 988, Beverly Palmer, citizens, citizenship, Holly Ochoa, politics, slavery, Thaddeus Stevens, Theodore Parker
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Many blessings to everyone and especially to anyone working for peace, freedom, and wisdom — especially when it gets hot (inside and outside).
Stay hydrated, y’all!
For Those Who Missed It: The following was originally posted in 2025 (with the prompt question: “How do you feel about citizenship?”)
Class details, some formatting, links, and date-related edits have been updated/added.
“So far as the appeals of the learned gentleman [from Ohio, U. S. Representative George Hunt Pendleton] are concerned, in his pathetic winding up, I will be willing to take my chance, when we all molder in the dust. He may have his epitaph written, if it be truly written, ‘Here rests the ablest and most pertinacious defender of slavery and opponent of liberty;”’ and I will be satisfied if my epitaph shall be written thus: ‘Here lies one who never rose to any eminence, who only courted the low ambition to have it said that he striven to ameliorate the condition of the poor, the lowly, the downtrodden of every race and language and color.’
I shall be content, with such a eulogy on his lofty tomb and such an inscription on my humble tomb, to trust our memories to the judgement of the ages.”
— quoted from the January 13, 1865 speech by U. S. Representative (from Pennsylvania) Thaddeus Stevens, as published in The Selected Papers of Thaddeus Stevens: April 1865 – August 1868 by Thaddeus Stevens, edited by Beverly Palmer and Holly Ochoa
Yes, [the 2025] prompt question was (as one of my yoga buddies put it) “loaded”. Keep in mind that I actually re-worded the question for the email and for the blog (for clarity and so that the question would be a little less “charged”). Still, the subject of citizenship and — in particular — conversations about the 14th Amendment to the United States Constitution can get contentious right now. In fact, such conversations (in 2025 & 2026) could be as controversial as they were today in 1866, when the amendment was officially adopted by the United States Congress.
Of course, I can’t help wondering why the subject of citizenship (still) sparks so much argumentative debate and litigation — why it has always seemed to be so contentious. To start finding answers, we have to go back to the events that led to the amendment being proposed; some of the reasons why you may find more than one ratification and adoption date for it; and some of the related legal cases associated with it.
CLICK ON THE EXCERPT TITLE BELOW FOR MORE.
“I do not pretend to understand the moral universe. The arc is a long one. My eye reaches but little ways. I cannot calculate the curve and complete the figure by experience of sight. I can divine it by conscience. And from what I see I am sure it bends toward justice.”
— quoted from an 1853 sermon by abolitionist and Unitarian minister Theodore Parker
Please join me today (Tuesday, July 28th) at 12:00 Noon 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 (for a slightly faster reply) you can email me at myra (at) ajoyfulpractice.com.
Tuesday’s playlist is available on YouTube and Spotify. [Look for “07282021 The Difference A Day Made II”]
Click here for a post about “deep listening”.
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 an app, which I have not 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 need 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).
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Check out the “Class Schedules” calendar for upcoming classes.
You’re Invited to Bend… & To Take The Deepest Breath You’ve Taken — On Retreat!
September 25 — 27, 2026
A Joyful Practice 