Yoga for Peace Boston

On Saturday, September 8, 2007, Bostonians gathered on the historic Boston Common to practice yoga for global peace. Adding a new dimension to all of the historical events that have taken place on the Common, this was Boston's first year of participation in the annual Yoga for Peace event, which was initiated in New York and includes 21 other cities across the world.

Led with inspiration by Richard Lanza of Open Doors, the group practiced an invigorating series of 108 consecutive Sun Salutations to create a Mala. Record breaking temperatures created added tapasya as each particpant powerfully linked each aspect of the mala with the intentions of marking transition, sparking positive change and promoting inner and outer feelings of wholeness and harmony. Upon finishing the mala, Susan Frazier, also of Open Doors, guided participants through a deeply restorative savasana meditation to form a human mandala, or peace wheel. Keshav Shukla and Vrindavana Preservation Society members brought closure to the celebration through the ecstatic chanting and dancing of bhakti yoga.

What is a sun salutation?
Surya namaskar (Sanskrit name) is a series of movements coordinated with the breath to warm and create balance, while building strength and flexibility in mind and body. Practiced each morning, this helps cultivate and maintain an awakening daily path to harmony within, as well as in each interaction.

Special thanks to the following folks for generous contributions of:

Anonomous ~ Flowers for on and around the stage.
Boston Herald and Natalie Hernandez ~ Helping set up & press release.
Boston Metro ~ Press release.
Calvary Baptist Church ~ Loaned the stand for microphone.
Cider Hill Farm ~ Crate of apples.
Kristin Dunlap ~ Cash donation.
Lull's ~ Crate of Apples
Lululemon ~ store window in support of YFP & 2 yoga "starter kits".
Open Doors Power Yoga ~ Senior instructor time & advertisement.
Thomas Kadzis ~ cash donation.
Trinity Church ~ loaned rugs for under the stage.
Vrindavan Preservation Society ~ kirtan, advertisement & portable
microphone.
YogaCaps, Inc. ~ large AUM Banner, discount coupons, advertisement & webpage.

Coordinators of the event Heather Ruiz, Shelley Devine and Kathy Ryan were so pleased to bring Yoga for Peace to Boston for the first time this year, joining groups in Bali (Indonesia) Boulder (CO), Brunswick (ME), Chicago, Dallas, Dili (East Timor), Haleiwa (HI), Honolulu (HI), Kansas City (MO), New Haven (CT), New York (NY), Nagoya (Japan), Pocatello (ID), Reykjavik (Iceland), Santa Cruz (CA), Santa Fe (NM), Savannah (GA), St. Louis (MO), Tokyo (Japan), Toronto (Canada) and Washington (DC). To check out this year's event and for information concerning Yoga For Peace 2008, please visit Yoga for Peace (click link or type http://www.yoga-for-peace.org in your browser.