Namaskar - Oct 09

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