By Katherine Peach
About 20 people sit cross-legged in meditation on the north steps of Los Angeles city hall. Despite the roar of marching
As part of a meditation mob, Mallmann and others showed a different way of being “fierce” for the Occupy movement. Whether downtown or on the Westside with Occupy Venice, she practices what she describes as an “internal revolution” in tune with the Occupy Universe.
“If you can teach meditation or calm, it is as important as organizing a protest, “ Mallmann said. “Then it becomes part of every day.”
Flash mobs are groups of people who gather in specific public places at designated times to perform unexpected acts, often well rehearsed and choreographed, such as dance or yoga. MedMobs involve no movement; they usually practice an hour of meditation and then eleven minutes of “sound bath,” chanting repetitive mantras, or “Om,” to evoke emotion and solidarity within the group.
“We use feelings in a way that are more effective,” noted Mallman. Harnessing this internal energy is more sustainable, she explained, allowing participants to take peace and focus home with them after high-energy protests.
The MedMob global community is open to people from all walks of life who would like to expose the world to meditation and shift ways of thinking. Public meditation aims to spread positivity, unity and peace during a time of economic uncertainty and global strife.
Mallmann described the public displays as a form of nonreactive protest. Protesters acting in anger and frustration can transmute into violence, she said, citing incidents that occurred in Oakland, where protesters busted business windows. Meditation is a way to think before acting in the heat of the moment.
The MedMob movement began in Austin, Tx, and had reached 200 cities worldwide by the November 11 Global Day of Action. Flash meditations currently take place on a regular basis in San Francisco, New York, London, Barcelona, Belgium and Australia, and the Los Angeles area alone has a dozen groups. Most have a Facebook page offering more information and updates. For more about meditation events in the greater Los Angeles area, visit medmob.org.
❋❋ If you liked this story you might also like… ❋❋
~ Samadhi and the Single Girl: Two New Books
~ Breathing into Recovery
~ Unbidden Insights Are Like a String of Pearls
~ Tuning in to “the Gift” of Telepathy, Clairvoyance and Precognition
