Namaskar - Oct 09
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Yoga Event<br />
Yoga for Peace<br />
Ting Ting Peng<br />
As Typhoon Koppu stormed through Hong Kong on 24 th<br />
September, exactly one week before the International Day<br />
of Peace, the energy in the city felt anything but peaceful. In<br />
the days that followed, rain continued to drench the streets and<br />
contingency plans were being carefully made at Cyberport, for Peace<br />
International Foundation’s second annual Peace Day celebrations.<br />
As the organiser of the kick-off event Yoga for Peace, I, along with<br />
my fellow teachers Peggy Chiu and Vincent Hewitt, hoped our<br />
intention for a day with good weather would manifest as timely as<br />
possible. In the meantime, the word spread about the free<br />
community class we were offering and people began to learn about<br />
the story behind 21 st September.<br />
It all began in 1999, when filmmaker Jeremy Gilley tirelessly set out<br />
to document his efforts to establish the first annual day of global<br />
ceasefire and non-violence. Two years later, the 192 member states<br />
of the United Nations unanimously adopted 21 st September as the<br />
UN International Day of Peace and it has been celebrated ever since<br />
by various organisations worldwide. Similar to Jeremy, Maria<br />
Ying-Matthews, Founder and Chairperson of the Peace<br />
International Foundation, also sought different communities in<br />
Hong Kong to observe of an end to conflict and an awakening of<br />
consciousness, inner peace and compassion on this very day. I met<br />
Maria a couple of months earlier over coffee and was deeply<br />
inspired by her mission to create a grassroots effort in peace<br />
education and children’s outreach in a place seen by many as a city<br />
of excess and extremes. At the time I was looking for ways to start<br />
up community yoga classes and so we joined hands and Yoga for<br />
Peace was born.<br />
Fast forward to 20 th September, 8 am on a partly sunny Sunday<br />
morning and the birds are chirping in the trees of the Cyberport<br />
Outdoor Podium. Peggy, Vincent and I, decked out in our bright<br />
yoga gear sponsored by lululemon athletica, began welcoming our<br />
first participant arrivals. People signed in, collected their free yoga<br />
PRACTICING YOGA FOR PEACE AT CYBERPORT, HONG KONG. PHOTO BY KELLY<br />
CHAN<br />
accessory and yoga journals (also sponsored by lululemon), and<br />
rolled out their mats onto the grass, some strategically scouting the<br />
best spots for a shade or a breeze before settling down. Within<br />
minutes, the grassy steps of the podium were a rainbow display of<br />
colorful mats, eager participants of all ages and ability levels. Peggy,<br />
who happens to be the latest lululemon ambassador, led the group<br />
to three soulful Om’s to commence this year’s Yoga for Peace<br />
community event.<br />
Asking participants to each set their own intentions for making<br />
peace with at least one aspect of their lives, Peggy reminded us of<br />
the importance of breath in connecting to our inner stillness as she<br />
flowed through a series of Sun Salutations. She transitioned<br />
seamlessly to Vincent, who continued to playfully challenge the<br />
crowd with poses such as garudasana, ardha utkatasana, and<br />
bhakasana. Finally, I invited the participants to try out some<br />
balancing poses, vrksasana and uttitha hasta, in pairs, encouraging<br />
them to share in the positive vibes of their neighbors and friends.<br />
Closing the practice with a short meditation, I encouraged everyone<br />
to find a place of silence within, to carry their intention through the<br />
remainder of Peace Day and to inspire to have their inner stillness<br />
eventually reflect outwardly onto all aspects of their lives.<br />
Despite moments when it felt like sunbathing on a hot summer<br />
day, Yoga for Peace turned out to be great fun. I found it<br />
tremendously rewarding to be able to share the experience with<br />
Peggy, Vincent, and all of our dedicated participants. We hope to<br />
continue this tradition in some form or other because connecting<br />
to peace isn’t something to be done just once a year, it is a journey<br />
of self discovery and a way to contribute to our community<br />
through all that we do each and every day.<br />
Ting Ting is a freelance fitness trainer and<br />
certified yoga teacher who specialises in sports<br />
conditioning and yoga for stress management.<br />
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