###FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE###

Peace Prevails 2009

Inner peace leads to global peace!

International Day of Peace Group Mediation

Seattle Center International Fountain, South Lawn

September 21, 2009, 4:30 pm to 6:00 pm

www.PeacePrevails2009.com

(Seattle, WA) The Seattle Center and Life Bliss Meditation Chapter of Seattle announced today that they will be co-sponsoring a large group meditation titled, “Peace Prevails – 2009” on September 21 at 4:30pm in honor of the UN designated International Day of peace. The event will be held at the International Fountain, South Lawn at the Seattle Center, near the Space Needle in Seattle, Washington. About 200 participants representing up to 10 different religious, cultural and community organizations are expected to participate including Life Bliss Meditation Chapter of Seattle, the Dzogchen Seattle Group, the Peace is in Pieces group, Seattle Unity Church, Million Ideas 4 Peace group, Discover Yoga, Red Square Yoga, and Bellevue College’s Peace Day efforts.

The global peace group meditation will be performed in a powerful “mandala” style with participants sitting in concentric circles. Each person will offer their left palm facing up to receive peace from the person on their left, while holding the person to their right with their right hand down, symbolizing giving peace. The global peace humming meditation will consist of 21 minutes of resonant and powerful humming, ending with group chanting: “Om Shanti Shanti Shanti hee” – Sanskrit for “Let Peace Prevail!”

Large group meditations have been shown to have a profound effect on the participants as well as the community at large. For example, a study published in the peer-reviewed journal “Social Indicators Research” reports that violent crime rates decreased by 23% during an 8-week period of group meditation practice in Washington D.C. in the summer of 1993. Furthermore, the added element of humming during this Global Peace Meditation resonates throughout the group, creating a positive cycle of energy that multiplies and amplifies across the participants and radiates outward during the meditation. Additionally, the humming provides a powerful way to quiet the inner chatter of thoughts and allow participants to experience a deep and restful state of inner peace and relaxation.  

The title for this event – Peace Prevails 2009 was inspired by the quote printed on the United Nation’s peace poles “May Peace Prevail on Earth;” as well as a powerful quote by Paramahamsa Nithyananda, founder of Life Bliss Meditation, where he says, "The universe responds to the state of your being. Believing that the universe is just matter is what causes conflict. If we believe that the universe is Intelligent Energy, that it is compassionate and that it responds to us, then peace prevails." The whole concept behind this large group meditation is that global peace is created when individuals create inner peace. And the surest way to inner peace is through meditation.

The International Day of Peace was established by a United Nations resolution in 1981 to coincide with the opening of the General Assembly. Since its inception, Peace Day has marked our personal and planetary progress toward peace. The International Day of Peace website estimates there will be over 10,000 events on the planet this year, sponsored by thousands of organizations, and that over 200 million people will participate. The “Peace Prevails – 2009” large group meditation event has been posted on the Culture of Peace Initiative website along with hundreds of other events happening worldwide (go to www.internationaldayofpeace.org to see a list of events happening around the globe).

The Seattle Center sponsors community events that are free and open to the public. Community Created Events are designed to provide joy, laughter, inspiration and enrichment for everyone to enjoy! Please visit http://www.seattlecenter.com/community for a list of events.

Life Bliss Meditation chapters are part of a worldwide movement for meditation and inner peace. Inspired by young enlightened master Paramahamsa Nithyananda, the Nithyananda Mission aims to bring global peace through individual transformation using meditation. Nithyananda mission has touched 2.2 million people worldwide, and over 1200 community centers in 33 countries today. Paramahamsa Nithyananda will be visiting Seattle on October 6, 2009 to conduct a powerful one day mediation program called “Kalpataru.” Please visit www.yogam4u.org for more information or to register for this program.

Media may contact Medhananda Mayi at 626 241 4720 to schedule an interview or for more information or email kcthompsonphd@yahoo.com.