The Truth Party 2013 Tour:
My experience with the Truth Party tour was an unexpected whirlwind of magic, laughter, and discussion. It was a precession of inspiration that provided an encouraging platform for everyone to share their gifts and ideas. From community building Kaleidoscope Yoga with Lo to Zen meditation and group discussions with Sander (with which awareness was shed on the corruption and hope for proactive change of our cultural paradigm) to the profound and positive lyricism of Monk's spiritual hip hop, a lot of ground was covered.But beyond summing up the activities that brought everyone together, I want to share what really stuck with me after the boys departed the city of Portland (after sharing prayers, chocolate, and goodbyes). It was the underlying current, the creative spark, the energy the group carried. It was the eye contact, the acknowledgment, the shared silence, the impromptu ritual, the spiritual discipline and dedication, the drive to keep moving and sharing, and the devotion to what, in my opinion, is the most worthwhile cause in this life: seeking truth. It's the time a small group of us held hands and took an oath that we would NEVER take some mediocre job we hate out of fear that we won't always have what we need available to us, therefore compromising our innate gifts and passions. We will always be working but it's that work that only we can do as individuals; that work that resonates so deeply in our hearts that in each moment we are fulfilled. This is what the Truth Party was about to me. It's that accountability, that pact, that on the verge of each new moment we are beaming with trust, wisdom, and courage. In the spirit of Truth, I pray that each of us continues to find purpose in every moment and action no matter how seemingly mundane, and that we continue to breath in and out that spark of inspiration as it echoes into the grand macrocosm, interlinking us all like a playful pose of Kaleidoscope yoga!-Lesley Beth
“The Truth Party was truly a unique and inspiring event. Many of us here in Sacramento will continue to work to ‘keep it going’ – toward a more just and peaceful world. Lo, Thank you for helping us to connect using Kaleidoscope Community Yoga and in a way that helps build mutual consciousness. Monk, thanks for the creative, lively and peaceful hip-hop which entertained and at the same time revealed some deeper political realities. Sander, thank you for encouraging us to not hesitate to combine entrepreneurship with activism by following our own muses in creating businesses that can empower and educate others, and for leading the discussion where we each put our own ideas into the mix.
Individually, you each separately offered unique expertise toward helping collectively chart the beginnings of a pathway out of mankind’s current dilemma. We could all learn from your examples. Thank you again for including Sacramento on The Truth Party Tour, and looking forward to seeing you all again in the hopefully not-too-distant future.”
-Dave KimballSacramento Peace Action
“Knowing that much is fucked up in this world is only the beginning.
It seems that your intent is to spread the message that the truth will set you free.
Instead of trying to solve all the problems, you say ‘do what you're passionate about, creatively and responsibly.’
You suggest that people should create socially and environmentally conscious businesses with a real understanding of how to plan and run a business. Businesses that are not focused (solely) on profit, yet don't fear or hate it, and have a mission to better the greater good.
I admire your passion and humility in sharing your emerging vision!”
Sara "Shakti" PopovichFounder, The Prosperity Hive
Some thoughts from Lo Nathamundi, founder of Kaleidoscope Community Yoga:
If we did this again (and I believe we will), I would keep the same tourmates. ;) I would keep the same zany openness to the moment and what unfolds and spontaneous moments and gigs. I would keep the same intentions of healing and awareness and community-building and networking for the tour. I would keep the diversity of venues. I would keep the same graphic designer for the tour flyer. I would again have a booking manager to help with the enormous amount of work and information involved in a tour. I would again have the three of us tourmates help with the booking of the shows in places where we have connections. I would keep the mix of energies that we bring to the events. I would keep the format of keeping the event fresh by giving small samples of our material at the beginning of each show and rotating through our material in shorter rather than long segments. I would integrate our presentation and facilitation of the experience even further. I would start the promotion for the events a little earlier, and make individual Facebook events for the events we have booked ahead of time.
I would allow a little more down or unscheduled time for rest, self-healing, personal time, and openness to the moment and other adventures, and unplanned gigs that arise in the moment. I would see about arranging for a travelling tour photographer and/ or videographer, or local, on-site photographers and videographers and take more video or have more video taken. I would capture more audio documentation of the tour and the tourmates. I would keep a quote log of the tourmates. I would do a little more swimming. I would like to see more diversity and balance of meditation, self-healing and self-care techniques practiced by the tourmates (ie, an even blend of thai massage, qi gong, and zen meditation, instead of 27 days of zen, and 2 days of thai massage and 2 days of qi gong). I would see about the possibility of having back-up musicians (local or tour travelling) for Monk.
I would encourage Sander's presentations to be more interactive, and more systematically interactive, inclusively going around the circle in order, or having a ground rule of only one person speaking at a time, and a gassho bow to the facilitator to request to speak, rather than a firestorm/ popcorn style debate competition of the loudest and/ or most obstinate all at once. I would have a timekeeper for our events, specifically not one of the tourmates, or one of the tourmates who is not performing or presenting in that moment. I would prefer a more radical insistence and explicit agreement among the tour members about supporting local, independent, organic, eco-friendly businesses in our personal purchases made on the tour. I would prefer explicitly drug and alcohol free events and venues. I think we did a fantastic job, it was an amazing learning process and a lot of fun. I look forward to the next one.
1. What was the peak experience of the tour for you? OR, what were your top three?
The whole tour was a peak experience. Seriously. All of it. The whole thing, the tour as a whole, the intention behind it, all of the different stops, every moment, had this amazing magic and unity to it. Having a shared intention of healing and community building goes a long way (the entire west coast, sometimes) and creates a lot of magic. Every day a new adventure, every day a new dream, every day a new set of challenges, every day a new reality, every day a new set of friends. Jackson, Wyoming was a highlight for me. Having been on the road for a month, being in all these cities, being tired, the culmination of the group energy and the tour energy. To pull into Jackson, Wyoming for the last stop of the tour and have the sky open up enormously and these huge mountains was incredible. We stayed at a nice private home, had a very cozy final gig, and then I was sitting in on an open rehearsal of Contemporary Dance Wyoming, they were working on a beautiful hour-long dance piece called The Meal. It was surreal to be sitting there in silence, immersed in their beautiful dance, after so much touring at a hectic pace and so many cities. And then I ended up doing a Kaleidoscope demonstration with the dancers, which was very beautiful and a lot of fun. I really liked all of the gigs and moments that came together spontaneously, informally, that were not an officially pre-booked part of the itinerary. I like the mundane, I like the subtle, the unusual, the ordinary, all of it. Colorado Springs was also great. Don Goede was a great host and the Smokebrush Foundation was beautiful. And San Francisco State felt really special. I really like young people, and college campuses. The students of the holistic health program at San Fran. State were so eager and awake and joyful. The Kaleidoscope community yoga out on the lawn there was fantastic, and there was this cute little dog running around between everyone and sniffing the singing bowl.
Now, some thoughts from Crazy Monk:
Q: what was the peak experience of the tour for you..or the top three?
For me the peak experience of the tour was the inner transformation I experienced when we were about 75% of the way through the tour. We met a lot of cool Spiritual/Loving/open minded people on this tour and I learned from them all. Also this 30 day tour Pilgrimage was a kind of trial by fire. We mostly stayed with people we knew or met on the road , and even slept on the road side multiple times. Pretty sure we only stayed in a motel 2 times in the month. Physically and Psychologically I was required to be strong , adaptable , flexible and accepting every day. I was totally taken out of my normal routine for a whole month and we conducted Spiritual gatherings almost every day , so I really had to get in touch with my Spiritual Self and try to share it with others. Also i was constantly expanding my awareness by contacting the Spiritual knowledge and energy others were bringing to me to experience each day. And the coincidences and synchronicities were coming one after another non-stop through the whole tour. To the point that for me I have no doubt now that everything in my life is being orchestrated by a higher power that Loves me and is guiding and protecting me and teaching me.
STAY TUNED for the next tour, Truth Party, Spring 2014!The Truth Party brings the love to the East Coast.Stay in contact by friending Sander Hicks on facebook, or joining the sanderhicks.com email list.
