Additional Reporting By – Ileana Exaras
For a moment in time The Big Apple was silent. A calmness came to town that whispered a voice of change for the better.
smartwater partner Jesse Israel, who serves as founder of the mass meditation movement The Big Quiet, brought his instrumental motivation to Manhattan this weekend.
On a Friday evening in the loudest city of America, The Guggenheim Museum, the “temple of spirit” as Hilla Rebay envisioned it, hosted the incredible event.
The modern movement for mass meditation creates a space for people to connect, and in Israel’s words, to “celebrate the goodness of being human together.” And as so plays out the sweet sips and enrichment found with his work with smartwater.
New York was an important stop for The Big Quiet’s 10-city tour, according to Founder Jesse Israel. “New York is one of the busiest cities in our country, and what we often hear is that people who live here have pretty intense experiences with stress, with anxiety, a sense of overwhelm… so to have a space where people can chill out together, support each other, be there for one another feels particularly important.”
The session began with breathing exercises guided by Jackie Cantwell, and by vibrations, “O’s”, and “A’s” that filled the Guggenheim spiral. Silence followed for several minutes, and was accompanied by therapeutic sound healers, dressed in all white, playing crystal singing bowls.
The silence was awoken by atmospheric musical performances, the last part of the ceremony. Audiences are more receptive after meditation, according to Jenavieve Varga, Music Director at The Big Quiet, “they’re so primed, they’re so ready, there’s an intensity and there’s an awareness”.
Photos Courtesy The Big Quiet