The Guardian for this meeting was Ewan Bonham. The comments are by Riddle Sideways.

--BELL--   [is ignored during these sessions]
Tura Brezoianu: hi Bruce, Riddle
Riddle Sideways: howdee
Bruce Mowbray: Hello, Tura and Riddle.
Riddle Sideways: was wondering who would read the emails :)
Riddle Sideways: Tura, the nine worlds thing sounded so great
Bruce Mowbray: I see Ewan at the entrance. I'm wondering if he's having troubles -- since he has not yet answered my IM's.
Bruce Mowbray: 9-Worlds! Sci-Fi convention in London?
Riddle Sideways: Tura, can we chat about it sometime?
Tura Brezoianu: Sure
Ewan Bonham: hi Folks, sorry was occupied in RL..'
Ewan Bonham: I am here now.
Riddle Sideways: have read most of the 9-Worlds website
Bruce Mowbray: np, Ewan.
Ewan Bonham: Good to see you all!
Riddle Sideways: brb
Bruce Mowbray: Here comes Mick.
Ewan Bonham: oh, good..
Bruce Mowbray: Heya, Mick.
Mickorod Renard: HI folks
Ewan Bonham: Hi mick!
Bruce Mowbray: oooops, the tiny cushion got Mick again.
Mickorod Renard: he he
Ewan Bonham: better...:)
Mickorod Renard: yes

Ewan Bonham: OK... let's get started...:)
Riddle Sideways: back
Ewan Bonham: I have not seen some of you in a while, Bruce and Mick
Bruce Mowbray: Yes! Good to see you again, Ewan.
Bruce Mowbray: (Ewan was my very first friend in all of SL, btw.)
Mickorod Renard: yes, great to see ypou

Ewan Bonham: OK... we can begin with two things to start the group.

Ewan Bonham: first, please cam around and spend a few moments looking at each avatar..
Ewan Bonham: Notice something about them that catches your attention and then reflect on if that quality is also one of your own..
Ewan Bonham: This is part of Mindfulness... noticing our thoughts as they rest on our momentary perceptions..
Ewan Bonham: Let's take a short time to do this with everyone here and then we will share..
Ewan Bonham: OK... we can go around and each person share one quality that they perceived here... that caught their focus and how it applies to them..

Ewan Bonham: i will start...
Ewan Bonham: As I look at each of you, I see a relaxed quality. Ease of dress and comfortable posture..
--BELL--
Ewan Bonham: I too like to be comfortable these days and enjoy leisure...

Ewan Bonham: Can we go clockwise?
Ewan Bonham: Riddle, can you share next?
Riddle Sideways: yes
Ewan Bonham: Please do...
Riddle Sideways: noticed each other's shirts, shirt choices
Riddle Sideways: wondered why Riddle is in a suit?
Riddle Sideways: a gr8 shirt would be nicer
Riddle Sideways: we all wear shirts
Ewan Bonham: Ah, so your focus allowed a question to emerge?
Riddle Sideways: yes
Riddle Sideways: [done]
Ewan Bonham: OK... sorry...

Ewan Bonham: Bruce, what about you?
Bruce Mowbray: I noticed that each of us seems to be in a state of readiness, perhaps anticipatory... Maybe simply open and inviting whatever may come.
Ewan Bonham: :)
Bruce Mowbray: I noticed that Tura has even brough along a belot with supplies....
Bruce Mowbray: brought along*
Bruce Mowbray: I've spent the past hour becoming ready myself.
Bruce Mowbray: [done]
Ewan Bonham: Nod...

Ewan Bonham: Tura, what about you?
Tura Brezoianu: I wondered about people's choice of avatar, and how they evolve, or not
Tura Brezoianu: I wonder if Riddle's is the same body he made when he first joined
Ewan Bonham: And do you wonder about the evolution of your avatar?
Tura Brezoianu: Mine has been a process of continual evolution
Ewan Bonham: Nice to reflect upon...
Ewan Bonham: Mine as well..
Tura Brezoianu: Ewan's avatar and clothing seems to be the most up to date with current offerings
Ewan Bonham: yes, I have consciously made some changes..
Tura Brezoianu: Bruce and Mick somewhere in between
Tura Brezoianu: With my own, when I tweak the shape or buy new clothes, I think, "Is this Tura?"
Riddle Sideways: and?
Ewan Bonham: Sounds very conscious and reminds me of coming to a point where I absolutely HAD to make changes..
Ewan Bonham: Thanks, Tura.

Ewan Bonham: Mick, what about you?
Mickorod Renard: I noticed the general things as mentioned already
Mickorod Renard: but also
Mickorod Renard: I noticed two things
Mickorod Renard: one was how bright and colourful Bruce is compared to us all
Bruce Mowbray: :)
Mickorod Renard: and two how bland I am and also so neglectful of my avi..i had forgotten I still had this shirt on
Mickorod Renard: also
Mickorod Renard: I decided that I was understated perhaps to the same degree as Tura and wondered why I had chosen to be so
Ewan Bonham: Hmmm... nice questions for you to explore...
Mickorod Renard: i decided that it may be a reflection of my rl self and that I secretly desired mystery so as others may enquire about me
Mickorod Renard: done

Ewan Bonham: A simple exercise like this can be done anytime..
--BELL--
Ewan Bonham: And sharing it with others helps you put it on the table so to speak for you to examine in yourself.
Ewan Bonham: And... others get to know you a bit as you discover part of yourself again..


Ewan Bonham: Now... here is the main exercise for today... a mindfulness guided imagery..
Ewan Bonham: For this i will guide and focus your internal images a bit..
Ewan Bonham: But... when doing this exercise, you should always leave the mind and allow your heart intuition to take over..
Ewan Bonham: A bit like a waking dream..
Ewan Bonham: Are we ready?
Mickorod Renard: ok
Riddle Sideways: yes
Ewan Bonham: OK... of course when we do this, you will have to read the typing..
Ewan Bonham: But when you do it yourself, you can close your eyes if you like..

Ewan Bonham: So, let's begin...
Ewan Bonham: Take three slow deep breaths...
Ewan Bonham: And on the third breath exhale , you will be on a road in a country setting..
Ewan Bonham: Directly in front of you will be a crossroads.
Ewan Bonham: You can go straight, turn around, or turn to either the left or the right.
Ewan Bonham: Before you decide, you notice the sounds of the wildlife in the land surrounding you.
Ewan Bonham: these may include birds, the sounds of the wind through the trees, animals scurrying etc.
Ewan Bonham: Take a moment to let the scene and the sounds unfold for you.
Ewan Bonham: notice how this feels to simply let the events unfold and happen around you..
Ewan Bonham: Now, as I said before, you have a crossroads and a choice of what direction you go now..
Ewan Bonham: Look in each direction to see what is there and how you react to what you see..
Ewan Bonham: OK, now ask each direction whart it has to offer you..
Ewan Bonham: As you ask... Next take the place of the direction itself and feel yourself giving the answer..

Ewan Bonham: hi Druth!
druth Vlodovic: hey guys
Mickorod Renard: Hi Druth
--BELL--
Ewan Bonham: We are in the middle of a meditation...
Ewan Bonham: We will soon have open discussion..
Bruce Mowbray: (I just gave druth a cpoy.)
Bruce Mowbray: copy.

Ewan Bonham: OK... now continue a short dialogue with each direction... asking what it might have in store for you..
Ewan Bonham: And then letting yourself BE that direction and answering the questions you have asked that direction..
Ewan Bonham: OK... now notice if you are ready to decide OR to decide not to decide yet...:)
Ewan Bonham: When you are ready, let's each share the upshot of what you discovered..

Bruce Mowbray: Who do you want to go first, Ewan?

Ewan Bonham: I was leading this process, so was not a participant... but in the past, i was suprised by the answers I was given..
Ewan Bonham: my answer then was to move straight ahead... as I was going in a direction to a goal I had always wanted...:)
Ewan Bonham: Can we hear each of your experiences?
Ewan Bonham: Let's go counter-clockwise, except for Druth this time...
Ewan Bonham: Altho, I hope you can kinda follow what we were doing, Druth

Mickorod Renard: thats me then?
Ewan Bonham: If you all do not want to share, you can simply pass..
Ewan Bonham: Yes, Mick...
Mickorod Renard: ok, maybe if Druth is ready afterwards she can decide
Ewan Bonham: nod
Mickorod Renard: I came to the crossroads
Mickorod Renard: i went through the process
Mickorod Renard: the forward i wasnt prepped for as it was more like going a distance over a period of time
Mickorod Renard: the left was a mystery which although tempting was not a comfortable route
Mickorod Renard: sorry, read that as right
Mickorod Renard: the reverse was too short and i was enjoying myself
Mickorod Renard: so wanted to stay out
Mickorod Renard: but the left was a circular route back home that would encompass the animals and the birds etc extending the trip but returning myself home eventually
Mickorod Renard: done

Ewan Bonham: Hmmm... nod... btw, anyone can comment to what you have heard so far..
Ewan Bonham: When i heard you, I felt contentment..

Ewan Bonham: Tura, what about you?
Tura Brezoianu: Because of the fountain here, I imagined the road running alongside a river
Tura Brezoianu: At the crossroads, the left branch went over a bridge across the river
Tura Brezoianu: Forwards continued along the river, and right went away through flat fields
Tura Brezoianu: So I chose the left, because the fields were boring, and forwards would be just more of the road I'd seen
Ewan Bonham: :)...something new for you...
Tura Brezoianu: The far bank was higher, and it wasn't possible to see further without crossing over
Tura Brezoianu: done

--BELL--
Ewan Bonham: How vivid for you...
Ewan Bonham: Bruce, how about you?
Bruce Mowbray: I was the only thing on the road - no vehicles for miles and miles - and I was walking - quite slowly. I could see the crossroads quite a distance ahead. The land is flat and farm fields going to left and right. I come to the crossroad, finally.
Bruce Mowbray: I turned around and considered returning to the comforts of where I'd come from... returning to the solitude, nature sounds, and trees so thick that no light could come through them.
Bruce Mowbray: Then I saw, far in the distance, on the other side of the crossroad that there was a hilly area.
Bruce Mowbray: and I pondered whether I might walk there and explore it..
Bruce Mowbray: thinking, perhaps of finding streams, grassy areas not planted with agricultural crops..
Bruce Mowbray: I decided to walk across - straight ahead... and visit the hills.
Bruce Mowbray: and then I remember that Psalm...
Bruce Mowbray: (so strange of me to do that, actually)
Bruce Mowbray: "I shall lift my eyes ontp the hills, from whence comes my strength."
Bruce Mowbray: That was a comforting thought.
Ewan Bonham: Nod
Bruce Mowbray: I felt sort of tingly all over.
Bruce Mowbray: done.

Riddle Sideways: decided to not decide. this place is so lovely with nature
Ewan Bonham: Amazing what unfolds... to visit where we get our strength
Riddle Sideways: like the poem of the road not taken.
Riddle Sideways: forward is the future, a goal and the plan (probably)
Ewan Bonham: Yes, what did you discover Riddle?
Riddle Sideways: back to the known/safe/warm and maybe lunch
Riddle Sideways: skipping past the mental political suggestions of left/liberal and right wing
Riddle Sideways: left and right (at first) were identical, but
Riddle Sideways: being with that left direction was a bit uphill, twisty, harder
Riddle Sideways: but along the way would be great overlooks, adventures
Riddle Sideways: the right went slightly downhill,
Riddle Sideways: would be an easier walk and go to a nice lake.
Riddle Sideways: hmmm
Riddle Sideways: Life is soooo full of crossroads decisions ... this time will wait for the next one.
Riddle Sideways: done

Aphrodite Macbain: 's current display-name is "Aph".
Ewan Bonham: Nod... glad you let them speak to you...
Riddle Sideways: ouch, nice to drop in Aph
Ewan Bonham: hi Aph...:)
Aphrodite Macbain: :-) Hiya
Mickorod Renard: Hi Aph

Ewan Bonham: Druth... did you have comments? Did you catch on?
Aphrodite Macbain: Good to see you all again
Riddle Sideways: Hi Korel and Druth

druth Vlodovic: well,I did it twice with similar results
Ewan Bonham: Hi korel
Mickorod Renard: Hi Kori
druth Vlodovic: the second time I tried making the visualization more realistic to a natural setting
Ewan Bonham: Ah...
druth Vlodovic: basically I ended up with the left being dark or tangled forest
Ewan Bonham: What did you discover?
Aphrodite Macbain: oooo
druth Vlodovic: forward was human made structures,first a city second a farm
druth Vlodovic: and to the right some sort ofweird dark path sort of going into unknown
druth Vlodovic: I preferred going forward but always kept choosing the left/jungle
druth Vlodovic: and getting tangled upin things
Ewan Bonham: Hmmm... tangled..
druth Vlodovic: you'd think a forest would be a benign path
druth Vlodovic: but it seemed full of trouble
druth Vlodovic: oh,done

Riddle Sideways: you'd think a city would be a benign path too, but no
Aphrodite Macbain: tigers and snakes!
druth Vlodovic: to me cities at night have always had a pleasing aspect
Ewan Bonham: OK... sounds like you may want to revisit the moment where you choose left instead of straight...:)

Ewan Bonham: Anyway, we have gone over our time here..
Aphrodite Macbain: sort of a little red riding hood theme....
Ewan Bonham: But I hope this was another discovery for you of atool of mindfulness...
Riddle Sideways: the drugs wear off soon
Ewan Bonham: Any comments on the process as it unfolded for you?
Bruce Mowbray: Fascinating, Ewan.
Aphrodite Macbain: Sorry I missed it
Bruce Mowbray: The whole ay of the land seemed like an enormous mandala.
Bruce Mowbray: lay*
Riddle Sideways: like your shirt
Bruce Mowbray: so much freedom!
Mickorod Renard: it was fun thankyou
Bruce Mowbray: Yes, it was fun... and intriguing.

Ewan Bonham: Now, we will miss next week, as I will be out of town..
Riddle Sideways: being mindful of your full mind
Aphrodite Macbain: Do you do this every week Ewan?
Ewan Bonham: but we will be back in two weeks... and can do this again...now that there is an interest...:)
Riddle Sideways: almost, Aph
Aphrodite Macbain: :-)druth Vlodovic: I remember doing this in high school with our poetry teacher once

Mickorod Renard: great, thank you Ewan
Tura Brezoianu: I'll be away then, but never mind. Are these sessions recorded?
druth Vlodovic: thanks ewan :)
--BELL--
Ewan Bonham: Bowing to you all.. Namaste..
Bruce Mowbray: Yes, thank Ewan, and thanks everyone.
Mickorod Renard: see ya guys have fun x
Riddle Sideways: yes, recorded
Riddle Sideways: but published very slowly

Riddle Sideways: btw Tura this is my 5th body :(
Riddle Sideways: and not too much better
druth Vlodovic: lol,I have a dozen bodies before this one
druth Vlodovic: enjoy the explore
druth Vlodovic: used to be I'd log in ten to twenty minutes early just to change everything about myself before heading out
Riddle Sideways: never could put on make-up good enough
Korel Laloix: I have not really updated my AV in years. Probably should.
Aphrodite Macbain: I change often 4 times a week!
Tura Brezoianu: a good skin works wonders
druth Vlodovic: funny how hard it is to recapture SL infancy
Aphrodite Macbain: IN the Amazon I wear tattoos and a loin cloth
druth Vlodovic: I finally broke down and <gasp!> bought one
Riddle Sideways: and all the Aphs look just like you
Aphrodite Macbain: :-)
Aphrodite Macbain: my face never changes
Korel Laloix: Skins are the hardest part for me. Very difficult to find a dark skin that has something like my RL features
Aphrodite Macbain: but in the Amazon I'm almost the colour of druth
Riddle Sideways: a phrase never said before: "think I better buy a skin"
druth Vlodovic: for a dark skin you need one that is coloured with shades,otherwise it just turns out featureless,it is a long slog to find one
Riddle Sideways: by All and thanks
Tura Brezoianu: bye Riddle, bye all
druth Vlodovic: ttfn riddle
Aphrodite Macbain: I have a redgrave skin that makes me loked bronzed and desirable!
Korel Laloix: I This skin is more my winter shade.. In the summer like right now, I am much darker than most blacks I know. Hard to find a good balance.
Aphrodite Macbain: try that Koprel
Aphrodite Macbain: Korel
druth Vlodovic: if you fool with the brightness while looking at a dark SLskin you see funny things
Aphrodite Macbain: what kind of funny things?
druth Vlodovic: well,I was reading about a woman who complained that photographers made her whiter than she is
Aphrodite Macbain: or that Korel
druth Vlodovic: so i stared looking at photographs of dark skin
Korel Laloix: Oh this is way too light... Thanks though.
druth Vlodovic: it tends to wash out features that are obvious in person
Aphrodite Macbain: try the other one
Aphrodite Macbain: nice!
Aphrodite Macbain: I like it
druth Vlodovic: easy to contrast against white but difficult against dark,and 2D is all about contrast
Aphrodite Macbain: intreesting
Aphrodite Macbain: red looks good against dark brown
Korel Laloix: it is a nice color and texture.
Aphrodite Macbain: yes- I like it on me too
Korel Laloix: I think Sama would like me this pale... lol
Aphrodite Macbain: your eyes look wierd though
Aphrodite Macbain: oh it's your glasses~
druth Vlodovic: hmm,a cherokee goth
Korel Laloix: lol
Korel Laloix: Actually when I frst started caring what my AV looked liek I went the goth way. it was funny.
Aphrodite Macbain: what makes her goth?
druth Vlodovic: being pale
Aphrodite Macbain: but she's tanned now
druth Vlodovic: it is hard to see it with demo wrotten everywhere :(
Aphrodite Macbain: demo? where?
druth Vlodovic: I was digging in my inventory
Aphrodite Macbain: oh - you! lol
Korel Laloix: That is more my color right now.. but when I find a nice dark complexion, then I get features that are not like mine.
druth Vlodovic: 800L was a lot of money for me
Aphrodite Macbain: you can adjust your face-eyes, nose mouth etc
Aphrodite Macbain: a red Indian!
Korel Laloix: Back to work... thanks for the chat.
druth Vlodovic: have fiun korel
Aphrodite Macbain: Bye Kori
Korel Laloix: Darn RL
druth Vlodovic: lol