Event Review: JUST BREATHE London
At the end of last year, I had the opportunity to join Michael James Wong at one of his Just Breathe events in London, the seventh occasion upon which he and his team of volunteers have laid on a wonderful evening of meditation, music, insights, and discussions about relevant topics.
Michael is a man on a mission: he wants to open up the conversation about meditation and mindfulness, making it accessible to anyone who is interested. From my experience and observation, there are now thousands of people liking what he says and doing something about it.
As Michael himself says: he’s on a mindful mission to create calm in our everyday lives, with the simple aim of supporting the growing community of like-minded people, both on and offline, who are ready to turn the chaos into calm and step into something a little quieter.
Held at the Truman Brewery on Brick Lane, a group of around five hundred people of all ages and backgrounds turned up to experience a couple of hours of calm and thoughtful interaction. There was beautiful harp playing, à cappella singers, poetry, interviews, medical insights into meditation and mindfulness, and of course a moment to meditate as a group.
The highlight of the evening for me was the moment when we were asked to turn to the person next to us and touch knees (we were sitting on cushions on the floor), and spend four minutes looking at each other. I have never spent so much time looking at someone looking at me, even with my children, and the range of feelings and emotions is hard to describe but certainly varied and all positive. The outcome for me and my partner in this exercise was a spontaneous outpouring of love and joy – very strong and wonderful.
From the reaction of others around me it was clear similar feelings were felt, sometimes with tears. Michael has a special touch which inspires trust, calm, and thoughtfulness. What he has put together with Just Breathe is the first and only modern mindfulness and mass meditation community in the heart of London, aiming to create community, connect, and build a conscious culture.
The next event will be held at the British Museum on 19 March, and I am delighted and excited to be making a contribution to this and future Just Breathe events. You can book your ticket here. I hope to see you there!
Photo credit: Just Breathe Facebook Page