Walk as if you are kissing the Earth with your feet

The recent loss of Archbishop Desmond Tutu and Thich Nhat Hanh who were both brilliant lights and moral compasses in a world that seems to have lost its way, brings with it a moment to pause and reflect on their timeless wisdom, gentle humility and profound joy. These luminaries encourage us to embark on the path of inner peace that is increasingly necessary to thrive in turbulent times. For those who share their deep commitment for compassion, justice and peace building around the world, we’ve selected a few films on the art of “interbeing” and science of inner peace you might enjoy below.

For those who wish to cultivate deeper peace and renewal throughout 2022 and beyond, here is a “how to” article by Dr. Julie Krull, entitled, Embodying Calm in a World of Chaos: Five Psycho-Spiritual Strategies for Creating and Sustaining Inner Peace with resources from HeartMath Institute, Global Coherence Pulse, and Global Coherence Initiative and more. With tornado-like chaos spinning around us, practicing the art and science of inner peace is vitally important for our personal and collective well-being. Studies show that calming one’s mind and eliminating stress are essential for lifelong health.

MISSION: JOY – FINDING HAPPINESS IN TROUBLED TIMES

In memory of South African Archbishop Desmond Tutu (7 October 1931 – 26 December 2021), one of the greatest leaders of our time – his beloved humor, courage, moral and spiritual leadership and teachings on forgiveness have been a guiding light to millions.

In 2021, Academy Award®-winning director Louie Psihoyos teamed up with co-director Peggy Callahan to give us a glimpse into the friendship of His Holiness the Dalai Lama & Archbishop Tutu. In their final joint mission, they give a master class in how to create joy in a world that was never easy for them. They offer neuroscience-backed wisdom to help each of us live with more joy, despite circumstances.

Inspired by New York Times bestseller, The Book of Joy: Lasting Happiness in a Changing World, the film showcases the exchange between these two Nobel Peace Prize winners that led to the book. Consisting largely of never-before-seen footage shot over 5 days at the Dalai Lama’s residence in Dharamsala, the film invites viewers to join these luminaries behind the scenes as they recount stories from their lives, each having lived through periods of incredible difficulty and strife.

With genuine affection, mutual respect and a healthy dose of teasing, these unlikely friends impart lessons gleaned from lived experience, ancient traditions, and the latest cutting-edge science regarding how to live with joy in the face of all of life’s challenges from the extraordinary to the mundane. MISSION: JOY is an antidote for the times.

THE WAY OUT

An urgent film about Climate Crisis, Activism and Mindfulness. What can we do, now that time is running out?

Zen Master Thich Nhat Hanh has a revolutionary proposal for facing the Climate Crisis. “The way out is in,” he states. “The way out of climate change is inside each of us.”  His invitation is to stop: to stop running and to take a good look at what is really going on. To see what views drive our behavior, how our thought patterns and our emotions work. In silence, we will better understand ourselves and the Earth.

The film follows two young people, a Brazilian banker and a British activist, during a stressful period in their lives. Will they be able to save the earth — beginning with(in) themselves?

Recorded in London and Yorkshire, UK, and in Plum Village, France.
This film is a co-production with Dutch broadcasting organisation KRO-NCRV.

FIERCE LIGHT: WHEN SPIRIT MEETS ACTION

FIERCE LIGHT captures the exciting movement of Spiritual Activism and illuminates the connection between spirituality and social change. Acclaimed filmmaker, Velcrow Ripper takes us on a global journey tracing spiritual activism’s historical roots and capturing the powerful personalities that are igniting a new wave of spiritual action around the globe.

Martin Luther King called it “love in action”. Gandhi called it “soul force”. In these times of crisis, there is an electric charge in the air, a burgeoning renewal among both people who have focused their lives on the spiritual, and those whose lives are centered around the struggle for change. Featuring Velcrow Ripper’s stunning cinematography, a compelling soundtrack, and dramatic stories of resistance and transformation, FIERCE LIGHT captures the excitement of Spiritual Activism that is tranforming the planet. Fueled by the belief that ‘another world’ is possible, Ripper seeks out stories to reveal what is possible when individuals, friends and strangers, faced with a world in crisis, rise to their absolute best… a human sunrise.

Featuring luminaries such as Desmond Tutu, Thich Nhat Hanh, Alice Walker, John Lewis, Daryl Hannah, Noah Levine

Charles Eisenstein on Interbeing

What can we do as individuals to move from the story of separation to the story of interbeing?

Interbeing is the Order coined by Thich Nhat Hanh that reveals the inter-connected-ness of all things, connected through our actions, feelings, thoughts, and basically everything else. That we are nature.