The Thirty Day Peace Diet

Reach And Teach Says: 

Around a month into the Coronavirus crisis Craig was rummaging around in the garage office that used to serve as Reach And Teach headquarters. Two unfamiliar boxes underneath a desk caught his eye. The names Bob and Judy Crammer were written in large marker. Inside Craig found a treasure... a book that those two loving people had written decades ago... a 30 Day Peace Diet, a guided path towards a more loving world written by two incredible peace activists. They used to sell their book at the San Jose Peace and Justice Fair which we participated in every year up until around 15 years ago. We'd had a few copies of the book on our shelf at Reach And Teach until last year when we thought we had run out. Eureka! 

The idea behind the book is that through individual and collective thought and action we can bring about a more peaceful and loving world. Each day includes an "appetizer," a quote that gives one food for thought, a "main course," which is a meditative practice, and "dessert," a physical activity to round out the meal. Very spiritual, Zen-ish, yoga-like, a bit of journaling, and some "God" talk, the book is just what I (Craig speaking here) needed when facing the coming months ahead. Oh yeah, and there are lots of adorable dove cartoon drawings to make you smile! If you happen to have someone in your life with whom you can do this, by phone or online (Zoom or Skype), it might be nice to take turns being the reader and the do-er. This could be a really sweet way to reach out to someone who is homebound and alone every day for 30 days! 

April 17 2020, the day I will start my Thirty Day Peace Diet with Bob and Judy Crammer and maybe.... YOU?

Sample Day:

Appetizer: If I truly love one person, I love all persons, I love the world, I love life. If I can say to somebody else, "I love you," I must be able to say "I love in you everybody. I love through you the world; I love you in you also myself." Eric Fromm

Main Course: Lay on your back, arms and legs uncrossed. Inhale and let your breath fill your abdomen. Hold for five seconds and release all at once through your mouth. Relax and breathe easily. Inhale, hold your breath and tighten your entire right arm by making a fist. Tense all your right arm muscles as you lift your arm six inches into the air. Release all your breath as your arm flops down. Do this a second time with your right arm. Now repeat this procedure twice with your left arm. Do your arms feel lighter? More................ (around five more paragraphs)

Dessert: Word Play Activity - Make a list of words that make you feel good. Record them on the following journal pages. Make a copy which you can carry with you and refer to during the day. Sometimes just remembering a word that makes you feel good is enought to lighten your whole day. At bedtime, review your list of words that make you feel good.

The Authors say:

Peace is a state of mind. This book was written to help all of us achieve that state of mind.

Beginning in the Summer of 1986, we became actively and deeply involved in a personal search for peace. We joyfully joined millions of others around the planet in the World Instant of Cooperation ib December 31, 1986. We also participated in the next worldwide event, Harmonic Convergance, on August 16 and 17, 1987. And we eagerly awaited World Peace Day on December 31, 1987.

In the meantime, we meditated and visualized peace. We joined the Planetary Commission and Global Family. Through Global Family, we became part of a process called the Resonating Core Group. More about these groups is presented in this book. With all these personal and group meditations, we soon realized that peace begins inside each of us and ripples outward into the world in concentric circles of magnetic force.

One day Bob said, "What can people do in between these major events to further peace on a daily basis?" We quickly came up with the idea of a series of meditations and actions dedicated to inner and outer peace. Since our culture is so interested in diets and self-improvement, and since it takes about 30 days to establish a habit, the idea came to us to do a 30-day peace diet.

30 days dedicated to tranquility, both privately and publicly, could be a wise investment for our time.

In 30 days, you can lose pounds of world-weariness, bottled-up emotions, and feelings of helplessness and despair. You can feel empowered in the knowledge that every day you are making a valuable contribution to world peace.

And in 30 days, you can feel lighter and happier as the radiance of God's love fills your whole being.

Peace to you all.

Bob and Judy Cranmer, Cupertino California, October 1987.

Review from back cover:

"Peace begins nowhere else but with oneself. The Thirty Day Peace Diet builds on this premise in a direct and inspirational way, proving the point, 'anyone can do it!' And that's what peace is, something any can do — it's a diet for everybody!" — Jose Arguelles, Author, The Mayan Factor