2008.12.10 01:00 - Building Up Those Awareness Muscles

I, Pema was the guardian that night, but didn't manage to come. Instead, Tarmel kindly send me the log, which I put up.   I also provided the title

Crusty Goldshark: hi tamel
Tarmel Udimo: hi crusty
Tarmel Udimo: sorry i was cooking
Crusty Goldshark: I will cook after 9 secs of mediation
Crusty Goldshark: Probably soup
Tarmel Udimo: actually no a bit of a mush mush
Tarmel Udimo: noodles
Crusty Goldshark: Cooking - an act of Love or meditation? - maybe alchemy?
Crusty Goldshark: noodles? My favourite
Tarmel Udimo: udon noodles
Tarmel Udimo: an act of alchemy
Crusty Goldshark: Oh is that Japanese ?
Tarmel Udimo: yes the noodles are but the meal is just noodles, lettuce and Sausages
Tarmel Udimo: I don't think I have seen you at a PAB session
Crusty Goldshark: Alchemy with sausages . . . an there was silly me trying to make alchemical gold - I knew I was doing it wrong ;)
Tarmel Udimo: :-)
Crusty Goldshark: Only been here a few days in SL and came here on my first day - just flew by . .
Tarmel Udimo: yes I lucked out too, found this place by accident and am very happy
Crusty Goldshark: Do you mediate for the full 9 secs or find it too sressful? :)
Crusty Goldshark: stressful
Tarmel Udimo: I'm not sure if what I do is meditate for my 9 secs
Tarmel Udimo: I think I try to refocus on being and being awake
Crusty Goldshark: I am not sure I could . . 9 secs is a long time to be aware for . . .
Tarmel Udimo: oddle enough it is - as monkey mind always invades the space and one retruns to sleep
Tarmel Udimo: but I appreciate just even being reminded
Crusty Goldshark: Yes
Crusty Goldshark: How are your alchemical noodles?
Tarmel Udimo: okay
Crusty Goldshark: Good - I think I will do soup with leaks and noodles
Tarmel Udimo: I didn't infuse this meal with my usual love and therefore just a normal meal
Tarmel Udimo: nourishing but not that tasty
Crusty Goldshark: No Love? You could do a puja/prayer over it?
Tarmel Udimo: I could...
Tarmel Udimo: a mush mush just throwing what's in the fridge together
Crusty Goldshark: Oh Beings of Awareness and Peace - Bless this food and all who eat it. Something like that . . .
Tarmel Udimo: nice :)
Tarmel Udimo: let me do that
Tarmel Udimo: ahhh much better
Crusty Goldshark: Did you smile at the food?
Tarmel Udimo: opps forgot
Tarmel Udimo: now I have
Crusty Goldshark: You need a touch of magic - 'may the merriness of Christmas infuse this food with Love and Good Will' - That should do it . . .
Tarmel Udimo: ahh thanks santa
Crusty Goldshark: Will you be having wine with it?
Crusty Goldshark: LOL
Tarmel Udimo: not tonight, but I would normally
Crusty Goldshark: Good plan. Wine always improves a meal - sadly I will be having soup for breakfast so wine is probably out . . .
Tarmel Udimo: soup for breakfast in Japan?
Crusty Goldshark: No I am in London - yes soup for brunch
Crusty Goldshark: I suppose I could travel to Japan in SL and eat it there - good plan . . .
Tarmel Udimo: :-)
Crusty Goldshark: However I find virtual food a little empty of substance . . . :)
Tarmel Udimo: so how long have you been practising your 9 secs
Tarmel Udimo: yes
Tarmel Udimo: smiles
Crusty Goldshark: Well I don't think I have ever done the full 9 secs
Crusty Goldshark: I tend to 'just sit' or chant as my meditation - or sometimes walk or do Tai Chi or visit SL
Tarmel Udimo: by that I mean stop everything else and just focus on being for 9 secs
Crusty Goldshark: Well if the 9 secs is special what about the rest of the time . . .
Tarmel Udimo: the rest of the time is equally specail
Tarmel Udimo: *special
Crusty Goldshark: Maybe I will try to induce more monkey mindedness for 9 seconds - would that work better?
Tarmel Udimo: as in monkey mind chatter?
Crusty Goldshark: In fact come to think of it monkey mind seems a form of awareness too? No ?
Crusty Goldshark: yes Monkey mind chatter
Tarmel Udimo: I agree tends to come with every peice of baggage we have ever owned in this life and the previous ones and of course future ones
Tarmel Udimo: *except
Crusty Goldshark: What to do?
Tarmel Udimo: stop for 9 secs
Crusty Goldshark: LOL - OK - will try that starting now . . .
Crusty Goldshark: done
Crusty Goldshark: not too bad
Tarmel Udimo: glad you enjoyed it
Crusty Goldshark: Maybe I could try 18 seconds - or is that pushing it on the first day?
Tarmel Udimo: feel free, lets try it together
Crusty Goldshark: done
Crusty Goldshark: when do we start?
Tarmel Udimo: now
Crusty Goldshark: strted going into trance - this is dangerous stuff - does it come with a health warning?
Tarmel Udimo: smiles
Crusty Goldshark: i THINK i HAD BETTER STICK WITH THE 9 SECS FOR NOW . . .
Tarmel Udimo: hi corvi
Corvuscorva Nightfire: Hi, Tarmel, Crusty.
Crusty Goldshark: Sorry gone into trance and shouting - worse then I thought
Crusty Goldshark: Hi Corvu
Corvuscorva Nightfire: sounds good, actually.
Crusty Goldshark: We just tried to up the 9 secs to 18 seconds Corvu, I think it is too much - what do you feel?
Corvuscorva Nightfire: I think it sounds like an interesting experiment. Why do you think it's too much?
Tarmel Udimo: do you think the 9 or 18 secs has a different feeling to regular meditation because of intention
Tarmel Udimo: I think we both being a little tongue in the cheek
Crusty Goldshark: Well _ I started going into trance and doing virtual shouting - maybe we could 27 seconds - anything could happen - what ya say?
Corvuscorva Nightfire grins. I think that starts to sound like real meditation.
Corvuscorva Nightfire: 27 seconds!
Tarmel Udimo: gosh
Crusty Goldshark: Yes 27 seconds is clearly overdoing it - I think I can manage another 18 secs - wot say yas?
Tarmel Udimo: sure
Crusty Goldshark: Brill - another few seconds and I might become enlightened - way to go ;)
Tarmel Udimo: do you think the 9 or 18 secs has a different feeling to regular meditation because of intention?
Crusty Goldshark: Sorry - still recovering from the last 18 secs - yes they are different - 18 secs seems twice as long . . .
Tarmel Udimo: how about you corvi how has your 9 sec sessions been going? :)
Corvuscorva Nightfire: not too well.
Crusty Goldshark: We have lost her - I knew it - even 18 secs is too long . . .
Corvuscorva Nightfire laughs.
Corvuscorva Nightfire: I just...
Tarmel Udimo: smiles
Tarmel Udimo: no how so?
Corvuscorva Nightfire: 9 secodnds is my introduction to meditation, and anything like it.
Corvuscorva Nightfire: lately I find I am avoiding it..or doing it and finding it harder and harder to do as I repeat it.
Crusty Goldshark: Maybe we could go for 18 but split it 6 groups of 3 secs - meditate on different things for each of the 3 secs?
Tarmel Udimo: :-)
Corvuscorva Nightfire feels dizzy at the thought.
Tarmel Udimo: avoiding?
Corvuscorva Nightfire: I don't meditate on "things" when I do it.
Crusty Goldshark: I would cut down from 9 seconds to maybe 6 corvu? What you think?
Tarmel Udimo: niether do i
Corvuscorva Nightfire: I am not sure how long 9 seconds is...or 6...or three....
Tarmel Udimo: neither
Corvuscorva Nightfire throws a pillow at Crusty who she suspects of silliness.
Crusty Goldshark: Oh well - in Vipasana they count so that helps
Corvuscorva Nightfire nods.
Tarmel Udimo: nods
Corvuscorva Nightfire: that would help.
Corvuscorva Nightfire: maybe I'll try it.
Corvuscorva Nightfire tries it.
Tarmel Udimo: is it really important the timing thing?
Crusty Goldshark: No of course not (still recovering from pillow attack) - it is a moment of awareness - how long is a moment of rest?
Corvuscorva Nightfire nods. That's how it seems to me.. I treat it as moment..Kyros time...
Crusty Goldshark: Kyros?
Corvuscorva Nightfire: not "9 seconds" Chronos time.
Tarmel Udimo: so if it is just a moment what is it about that makes it and finding it harder and harder to do as I repeat it?
Corvuscorva Nightfire: hmmm..I'm not sure I've spelled it right.
Crusty Goldshark: The monkey mind likes to run free . . .
Corvuscorva Nightfire considers Tarmel's question.
Corvuscorva Nightfire: and thinks Crusty has it right.
Crusty Goldshark: When you (as if you are in control of you own thoughts) decide to do something it feels a little agitated . .
Tarmel Udimo: yes..
Crusty Goldshark: So the thing to do is work with the monkeys. "Monkeys what do you want to do for the next 9 secs/" Then you can watch them come up with nothing but chatter . . .
Crusty Goldshark: /=?
Corvuscorva Nightfire: I think that might be just what is hard for me.
Corvuscorva Nightfire: I'm frightened of my monkeys, I think.
Crusty Goldshark: Ah . . .
Tarmel Udimo: I also find not only witnessing helps but taking deep breathes seem to immediatly shift you away
Tarmel Udimo: from monkey because the body takes over which is very powerful in its own right
Corvuscorva Nightfire nods.
Crusty Goldshark: Ah that is a good - idea - monkeys are centered in the mind - if the body is still - well the body is still - Ok gonaa try 27 secs of just sitting and being aware of the body.
Crusty Goldshark: Yep that was OK
Crusty Goldshark: Who is scared of those monkeys now? Not this Santa!
Tarmel Udimo: no shouting :-)
Corvuscorva Nightfire laughs..I was fine til I came up with the thought that I ought to look up Kyros time.
Crusty Goldshark: You have monkeys that can do all sort of stuff? Cool!
Tarmel Udimo: kyros time?
Corvuscorva Nightfire: chronos and kairos. Chronos refers to chronological or sequential time. Chronos time is measured by the clock and calendar. It is orderly, rhythmic, and predictable. It is what we moderns typically think of as time. Kairos time, on the other hand, has a more nebulous meaning. It does not have an equivalent word in English. The least descriptive translation would be `in between time' -- a moment of undetermined period of time in which `something' special happens.
Corvuscorva Nightfire: http://journal.cowpi.com/2003/10/kairos_gods_time
Tarmel Udimo: sounds like being state
Corvuscorva Nightfire: a random journal..a good explanation of my understanding.
Crusty Goldshark: Well I am a part time traveller - Tmxxine.com is my site so will look out for that in between time :)
Tarmel Udimo: okay will check it - I think also sometimes we have to show them who is boss
Crusty Goldshark: Any monkeys there and I will return them to the forest
Crusty Goldshark: They are?
Tarmel Udimo: hows that for stiring the pot
Crusty Goldshark: Very good - your noodles must be doing good - breakfast time for Santa
Corvuscorva Nightfire: they certainly seem to be MY boss.
Tarmel Udimo: do you wake up in the morning and thoughst immediately race in?
Tarmel Udimo: *thoughts
Corvuscorva Nightfire nods.
Crusty Goldshark: eh I am not sure I have woken up yet . . seem to be in some strange virtual world . . .
Tarmel Udimo: smiles
Corvuscorva Nightfire picks up the pillow and whacks lightly.
Tarmel Udimo: yes I have grappled with those morning monkeys for years
Crusty Goldshark: You and the pillows
Crusty Goldshark: Time for me to go before I am stifled
Crusty Goldshark: Bye guys - be kind to the fish
Tarmel Udimo: see you crusty
Corvuscorva Nightfire: Bye Crusty...thanks for all the ideas.
Crusty Goldshark: and watch out for your monkeys - be kind to them too . .
Tarmel Udimo: yes kindness with self very important
Tarmel Udimo: but things do feel more spacious now, not so attached to all those voices
Corvuscorva Nightfire nods. after the 9 seconds, you mean?
Tarmel Udimo: yes and in the morning and most times
Tarmel Udimo: when those voices get louder i no longer take them very seriously
Corvuscorva Nightfire nods.
Tarmel Udimo: I do think its about intention
Corvuscorva Nightfire nods.
Corvuscorva Nightfire: is it different from other meditation?
Corvuscorva Nightfire: for you, I mean?
Tarmel Udimo: yes
Tarmel Udimo: it feels closer to the perspective i have been moving towards for a while
Corvuscorva Nightfire: in what way?
Tarmel Udimo: that one is in a constant process of trying to stay focused on being and that this is the most important process
Tarmel Udimo: and that there is no sepeartion - now I am meditating now I am doing 9 secs
Corvuscorva Nightfire nods.
Tarmel Udimo: of course this is a desire that one works towards and often one wakes up and discovers that one has yet again gone back to sleep
Tarmel Udimo: for long periods
Tarmel Udimo: :-)
Corvuscorva Nightfire nods
Corvuscorva Nightfire: yes.
Tarmel Udimo: having said that I think meditation allows you to build up those awareness muscles
Corvuscorva Nightfire: I think you are right.