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Arts & Entertainment

Meditation Mob Aims to Inspire The World

Public meditation was on display in front of BAM on Sunday

On Sunday, May 29, beginning at around noon, thousands of highly focused peacegivers from across the globe engaged in a simultaneous display of solidarity: They dropped down in lotus position to meditate. 

The Flash Mob was part of a larger, global event called ‘Med Mob,’ aimed at exposing people from all walks of life to the benefits of meditation through a public display.

The Med Mob event spanned 50 cities worldwide in places like Oakland, San Francisco, Beirut, Turkey, Italy and France, just to name a few. Brooklynites who participated in the event chose the Brooklyn Academy of Music for its location, smack in the middle of the annual DanceAfrica Festival and Street Bazaar.

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Med Mob organizer for Brooklyn and Bed-Stuy native Ola Akinmowo called the event a “big success,” as it was aimed to share the practice of meditation with as many people as possible and to spread “a sense of goodness.”

“People get too caught up in their own lives. Meditation is a great way to peacefully deal with those issues; meditation is a part of learning about yourself and loving yourself,” said Akinmowo. “Meditation is a really powerful tool, it doesn’t cost anything, it doesn’t use a lot of physical energy, and you can do it anywhere. It heals anxiety, depression, stress, and increases brain function.”

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The Brooklyn-based ‘Med Mob’ was organized by Akinmowo simply because she read about it online and thought it would be a good idea to share with the rest of the community. After spreading it through word of mouth and various social mediums (Facebook, Twitter, MySpace), around 40 people gathered at the steps of BAM to participate.

Akinmowo said she chose BAM because it was convenient for most people, it was not blocking any thing or anyone, and because she knew the DanceAfrica festival would attract a large number of people so she could help gain attention and spread the message of meditation.

The Meditation lasted only an hour, and was followed by the “Sound Bath”—a part of the meditation where a soothing/relaxing sound is played to connect those meditating with the energy of the universe—and was lead by New York City based singer/composer Imani Uzuri.

“It’s kind of bizarre, but I can understand why people do meditation,” said George, a bystander at the Dance Africa Festival. “I don’t think I would do it though.”

Akinmowo is a Bed-Stuy based Yoga instructor at the So Hum Yoga Studio, which she operates out of her home. She says that meditation along with the practice of yoga is a great way to battle physical ailments as well as mental ones. You can contact her at 646 623-6751.

 For more information about Med Mob and how to participate in their next event, you can log on to their website, or look them up on Facebook.

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