The Power and Potential of Peace Sticks

There’s something entirely appropriate about the upcoming Peace Sticks workshop taking place near Kids’ World in Alameda Park. That’s because the practice puts partners together to silently toss the painted sticks back and forth in various combinations that highlight connection through movement and play – something with which kids are quite familiar – and cultivates as well the intuitive sense of just doing it, that spontaneity adults seem to lose more of with every advancement in “maturity.”

Peace Sticks promote an instant connection that defies explanation or even a need to understand, producing an interpersonal exchange that becomes both highly intuitive and mesmerizingly meditative with minutes. That was my experience when I encountered Peace Sticks at Lucidity more than a decade ago, with the simple act of just tossing sticks with changing partners; a personal Peace Sticks inauguration that was so profound it remains in my muscle and emotional memory to this day. The practice of passing the handcrafted sticks created a sense of flow and harmony that lasted well past the full Lucidity Festival weekend. 

That’s partly due to the shared intention of the practice; no judgment of self or others. The participants’ constancy of gentle collaboration leaves no time for critical thinking to settle in and take over. “There’s no space for fear about how you’re doing,” explained facilitator Shane Rilling at the time. “It’s just pure presence, because you’re playing continuously. Once you start, you just keep throwing the sticks even if they fall. So, eventually the mind will let go, because you’re not stopping to evaluate. It’s not a mental process. Life just knows how to do it. We simply let our native intelligent force move our bodies in the best way possible.”

Rilling, now also known as Shine, will co-lead the two-hour Peace Sticks event on January 10 with fellow facilitator Hannah Jo of World Peace Tribe through District 216, the psychedelic social club. Note this is an off-site and non-substance event. Focus will be on the relational benefits of the practice, introducing it as a powerful tool for cultivating mindfulness, presence, and authentic human connection. The event ends with an exploration of how enjoying chocolate (from Bee Magic Sacred Chocolate) in a safe and intentional way can complement the Peace Sticks experience, helping to open the mind and enhance the sense of wonder and flow.