The Guardian for this meeting was Bruce Mowbray. The comments and photo are by Bruce Mowbray.

This was a Theme Session dedicated to the 99-Days Project -- actually to two of them - with plans for a third to begin on April 10, 2012.

Aphrodite Macbain: Hi Eliza
Eliza Madrigal: Hi Aph :)
Aphrodite Macbain: Cute t-shirt
Eliza Madrigal: thanks.... Zen made :)
Eliza Madrigal: I enjoyed looking at a site you posted in a session... with botanical sketches
Aphrodite Macbain: He' s going into the t-shirt making business I think'
Eliza Madrigal: found it so relaxing to thumb through this morning
Aphrodite Macbain: smiles
Eliza Madrigal: :) seems there is demand
Aphrodite Macbain: Oh you mean the one where I posted the web site of my teacher?
Eliza Madrigal: Is that your teacher? ah
Eliza Madrigal: I think so
Aphrodite Macbain: yes- Elizabeth Mancini

http://www.verysmallstudio.com/p/elizabeth-mancini-works.html

Eliza Madrigal: I was reading fast ... yes, that is her
Eliza Madrigal: Hi Bruce :)
Bruce Mowbray: brb..... ;-)
Eliza Madrigal: sure
Aphrodite Macbain: Her studio IS very small - only room for 4 artists
Eliza Madrigal: sounds lovely actually :)
Aphrodite Macbain: I've spent the past hour reading about 18th century French gardens
Aphrodite Macbain: so nice
Eliza Madrigal: oooh
Bruce Mowbray: [back]
Eliza Madrigal: :)
Bruce Mowbray: I've spent the last hour listening to a marvelous lecture on PTSD.
Aphrodite Macbain: interesting. any new insights?
Bruce Mowbray: It was EXCELLENT. . . but I'd have preferred French Gardens!
Eliza Madrigal: military considerations?
Bruce Mowbray: Hey, Steve!
Eliza Madrigal: I'd love to hear more about the gardens too
stevenaia Michinaga: hi Bruce, Aphrodite, Eliza
Eliza Madrigal: Hi Stevenaia :)
Bruce Mowbray: Hey, Wol!
stevenaia Michinaga: waves to Wol
Wol Euler: hello all
Eliza Madrigal: Hi Wol :)
Aphrodite Macbain: well, lots of waves to stevenaia and Bruce
Eliza Madrigal: looking cute
Aphrodite Macbain: i HATE IT WHEN i DO THAT...

--BELL--

Eliza Madrigal: Hi Storm :)
Storm Nordwind smiles and waves to everyone
Bruce Mowbray: Hey, Storm!
Wol Euler: hello storm
Aphrodite Macbain: Hi Wol and Storm
Bruce Mowbray: I hope you folks don't mind if I lower the fountain. . .
Wol Euler: go ahead
Aphrodite Macbain: :-)
Aphrodite Macbain: lower away
Eliza Madrigal: great :)
Bruce Mowbray: ;-)
Bruce Mowbray: The easier to see you all....
Eliza Madrigal smiles
Aphrodite Macbain: Hi Eos
Eliza Madrigal: Hi Eos :)
Bruce Mowbray: Samuo has suggested a format....
Bruce Mowbray: Hey, Eos!
Aphrodite Macbain: Pema!
Eliza Madrigal: Hi Pema :)
Pema Pera: hi everybody!
Wol Euler: hello Pema
Eos Amaterasu: HiHi gang, commuting here....
Wol Euler: Eos, nice to see you
Bruce Mowbray: Hey, Pema!
Eliza Madrigal: glad so many who participated are making it today
Wol Euler: pity to miss Wester ...
Aphrodite Macbain: and even some who haven't
Bruce Mowbray: yes.... Wester is getting better, though.
Wol Euler: good
Eliza Madrigal: yes, but really glad she is recovering
Pema Pera: indeed!
Bruce Mowbray: She's had a rough time...
Bruce Mowbray: So, today (this session) is dedicated to the 99 Days explorations....
Bruce Mowbray: a theme session.
Aphrodite Macbain wonders whether Pema has cut off his hair or whether it's her viewer
Wol Euler was wondering that too
Bruce Mowbray: Shall we wait for others to arrive?
Eos Amaterasu: Pema has met the guru
Eliza Madrigal grins
Aphrodite Macbain: the bald guru?
Pema Pera: hmmm, strange, I must have lost it . . . .
Storm Nordwind: This was how Pema looked 4 years ago
Eliza Madrigal: :)
Pema Pera: :-)
Bruce Mowbray: omg! No long red hair!?
Aphrodite Macbain: ah!
Eliza Madrigal: just keeping us on our toes I'm sure
Aphrodite Macbain: You are hard to identify without it
Bruce Mowbray: A haircut for the anniversary?
Pema Pera: any tips to get it back??
Storm Nordwind: He's dropped it
Aphrodite Macbain: Hi Bleu and Sam
stevenaia Michinaga: still more hair than RL:)
Eliza Madrigal: Hi Bleu and oO0Oo and Zen :)
Bruce Mowbray: Hey, Zen!
Eos Amaterasu: Zen has your hair!
Bruce Mowbray: Hey, Bleu!
Zen Arado: Hi all
Bleu Oleander: hi all :)
Aphrodite Macbain: Hi Zen the t-shirt maker
Storm Nordwind: Use search in inventory for hair
Eliza Madrigal: everyone just arriving, oO0Oo, no worries
Zen Arado: :)
Wol Euler: hello bleu, sam, zen
Eliza Madrigal: might find the blue hair this time?
Eliza Madrigal: :)
stevenaia Michinaga: Hi Samúð
Bruce Mowbray: Hey, Sam!
Pema Pera: far too many hair options in my inventory . . . .
Bleu Oleander: :))
Eos Amaterasu: hair today, gone tomorrow
stevenaia Michinaga: perhaps Wol can tell us where the idea came from
Aphrodite Macbain groans
Bruce Mowbray: Now that Sam has arrived . . . along with all the rest of you fine folks, perhaps we can begin our theme session?
Bruce Mowbray: http://wiki.playasbeing.org/Classes_and_Sessions/The_99_Days_project
Storm Nordwind: It will have a little box next to it, not a hair icon
Bruce Mowbray listens.
Bruce Mowbray: Wol?
Wol Euler: well :)
Bruce Mowbray: Pema?
Pema Pera: well . . .
oO0Oo Resident: LOL
Bruce Mowbray: Eos?
Wol Euler: so one afternoon of the Halifax retreat, nearly a year ago
Aphrodite Macbain: that's 2 holes in the ground
Bruce Mowbray: Eliza?
Aphrodite Macbain: 3
Pema Pera: Wol?
Bruce Mowbray: (We were all there at the conception.)
Eliza Madrigal: Hi Zon :) We're beginning a theme session now, nice to see you
Wol Euler: Pema and I went for a walk, down to the river and back
Bruce Mowbray: Hey, Zon!
Zon Kwan: hi, listens
Aphrodite Macbain listens
Bruce Mowbray listens
Eos Amaterasu listens
Wol Euler: Pema was encouraging me, trying to help me out of the doldrums
oO0Oo Resident smiles
Wol Euler: looking for ways to get me meditating more, get me back in touch with myself
Wol Euler: the question was basically "how to get me to do this every day?"
Wol Euler: we came up with the idea of the wiki-based 99 Days project
Wol Euler: every day for 99 days, do something of value (the same thing every day, or same-ish)
Wol Euler: and then post a comment on the wiki
Wol Euler: making it a group commitment
Aphrodite Macbain nods
Aphrodite Macbain: and it worked...
Wol Euler: for many of us it worked very well :)
stevenaia Michinaga: brilliant
Bruce Mowbray remembers well.
Eliza Madrigal: :)
oO0Oo Resident: :)
Bruce Mowbray: :)
Aphrodite Macbain: a good motivator
Bruce Mowbray: a good "discipline," to use Zen's word.
Wol Euler: sadly, it wasn't strong enough to keep me at it, I fell away - several times
Bruce Mowbray :(--- Bruce relates well to that.
Aphrodite Macbain: but you kept returning
oO0Oo Resident: and yet you arrive again and again
Wol Euler sighs
oO0Oo Resident: :)
Bruce Mowbray sighs empathetically.
oO0Oo Resident: so nice to see-be here with everyone..
Wol Euler: I think I'm done for now
Aphrodite Macbain: done speaking?
Bruce Mowbray: Thank you, Wol.
Wol Euler: mmhmm
Eliza Madrigal: thanks Wol :)
Eos Amaterasu: _/\_
Bruce Mowbray: Perhaps either Wol or Pema, or Eliza or Eos, can refresh us on the naming of the exploration???
Bruce Mowbray: 99 Days....
Aphrodite Macbain: There was something really nice about connecting with everyone on a daily basis
Eliza Madrigal: yes
Wol Euler: There's a commonly held belief that it takes 100 days of practice to establish a habit
Wol Euler: but since we like 9's we started at 0 and went to 99
Wol Euler smiles.
Bruce Mowbray: ;-)
Eos Amaterasu: take one down, pass it around
Pema Pera: 99 bottles of beer on the wall was also a convenient U.S. children song . . .
Aphrodite Macbain: and then continued
Bruce Mowbray: ;-)))))
Pema Pera: s'pose that one of the bottles would happen to fall
Pema Pera: a near endless song . . .
Eliza Madrigal: there was some talk of graphics.. hah, but thankfully I think simplicity worked well
Bruce Mowbray: Yes! Thanks!
Aphrodite Macbain: It was nice to be able to post images too

--BELL--

Bruce Mowbray: simplicity saved the day(s) -- the 99 days --- the 2 X 99 days.
oO0Oo Resident: ty Wol.. and certainly didn't want to put anyone particularly on the spot in recommending this .. May I suggest we sit in silence, and presence for 15 minutes until the half hour, and then share more reflections?
Bruce Mowbray: Mmmmm. . . up to the whole group.... ). My Quaker consensus is kicking in. . .
Wol Euler: good idea
Eos Amaterasu: +9
Wol Euler: heheh
oO0Oo Resident: anyone opposed?
Bruce Mowbray listens for consensus. . . on perhaps 9 minutes?
Eliza Madrigal: sure :)
Bruce Mowbray: 9 minutes, then, .... until 26 after the hour.
oO0Oo Resident: :)

Bruce Mowbray: DING!!! for 9 minutes

Aphrodite Macbain: Dong
Eliza Madrigal: Hi San
oO0Oo Resident: ty :)
Bruce Mowbray: I'm especially interested in how folks dealt with the challenge of sticking with it.
Zen Arado: Hi San
Bruce Mowbray: Welcome, San!
Pema Pera: hi San!
Santoshima Resident: hello everyone
Aphrodite Macbain waves at Santoshima
Bleu Oleander: Can non-participants ask questions?
Wol Euler: hello Mick, san
Wol Euler: of course
Bruce Mowbray: Hey, Mick!
Eliza Madrigal: It was rather easy to stick with it, for me, because I was so curious to read others' comments
Eos Amaterasu: I don't know how successful the 99 days was at getting someone anyone to do whatever practice they committed to
Zen Arado: xHi Mick
Pema Pera: hi Mick!
Eliza Madrigal: :)
Mickorod Renard: Hi Folks
Eliza Madrigal: Hi Mick :)
Mickorod Renard: :))
Aphrodite Macbain: Hi Mick
Eos Amaterasu: it's a bit of the medium becoming the message
Eos Amaterasu: the commitment really was to check in with the group
Eos Amaterasu: :-)
Bleu Oleander: ok ... was interested to hear if your felt-experience of time was impacted by your new practice?
Bruce Mowbray: Of course, Bleu... everyone can ask questions and/or offer input.
Mickorod Renard: happy birthday pabs
Eos Amaterasu: (hi Mick)
stevenaia Michinaga: pick something you enjoy that you don't do enough, or something you want to get better at, in my case it was both
Aphrodite Macbain: we did that, but it petered off...
Aphrodite Macbain: It was hard to maintain on a daily basis
stevenaia Michinaga: the part that petered was the blogging, in my case
stevenaia Michinaga: not the practice
Aphrodite Macbain: nods
Bleu Oleander: many times when acquiring a new habit time sense seems to slow down until it becomes more automatic, was that felt by anyone?
Aphrodite Macbain: sometimes I didn't have anything to contribute
Eliza Madrigal: interesting question

--BELL--

Bruce Mowbray: I found my experience to be a bit repetitive. . . until I actually became that experience; then it was always new and unique.
stevenaia Michinaga: "habit time" like that
stevenaia Michinaga: what did you choose to do, Bruce?
Bruce Mowbray: back at you in a sec....Steve.
oO0Oo Resident: Recliner sits.. letting the objects and space speak Bruce?
Bruce Mowbray: My commitment for the 99 days project was to listen to my environment. . . to connect with it -- without separations, ....
Bruce Mowbray: to experience the disappearance of self-other.
oO0Oo Resident: (apologies.. bell..)
Bruce Mowbray: and to let the environment lead the way with that.
Bruce Mowbray listens.
Aphrodite Macbain: did it work for you Bruce?
Bruce Mowbray: It worked wonderfully well.
Bruce Mowbray: and I noticed that especially when...
Bruce Mowbray: at the end of one month...
Bruce Mowbray: I went to Chicago..
Bruce Mowbray: and was still doing the practice...
Bruce Mowbray: had some amazing experiences in the art museum.
Bruce Mowbray: and on the subway.
Eliza Madrigal smiles
Bruce Mowbray: connecting...
Bruce Mowbray: connection.
oO0Oo Resident remembers the wonderful mirror bean

http://www.hermitdog.com/chicago/P9290109.JPG

Bruce Mowbray: oneness.
Bruce Mowbray listens again.
Wol Euler smiles.
Aphrodite Macbain: MY commitment to paint or draw every day as a form of meditation worked for a while
Bleu Oleander: did you start engaging with the larger idea and drop the mechanics of the task?
Aphrodite Macbain: but I couldn't produce and photograph something every day
Bruce Mowbray: Your shared paintings were wonderful, Aph -- I especially recall the one of the geranium.

http://wiki.playasbeing.org/@api/deki/files/1641/=Bert%27s_Geranium.JPG?size=webview

Eliza Madrigal: yes
Bruce Mowbray: ;-)
Eliza Madrigal: beautiful
Zen Arado: a big commitment
Wol Euler: :)
oO0Oo Resident: :)
Aphrodite Macbain: smiles. Thanks. I suspect that the 99 day exercise helped me keep up the discipline
Bruce Mowbray wonders if Zen would care to say something about the "discipline" aspect of the practice.
Zen Arado: hmm
Zen Arado: I couldn't find much to say about meditation practice
Zen Arado: I just sit half an hour a day
Zen Arado: my mind drifts away...I bring it back
Zen Arado: don't find any difficulty fitting that into my day
Zen Arado: (though I am retired makes it easier)
Zen Arado: I was under a misapprehension of the purpose I feel
Aphrodite Macbain thinks that it was already part of Zen's routine
Zen Arado: I just recorded things I was thinking about in my practice
Zen Arado: or something I read that day
Bruce Mowbray: Eos has said [here] that the sharing of the experience was crucial for him . . .
Wol Euler: sounds perfectly fine to me Zen :)
Zen Arado: or something someone reminded me of
Bleu Oleander: are you using the words practice, habit and routine interchangeably?
Bruce Mowbray: It was important to me that you shared your experience, Zen.
Bruce Mowbray: and everyone.
Zen Arado: life is practice in Zen
Bruce Mowbray: I looked forward to that every day.
Zen Arado: not separate compartments
Zen Arado: I feel
Zen Arado: done
Bruce Mowbray: THANKS, Zen.
Bruce Mowbray: others?
Storm Nordwind: I didn't take part in either 99 days, other than to investigate whether I should, so my comment is brief. (I wrote an entry on -2 day to that effect.) It seemed it would not have helped me or my project. I think that's still the case, but on reflection it may have helped others for me to be there. Communal presence may have helped many, whether or not you think you succeeded. So perhaps if there's another rerun, I may reconsider.
Eliza Madrigal: thanks Zen :) And glad to hear that Storm!
Bruce Mowbray ponders "It may have helped others for me to be there."
Aphrodite Macbain: I found it reassuring to learn that it was difficult and challenging for others
Wol Euler nods.
Eliza Madrigal: yes
Aphrodite Macbain: I didn't feel so alone in my struggle
Bruce Mowbray is so glad to hear that from Aph . . and felt exactly the same.
Aphrodite Macbain: relying on the sangha
Bleu Oleander: communal presence ... interesting component
Bruce Mowbray: refuge in the Sangha.
Aphrodite Macbain: nods
Pema Pera: for me writing on a daily basis was no problem, since I'm spending at least an hour every day on a variety of forms of practice, so I just folded it in with all the other things -- writing, sitting, reflecting,etc -- but it definitely was inspiring to hear everybody's different take on practice, on a daily basis
Eos Amaterasu: commitment to be there or check in there has a "for others" quality that gradually emerges
Bleu Oleander: support vs. pressure
Storm Nordwind: Exactly. And each contributes to the refuge available for others.
Eliza Madrigal: For me, as with many things we seem to do here, I brought in one idea but watched as it transformed a bit… we began blending with one another… sort of jazzy at times, very warm.
Aphrodite Macbain: smiles
Eos Amaterasu: Jass
Eliza Madrigal: was really drawn in by the eloquence and it felt a little like a retreat or gathering, getting to look over shoulders :)
Eos Amaterasu: yes, micro retreat quality
Eliza Madrigal: yes
Pema Pera: yes
Bruce Mowbray remembers Pema's offerings from the high-speed trains in Japan. . . and knows that will be his only way to "have" such an experience himself.
Aphrodite Macbain: getting to know each other better
Aphrodite Macbain: was also a benefit
stevenaia Michinaga: I was unexpectedly amazed where each person could take what you I may have written one day and bring a new insight into it
Pema Pera: I found myself standing with Steve, and strolling with Eos . . .
Bruce Mowbray: ;-)
oO0Oo Resident: :)
Pema Pera: and so on . . . creating poems with Eden . . .
Bruce Mowbray ponders the disappearance of "other."
Aphrodite Macbain ponders the reappearance of Bruce
Eos Amaterasu: Yes, I would find myself standing in Dingle woods and for an instant be there with Wester standing
Eliza Madrigal: :)
Eliza Madrigal: Wester's really honest and practical ways of sharing were so helpful for me somehow... sort of reminded me to be grounded, to pay attention
Wol Euler smiles.
Pema Pera: :-)
Aphrodite Macbain: she is a fighter
Bruce Mowbray: indeed, Aph.
Zen Arado: facets of lives
Bruce Mowbray suggests that during the next "drop" we see the "I" that is "We"
Eos Amaterasu: showing up, whether it's for success or for failure
Aphrodite Macbain: we have talked about the benefits but participation is tapering off
Eliza Madrigal: :)

--BELL--

Aphrodite Macbain: is there something we can do to motivate us more to continue?
Bruce Mowbray: ty!
Eos Amaterasu: I think it's fine that participation tapered off
Eos Amaterasu: we don't need to push it
Eos Amaterasu: another experiment will leap into view
Bruce Mowbray ponders "Don't Push the River."
Aphrodite Macbain: thinks about King Canute
Pema Pera: yes, I agree
Bruce Mowbray: another experiment . . . perhaps coming out of another RL retreat?
Pema Pera: it was a great experiment as it was
oO0Oo Resident: imbue the next opening.. with the inspiration and appreciation from the last departing...
Bruce Mowbray: and a walk to the river? as Pema and Wol had?
Aphrodite Macbain: :-)
Storm Nordwind: It won't be the same one you step in :)
Wol Euler nods.
Bruce Mowbray: ;-)
Eliza Madrigal: :)
Zen Arado: yes :)
Bruce Mowbray: Ahhh. . . love that Heraclitus reference.
Bleu Oleander: a Rubicon in a sense?
Bruce Mowbray: Cannot step into the same reality twice.
Eos Amaterasu: can't live in the same day twice
Eos Amaterasu: or on the same page
Bruce Mowbray: ... and isn't this part of what 99 Days taught us?
Pema Pera: :-)
Eos Amaterasu: the 99 days pages had liquid quality, like writing on water
Aphrodite Macbain: nods yes
Wol Euler nods.
Eliza Madrigal: :)
Aphrodite Macbain: how one day is so different from the next
Eos Amaterasu: I think the sense of instant micro sangha is something we can continue to play with
Eos Amaterasu: in both sl and rl
Zen Arado: it started to become like a mini journal to me, only one that others could see
Eos Amaterasu: 99 days was more rl
stevenaia Michinaga: yes, doing the same thing at a different time
Bruce Mowbray: .... and one entry. . . one self-showing . . . one exposure of experience . . . letting your self be seen . . . different from the next?
Eliza Madrigal: yes
Aphrodite Macbain: I found myself enjoying the creativity of writing and synthesizing
Aphrodite Macbain: my experiences and those of others
Bruce Mowbray loves "like writing on water..."
Aphrodite Macbain: and writing with water
Bruce Mowbray: Ahhh!
Bruce Mowbray: Yes!
Aphrodite Macbain: visible for a moment
Aphrodite Macbain: except we could look back...
Aphrodite Macbain: and see if there were any patterns emerging
oO0Oo Resident: water into water poured.. bullet train window glimpse.. alone.. together
Bruce Mowbray: Hmmmm....
Pema Pera: :-)
Bruce Mowbray: ahhh! TY, Sam!
Aphrodite Macbain: alone together :-)
Bruce Mowbray: One of the things that continued to impress me abnout 99 Days was how each of us makes our own world.
Zen Arado: small window into other lives
Aphrodite Macbain: nods, others' joys and struggles
Bruce Mowbray ponders the struggle to make a world.
Eos Amaterasu: the sharing encourages giving oneself a break
Wol Euler: Is there interest in continuing? Who would take part in a third session, say after Easter?
Eos Amaterasu: being merciful to oneself..... and others :-)
Aphrodite Macbain: I would- I am re-inspired
oO0Oo Resident: me nods to Eos
Santoshima Resident: is the record of that open to the general public?
Bruce Mowbray: I missed the second session, actually, but would relish a third.
Bleu Oleander: sounds interesting, yes I would
Santoshima Resident: or is it just open to guardians
Wol Euler: sure, it's on the wiki
Santoshima Resident: ?
Wol Euler: public
stevenaia Michinaga: I now have new things to "work on"
Eos Amaterasu: it's on the wiki, yes
stevenaia Michinaga: :)
Aphrodite Macbain: The public can read but not add
Bruce Mowbray: and additional Pabbers will join us, I hope.
Wol Euler: okay, great, then I'll set up a third session for say the Tuesday after Easter
Santoshima Resident: i would be interested if the record were not public
Wol Euler: ah
Mickorod Renard: maybe even me
Wol Euler: interesting ....
Bruce Mowbray: OHH! Thanks., Wol!
Aphrodite Macbain: April 10
Bruce Mowbray: welcome aboard, Mick!
Mickorod Renard: :)
Eliza Madrigal: :)
Wol Euler: I don't know whether an author can set privacy for their particular posts. Storm?
Bruce Mowbray: This is actually a REAL commitment....
Zen Arado: it doesn't need to be public does it?
Bruce Mowbray: and one that we ought not to take lightly.
Eliza Madrigal: don't think so in the comment category
Eos Amaterasu: You can make pages private
Wol Euler: I suppose it could be set to be registered-authors-only ...
Eliza Madrigal: if all private, yes
Eos Amaterasu: but then it would have to be to selected members or groups
Bleu Oleander: could someone re-state the project briefly? or is it on the wiki?
Storm Nordwind: I'm not aware of sub-page privacy Wol
Wol Euler: that would make it available to any of us, but not the general public
Aphrodite Macbain: all guardians?
Aphrodite Macbain: hmmm
Eliza Madrigal: takes a little more attentiveness when making the page each day
Eliza Madrigal: but quite doable
Wol Euler: anyone who's registered to post on the wiki
Bruce Mowbray: I will re-state it in this chat log -- and also send out a notice to all PaB guardians.