During the Prayers for Ukraine event, many of us were moved by Yuka Saionji's closing prayers for Ukraine, Russia. To engage further with the sacred practice from her lineage, you are invite to join this intimate gathering of peace prayers and mandalas.

Yuka's grandfather created the universal peace prayer, "May Peace Prevail on Earth", and she has been praying for peace since she was a toddler. Growing up, her mom would give her a clicker whose counter she could advance everytime she prayed for someone else, mostly strangers. It was no surprise that when she addressed the United Nations general assembly after the 2011 Tsunami, she not only got a standing ovation but moved everyone to tears. Today, she is a mother of two, finds her deepest satisfaction in small acts of service, and practices blooming where she is planted. 

Yuka is currently the Deputy Chairperson Byakko Shinko Kai, a spiritual organization dedicated to world peace that originated in Japan over fifty years ago. Among its numerous activities, Byakko hosts interfaith events like “Symphony of Peace Prayers,” where religious leaders come together with thousands of people to harmonize a greater good. Here is a visual of big-hearted everyday heroes who regularly come out to pray for World Peace, no matter what the weather: 

Yuka’s community has introduced the practice of “handwritten mandalas,” made up of concentric circles with meaningful words and phrases. Creating a mandala is a meditative process that heals and revitalizes us, and the mandala itself radiates this healing energy to humanity and all of nature. Below is an example of a "larger than life" prayer mandala:

Join us for an emergent conversation about the heart of prayer from someone who has (as her family says) been praying before she could even learn to speak.

Engage in the practice of creating a personal mandala, and join together in prayer for peace in our hearts and in the world.

Simply RSVP below and you'll be emailed the details as we get closer to the event.