Thanks to everyone who came! We sat at the back of the Turbine Hall. For the first 15 minutes, the space was very quiet, then suddenly, a group of performance artists motioned around us. We were told that they were practicing for an upcoming event. It felt that our stillness and their movements were part of some kind of performance art! Here’s an account by Bob Harvey, a flash mob participant:

Today I went to the flashmob meditation at the Turbine Hall of the Tate Modern.. All the time I have been in Italy I have been following these events on Facebook and I was delighted that I could finally make the trip down from my new home in Lincoln.
It started with about 30-40 of us, sitting in a circle on the floor, then the numbers quickly doubled. once we had started.
Then a most amazing thing happened. Unbeknown to Wake Up London, the space we were using had been booked by a contemporary dance group to rehearse their live installation at the same time, so while we were meditating we started to hear the shuffle of feet all around us. About 50 dancers were going through a slow-motion silent routine which gradually built up speed to become a Zen Walk – racing around silently without bumping into each other. All the while our circle was in silent meditation – but the effect on the energy was amazing – as if someone had turned on a high-powered motor.
As the dance group moved away to the other end of the hall, our circle started a resonating OMMM and the energy gradually subsided.
It was the most extraordinary sensation and literally took my breath away.
I spoke to the organiser of the dance troupe afterwards, and they had no idea of teh impact of their energy on our energy. Maybe not everyone had the same experience as I had, but for me it was truly beautiful.

Click here for more pictures.

by wakeuplondon

News & Events Peace Sit Retreats Wake Up London

Upcoming events

30 June 2012

We all have the seeds of love in us.
We can develop this wonderful source of energy,
nurturing the unconditional love
that does not expect anything in return.

– Thich Nhat Hanh

Dear friends,

I hope you’re enjoying this warm and sunny weekend.

Thanks to everyone who came to practice together at our bi-monthly
Afternoon of Mindfulness. Here is the full transcript of the dharma
talk that we read together. And here is the guided self love
meditation:

May I be happy
May I be peaceful and at ease
May I be free from suffering
May I be safe from harm
May I learn to love and accept myself unconditionally
May I learn to recognize what is good, beautiful and true in me

Our next Afternoons of Mindfulness for young people (from 16 to early
30s) is Saturday 14th July.

Other stuff happening:

DAY TRIP TO AMARAVATI BUDDHIST MONASTERY – JULY 7

A few of us are going to Amaravati Buddhist Monastery in Hemel
Hempstead next Saturday. We will get the 9:54am train from Euston and
then get a taxi to the monastery. Lunch is at 11:30 am and there is a
meditation workshop from 2 pm to 4 pm. Please let me know if you’re
interested in coming along so I know who to wait for in station next
week. You can also contact me on 07910675357.

WAKE UP YOUTH RETREAT IN PLUM VILLAGE – JULY 13 TO 21

The annual Wake Up youth retreat is happening from July 13 to 21 in
Plum Village, monastery and practice centre of our teacher Thich Nhat
Hanh. Please click here for more information.

MEDITATION FLASH MOB BY LONDON EYE – JULY 14

For those who are not going to be away in Plum Village, or Buddhafield
festival etc… there’s going to be a meditation flash mob by the
London Eye on Saturday 14th July – so straight after our Afternoon of
Mindfulness. Please come! RSVP and invite your friends to the Facebook
event here.

WAKE UP T SHIRTS FOR SALE

We have some medium to large navy t shirts with the ‘Wake Up’ in white
letters. They are £15 each and you can buy them at the next Afternoon
of Mindfulness. Or you can order them and I can pop one in the post to
you. Let me know.

Have a great weekend, dear friends.

Elina
info@wkuplondon.org

by wakeuplondon

News & Events Peace Sit Wake Up London

Upcoming Wake Up London events

24 May 2012

AFTERNOON OF MINDFULNESS THIS SATURDAY

Just a note to remind you that our next Afternoon of Mindfulness is this Saturday 26th. For those that are new, our Afternoons of Mindfulness is a space for young people, from 16 to early 30s, to practice mindfulness together, in the tradition of Zen master Thich Nhat Hanh. It is from 2:30pm to 5pm, and we practice sitting and walking meditation, listen to a teaching, practice mindful speech and deep listening and recite the 5 Mindfulness Trainings, which we use as a guiding light on our path. Read more here. We welcome a donation for every meeting.

If you’re coming for the first time, we will gently guide you through our meeting and offer some explanation on the practices (though, none of us are teachers, but peer practitioners).

OTHER EVENTS

Monday 28th May – Public Display of Positve Messages
6pm to 7:30pm
Bring a sign with a positive message – make the words BIG and BOLD.
Read more

Saturday 2nd June – Meditation // Drum Circle // Social Gathering at Thames Beach, Southbank
3pm onwards
Celebrating our 1 year anniversary of meditation flash mobs in London. Come along for a meditation by River Thames, drum circle and time for chilling out afterwards. Bring veggie food and drinks, musical instruments (especially DRUMS for a drum circle) and outdoor games (does anyone have twister?!)
Read more

Saturday 9th June – Afternoon of Mindfulness
2:30pm to 5pm
Our next bi-monthly meeting to practice mindfulness

Wednesday 20th June – Meditation Flash Mob in Leicester Square
6:30pm to 7:30pm
Meditate in the garden of Leicester Square, which has re-opened again after a period of refurbishment. Be the change!
Read more

Save the Date – Saturday 30th June – Walking Meditation Flash Mob (maybe)
We may organize another walking meditation flash mob since our 1st one in Oxford Street was rather enjoyable (see pictures) . If you’re interested – email us with a YES at info@wkuplondon.org

See you then! We love you!

by wakeuplondon

Mindfulness Peace Sit Pictures Wake Up London

Another wonderful meditation flash mob last night

27 April 2012

Dear friends,

Thanks so much to those who attended yesterday evening’s flash mob. It was lovely, as ever, and I’m so happy to see the community growing so beautifully and organically with these public meditation gatherings. So many of us were from different paths and different faiths, or or none, yet we came together as a single community. What is it that binds us together like this?

Also a warm thank you to the sound healers, Amy, Paolo, Mary, Sandira, Marcin, Bea and David (and others I’m not aware of) for bring your wonderful sounds at the end of the sitting.

I wanted to share with the wonderful photos on our Facebook page.

Please check out today’s Evening Standard on page 21 – our event has been featured!

And also we were featured as TimeOut London’s top 5 events of the week!

How wonderful to be getting this much coverage!

We’ll be posting future meditation flash mobs via our Facebook page Wake Up London. You can also join the Meetup group to ensure you get invitations direct to your email, as Facebook doesn’t have that function via a page.

In May, we have some different events planned…

like meditation flash mob through Oxford Street..

And also another event which will involve holding signs displaying positive affirmations to the public, to remind passersby to reconnect to their innate goodness and beauty. We will announce that soon!

Thank you for being there!

Much love
Elina
on behalf of Wake Up London

Be the change!

by wakeuplondon

News & Events Peace Sit Pictures Wake Up London

Next mass meditation event…

15 April 2012

Dear friends,

if you enjoyed the meditation in Trafalgar Square on 31 March, then please come along to..

Meditation Flash Mob by City Hall
April 26 6pm to 7pm

Go to event details here.

Be the change you want to see in the world!

by wakeuplondon

Peace Sit Video Wake Up London

March 31st – Sit in Peace

4 March 2012

Join us again for a mass meditation on March 31st – Sit in Peace in Trafalgar Square with Thich Nhat Hanh

Sit in Peace in Trafalgar Square with Thich Nhat Hanh

21 January 2012

Imagine the energy of thousands of people gathered together meditating on the open grounds of Trafalgar Square with one of the most influential people of our time.

Zen Master, author, poet and peace activist Thich Nhat Hanh will guide a sitting meditation on Saturday 31 March in Trafalgar Square from 2.30pm.

This is a free event and everyone is warmly invited to join in this celebration of peace within us and around us.

Sitting meditation is one of the ways to contemplate peace. We invite you to sit together in silence, generating the energy of peace, solidity, and freedom.

You may like to bring something to sit on (it may be a good idea for this to be waterproof). You are welcome to sit on the benches and steps in Trafalgar Square.

This event is open to everyone, all ages, from every path, experienced or not.

“If in our daily life we can smile, if we can be peaceful and happy, not only we, but everyone will profit from it. This is the most basic kind of peace work.” – Thich Nhat Hanh

RSVP to Facebook event invitation here.

RSVP to MeetUp event invitation here.

How to get to Trafalgar Square, see here

We are inviting everyone around the world to sit in peace with us. Check back later for the cities joining us on 31st March 2012. Email us if you would like to organise an event in your city!

Watch a clip of June 2011’s meditation flash mob in Trafalgar Square

Check out the rest of Thich Nhat Hanh’s 2012 tour in the UK here, including a public talk at Royal Festival Hall and a 5 day retreat at Nottingham University here.

Check out Thich Nhat Hanh’s Facebook page here.

by wakeuplondon

Peace Sit Wake Up London

Let us share the vision and make it possible…

7 November 2011

Brothers and sisters,
the beautiful Earth is us.
Breathing together in the same rhythm
we restore our calm, our peace.
Let us accept ourselves
so we may accept one another.
Let us share the vision and make it possible
for Great Love to arise.

-Thich Nhat Hanh

Dear friends,

We hope you’re all well and enjoying the warm hues of Autumn.

On Thursday 27th October, we held a meditation flash mob on the steps of St. Pauls Cathedral, nearby the Occupy London Stock Exchange camp. A couple hundred of people sat together in stillness, including those from the camp. It was clear that our collective presence was bring so much positive energy to the environment. Check out the pictures and video. Images of our meditation flash mob were also featured in the Guardian website and on the front cover of Saturday’s Independant, as well as being the backdrop of a news report on BBC News at Ten on Thursday evening!

It was so great, it was decided that another gathering will be held on Thursday 10th November from 18:30 to 19:00. Click here for the event invitation if you haven’t already RSVP’d. Please keep an eye on the Facebook event for any time changes. We hope you can come again!

MEDITATION @ THE VICTORIA AND ALBERT MUSEUM

We are very happy to announce another meditation flash mob is going to be held at the Victoria and Albert museum on Saturday 19th November from 15:00 to 15:40, in the Raphael room. Check out the Facebook event details. This will be the first flash mob held indoors! It will be also lovely to explore the museum afterwards too.

Hope to see you all there!

Much love

by wakeuplondon

News & Events Peace Sit Wake Up London

“When the power of love overcomes the love of power, the world will know peace”

18 October 2011

What: Meditation Flash Mob during Occupy London Stock Exchange demonstration
When: 27th October 2011 19:00pm to 19:30pm **PLEASE NOTE CHANGE OF TIME**
Where: In front St. Pauls Cathedral, London EC4M 8AD (5 minutes walk from St. Pauls tube station)
Map: http://tiny.cc/3u8qe

RSVP on Facebook here: http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=256990061005528

Being the peace.

Our intention is to offer the energy of peace to this environment. We are not promoting any views or demanding anything except promoting inner peace and harmony through our actions. The world is thirsty for peace, and we can contribute it. Whether you choose to support the aims of the demonstration is your individual choice.

All are welcome to join us.

Generating peace and love in our hearts gives us the clarity and energy we need in order to act wisely and skilfully to improve the situation – in our relationships, our society and the world.

We are not sitting for peace, sitting is the peace.

What will happen

19:00 to 19:25 – Sitting meditation in front of St. Pauls Cathedral.

19:25 to 19:30 – Sound bath: You can use any mantra or sound, for example, Om, Ah, Ong, Nah or any other sound that calls you personally. If you choose to move closer to one another, donate your physical presence, your positive energy and your voice.

What to bring

Feel feel to bring a mat, stool or cushion to sit on.

Links

Pictures from a previous meditation flash mob:
http://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.264823713537125.71174.264304326922397

A previous video of our meditation flash mob in Trafalgar Square: watch?v=mqZA5cToPgs

Check out the Guardian article written about the Trafalgar Square flash mob: http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/belief/2011/jun/14/trafalgar-square-meditation-flashmob?INTCMP=SRCH

Get in touch wkuplondon AT gmail.com to stay updated and to receive news about upcoming meditation flash mobs in the city.

Goals

1. To create an environment for people from all walks of life to come together in meditation.

2. To spread awareness of meditation to the public.

3. To come together as a community to send positive intentions out into the world.

4. To show that leading by example is the best way to lead. Simple acts can stimulate major paradigm shifts in thinking

May all people everywhere have love and peace in their hearts.

by wakeuplondon

Mindfulness News & Events Peace Sit Wake Up London

Next Meditation Flash Mob – Trafalgar Square Again!

2 August 2011

We ARE being the change we want to see in the world!

When: Saturday 27th August 1:30pm to 2:10pm
Where: Trafalgar Square, in the central area between both fountains, less then ten minutes walk from both Charing Cross and Piccadilly Circus tube stations.
Map: http://bit.ly/nmgY89
RSVP here on the Facebook event invitation: http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=179484552118420

1:30pm to 2pm: Begin the sitting meditation in Trafalgar Square as soon as you see one person sit, in the central space in between both fountains. Spread out across the square as you so wish.

You are welcome to go to the entire event or you can come for part of it. You can meditate the entire time, or you can chill and bask in the peace.

Please make sure that we allow the public to walk freely around us.

2pm to 2:10pm: Optional sound bath: You can use any mantra or sound, for example, Om, Ah, Ong, Nah or any other sound that calls you personally. If you choose to move closer to one another, donate your physical presence, your positive energy and your voice. It’s also a lot of fun and just sounds awesome to everyone around.

2:10pm: End

What to bring: Please feel free to bring your own cushion or stall for sitting meditation.

Bring Everyone! This is going to be a beautiful event that we will all remember!

********************************************************

THIS IS GLOBAL

ALL over the world, meditation flash mobs will be taking place in over 100 cities between August 25th and 28th. You can visit http://www.medmob.org/ to see all the other cities who are joining us!

The intention of the movement is to expose the world to meditation and expand positivity to every walk of life.

Come experience the power of collectively exuding peace and feel the impact we are having on our city by sitting together, silently radiating happiness and grace in all directions.

********************************************************

FOR EVERYONE

This is an event open to everyone, all ages, from every path, experienced or not. This is a movement that our entire world is creating together as one unified force to set the momentum for the future of our planet!

“If you are a Buddhist, please come. If you are a Christian please
come. If you are Jewish, Muslim, or belong to or identify with any
other religions, creed or peace organization, please come. If you are
white, brown, black, yellow, red or any other colour, please come.

We shall 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.”

– Thich Nhat Hanh

********************************************************

OUR GOALS

1. To create an environment for people from all walks of life to come together in meditation.

2. To spread awareness of meditation to the public.

3. To come together as a community to send positive intentions out into the world.

4. To show that leading by example is the best way to lead. Simple acts can stimulate major paradigm shifts in thinking

********************************************************

LINKS

Pictures from the last meditation flash mob at London Bridge:
http://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.264848206868009.71177.264304326922397&type=1

A previous video of our meditation flash mob in Trafalgar Square: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mqZA5cToPgs

Check out the Guardian article written about the Trafalgar Square flash mob: http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/belief/2011/jun/14/trafalgar-square-meditation-flashmob?INTCMP=SRCH

Get in touch wkuplondon AT gmail.com to stay updated and to receive news about upcoming meditation flash mobs in the city.

********************************************************

Let’s have fun!

Let’s meditate!

Let’s thrive!

Rejoice!

Yes!

by wakeuplondon

Pictures from Tate Modern flash mob!

Upcoming events

Upcoming Wake Up London events

Another wonderful meditation flash mob last night

Next mass meditation event…

March 31st – Sit in Peace

Sit in Peace in Trafalgar Square with Thich Nhat Hanh

Let us share the vision and make it possible…

“When the power of love overcomes the love of power, the world will know peace”

Next Meditation Flash Mob – Trafalgar Square Again!

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