Advertisement
International Peace Prayer Day is part of the Summer Solstice celebration;a yoga and meditation retreat founded by Kundalini Yoga master Yogi Bhajan.Yoga and meditation classes are held daily during the retreat and includethree full days of courses in White Tantric Yoga. The retreat also featuresmultiple classes taught by well-known yoga instructors from Los Angeles,California, Italy, South America and beyond.
Advertisement
During the Summer Solstice, guests camp at Ram Das Puri and enjoy a yogicdiet consisting of nourishing foods prepared on-site. These meals aid inmeditation and include fruit and soup in the morning as well as beans, rice,vegetables and a special hot sauce that makes it all tasty. This diet wasdeveloped by Yogi Bhajan and has been in use since the first Summer Solsticein 1971.
This year, a record-breaking 1,800 people traveled to New Mexico topractice yoga and share their collective passion for world peace as part ofthe week-long Summer Solstice event. Among these attendees were teachers andpractitioners of Kundalini Yoga along with other guests from around the world.
"The event was founded by Yogi Bhajan to involve as many people from asmany faiths and cultures as possible in uniting and praying for peace," saidDaya Singh Khalsa, president of Akal Security, Inc. "It has grown every yearand it will continue to grow as we reach out to more and more people in thefuture."
Each year, International Peace Prayer Day takes place on the sacred landof the Hopi Indians and other native tribes known as Ram Das Puri. Thiscampsite was believed to have healing affects on those who walked the mile anda quarter circle around the area, and guests have an opportunity toparticipate in this ancient tradition as part of the Sacred Healing Walk thattakes place on Peace Prayer Day.
Another tradition associated with International Peace Prayer Day is thatof the Peace Flame runners, who carry a torch and embark on a 20-mile run fromthe El Santuario de Chimayo Shrine in Chimayo, New Mexico to Ram Das Puri.
Yet aside from these practices, International Peace Prayer Day now has itsown tradition of inviting people from around the world to learn about otherfaiths and practice peace through personal growth and understanding.
"The road to peace is bringing people together and trying to changeconsciousness by raising awareness, healing wounds, and creating understandingthrough prayer," said Khalsa. "It's not a political approach, but rather itfocuses on service, unity and prayer."
SOURCE 3HO Foundation
