Anca Gliga says:

Hello, dear Peace Architects!

As I was guiding meditation for some European groups, I found myself challenged, as I was trying to adapt to some rather skeptical minds. I have asked LP John for some advice, and at his suggestion I will post it here, hoping that you can also pick up some interesting tips from what he told me. His suggestions helped me a lot, especially the 'Don't believe me, try it for yourself'' part that I told to the new comers :)

LP John's advice:

It's true that you have to adjust your meditation guide style to suit people in different places. This will also improve your experience as a Peace Architect. In some places, you may have to be careful when saying something or some words. Some places, you don't.

Don't mind me if I would say people in Europe have very sceptical mind. I know that you are a European and you should probably be aware of this fact more than anyone else. But this is how we view it from outside of Europe. :) It wouldn't be easy for them to accept the steps and follow up immediately without very very very proper and details explanation. If people are sceptical about the word "meditation", you can also use other words such as mental exercise … and tell them that the technique is from a meditation practice later on.

What I normally do when I lead meditation to Europeans are …

Convincing them that meditation is really Science … not magic, religious practice or any of sort. Give them very basic example such as the analogy of hardware and software … Lately I come up with an example about how happy and unhappy will change the way we perceive things. For example, for the same dish, if we eat with different feelings, they taste differently. So, don't you want to try this simple exercise to improve the way you perceive things?
Trying to emphasise that meditation is a kind of exercise … it's just a way to effectively stop thinking. And we need this exercise to make the mind strong as we need exercise to make the body healthy.
Trying to challenge them in the way that "don't believe me" … "try for yourself" … "I'm not using any magic to control you" … "this is not hypnotising" … for me "it would work even though you are not wearing orange". For me, it's very important to create a trust and break the ice. Sometimes we make a small joke that helps create a more friendly environment and of course make people feel Sabai.
For Europeans … you can skip the visualisation part. But I would say mantra is still very effective and important. So, unless you have more minutes in explaining about how visualisation works, skip it. But pay more attention in explaining about mantra … or you can use the word "word phase of mental exercise" to avoid religious connotation of the word "mantra" itself.
Usually people who are very stressful will enjoy feeling relax … imagining that they are in an empty space … or a beautiful place. So, if this works for them, you can use this part longer.

Basically, guiding meditation is meant to make people feel Sabai and eventually have no thought. So, whatever method that you think will lead them to feel Sabai and have no thought, you can comfortably use it. I don't expect people who thoroughly understand it in the first session. So, you don't need to give them everything. Make them fall in love with the Sabai feeling and give them the website. And that's how your job is perfectly done. :)

For Latin Americans, it's completely the opposite. The more mysterious the method is, the more people like it (well not everyone). And I also feel that a lot of people in Latin America are feeling comfortable with me dressing in orange and talking to them like a guru. They are not really sceptical in whatever we say also.

I love the part about making people fall in love with Sabai. These are very useful tips. Thanks for sharing!2013-05-15 07:18:50

Special Ops: My experience with Peace Revolution - Published

Offline

Private

Proposed Date

To be announced

Participants

Why this Special Ops?

I have the possiblity to promote the amazing Peace Revolution to young people in my community.

Objective

My objective is to raise awareness towards Peace Revolution.

Implementation

I intend to publish an article on the website of the youth organisation of which I am president.

Benefits

Young people in my organisation and community will have the chance to read about my experience.

P.S. My story will be very soon published on www.aegeecluj.ro 2011-04-25 12:42:44

That's great...I am so looking forward to reading it2011-04-25 17:37:14

Peace Revolution Do you know how every story has a beginning and an end? Or how every story is set in a certain space, in a moment in time? Well, this particular story is even more interesting – I am the space and there is a beginning, but not an end. There is just continuity, and a quite beautiful and enriching one! The headline for this story? PIPO – Peace In, Peace Out!

Last spring, while checking AEGEE Cluj-Napoca’s e-mail address, one e-mail in particular drew my attention. Sender: Peace Revolution. I might have just guessed the question that popped up in your mind: „Don’t the words peace and revolution exclude one another?” How does one make a Peace Revolution? Here are some bits of the e-mail which I have opened in order to enlighten me

Are you a young peace activist who is looking for something more to help you in your life and work? Are you interested in Buddhism and Buddhist approaches to peace building? Would you like to learn how to develop your own inner peace so that you can more effectively engage in your peace work? The e-mail was an invitation to the Peace Fellowship, in Thailand. In order to attend the fellowship, one first has to complete a self-development program of 42 days of meditation, be between 18 and 30 years old and a good English speaker. I must say that as I kept on reading the information, I became more and more interested in the subject. I don’t know about you, but I have always wanted to discover the benefits of meditation. Up until that point, I had never practiced it, but it was definitely something that was on my list – as I have quite a number of beautiful people practicing it around me. A retreat camp in Asia – doesn’t it sound perfect? 42 days of self-development? I opened the website (www.peacerevolution.net) and it seemed user-friendly and filled with interesting resources. I thought: There you go, this is what you have been looking for! I really wanted to see how that would change my life and approach over the subject of peace. And if that program would one day give me the opportunity to practice meditation in Thailand, with other young people and buddhist monks, wouldn’t that be just wonderful?

I have started the program quite late though, and at the same time, at the best moment possible – in March, 2011. I have so far completed 30 days of meditation. And I have applied and held an interview for the Peace Fellowship 2011 in Thailand. I feel grateful that thanks to AEGEE I have found out about this program and that thanks to Peace Revolution I have found out more about myself!

After 30 days of meditation, I can say that the program has done me a lot of good. I am now at the point in which I learn how to give as much as possible of that good to the universe around me. If these lines have somewhat made you raise a question, such as „What if I tried as well?”, I consider my task completed!

Check www.peacerevolution.net, and you will find: beautiful videos to inspire you, a nice daily journal for you to fill in with your development and your own Peace Coach to guide you and give you constant feedback. So, my dear Peace Rebel, I wish you – Peace In, Peace Out!

2011-04-25 21:45:17

Hi Anca, I just saw the article on the website...I'm so proud!! :-)))2011-04-27 17:51:12

Hi Anca! What a great article. It was like if I could have written it myself, this is my experience as well! It is a wounerfull and inspiring article. I wish you all the best. If we are both lucky (I have my interview tomorrow...) maybe well see each other in Thailand. PIPO, Emilia2011-04-28 20:53:10