Yesterday, 2 blasts hit Beirut, Lebanon, killing more than 135 and wounding 5,000. To help in our way, we propose 2 virtual meditations to send healing energy to the devastated country.
What happened?
Yesterday, Beirut was home to yet another crisis with 2 blasts killing more than 135 and wounding 5,000. Lebanon is already on the verge of bankruptcy and the country is struggling with fast-rising inflation, corruption, clientelism politics and Covid 19.
Why group meditations?
Meditating reduces post traumatic stress1 and has no adverse side effects2. Group meditations amplify individual practices3. Several studies show the benefits of group meditations. The Transcendental Meditation (TM) movement describes this as the ‘field effect of consciousness’ that filters through to society, provided the group is large or powerful enough. Research by TM in the 1980s (period of extreme turmoil in Lebanon), show that those cities where 1% of the population practised TM, had significant positive impacts, including increasing peace and harmony and reducing violence4. This became known as the Maharishi Effect, after its founder.
I’ve been lucky to be initiated to Transcendental Meditation by one of the students of Maharishi Mahesh Yogi who introduced the Transcendental Meditation technique. Swami Ashutosh cited the Vedic Tradition scripts from the Rig Veda; with verse 59 relevant to Peace in Nations: ‘the radiance of life-supporting influence of 5% of the whole population is enough to establish a coherent peaceful society’.
How can I get involved?
- Join the virtual meditation chain and share the message. Choose from 2 dates: AUGUST 5, 2020 @6:30PM BST or AUGUST 6, 2020 @9:00AM BST. No need to join a zoom group or be connected online. Simply find a quiet place, sit down comfortably, and focus on your breathing. Once you’re relaxed, send positive and peaceful thoughts to Lebanon.You do not need to be experienced to join in.
- Donate if you can through the Just Giving page for Disaster Relief For Beirut Explosion: https://www.justgiving.com/crowdfunding/lebanon-relief?utm_term=PYp7gXzyD
- See how else you can help https://www.nytimes.com/2020/08/05/world/how-to-help-lebanon-beirut.html
- Find local meditation groups near you, Covid 19 permitting!
With Much Love,
Heidi
Footnotes:
1 Robert E Herron, Ph.D., MBA, Brian Rees, M.D., MPH, MC, USAR (Ret.), The Transcendental Meditation Program’s Impact on the Symptoms of Post-traumatic Stress Disorder of Veterans: An Uncontrolled Pilot Study, Military Medicine, Volume 183, Issue 1-2, January-February 2018, Pages e144–e150, https://doi.org/10.1093/milmed/usx059
2 Christopher Bergland, 2016, Meditation Reduces Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder Symptoms – Transcendental Meditation can reduce PTSD symptoms and use of medications.’ Posted Jan 13, 2016 on Psychology Today. Retrieved August 6, 2020, from https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/the-athletes-way/201601/meditation-reduces-post-traumatic-stress-disorder-symptoms
3 Deepak Chopra, M.D., 2015, ‘The Power of Group Meditation’. Posted April 27, 2015. Retrieved August 6, 2020, from https://chopra.com/articles/the-power-of-group-meditation
4 Transcendental Meditation, 2016, ‘Study on the Maharishi Effect: Can group meditation lower crime rate and violence?’. Retrieved August 6, 2020, from https://tmhome.com/benefits/study-maharishi-effect-group-meditation-crime-rate/
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