On Thursday June 2nd 2011, people from all walks of life gathered together to meditate in the centre of Trafalgar Square.

This poem written by one meditation flash mobster describes the moment so beautifully:

“We shared a profound peace,
a still point of love and light,
radiant and eternal,
together as one,
we bathed in the sound,
as London pulsed around us
with all its indifferent bluster
and curious beauty..”
~ Sam Iamweare Spark

Check out the videos…

By Nicolas Laborie

By Phil Haslam

Thank you so much for putting together these amazing videos!

And look at the pictures here:

Watch this space for some more meditation flash mobs!

by wakeuplondon

Mindfulness News & Events Plum Village Wake Up London

Afternoon of Mindfulness with a Monk…

23 May 2011

When 04 June · 13:30 – 18:00
Location To be confirmed, London

The Wake Up London Sangha invites you all to a special afternoon of mindfulness with a guest monk from Plum Village! Brother Phap Lai, or Brother Ben is coming to London next week and has kindly offered to share his time and energy with our budding community.
We will probably have lunch and walking meditation in the park and then an indoor meeting where we will practice sitting meditation under the guidance of Brother Phap Lai and also listen to his dharma talk and have a question and answer session.

Exact details of times, location and activities to be announced later on…….Location-wise, it will most likely be St. James Park for the lunch and then for the indoor event, our usual meditation hall at the Friends Meeting House, near Leicester Square.

Email us to get in touch: wkuplondon gmail.com

Some info on Brother Phap Lai:

Brother Phap Lai was recently on the worlds first Wake Up Universities tour in the UK in March with six other monastic students of Zen master Thich Nhat Hanh. His name means ‘Coming of the Dharma and he was ordained May 2002 making him the first born and bred Englishman monk of Plum Village.

He enjoys sharing the practice with young people – from children to young adults. He has run a few 4 week teenage programmes (part of the annual Summer Family Retreat) here in Plum Village.

During his 3 year stay in Deer Park, California, he enjoyed the regular college student retreats, teenage camps and weekly childrens programmes. He enjoys impromptu music jams, hanging out with his young brothers and injecting the odd dose of British humour into the community life (eg. putting on skits during the many festivals in Plum Village).

Br Phap Lai first came across Thay’s teaching at the age of 28 and immediately knew he’d struck gold. He learned how to meditate, how to become a little more mindful in daily life and very importantly how to recognize and take care of his emotions. Discovering the joy of being still and coming back to himself was a revolution. Knowing what an incredible difference it would have made had he found the practice earlier in life fires his inspiration to share with young people.

As well as tours in the US, UK and S.E.Asia with our Teacher as a one year old Dharma Teacher Br Phap Lai has conducted retreats in Israel/ Palestine and Ireland. In his previous life Br Phap Lai’s science degree landed him a wonderful job as an Environmental Protection Officer with the Scottish EPA until the even more wonderful career of a monk opened up to him. He misses the Scottish hills and rock climbing – just a wee bit.

by wakeuplondon

News & Events Peace Sit Wake Up London

Meditation Flash Mob in Trafalgar Square

17 May 2011

Be the change you want to see in the world!

What: Meditation Flash Mob
When: Thursday 2nd June 6:30pm to 7:00pm
Where: Between the two fountains in Trafalgar Square, London

Meditation flash mobs have been popping up across the United States recently (check out www.medmob.org) …Let’s start one in London!

Flash Mobs are a large group of people who gather “spontaneously” in a public place, perform an unusual act then quickly disperse.

Our Goal:

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

Details:

When: Thursday 2nd June 6:30pm to 7:00pm
Where: Between the two large fountains in Trafalgar Square, London

6:30pm – Arrive at Trafalgar Square

6:32pm – A female member of the Wake Up London Sangha meditation group will find a spot on the ground in between the two large fountains to sit and meditate. Please continue to look inconspicuous during this time.

6:33pm – Then feel free to join the sitting meditation at staggered times within the first 2-3 minutes.

Please do not to block any public pathways, otherwise, sit anywhere you like… spread out all over the place and lets create a profound experience.
Make sure people can still walk freely.

6.33pm to 6.53pm – Silent sitting meditation, in your own style.

6.53pm to 7pm – Sound bath: You can use any mantra or sound that connects you to the higher source within you, the universal energy of all life. Om, Ah, Ong, Nah or any other sound that calls you personally.If you choose, move closer to one another, donate your physical presence, your positive energy, your voice, use any sound or mantra that connects you to the source of your deepest wisdom.

It’s also a lot of fun and just sounds awesome to everyone around!

7pm – Disperse and walk your own separate ways. We want to confuse and bemuse the public and leave them in bewilderment as to what just happened.

What to bring: Please feel free to bring your own cushion but do not sit down on it until after 6:33pm. It will seem more spontaneous if you do not use a cushion, but for health concerns, we understand if you choose to use one.

More details will be announced…Spread the word (Sshhhh..quietly…..) Invite your friends! All are welcome, meditator or not!

And it’s free!

If you’re on Facebook, check out event here and click attend: http://on.fb.me/meditation-flash-mob

by wakeuplondon

News & Events Wake Up London

Newcomers’ meeting – May 28th

15 May 2011

Dear friends, it is our pleasure to announce that we will be having a special Newcomers’ Meeting on Sat 28th May at 3.30-6.00pm!

The afternoon is aimed at anyone who would like to come and try our practices (including sitting, walking and eating meditation), and to answer any questions they may have about mindfulness and meditation. There will be plenty of time for sharing, and existing sangha members will describe their experiences with different elements of the practice.

Please spread the word and invite all your friends! This is a great chance for people to learn more about mindfulness, so we look forward to seeing you there!

by wakeuplondon

Mindfulness Wake Up London

Sangha Building

25 April 2011

Would you like to become involved in building our beloved Sangha?
Read more in Nourishing the Flower.

by wakeuplondon

Mindfulness News & Events Plum Village Video Wake Up London

March 8-15: Wake Up to Life – Plum Village Young Monastics Tour UK Universities

13 February 2011

In March 2011, monks and nuns from the Plum Village Meditation Centre will be visiting UK universities to offer introductory workshops on mindfulness. These workshops will offer practical exercises in mindfulness of breath, body and mind, and share ways to cope with stress, release tension and handle strong emotions, including anger, loneliness and despair. They will share their experiences of using simple practices to awaken to joy and happiness in daily life and nourish a heart of compassion.

More information here http://uk.wkup.org/

About the monastics and the tour

The tour poster: