Last year, I had the privilege of hearing Congressman Tim Ryan speak about his book, Mindfulness for a Nation.

It struck me that while within the yoga community, meditation is somewhat of a given, in much of the Western world it is still met with skepticism, if not outright rejection.

While we rage on about gun laws, Monsanto, marriage equality and everything else under the sun, are we missing out on a simple yet powerful step towards a more peaceful world?

This is not to say that I think we should cease to stand up for what we believe. A big part of being the change in the world is activism.

In addition to taking a stand, it’s important that we remember to take a seat:

I spoke briefly with Rebecca Dreyfus about her upcoming movie this week, and am excited to share it with you. I believe that every time we can make mindfulness practices seem a little more accessible and mainstream, we are doing our part to make a better world for the next generation.

From Rebecca:

On Meditation offers a rare glimpse into the inner journey of meditation.

This innovative documentary, currently in production, is comprised of a series of portraits, notable personalities articulating their experience of meditation and how it’s helped them manage and manifest realities in their lives. Viewers get a peek into the mind and heart of our subjects, each of whom lend both divergent and similar viewpoints to this rich overview of the inward exploration of meditation.

To date, the series includes actor Giancarlo Esposito (Breaking Bad, Do the Right Thing), two-time national book award winner Peter Matthiessen (The Snow Leopard), Congressman Tim Ryan of Ohio, and yoga teacher and author Elena Brower (Art of Attention).

Additionally, acclaimed meditation advocate David Lynch will be filmed for the project this spring.

In order to finish the project, we’ve launched a Kickstarter campaign. There are many funding options, most notably a $75 contribution which sends a copy of the film to a school, hospital, facility for at-risk youth or women, to a senior center, or a prison. This is by far the most salient aspect of the project. Our aim is to get thousands of copies sent far and wide.

Award-winning director/executive producer team of Rebecca Dreyfus and Susannah Ludwig have created this project, joined by yoga teacher Elena Brower, lending her hand as executive producer.

 

 

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