2009.11.14 01:00 - Centreing/Balance

The Guardian for this meeting was Scathach Rhiadra. The comments are by Scathach Rhiadra.

Scathach Rhiadra: Hello Bertrum!
Bertrum Quan: Good morning, Scath.
Bertrum Quan: How is your weekend so far?
Scathach Rhiadra: ok so far, and yours, or has it not started yet?
Bertrum Quan: Well, it has started-- if you count Friday night.
Scathach Rhiadra: :)
Bertrum Quan: Have you been contemplating a topic for discussion?
Scathach Rhiadra: :) not really, been more trying to wake up!
Bertrum Quan: How early is it?
Scathach Rhiadra: mmm, it is 9am now, not so early, but it is saturday morning
Bertrum Quan: So what subject might be appropriate for Saturday at 9AM?
Scathach Rhiadra: what do you think?
Bertrum Quan: It depends how tired you are!
Scathach Rhiadra: ah I am gradually becoming more alert, but you must be getting more tired?
Bertrum Quan: Indeed.
Bertrum Quan: Always the case with the 1 AM PaB session I attend.
Scathach Rhiadra nods
Scathach Rhiadra: have you seen any good movies lately?
--BELL--
Bertrum Quan: This evening I saw the documentary on Michael Jackson, "This Is It."
Scathach Rhiadra: ah:)
Qt Core: Hi all
Scathach Rhiadra: Hello Qt:)
Bertrum Quan: Hi Qt
Scathach Rhiadra: I was just thinking of the film you recommended 'Man on Wire'

   

Bertrum Quan: Have you seen it?
Scathach Rhiadra: yes
Bertrum Quan: What did you think of it?
Scathach Rhiadra: How about you Qt, have you seen that film?
Scathach Rhiadra: it was a great film, very life affirming:)
Qt Core: no. i rarely go seeing movies
Scathach Rhiadra: also amazing how the human mind can be so focused!
Bertrum Quan: Yes, the film really captures that aspect.
Scathach Rhiadra: bur it is not really the same thing as awareness i think
Bertrum Quan: It might be...
Scathach Rhiadra: oh, say more?
Scathach Rhiadra: (Qt this was about the man who walked a highwire between the two World Trade Centre buildings back in the seventies)
Qt Core: i think i heard about it some weeks ago on the radio
Scathach Rhiadra: :)
Qt Core: brb
Bertrum Quan: In answer to your question, Scath, one way to look at the mind's focus in the film is illustrated by the extraordiary "balance" that is made possible by that focus...
Bertrum Quan: In a sense, awareness and balance may be very much related.
Qt Core: are you saying that for that level of balance your awareness would surely go beyond the "simple" physical level ?
--BELL--

   

Bertrum Quan: Yes. The physical balance in this instance may reflect--at that moment-- being in a much larger sense of harmony than simply the physical level.
Qt Core: that remind me of my (sadly) brief experience with yoga
Bertrum Quan: How so?
Qt Core: i did yoga for just a couple year at the gym
Qt Core: and during and after that period i had a much greater awareness of my physical position/surrounding
Qt Core: even my typing ability improved greatly
Scathach Rhiadra: :)
Qt Core: now ialmost lost it all (not the typing improvements as i to it daily at work
Qt Core: that was lovely as i'm a little clumsy ;)
Scathach Rhiadra: :)
Bertrum Quan: As Zen posture can help focus and balance the mind -- enhance awareness.
Qt Core: i'd like to do it (or something equivalent) again but there are big time and family obligations constraints and i don't really believe in buying a book and learn it by myself
Bertrum Quan: The idea of "balance" in our lives (at every level) is certainly interesting to consider.
Scathach Rhiadra nods
Scathach Rhiadra: I used to fly, aerobatics, a long time ago...
Qt Core: this session seem to be tritled let's pick on Qt vertigo problems ;-)
Scathach Rhiadra: most of what you do is try to balance on a point in empty space
Bertrum Quan: Fly--how do you mean?
Scathach Rhiadra: aircraft
Scathach Rhiadra: light aircraft
Bertrum Quan: Wow. That's impressive! So in a way, you can identify with the issues in Man on a Wire.
Scathach Rhiadra: yes, there is a similarity , though not for such a sustained time!
--BELL--
Bertrum Quan: But in that moment... it's very much to same as the airplance, in a sense, becomes an extension of you.
Scathach Rhiadra: yes exactly:)
Bertrum Quan: And time is an illusion anyway--so who's to say your experience was not "sustained."
Scathach Rhiadra: true:)
Qt Core: did time slow down while you did your acrobathics, scath ?
Scathach Rhiadra: it is not really a cummalative experience, always in the moment, you can't think of before or after, so to speak
Scathach Rhiadra: and you have to commit to that moment fully
Qt Core: or there was no time to notice that ? ;-)
Scathach Rhiadra: time seems pretty irrelevant , at the time:)
Bertrum Quan: Maybe another way of looking at awareness is being fully committed to the moment...
Qt Core: probably gravity was more relevant at the time ;-)
Scathach Rhiadra: yes, fully present
Bertrum Quan: Gravity is always relevant!
Scathach Rhiadra: true!!

Qt Core: i have to go, have a nice and day
Scathach Rhiadra: Hello dirk, have you been here before?
Scathach Rhiadra: have a good day Qt:)
Drik Dionysus: hello, no
Qt Core: ciao!
Scathach Rhiadra: well, we are a meditation and discussion group, meet 4 times a day in SL, ..
Scathach Rhiadra: we record our discussions and put on a wiki, so I have to ask if you mind haveing your name and comments included?
Drik Dionysus: np
Scathach Rhiadra: That notecard gives some more info about the group

Scathach Rhiadra: re gravity, aerobatics is one of the few sports where a mistake usually results in death, gravity is very unforgiving
--BELL--
Bertrum Quan: Man on a Wire worked without a safety net--so those parallels are there.
Scathach Rhiadra nods
Scathach Rhiadra: he mentioned the moment when he had to commit to stepping on the wire
Bertrum Quan: Yes. That was a powerful. After that came the full focus.
Bertrum Quan: Perhaps we can discuss more the flying--at one of our next sessions.
Scathach Rhiadra: yes, I think it is time to go, see you later Bertrum, have a good night:0
Bertrum Quan: Good day, Scath.