Over the past four years I have been participating in an amazing conference convened by Delight Yoga in Amsterdam called the Inner Peace Conference. Held over two days in five iconic Amsterdam churches, spiritual teachers and practitioners from around the world gather together to engage in contemplative practices to open our hearts and clear our minds for inner peace in order to create a more peaceful world.

 

    This year I have partnered with the team of Delight Yoga to bring the Inner Peace Conference to NYC for the first time. Our one-day conference, on May 9th at St. Bartholomew's Church, (pictured above) will host speakers and global leaders including Satish Kumar, Sharon Salzburg, Radhanath Swami, Rick Hanson and others. The day will include inspirational lectures, meditations, music and more. 

 

    To purchase tickets or sign up on the mailing list and receive more information about the conference please click here. To purchase early bird tickets and receive an additional $50 off, put in the discount code "EDDIE" (it's odd to be a code) where it says "enter promo code" and hit "apply" when you check out. 

 

    This is an amazing conference, one that I look forward to every year, because it is solely focused on its mission of peace. It's non-commercial, there's no marketplace, just community, teachings, and love. I hope that you can join us, and please help us spread the word if you would! 

 

With love,

Eddie 

 

PS More about our conference below....

 

 

The Peace Paradox:

The stress-based health crisis and burn-out epidemic is real. Every country in the world is facing and failing to tackle a mental health crisis, from epidemics of anxiety and depression to conditions caused by violence and trauma, according to a review by experts that estimates the rising cost will hit $16 billion by 2030. The World Health Organization has listed stress as the epidemic of the 21st century.  

While the technology keeps moving forward exponentially, we humans essentially remain the same. As a counter force to our digital lives, we need to gather and belong physically. We need teachers, community, vision, and new leaders to guide us back to Wisdom within us. The need for Inner Peace grows all the time stronger.

 

Inspiration:

Inner Peace Network provides inspiration in transformational events, giving the visitor tools for a better and happier life. A transformational event espouses a community-building ethic, and a value system that celebrates life, personal growth, social responsibility, healthy living, and creative expression. Transformational alludes both to personal transformation (self- realization) and steering the transformation of culture toward sustainability. The inspiration is also felt through the spiritual outlook of the program, and the churches and locations that were designed to receive universal wisdom.
 

The Inner Peace Conference in NYC is a one-day event, designed to expose all participants to the great wisdom traditions of the world. At the conference we gather internationally renowned teachers to share meditation, yoga, music and other contemplative practices to open our hearts and clear our minds for inner peace.

 

From Amsterdam to New York:

Throughout history the city of Amsterdam has played a crucial part in harboring and sharing the wisdom traditions. Founded in 1275, Amsterdam has been a sanctuary for independent thinkers, writers, innovators and artists. By the late 17th century the city was known for its diversity, debate, and peaceful coexistence of religions. Spinoza grounded freedom of religion in the broader principle of freedom of speech, resulting in an open society, uniting people from all walks of life.

 

With the history of Amsterdam embedded in our collective consciousness, The Inner Peace Conference was planted in fertile soil for an inclusive and constructive debate that goes beyond religion—it is our belief that we can all rediscover ourselves in our own traditions, and find Wisdom and common ground in Inner Peace leading us to live in harmony with nature and all sentient beings.

 

In 1624, a Dutch vessel arrived at the foot of lower Manhattan, and the colonists established a town they named New Amsterdam. Their ideals of religious tolerance and free thinking were key elements in the foundation of the city that is now known as New York. These ideals have shaped American history.

 

The Dutch colony was operated by The West India Company, which was one of the first companies with private stocks. The (big) apple doesn’t fall far from the tree, and so New Amsterdam grew to be a tremendous powerhouse, the undisputed financial capital of the world.

Today, freedom of religion is still a constitutionally protected right in the United States, but America seems to be more divided than ever. We see growing intolerance and hatred, while at the same time the race for more and bigger things continues to accelerate, leading to more fear and stress in society.

 

We believe we all want to be united in peace. Let’s go back to the foundation of free thinking and go beyond religion, and create a meaningful legacy together. Let’s utilize the powerful energy of New York to spread consciousness in the world, and let power serve love.

 

For all perfectionists, it's time to look at life through the eyes of an artist, making everything become beautiful, even if it isn’t perfect.

 

The Inner Peace Conference is a conference designed to expose people to the great wisdom traditions of the world. Wisdom, music, art, meditation, yoga and other contemplative practices have always functioned as keys to open our hearts and clear our minds for inner peace.

 

The time has come to once again unite these great wisdom traditions so that they can lead us beyond religion, nationality and race. Go in, and go beyond. Join us for Inner Peace, on May 9th, in NYC!

 

With love and peace, 

 

Wessel Paternotte

Maarten van Huijstee

Wiet de Bruijn

Joost Leeflang

Eddie Stern