Several weekends ago, I decided to attend a meditation for world peace at the Center for Positive Living in Charlotte, NC. I have never attended anything like this, so I did not know what to expect. When I arrived I noticed a circle (medicine wheel) in the middle of the room made from quartz crystals, scrolls, bones, and articles of clothing.
We were greeted by a tall, friendly, soft spoken, Inca medicine man named Yachai-Hampe (Healer of Wisdom). The ceremony began with the passing of a prayer stick to each person whereupon we were to say something that would encourage world peace.
When the stick came to me I took a deep breath and spoke the first thing that came to my mind: “To learn how to love and accept myself for who I am.” Because deep down I know that if we don’t like ourselves we can never practice compassion and kindness toward others which are the seeds for world peace.
This was followed by an explanation of the medicine circle and the lighting of the candles within the circle. We walked/danced around the circle meditating on world peace and played a musical instrument that we had chosen earlier.
Mine was a rattle.
At first, I felt like an extra in a B cowboy and Indian movie, chanting and jumping around a medicine circle .
The whole ceremony lasted about an 1.5 hours, but in the end I felt better for participating in this sacred event.
