2012.11.12 19:00 - Suitable Methods

The Guardian for this meeting was Eliza Madrigal. 

There is a point where in the mystery of existence contradictions meet; where movement is not all movement and stillness is not all stillness; where the idea and the form, the within and the without, are united; where infinite becomes finite, yet not. ~ Rabindranath Tagore

Eliza Madrigal: Aggers!
Agatha Macbeth: Konnichi wa Riz ♥
Eliza Madrigal: ::why a statuesque red head has appeared in the fountain::::!
Agatha Macbeth: Hm
Eliza Madrigal: :) howdy
Agatha Macbeth: Must be where materialised
Eliza Madrigal: And Vector! Hello, so nice to see you too
Agatha Macbeth: How did the retreat go?
Agatha Macbeth: Hi Vec
Vector Marksman: hello - visiting and showing a friend SL
Eliza Madrigal: the retreat was very pleasant - you were missed - we noted your absence and included you in our end time 'dedications' :)
Eliza Madrigal: Oh, lovely
Eliza Madrigal waves to Vector's friend
Agatha Macbeth: Awww
Agatha Macbeth: Thank you
Agatha Macbeth: Hello vector's friend
Eliza Madrigal: I really enjoy SL retreats...
Vector Marksman: hi I 've never seen second life
Agatha Macbeth: Shame Wol had to miss parts of it
Eliza Madrigal: OH :) Welcome
Agatha Macbeth waves
Eliza Madrigal: well, just a snip really (re Wol missing)
Agatha Macbeth nods

Eliza Madrigal: Wol guided us very well in you seeing - being seeing
Eliza Madrigal: we are thinking that one day long retreats are a good idea, as has come up before
Agatha Macbeth: She's good at that kinda thing
Agatha Macbeth: Mm, I would agree with that

Agatha Macbeth: maybe it would encouragfe more participants?
Agatha Macbeth: (without the f)
Eliza Madrigal smiles
Agatha Macbeth: Bye vec
Eliza Madrigal: you always save me editing because you remark on typos so then I can't fix them, hehe

Agatha Macbeth: Wonder what his friend thought of it?
Eliza Madrigal: I guess I will erase the following:
Eliza Madrigal: Vector and Friend, is there something in particular you might like to see? maybe we can guide or give landmarks

Eliza Madrigal: Hi Catrina, welcome again
Catrinamonblue Resident: hi
Agatha Macbeth: Hello Catrina
Catrinamonblue Resident: what are talking about today?
Eliza Madrigal: we are without topics for the session, so I wonder if there is something that comes to mind spontaneously?

Agatha Macbeth ponders
Catrinamonblue Resident: thinking

Agatha Macbeth: Didn't the last GM decide on any topics then?
Eliza Madrigal: well we had quite a session - was no time really to think about topics
Agatha Macbeth: Or was it too occupied with other things?
Eliza Madrigal: I have been thinking a lot about health lately
Eliza Madrigal: yes exactly
Agatha Macbeth: Health, right

Agatha Macbeth: Without your health you have nothing
Eliza Madrigal: indeed... when healthy, health seems a very dull topic
Agatha Macbeth: Agreed
Catrinamonblue Resident: health is more than just the body, the mind needs to healthy too
Agatha Macbeth: I thought pretty much the same until two years ago

--BELL--

Eliza Madrigal: :)
Agatha Macbeth: And on the mind thing, I agree totally
Eliza Madrigal: during the pause I thought about, well, what is healthy? it isn't necessarily that one never deals with illness but that one bounces 'back' from it?
Agatha Macbeth: Yes, you know all about that of course :(
Eliza Madrigal: could that sort of definition apply to mind as well? re being thrown off and recovering

Agatha Macbeth: Maybe minds are harder to heal than bodies
Agatha Macbeth: It's often a lot harder to see what's wrong with them
Eliza Madrigal: more gets generalized perhaps

Catrinamonblue Resident: thought paterns can be changed
Catrinamonblue Resident: they can help to lead the mind and body away from illness
Eliza Madrigal: that's interesting Catrinamon - how do you work with that in your life?

Catrinamonblue Resident: Having dealt with depression with no medication I learned that every bad thought I would interject but and put something positive
Catrinamonblue Resident: Life is shitty but the sun is shinning
Eliza Madrigal: :)
Eliza Madrigal: fun method
Eliza Madrigal: so not trying to eradicate the negative
Agatha Macbeth: That takes a lot of effort, but it can work

Catrinamonblue Resident: training the mind to find the positive
Catrinamonblue Resident: my therapist once told me I'm the keeper of the happiness and I love that image
Eliza Madrigal: ooh, I do like that phrasing... training to find the positive, not paint over the negative
Agatha Macbeth: I hope you keep it well then :)

Eliza Madrigal: :) what does that mean? that happiness is with you if you look?
Catrinamonblue Resident: happiness is with you
Catrinamonblue Resident: within yourself
Eliza Madrigal: It certainly seems the case that many who are very attuned to happiness are people who have struggled for a bit of it... to recognize it in their lives

Eliza Madrigal: Hi Druth :)
Catrinamonblue Resident: hi Druth :)
druth Vlodovic: hey guys
Agatha Macbeth: True that
Agatha Macbeth: Hello Druthy

Agatha Macbeth: Perhaps happiness is what you make it
Eliza Madrigal nods... buddhist talk about letting particular minds come forward...
Eliza Madrigal: it is a strange idea but inspires me
Eliza Madrigal: :)
Eliza Madrigal: so perhaps a mind of happiness :)
Agatha Macbeth: Careful Liz, or you'll find your head on top of a statue :p
Catrinamonblue Resident: I like that
Eliza Madrigal: hehehe
Eliza Madrigal: I wouldn't be the first :P
Agatha Macbeth: Hmm, of course
Eliza Madrigal: ::rolls eyes::::
Catrinamonblue Resident: :)

Agatha Macbeth: Anyway...
Eliza Madrigal: but honestly... there is something in this, that in meditation if one stays, a kind of reactive mind might fall away and a clearer seeing one emerge
Eliza Madrigal: I was in the er today... all day, with an inner-ear infection. I was so patient... until, I wasn't, then I found myself pacing like a caged tiger
Agatha Macbeth: There seem to quite a few healing groups in SL
Agatha Macbeth: Aww
Catrinamonblue Resident: being in the er is no fun at all
Agatha Macbeth: *hugs*
Eliza Madrigal: Oh yes there are... amazing people and groups
Eliza Madrigal: thanks, is okay... glad to have it seen about, but it was sort of funny to hear myself saying to myself "why don't you count breaths?"
Eliza Madrigal: "what about___"

--BELL--

Eliza Madrigal: as if going through calming toolbox and refusing each one

Eliza Madrigal: quiet tonight Druth, all well?
druth Vlodovic: pretty good
Eliza Madrigal: :)
Agatha Macbeth: Good to hear :)

druth Vlodovic: did you find something that worked?
Eliza Madrigal: they gave me a few things... we'll see
Eliza Madrigal: I have been dealing with this off n on for months actually but I have been attributing it to other things
Agatha Macbeth: Were your hearing or balance affected?
Eliza Madrigal: balance
Agatha Macbeth: Ah
Eliza Madrigal: I slept a lot in between retreating this weekend....
Eliza Madrigal: one nap after the other
Agatha Macbeth: Yes that can be pretty unnerving
Eliza Madrigal: and have been dizzy with the computer for a while - but today at sun's session it went very screwy
Agatha Macbeth: Same as when I stand up too quick and nearly keel over
Eliza Madrigal: if I were standing I would have fallen, like a mini-blackout
Eliza Madrigal: awful
Agatha Macbeth nods
Eliza Madrigal: so it is something about... the signals between one ear and the other
Eliza Madrigal: and a kind of delay
Eliza Madrigal: sorry, very dull talk, hah :)
Agatha Macbeth: No, not at all
Catrinamonblue Resident: not at all I just don't really have anything to contribute except sympathy
Agatha Macbeth: I think your health is a far from dull subject

Eliza Madrigal: it shows us how fragile everything is
Eliza Madrigal: when we falter
Agatha Macbeth thinks of a song by Sting
Agatha Macbeth: 'how fragile we are'
Catrinamonblue Resident: good song
Eliza Madrigal: mmmm, gorgeous song... and very true... he even sings that with fragility
Agatha Macbeth: Indeed

Eliza Madrigal: Aggers, it is so unusual for you to be here at a 7pm :) nice change though
Agatha Macbeth smiles
Agatha Macbeth: It feels quite odd to be honest
Agatha Macbeth: I'll be off to bed at the top of the hour
Eliza Madrigal: so late
Agatha Macbeth: Well I only finished work two hours ago
Eliza Madrigal: new schedule will take adjusting to I guess... like it?
Agatha Macbeth: It's...different
Agatha Macbeth grins
Eliza Madrigal: :)
Agatha Macbeth: But active, which I need

Agatha Macbeth: I'm not someone who can sit still for long
Eliza Madrigal: ahhh
Eliza Madrigal: good then
druth Vlodovic: you have a new job?
Eliza Madrigal: something that jives with your natural rhythms
Agatha Macbeth: Yep, just started
Agatha Macbeth: Not sure about the jive bit :D
Eliza Madrigal smiles
druth Vlodovic: what are you doing?
Agatha Macbeth: Makes me think of John Travolta or something
Catrinamonblue Resident: :)
Agatha Macbeth: Working at Amazon UK
druth Vlodovic: nice
Catrinamonblue Resident: neat
Eliza Madrigal: ooh nice
Agatha Macbeth: Distribution

Agatha Macbeth: Whizzing about like a dervish
Eliza Madrigal: nice image
Catrinamonblue Resident: a busy job is a fun job
Agatha Macbeth: Hehe
Eliza Madrigal: hideous kinky
Agatha Macbeth: Well the time certainly goes quicker
Eliza Madrigal: I always liked work like that.... can get into a mode
Agatha Macbeth: Liz, do you mean me? LOL
Eliza Madrigal: :) well it is a film where Kate Winslet goes to be a sufi
Agatha Macbeth: Ahh
Agatha Macbeth: Think I've heard of it, yes
Eliza Madrigal: so you were whirling and I conjured images....

Agatha Macbeth: Isn't she supposed to have big feet or something?
Eliza Madrigal: lol
Eliza Madrigal: definitely the take away :P
Agatha Macbeth: Hmm

Eliza Madrigal: pause approaching :)
Agatha Macbeth stops whirling
Eliza Madrigal: ::let the wild rumpus start:::

--BELL--

Eliza Madrigal: Catrinamon, may I ask how long it took before you felt it helped to change mental patterns in the way you described?
Catrinamonblue Resident: I took a long time I was in therapy that time for about 2 years
Catrinamonblue Resident: and even now it isstill something I work at every day
Eliza Madrigal: so for a while it was really like faith... trying something consistently
Catrinamonblue Resident: yes :)
Eliza Madrigal: :)
Catrinamonblue Resident: It does get easier to do
Agatha Macbeth: That word again
Catrinamonblue Resident: but requires discipline
Eliza Madrigal nods... good when we can match particular needs to methods that help for at least a while or lead into something else

Eliza Madrigal: one thing I found is that even when something doesn't work, it draws attention and may help one find something that does
Agatha Macbeth: Yes, I can see that
Catrinamonblue Resident: yes
Eliza Madrigal: a therapist used to walk me through a pretend scenario of piled mattresses - it was supposed to make me feel "supported" hehe... but I couldn't connect with it, kept trying
Agatha Macbeth: Strange how some things just won't work
Eliza Madrigal nods
Catrinamonblue Resident: right now I'm dealing with high anxiety and the same process doesn't work, so now I am learning a new process of getting the mind to calm the body
Agatha Macbeth: Oh wow
Eliza Madrigal: interesting... like body scan meditations, or?
Eliza Madrigal listens
Catrinamonblue Resident: I have only just started so I don't know much yet
Catrinamonblue Resident: my new therapist has said she will show me how
Eliza Madrigal: wonderful wish you well with that
Agatha Macbeth: Absolutely
Catrinamonblue Resident: thanks :)

Eliza Madrigal: somehow I have Hamlet running through my mind... matching action to word, word to action...
Agatha Macbeth: Just wait til the ghost turns up :p
Eliza Madrigal: heheh
Catrinamonblue Resident: :)
Agatha Macbeth: Ophelia's the one I always feel sorry for
Agatha Macbeth: If only she'd learned to swim
Eliza Madrigal: yes... not even enough time of life to tame the intensity ...
druth Vlodovic: the moral of the story is...
Agatha Macbeth: Intensity indeed
Eliza Madrigal: what say you Druth? :)
Agatha Macbeth: In-tense
Eliza Madrigal: mmmm
Agatha Macbeth ruffles Eliza's hair soothingly
Eliza Madrigal: prrr
Eliza Madrigal: :)
Catrinamonblue Resident: :)
Agatha Macbeth: ^.^
druth Vlodovic: ah, getting late, I'm off to bed

Eliza Madrigal: this was an interesting session... thematic in a way, and practical - thank you
druth Vlodovic: have fun guys
Agatha Macbeth: Moi aussi
Eliza Madrigal: ah, dizzy is to bed also
Agatha Macbeth: Take care folks, sleep well
Catrinamonblue Resident: I'm off too
Catrinamonblue Resident: good night all
Eliza Madrigal: nice to see you all, and Catrinamon thanks for joining us again
Eliza Madrigal: Nite, pleasant sleep
Catrinamonblue Resident: thank you for having me
Eliza Madrigal smiles

Re Hamlet:

Speak the speech, I pray you, as I pronounced it to you, trippingly on the tongue. But if you mouth it, as many of your players do, I had as lief the town crier spoke my lines. Nor do not saw the air too much with your hand thus, but use all gently, for in the very torrent, tempest, and (as I may say) whirlwind of passion, you must acquire and beget a temperance that may give it smoothness. Oh, it offends me to the soul to hear a robustious periwig-pated fellow tear a passion to tatters, to very rags, to split the ears of the groundlings, who for the most part are capable of nothing but inexplicable dumb-shows and noise. I would have such a fellow whipped for o'erdoing Termagant. It out-Herods Herod. Pray you, avoid it.