2009.06.18 19:00 - Meditation and Images

The Guardian for this meeting was stevenaia Michinaga. Sylectra was traveling so am filling in.  The comments are by stevenaia Michinaga.

Gaya and I were here tonight.  Gaya and I have known each other for a while but never conversed for an extended period, but tonight we ha that opportunity

stevenaia Michinaga: hello Gaya, I;m subbing for sylectra

Gaya Ethaniel: Hello stevenaia :) Long time no see.

Gaya Ethaniel: Yes I remember the email.

stevenaia Michinaga: haven;t seen you in quite some time

stevenaia Michinaga: yes, she was looking so I offered :)

Gaya Ethaniel: Or I haven't seen you in quite some time :P

Gaya Ethaniel: Very kind of you indeed. How are you today?

stevenaia Michinaga: I am good.

stevenaia Michinaga: you are in Europe?

Gaya Ethaniel: :) Me too except I couldn't fall asleep somehow.

Gaya Ethaniel: Yes in UK.

stevenaia Michinaga: well happy to keep you awake or sing you a lullaby

Gaya Ethaniel: :) Guess I just wanted to get done some things I put off for a while.

stevenaia Michinaga: hope it's not stress that keeps you from sleeping

Gaya Ethaniel: nah what stress :)

stevenaia Michinaga: I had some birds wake me the other morning at some ungodly hour

stevenaia Michinaga: couldn;t get back to sleep watched the sun rise

Gaya Ethaniel: ah ... it's not usual to have birds singing or you somehow heard them that day?

Gaya Ethaniel: [that was 90 second talking meditation :P]

stevenaia Michinaga: eek, missed that

stevenaia Michinaga: with days longer, I think the birds are earlier

Gaya Ethaniel: I went along, not that strict about keeping silent really.

Gaya Ethaniel: ah ... yes I see.

stevenaia Michinaga: I simply missed it w/ sound off

Gaya Ethaniel: ah ok that happens :)

Gaya Ethaniel: ok now that was 9 minute silent meditation :)

stevenaia Michinaga: smiles

stevenaia Michinaga: and you are still awake

Gaya Ethaniel: mhm :)

stevenaia Michinaga: so we make up for the next 10 ?

Gaya Ethaniel: :)

Gaya Ethaniel: I was actually remembering the photo of yourself when you're younger.

Gaya Ethaniel: You looked like a arty philosopher :)

stevenaia Michinaga: I actually look more like that now

stevenaia Michinaga: but thank you

Gaya Ethaniel: Now as in RL or your AV?

stevenaia Michinaga: RL

Gaya Ethaniel: ah ... well it must be the long hair :)

stevenaia Michinaga: My avatar is a creation for my, sort of a gift

stevenaia Michinaga: for me

Gaya Ethaniel: ah ok :)

stevenaia Michinaga: so I look like what someone else expects me to look

Gaya Ethaniel: I'm not quite sure what you mean.

stevenaia Michinaga: I was gifted my avatar by a friend

stevenaia Michinaga: so it is what they see me as

Gaya Ethaniel: ahhhh

 

We talked about seeing in our meditations, in whatever forms we meditate in.

 

stevenaia Michinaga: I had this vivid vision of me for the 90 seconds doing tai chi, something I have taken up recently

stevenaia Michinaga: but I was doing my "form" being watched by me

stevenaia Michinaga: since I usually watch myself in a mirror on my computer's camera, it was a very natural perspective... inly this was in black and white

stevenaia Michinaga: perhaps I should upgrade my "visioning" to color

Gaya Ethaniel: :) Interesting why it was in B&W.

stevenaia Michinaga: perhaps it is that it was the first time I had such a vision

Gaya Ethaniel: Do you dream in B&W too?

stevenaia Michinaga: how do you see when meditating

Gaya Ethaniel: I don't always get 'visions'.

stevenaia Michinaga: no, I don;t think so

Gaya Ethaniel: ah ok ... interesting.

Gaya Ethaniel: Images that come to mind during meditation are not very concrete ... hard to explain.

stevenaia Michinaga: feel free to try

stevenaia Michinaga: :)

Gaya Ethaniel: Simple things maybe more vivid ... colours or shape but ordinary images aren't really clear.

Gaya Ethaniel: Do you mostly see something during meditation then?

stevenaia Michinaga: yes, scenes, actions, moment

Gaya Ethaniel: [My dreams are quite realistic most of the time so can't see much connection there ...]

Gaya Ethaniel: ah ... ok

Gaya Ethaniel: When I don't have images, it's just senses or thoughts ...

stevenaia Michinaga: hmmm

stevenaia Michinaga: sounds lovely

Gaya Ethaniel: I mean many things can be called meditation ... are we talking about 'formal' ones?

Gaya Ethaniel: It can be :)

Gaya Ethaniel: Doing tai chi mindfully is a form of meditation I think for example.

stevenaia Michinaga: we are talking about where the mind "goes" or where it takes you when we meditate

stevenaia Michinaga: yes, Tai Chi is becoming more so over time

stevenaia Michinaga: I am just a beginner, seeing change each class

stevenaia Michinaga: change in me

Gaya Ethaniel: What kind of changes?

stevenaia Michinaga: awareness

stevenaia Michinaga: in each move, like learning a song, first the notes, then the words then the themes

stevenaia Michinaga: then you don;t see the notes anymore

Gaya Ethaniel: Guess once body has learnt, one can watch body singing so to speak and can focus on articulation.

Gaya Ethaniel: Or ... expression etc.

stevenaia Michinaga: yes

Gaya Ethaniel: It's funny though ... when I try to 'remember' after that stage, it disrupt the flow.

stevenaia Michinaga: remember what?

Gaya Ethaniel: Let's say the note.

Gaya Ethaniel: Or the movement ... after a certain stage, it works best to let all flow ... you know what I mean?

Gaya Ethaniel: Rather than thinking too much.

stevenaia Michinaga: yes, exactly

stevenaia Michinaga: then the important thing is the flow

stevenaia Michinaga: the body remembers the rest

stevenaia Michinaga: life can be like that

stevenaia Michinaga: sometimes it's not the details, it;s the flow

Gaya Ethaniel ponders ...

stevenaia Michinaga: one thing to the next

Gaya Ethaniel: Well ... technically speaking learning the details has to be done to the degree where the body just performs. That is a long and hard journey.

stevenaia Michinaga: it;s true with everything

Gaya Ethaniel: And in terms of physical activities ... I don't think body just performs alone ... a loose thinking/awareness is there.

Gaya Ethaniel: That isn't about controlling the body movement but watching over kind of thing.

Gaya Ethaniel: overall*

Gaya Ethaniel: When this works well, I often feel 'expansiveness' of space around me. Hope I'm making sense.

stevenaia Michinaga: yes

Gaya Ethaniel: :)

Gaya Ethaniel: How long you've been doing meditation then steve?

stevenaia Michinaga: hard to say, I don't actually "do" meditation except here now and then, but tend to do meditative things, like draw or tai chi, for instance

Gaya Ethaniel: ah :)

stevenaia Michinaga: so somewhere between never and always

Gaya Ethaniel: :)

stevenaia Michinaga: my work is my meditation much of the time

Gaya Ethaniel: hm ... in what sense?

Gaya Ethaniel: It can involve so many aspects right?

stevenaia Michinaga: yes, in a focused way

stevenaia Michinaga: like narrowing your vision so you can see the farthest distance

stevenaia Michinaga: and everything between here and there

Gaya Ethaniel: Sounds like something that one needs to train for.

stevenaia Michinaga: do you draw?

Gaya Ethaniel: Well I draw ok but it's not my main hobby :)

Gaya Ethaniel: But yes I know what you're getting at.

stevenaia Michinaga: when you draw, or meditate, you don;t usually talk, your mind goes to another place

stevenaia Michinaga: drawing is just another tool

Gaya Ethaniel nods.

stevenaia Michinaga: like meditation

stevenaia Michinaga: (for me)

Gaya Ethaniel: Do you exhibit your drawings?

stevenaia Michinaga: In a sense, as things usually get built from them

Gaya Ethaniel: ahhhh

Gaya Ethaniel: I don't think I've seen any buildings you designed yet :)

stevenaia Michinaga: if you google my first name you will

Gaya Ethaniel: ah ok I will check you out!

Gaya Ethaniel: Do you build any in SL?

stevenaia Michinaga: grins, no to much like work

Gaya Ethaniel: heheheh but ... it's shame.

stevenaia Michinaga: everyone does such a good job here

Gaya Ethaniel: Yes there are some really talented architects in SL.

stevenaia Michinaga: yes, and some surprisingly talented non-architect builders

Gaya Ethaniel: mhm :)

Gaya Ethaniel: Who's your favorite?

stevenaia Michinaga: SL Builder?

Gaya Ethaniel: mhm

stevenaia Michinaga: RL architect?

Gaya Ethaniel: Any really regardless RL jobs

stevenaia Michinaga: Palladio comes to mind

Gaya Ethaniel: hm ... I don't think I've seen his works yet.

Gaya Ethaniel: What's his full name?

stevenaia Michinaga: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Andrea_Palladio

Gaya Ethaniel: ah :)

Gaya Ethaniel: So the term Palladian derives from his name?

stevenaia Michinaga: yes

Gaya Ethaniel: ah ... ok

Gaya Ethaniel: Any your favourite SL builder?

Gaya Ethaniel: [I thought you were talking about someone in SL called Palladio bla heheheh]

stevenaia Michinaga: a harder question since few have a body of work, this place is very nice, storm does nice things

Gaya Ethaniel: I'd say there are a handful who have more than one build ...

stevenaia Michinaga: most of the things "Architects" build tend to be experimental in nature

Gaya Ethaniel: Like Scope Cleaver or Poid Mahovlich ... etc

stevenaia Michinaga: in SL

Gaya Ethaniel: That's true.

Gaya Ethaniel: Well I'm going to check YOU out then go get some sleep :)

Gaya Ethaniel: Nice talking to you steve ... I don't think we've talked like this before :)

stevenaia Michinaga: smiles

Gaya Ethaniel: Good night!

stevenaia Michinaga: yes, thank you for joining me

stevenaia Michinaga: night

Gaya Ethaniel: Thank you :)