"Med Gala" spreads mindfulness message with meditation event
NEW YORK - The Med Gala brought together meditation enthusiasts Thursday night at the Knockdown Center in Flushing, Queens. The gathering of like minds aims to spread the positivity.
Hundreds hummed in harmony, meditating together to achieve enlightenment.
"The fact that we've fallen in love, the fact that we've felt peace, the fact that we have been at ease, means that we have the technology, the capacity and the ability to return there," said Hector Marcel, president of the Three Jewels nonprofit that organized the event.
The Three Jewels organization trains guides in the practices of meditation and yoga. The Med Gala brought together leaders in mindfulness for a united cause.
"I think being here for me and everybody is a reminder to come into that space and carry it with us moving forward," said RY X, a musician who performed for the crowd.
The dress code directed guests to come as their most ethereal, enlightened selves. Costumes included capes of light and sparkling bodysuits.
"They totally understood the assignment," Marcel exclaimed, "because I've been checking with them. I'm like, 'What's that and what's that?' And it's coded for them. You see, this is the magic everyone here is trying on this persona."
Guests were introduced to Maloka's virtual reality meditation game, as the company used the Gala to announce a new goal, the 100 Million Meditators Manifesto.
Organizers hope to use the event as a catalyst to spread mindfulness across the globe, and to underserved communities here at home.
"The applications for scholarships has more than tripled, and as much as we want to teach everyone, we can't afford to," Marcel said, with tears in his eyes. "Whatever funds we raise here, we want to give access to all those people that applied in the past and we haven't been able to help."
Marcel hopes those students can spread the message even farther.
"The consequences of us coming together are too many to guess," he said, "but they are in relation to every mind that is here. Everyone here will be affected positively, for sure."
Three Jewels currently operates in a studio on East 3rd Street in The Bowery. The name Three Jewels refers to the Buddha, his teachings and the community that practices.