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Demonstrate Peace
Peace Walk Sunday, January 22nd 2 PM Santa Monica
On October 8th, the renowned Buddhist teacher, Thich Nhat Hanh, led over 3000 people in a mindful Peace Walk around MacArthur Park, Los Angeles. It was a beautiful demonstration of embodied peace.
Thay, or “teacher”, as his students refer to him, called upon us to "walk in such a way that each step we make becomes a realization of peace; each step becomes a prayer for peace & harmony…walk together in silence with no banners and no pickets…not a petition addressed to anyone, nor a demonstration against anyone… walk to unite our hearts, to nurture our togetherness and to dissipate fear and separation…learn together that wrong perceptions of self and others are at the foundation of separation, fear, hate and violence, and that togetherness and collaboration is possible."
The October 8th walk initiated Peace Is Every Step. PES is a Sangha (community of peace) which has taken up the task of sponsoring Peace Walks on a regular basis. We held our first walk on December 18th in Long Beach. You can read the newspaper article about that walk here: http://www.yoga-losangeles.com/peaceiseverystep/longbeachwalk.html
You are invited to help us nourish and cultivate the seed planted by the October 8th and December 18th Walks by stepping in peace with us again on Sunday, January 22 at 2 PM in Santa Monica. We will meet at Reed Park (Lincoln Blvd. and Wilshire) and walk in peace through the city to the Pier and onto the beach to contemplate the crosses of the Iraq war dead at "Arlington West" (visit http://www.arlingtonwestfilm.com/).
What is a Peace Walk and what is walking meditation? How does walking in this way bring peace? When we walk in mindfulness we are in the here and the now. With each step, we experience fully the act of walking and we generate a field of peace in our hearts and stillness in our minds. We become walking manifestations of peace. A Peace Walk is silent and calm. There are no signs or banners or chants. The act of walking in peace stands as its own statement. It is a spiritual practice available to persons of any faith or of no faith. Numbers of people stepping in peace can be powerfully transformative both for the walkers and for those who observe and feel their energy of peace. As more people walk together with greater frequency, this field of manifest peace will gather momentum and energy and will have an effect on the larger world. As Thay says:
“Peace in Oneself; Peace in the World"
For more information about Peace Is Every Step, please visit: http://www.yoga-losangeles.com/peaceiseverystep.html http://peaceiseverystep.net/
We hope that you will demonstrate peace with us on January 22nd. Also please consider assisting our work in other ways:
WE NEED YOUR HELP!
• We need volunteers on the day of the walk to help with a variety of easy tasks.
• Join our community of peace and help organize this Walk and a future Peace Walk in your own community.
• Spread the word about PES. There are downloadable flyers and posters on our web page which you can print, copy, post and distribute. Download them here at: http://www.yoga-losangeles.com/peaceiseverystep/flyers.html
• Forward this email to your peace-minded friends.
• Co-sponsor this walk and future walks. Go here for sponsorship information: http://www.yoga-losangeles.com/peaceiseverystep/sponsors.html
Here's a partial list of co-sponsors for this Peace Walk: Peace Is Every Step (Hearts of Peace Sangha), Americans for the Department of Peace, The Peace Alliance, All Saints Church (Episcopal) of Pasadena, Military Families Speak Out, Angel City Yoga, The Yoga Loft, YogaEast, Laughter Yoga, Universal Temple of Yoga and Inner Peace, Pacific Ashtanga Yoga, The Yoga Center of Redondo Beach, Pranayoga and many more...
We hope that you will start practicing walking meditation on your own and with friends and family. May this New Year be a time of peace for you. We look forward to walking with you soon.
In Peace, Peace Is Every Step Hearts of Peace Sangha Los Angeles 818-385-1355
Please forward this email to your peace-minded friends!
Reply to this email to be added to our email list and receive updates and reminders.
If you feel so moved, please volunteer to help on the day of the walk.
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