A Prayer for Peace and Healing
Helen French, May 2, 2021
Last May as the nation was navigating a pandemic lockdown and fear and uncertainty seemed to be the prevailing emotions of so many, the artistic director of Buglisi Dance Theatre, Jacqulyn Buglisi invited me to participate in the creation of the Table of Silence Meditation Variation. This meditation variation has its roots in Jacqulyn’s larger work the 9/11 Table of Silence Project which is an annual ritual for global peace that takes place in Lincoln Center on September 11. Jacqulyn was seeking to reimagine the annual ritual into a weekly call to action that could connect humanity and manifest a universal vibration of healing for global unity and peace.
The meditation variation contains the ritualistic repetition of the the twelve gestures found in the original 9/11 Table of Silence Project. The beauty and power of this meditation is found in its simplicity. By connecting your breathe to the repetition of the twelve gestures you create an intentional healing vibration. For me it is a moving prayer and an opportunity for personal contemplation.
At it’s inception Covid pandemic restrictions did not allow for communities to gather in person to participate in the Table of Silence Meditation Variation, so Jacqulyn decided to use YouTube to connect the meditation participants. For the past 52 weeks every Sunday at noon a community of peace seeking meditators has gathered via YouTube to breathe and move through the meditative gestures together. During a year of so much uncertainty these weekly gatherings have been a source of stability and grounding. I invite you to join us, breathe with us, and invite peace and healing into the world with us.
You can learn the twelve gestures here, Introduction to the 12 Gestures
You can join us on Sundays at noon here, Table of Silence Meditation Variation
