2016.06.08 13:00 - First Mindfulness

The Guardian for this meeting was Riddle Sideways. The comments are by Riddle Sideways.
This was the first of the new weekly "Mindfulness" session lead by Ewan.

This session is posted here to introduce and show others what went on, but future ones might not be posted (as Ewan feels no need to save these).
Riddle's thinking is that they should be archieved and posted for the enlightenment of all and that personal info, details and enbrassments may be edited out.

Ewan Bonham: Hi Tura
Tura Brezoianu: hi? I don't see you
Riddle Sideways: hi aLL
Ewan Bonham: Hi Riddle
Riddle Sideways: read there was a new Mindfulness session :)
Ewan Bonham: Yes, I am prepared to lead it..
Tura Brezoianu: hi Riddle, where is Ewan? I hear him but I don't see him, not even in the minimap
Riddle Sideways: ? in front of you Tura
Tura Brezoianu: I'll relog

Riddle Sideways: btw, Tura I went to your website and enjoyed it a great deal
Riddle Sideways: and the sites you link to
Ewan Bonham: WB Tura...
Tura Brezoianu: I see you both now
Riddle Sideways: good :)
Ewan Bonham: Great!
Ewan Bonham: OK... since no one else is here... we can get started..
Riddle Sideways: of course it is probably good to be mindful of invisiable ppl too

Ewan Bonham: I will put out a notice from now on..
Riddle Sideways: good

Ewan Bonham: I thought this session weekly could be on mindfulness..
Ewan Bonham: I am loosely using a book..
Ewan Bonham: 'Living Sensationally' by Winnie Dunn
Ewan Bonham: I do not mean to make this group academic... it is just a guideline..

Ewan Bonham: So what is mindfulness?
Ewan Bonham: Do either of you have thoughts about what it means to you?
Riddle Sideways: Listening deeply
Tura Brezoianu: being aware of whatever you're doing, and being aware of your awareness
Ewan Bonham: Yes, i really like what you both have said and will use it in my life...
--BELL--
Ewan Bonham: OK... Riddle, you said it was the art of truly listening..
Ewan Bonham: And Tura, you said it was concentrating on being aware of being aware..
Ewan Bonham: listening to me means something even more basic..
Ewan Bonham: It means pausing and attending..
Ewan Bonham: To first the inner of me...
Ewan Bonham: And then how it is influenced by the outer.
Ewan Bonham: this is what I heard you say Tura..
Ewan Bonham: Focusing on being aware...
Ewan Bonham: Then noticing what you are responding to right in this moment.

Ewan Bonham: So. let's try a short exercise..
Ewan Bonham: Each one of us take three deep breaths..
Ewan Bonham: Notice how deep the breathing is... within your comfort..
Ewan Bonham: As you breath, feel which muscles contract and expand..
Ewan Bonham: notice if there is an resistance to fully taking in the air...
Ewan Bonham: Notice how your heart is beating..
Ewan Bonham: After you have taken several breaths, please share here in this circle what you noticed as you took a breath..
Tura Brezoianu: I notice how I'm sitting, and attend to the straightness of my back and neck.
Ewan Bonham: Either of you wish to share?
Riddle Sideways: mostly what you said. taking in and out only to the max comfort level, heartbeats, muscles, body posture (or lack of)
Tura Brezoianu: I couldn't say which muscles are used in breathing.
Jasmine Lordenwych: 's current display-name is "StarLight".
Riddle Sideways: and a 'this is formilar, isn't it'
Ewan Bonham: Did you feel your breath going down and filling your lungs?
Ewan Bonham: Hello Star!
Riddle Sideways: Hi, Starlight. Ewan is starting a Mindfulness session
Ewan Bonham: Please have a seat and you will catch on...:)
Jasmine Lordenwych: hi
Riddle Sideways: please join
Jasmine Lordenwych: is this in chat only?
Ewan Bonham: Yes, I don't believe we use voice here..
Jasmine Lordenwych: ok
Riddle Sideways: yes, and we record our chats here for publishing on a wiki
Jasmine Lordenwych: sorry I am late
Riddle Sideways: is it ok with you that we record your statements?
Jasmine Lordenwych: yes
Ewan Bonham: Star, i asked the group to take several deep breaths and then relate the small moments which told them how it feels inside..
Ewan Bonham: I noticed a few things which I could only notice if I slowed my mind and fully paid attention to the process of breathing..
Ewan Bonham: I noticed that my body was not as straight as it could be.
Ewan Bonham: When i straightened, then breathing was easier..
Jasmine Lordenwych: I noticed that my body was racing inside.
Ewan Bonham: My intake of air was slow and deliberate..
Ewan Bonham: Ah, Star that is a good observation..
--BELL--
Jasmine Lordenwych: hard to slow things down, heart rate, thoughts etc.
Ewan Bonham: Good point... how do we shift and change once we are aware?
Ewan Bonham: Any thoughts from the others?
Tura Brezoianu: when I concentrate on my breathing, it slows way down
Riddle Sideways: yes, Tura
Ewan Bonham: nice... is that something good for you, Tura?
Tura Brezoianu: it's just what happens
Ewan Bonham: OK...
Tura Brezoianu: although then I get competitive about it, and see how long I can make each breath
Riddle Sideways: :)
Ewan Bonham: Ah... that is a good awareness...
Ewan Bonham: Cause now you can address the feeling of competitivenss
Ewan Bonham: As i am breathing in... I notice I want to stretch my breath to make it longer..
Ewan Bonham: As i reflect on that practice... I become aware that I am forcing the breath..
Ewan Bonham: This helps me to see my habit and to try not forcing..
Ewan Bonham: When I do not force, I notice i am a bit afraid of not breathing..
Riddle Sideways: being aware that the exhale is less 'forced' and easier
Ewan Bonham: I can face that fear and let it dissolve..
Ewan Bonham: Ah, that is neat Riddle..
Ewan Bonham: What does that mean to you?
Riddle Sideways: hmmmm, did not analyze, just noticed
Ewan Bonham: OK..
Ewan Bonham: When I try to breath naturally, I notice it is much easier..
Ewan Bonham: Not as deep, but quite enough..
Ewan Bonham: So my body is telling me how I may find a point of breathing comfort..
Ewan Bonham: i notice as I breath out, there is a slight whistle of the air across my lips... it tingles a bit
Ewan Bonham: That is a playful feeling..
Ewan Bonham: Any other self observations on your breath?
Riddle Sideways: over the years there have been many breathing exercises
Riddle Sideways: and you did not specify one
Ewan Bonham: Yes..
Riddle Sideways: so the mind cycled through tme
Riddle Sideways: *them
Ewan Bonham: Did one stand out?
Riddle Sideways: more the wondering about why the figure eight inside body is so pleasant and formilur
Ewan Bonham: Yes, that is a nice one..
--BELL--
Ewan Bonham: As i 'see' the figure 8... and movemy thoughts along it... my breathing slows and I feel at peace..
Ewan Bonham: Would we all like to try that one now?
Tura Brezoianu: can you tell me what the figure 8 exercise is? Is it in the TSK book?
Riddle Sideways: not from TSK, just from years and years ago
Ewan Bonham: Riddle brought it up... I have done one like it... but Riddle can you say your version?
Riddle Sideways: inhale thru nose a stream into your head
Riddle Sideways: the head swelling like a balloon
Riddle Sideways: the breath streams down the back past the throat-neck
Riddle Sideways: to swell the chest
Riddle Sideways: fills the stomach
Riddle Sideways: rises up the backbone to the mouth
Riddle Sideways: and out
Riddle Sideways: a figure 8 of breath stream can be seen
Riddle Sideways: in the pattern
Ewan Bonham: Very nice... when I do it, I see and feel my breathing...and energy..
Ewan Bonham: As we do it, what can we sense in ourselves?
Riddle Sideways: a continuum. instead of a start-in-hold-out-hold jerkiness
Ewan Bonham: Hmmm... smoothness..
Ewan Bonham: Does that give you peace?
Riddle Sideways: yes it does, and is also an old friend, getting together again
Ewan Bonham: Nod...
Riddle Sideways: that kind of peace also
Ewan Bonham: This is some of what comes up as we are aware...being mindful
Ewan Bonham: For me... it slows my mind down... and gives me a chance to befriend some of the most basic parts of being alive..
Ewan Bonham: there is much research that says how this stays with us when we practice ...
Ewan Bonham: And becomes more of a way of life..
Ewan Bonham: Did anyone else have thoughts on this type of awareness in breathing?
Ewan Bonham: And how it can lead to inner dialogue?
Riddle Sideways: there is much research :) that stopping every 15min for 9-secs can stay with us automatically
Riddle Sideways: /listens to others
Ewan Bonham: That is interesting and I can see that would be a healthy discipline...
--BELL--

Ewan Bonham: Well, I hope we can continue this dialogue next week. Nice seeing you all..
Tura Brezoianu: Thanks for hosting this
Jasmine Lordenwych: thank you
Ewan Bonham: Thanks for coming... i will be here weekly..
Riddle Sideways: thank you
Ewan Bonham: Namaste...:)
Riddle Sideways: by
Riddle Sideways: thank you for a nice session
Riddle Sideways: and nice to meet you, StarLight
Jasmine Lordenwych: thank you