2009.05.13 19:00 - Stopping to Stop

Pema Pera: Hi Aurel!

Pema Pera: How are you?

aurel Miles: i am fine

aurel Miles: how are you?

Pema Pera: happy to be back into PaB briefly . . . haven't had so many chances lately

aurel Miles: yeah

aurel Miles: how is Japan

aurel Miles: ?

Pema Pera: I love it here, quite used to it now.

Pema Pera: This morning, while walking on the street, it struck me how many ways of stopping there are . . . .

Pema Pera: while I was doing my 9-sec break, in the bright sunshine and the nice weather

aurel Miles: such as?

aurel Miles: ah

Pema Pera: I realized that I could stop further, in the middle of stopping

Pema Pera: dropping more

Pema Pera: i could take another "move", stepping to the side so to speak, to let something stop

Pema Pera: less my volition

Pema Pera: so hard to put these things into words

aurel Miles: true

Pema Pera: have you played with various kinds of stopping, during the 9-sec breaks?

aurel Miles: not so much

aurel Miles: i am quite new

aurel Miles: and still getting used

  to stopping for that small breath of time

aurel Miles: but i did go to a sweat lodge last weekend

aurel Miles: and at the sweat lodge - i learned a lot

aurel Miles: i thought i had let go of everything

aurel Miles: and then i did the whole ceremony

aurel Miles: and i felt like nothing much had changed

aurel Miles: except everything had

aurel Miles: it was quite an experience

aurel Miles: everything just kind of shifted a few degrees to one side

aurel Miles: and life is completely different

aurel Miles: you know?

Pema Pera: yes, retreats can be very powerful

aurel Miles: it was not a retreat

Pema Pera: I have never gone to a sweat lodge, so I don't have 

experience with that

aurel Miles: oh

aurel Miles: it's a native ceremony

Pema Pera: yes

aurel Miles: i put pictures of it on my facebook page

Pema Pera: I meant, retreats and ceremonies in general can be very powerful

aurel Miles: yes

Pema Pera: people getting together, sharing intention and tradition

aurel Miles: someone sa

 id - yuo sweat out the old self

aurel Miles: and take in the new

Pema Pera: :-)

aurel Miles: it's a very old ceremony

aurel Miles: and it doesn't feel like sharing

aurel Miles: so much as going through

aurel Miles: it is a kind of sacrifice

aurel Miles: but also a blessing

Pema Pera: that sounds great, Aurel!

aurel Miles: you build the lodge out of maple saplings

aurel Miles: woven together and held with twine

aurel Miles: and rocks are used

aurel Miles: like a sauna - sort of

aurel Miles: they are heated to red hot

aurel Miles: prayers are said

aurel Miles: songs are sung

aurel Miles: it is very interesting

aurel Miles: but hard to tough it out

aurel Miles: i had a very good elder

aurel Miles: his name is Thomas

Pema Pera: how long does it take, a few hours?

aurel Miles: and i would like to bring him here

aurel Miles: most of the day

Pema Pera: that must be quite intense then

aurel Miles: and there is a feast after

aurel Miles: yes it is

aurel Miles: i spent my 9 seconds

au

 rel Miles: one of

aurel Miles: looking at flowers in the market today

aurel Miles: felt like i was in a whole different world

Pema Pera: it is a completely open question whether something like that can be done in Second Life, or find a connection with Second Life -- much of what you described seems to be connected so directly with strong physical experiences

aurel Miles: yes

aurel Miles: but Thomas teaches on Facebook as well

Pema Pera: ah, sorry, I'm being called out to lunch -- almost noon here

Pema Pera: (was just sneaking out from work for a few minutes)

aurel Miles: oh

aurel Miles: ok

aurel Miles: bye!

Pema Pera: see you soon again!

Pema Pera: bfn

aurel Miles: take care