Beginning a mindful walk, slow and steady.
Photos by: Kay Monroe

Responding to social and political unrest daily news of war, Cedar Sangha is leading a monthly peace walk.

There was a pull and need to do something, and a peace walk seemed like the perfect way to gather as a Eugene, Oregon, sangha, to use mindfulness to bring peace to ourselves, our communities, and the world.  

The peace walk takes place monthly at the Owen Rose Garden in Eugene, Oregon, along the beautiful Willamette River.  This is a public park that does not require any permits to gather in a group.  There are picnic tables by the parking lot where we gather. 

The peace walk is open to anyone in the community who would like to be present with others, in standing for peace and presence.  The walk is held on the third Saturday of each month, from 3 p.m. to 4 p.m. 

We begin the walk standing in a circle, invite the bell, and read from a text by Vietnamese master Thich Nhat Hahn. Then we explain how the walk starts with mindful breathing and slow purposeful steps, to support our bodies, minds, and hearts in healing our country and our world. 

We practice breathing in with one step, and breathing out with the next step. As we walk we say to ourselves, “I have arrived, I am home,” or, ”Peace in the world, peace in myself.” 

The walking is focused on inner peace, a sense of community, and peaceful action.  Peace walks offer a counterbalance to the noise of social media and news cycles, to show visible acts of nonviolence in public places.

Jeffrey Christensen, a sangha member, said, “I felt a pull to do something with all the unrest in our country.  I didn’t want to take sides and cause more suffering.  The peace walk seemed to be the answer I was looking for.”

Erin McGladrey, also a sangha member, described how her grandmother, cousins, and friends were deeply affected by the Vietnam war, as they are by current war. “The peace walk is a place to be with others who want peace between people and nations,” she said. “It is a place to practice, to create peace in themselves.”

We walk on a circular path in the park past many rose plants, beautiful shrubbery, and a 140-year-old grandmother cherry tree.  There are usually 20 to 25 people participating in this 40-minute silent mindful walk. A bell is rung occasionally, to bring us back to the present moment.

At the conclusion of the walk we gather in a circle, sing a song from Thich Nhat Hahn’s lineage, and then offer the merit of our practice.

Our Cedar Sangha was started 28 years ago by Nancy Nina and Jul Hulme.  This sangha practices under Thich Nhat Hahn’s influence, every Tuesday evening from 7 p.m. to 8:30 p.m.

We also are joined by members of Still Water Sangha, another Eugene sangha practicing in the lineage of Thich Nhat Hahn.  Other Eugene mindfulness sanghas are also invited to this peace walk.

This monthly peace walk is a wonderful opportunity to gather in a sangha, and to bring peace and mindfulness to all present and those around us.  It is our hope that more people will join us for this meaningful experience, and that peace will prevail in our world.

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