:: March/April 2003 Volume 2/Number 2

Humanity at Peace Celebration
December 15, 2002, Coldwater Canyon Park Amphiteater

"I feel like I stepped into 1968," says one attendee as he surveys the crowd of 73 hipsters and hippies here to enjoy music, yoga and to galvanize our intentions for world peace. Not organized coincidentally as our political leaders set their intentions on war, Humanity at Peace, a collective that gathers artists and spiritual leaders to guide peace-seekers toward non-violent solutions to world problems has brought us together.

By Adam Skolnick

Mark Whitwell is the first yogi to take the stage. "Peace is a natural condition, he says, "but models of human perfection put forth by religious doctrine, inherently deny it." Whitwell, departing from what is often heard, believes yoga should not be used as a path to enlightenment.

Photo by Adam Skolnick.

"We are already enlightened. The divine nature of body and breath already exists within us. Yoga just helps our mind connect to it." He leads a simple exercise. Attendees are asked to stand in tadasana (mountain pose). Our arms stretch up with an inhalation through the nose, and relax to our sides upon exhale. Whitwell is particular about the quality of breath. "Your inhale should sound like your exhale," he advises. We do a series of six movements and as he exits, it is clear that these full deep breaths have shifted the energy, and the diverse crowd is becoming a community.

Photo by Adam Skolnick.

Gurmukh, a well known Kundalini instructor, compares the event to peace rallies that she experienced in the sixties, but notes that today's times demand a different tact toward peace. "Angry activism and rage, 'them and us', will never work. It never has and it never will." She explains that yoga is a better path, "because it takes you back to your soul." With a smile she says, "I just love this meditation we're going to do." The audience mimics her posture as our right arms thrust forward at a sixty -degree angle, and our left hands fold over our hearts.

We breathe slowly and deeply and maintain the posture for 11 minutes. Gurmukh coaxes us through the challenging exercise designed to stimulate the heart chakra. Our arms burn intensely and our collective breath grows powerful. We soon enjoy the circulation of kundalini energy that the meditation inspires, and she reminds us that, with prayer, peace is possible. "We are no longer in the stage where you ask God," she says. "Tell God. You are God."

Three musical acts conclude the event. Say Your Peace includes several spoken word artists performing over dueling saxophones and a soaring flute, played by members of Dakah, a local hip-hop band. Band member Rich raps with lament about "the assassination of imagination." Carla, a soulful singer croons, "A new revolution is upon us / This is a re-birth / We're on the frontlines." David Stringer's band makes a seamless transition into their set as several of his band members begin to jam along. Stringer joins in with his harmonium and flows through several mantras. He caresses the mantras awake, builds them to a fiery climax and snuffs them out like a candle's flame between his fingers. His set is masterful.

Photo by Adam Skolnick.

The event culminates with Guru Singh on solo guitar. He leads the crowd through a series of mantras and has us swaying and singing together. "There is only one nutrient humans require," he says, "freedom." Throughout the day, there is an unspoken vibration of connection and community. And though it does hearken back to dissident times past (or so I am told), it feels grounded and holistic. Hopefully these yogis and artists are right, and we are at the beginning of a consciousness shift. I vocalize the thought, and a friend nearby responds, "it's called evolution."

 

Reach Humanity at Peace at www.humanityatpeace.com

Adam Skolnick is a freelance journalist and screenwriter based in LA.