2016.10.04 13:00 - Arabella Ad Lib!

The Guardian for this meeting was Mickorod Renard.

Riddle Sideways: Hi Mick
Mickorod Renard: Hi Riddle
Mickorod Renard: how are you?
Riddle Sideways: pretty good and you?
Mickorod Renard: great, I am good too ty
Riddle Sideways: was there a session last week? don't see a log
Mickorod Renard: one grand daughter with me at the mo..she fell asleep very quickly
Mickorod Renard: yes, we had a session,,missed you..but i think ewan was happy to keep it private
Riddle Sideways: one grand daughter might be manageable
Mickorod Renard: Ara was here, she asked if it was private so Ewan prob kept it that way
Riddle Sideways: oh, ok
Riddle Sideways: maybe all of them should
Riddle Sideways: be
Mickorod Renard: yes, I had three earlier, for evening dinner
Riddle Sideways: ppl might be more open ?

--BELL--

Mickorod Renard: a one year old a 2 year old and a 6 year old
Mickorod Renard: yes, I think the logs do hold some folk back
Riddle Sideways: posted the first few to get more people interested and up to speed
Riddle Sideways: now can quit posting
Mickorod Renard: he he
Mickorod Renard: its a thought
Riddle Sideways: hi Ara
Mickorod Renard: Hi Ara
arabella Ella: Hi Riddle Hi Micko
Mickorod Renard: I was just telling riddle you had come here last week
arabella Ella: yes

arabella Ella: Ara is back I hope
Riddle Sideways: sorry to miss
arabella Ella: I missed my friends here lots
Mickorod Renard: we had a good thiursday session too
arabella Ella: oh great!
Mickorod Renard: on the myth of er
arabella Ella: wow
Riddle Sideways: being semi-retired is a very busy life
Mickorod Renard: you would have liked that Ara
arabella Ella: what's that?
Riddle Sideways: oooo read that session later
Mickorod Renard: oh.sort of plato stuff
arabella Ella: working is a busy life too!
Riddle Sideways: did not know there was homework
arabella Ella: How are you Riddle?
Riddle Sideways: doing pretty good, busy
arabella Ella: great!
arabella Ella: busy is good I guess

Mickorod Renard: its strange Ewan is late
Mickorod Renard: or did he say he wasnt here?
Riddle Sideways: Ewan has internet issues sometimes
Mickorod Renard: ah ok
arabella Ella: I had some internet issues too but here I am
arabella Ella: not always easy to connect
Mickorod Renard: and I think Tura may have something if she comes
arabella Ella: interesting
Riddle Sideways: Tura was logged in at first
Riddle Sideways: ah, is on-line
Riddle Sideways: who did last week?
Mickorod Renard: Ewan
arabella Ella: perhaps you could remind her to see whether she is interested to join us here Riddle?
Riddle Sideways: we were all very non-volunteering the week before
arabella Ella: same last week
Riddle Sideways: everybody wants to sit in the last row
arabella Ella: reminds me of my students when no one sits in the front row
Mickorod Renard: on Thursdays I have to try and stay quiet,,but I usually cant
arabella Ella smiles
Riddle Sideways: :)
arabella Ella: why am I not surprised?
Mickorod Renard: I do a duo act with Eliza
Riddle Sideways: quite a duet

arabella Ella: I just got this message you may have got it too
arabella Ella: here goes
Riddle Sideways: good cop / bad cop
arabella Ella:

Hello Friends, Something in RL just came up and I will be pulled away from the time we usually have the mindfulness group on Tuesday ( 1pm SLT - Tuesdays). I will not be available at that time until January. If you would like to meet at another time, please let me know what that is and I will see if that is a time I can meet. Otherwise, we can resume in January. Thanks for your participation and interest, Namaste, Ewan
arabella Ella: it is dated today 4 October
arabella Ella: did you get it too?
arabella Ella: as a notification?
Mickorod Renard: oh, I didnt get one I dont think
arabella Ella: top right hand side of monitor
Riddle Sideways: no, did not
arabella Ella: you get an envelope with notifications
Riddle Sideways: [13:13] Tura Brezoianu: I saw the message from Ewan saying he couldn't do the meetings at this time any more, are people still meeting?
Mickorod Renard: no, just looked
arabella Ella: oh so Tura got it too

arabella Ella: what do you reckon we should do?
arabella Ella: ad lib?
Mickorod Renard: well, we need someone who knows something about mindfulness now
arabella Ella: or mindfulness?
Mickorod Renard: erm
Mickorod Renard: Hi Tura
arabella Ella: Hiya Tura!
Riddle Sideways: hi Tura
Tura Brezoianu: hi everyone

--BELL--

Riddle Sideways: just wondering what to do
Riddle Sideways: could ask one of us to take over
Riddle Sideways: and hear a lot of silence
arabella Ella: the question is - should we make up our own session?
arabella Ella: or not?
Mickorod Renard: we could make it a silent retreat session
Mickorod Renard: he he
arabella Ella: we could
arabella Ella: one option
Riddle Sideways: could take turns, like Ewan suggested
Mickorod Renard: or...we could think of some other subject

arabella Ella: shall we take on 10 mins each approx?
Mickorod Renard: about what though?
Mickorod Renard: go for it Ara
arabella Ella: each one of us could take on our own approach
arabella Ella: I would start for the first ten mins approx but only if others are willing to go after me
Riddle Sideways: with a wait for everybody, settling, deep breathes a 10 min something and then discussions/notes = 1 hour
arabella Ella: he he
Mickorod Renard: ok
arabella Ella: ok at the risk of being embarrased or not successful let's go!
Riddle Sideways: ok
arabella Ella: wherever you are lower the amount of external lighting you have
arabella Ella: sit down comfortably
arabella Ella: loosen any tight clothing you may have
arabella Ella: and take a deep breath, count up until ten with your breathing inward, hold your breath for the count of ten and breath out through your mouth while counting up until ten
arabella Ella: do this for a minimum of three times
arabella Ella: to slow down your breathing
arabella Ella: and to calm any agitation you may feel
arabella Ella: to remove as much stress as possible feel the stress being released each time you breath out and count up until ten each time
arabella Ella: this helps to empty your mind of any troubling thoughts
arabella Ella: as you focus on your breathing and on the counting each time
arabella Ella: to continue to empty your mind ....
arabella Ella: count with me backwards while continuing to take the deep breaths
arabella Ella: 100
arabella Ella: deep breath
arabella Ella: 99
arabella Ella: deep breath
arabella Ella: 98
arabella Ella: deep breath
arabella Ella: 97
arabella Ella: deep breath
arabella Ella: 96
arabella Ella: deep breath
arabella Ella: 95
arabella Ella: deep breath
arabella Ella: 94
arabella Ella: slow deep breath
arabella Ella: 93
arabella Ella: slower deep breath
arabella Ella: 92
arabella Ella: slow deep breath
arabella Ella: 91
arabella Ella: slow breathing and exhaling once again
arabella Ella: 90
arabella Ella: deep breath slowly once again
arabella Ella: now close your eyes and read this (of course) before you do so
arabella Ella: as you close your eyes start using your perceptive faculties one by one and observe what you hear first
arabella Ella: then what you can smell
arabella Ella: taste
arabella Ella: and touch
arabella Ella: while taking deep breaths all the time very slowly

--BELL--

arabella Ella: close your eyes while you use each of your senses not to allow your visuals to get in the way of the other senses
arabella Ella: if your eyes happen to be open and you are seeing this ...
arabella Ella: remember ...
arabella Ella: there is a great deal we could touch like the air around us or the ground under our feet
arabella Ella: and a great deal we could taste like out lips or the taste inside our mouths
arabella Ella: just do this slowly and calmly while taking deep breaths
arabella Ella: experiencing only each sense perceptively one after the other over and over
arabella Ella: your minds are completely empty
arabella Ella: all you are perceiving is that which each of your senses perceive separately
arabella Ella: WITHOUT VISION
arabella Ella: may I now ask each of you to open your eyes (they are probably open anyway) and to look around you and observe carefully what you see around you
arabella Ella: please let me know your eyes are open by writing ok here
Mickorod Renard: eyes wide open
Riddle Sideways: ok
arabella Ella: just look around you with your mind empty taking deep breaths with your enhanced sense of perception but focussing only on vision now
arabella Ella: notice the colours
arabella Ella: the shapes and forms
arabella Ella: the vivacity of the stuff around you
arabella Ella: what is it that 'hits' you when you see stuff now ... just focus on vision and simply observe
arabella Ella: still taking deep slow breaths
arabella Ella: and if you wish continuing to count as you breath inwards, hold your breath and exhale through your mouth
Mickorod Renard: I think for me, the realization I have rid my mind of the chatter it had
arabella Ella: finally
arabella Ella: bring all your senses together
arabella Ella: make an effort while still breathing slowly to see, hear, touch, taste and smell all together
arabella Ella: a cacophany of senses and perception
arabella Ella: all juxtaposed together
arabella Ella: remember to maintain a comfortable seated position while breathing deeply
arabella Ella: and enjoy all the sensory data you are taking in
arabella Ella: through your vision, hearing, touch, smell and taste
arabella Ella: just simply enjoy
arabella Ella: and relax
arabella Ella: relax relax relax
arabella Ella: and enjoy the simplicity of perception
arabella Ella: as we come to an end ... as everything comes to an end ...
arabella Ella: we will count together aloud ...
arabella Ella: from 1 until 10
arabella Ella: very slowly together

--BELL--

arabella Ella: one
arabella Ella: deep breath
arabella Ella: two
arabella Ella: deep breath
arabella Ella: three
arabella Ella: deep breath
arabella Ella: four
arabella Ella: deep brreath
arabella Ella: five
arabella Ella: deep breath
arabella Ella: six
arabella Ella: deep breath
arabella Ella: seven
arabella Ella: deep breath
arabella Ella: eight
arabella Ella: deep breath
arabella Ella: nine
arabella Ella: deep breath
arabella Ella: ten
arabella Ella: final deep breath that brings us to the end of this meditation
arabella Ella: thank you

Riddle Sideways: thank you
Mickorod Renard: thankyou Ara, very relaxing
arabella Ella: any feedback?
Riddle Sideways: counted to ten toooooo slow
Mickorod Renard: well..it was true, my mind was noisy with chatter and your process rid me of that
Riddle Sideways: heartrate went up
arabella Ella: he he
arabella Ella: well it is a first time try for me

arabella Ella: why do you think your heart rate went up?
Riddle Sideways: count of 7 was more natural mesh with heart
Riddle Sideways: then 5 was better
arabella Ella: oh ok
Riddle Sideways: then 3
arabella Ella: yes i guess different people have different breathing rhythms
Riddle Sideways: racing to in for 10, hold for 10 and out for 10
Riddle Sideways: sure locked all other thoughts out

arabella Ella: on my part it was difficult to know how fast or slow to go or how to get the right rate for the instructions I gave
arabella Ella: the right pace i mean
arabella Ella: probably since this is virtual
Riddle Sideways: scary that you were going to go ALL 100
arabella Ella: he he
arabella Ella: I sometimes do the whole 100 when I cant sleep at night which is rare
Riddle Sideways: then sneaking a peek to see if you've written a new line and see "Without Vision" - crap!!
arabella Ella: he he
Mickorod Renard: he he
arabella Ella: but I assumed people would be peeking at the text now and again as I would have done that myself too

Mickorod Renard: I must admit to feeling very relaxed now
arabella Ella: good
arabella Ella: more than mindfulness it is more of a sort of meditation technique
arabella Ella: to empty the mind and focus it on simple perceptions
Riddle Sideways: yes
Mickorod Renard: yes, but I can also see the technique works on refocus the mind
arabella Ella: yes
arabella Ella: but there is no imaginary journey as there may sometimes be in mindfulness
arabella Ella: no specific insights just simplicity and an empty relaxed mind focussed on each of the senses
Riddle Sideways: the long list of things to do today, became start a breathe in
arabella Ella: he he

Mickorod Renard: If we come again, which I would like to, I have an extract from siddhathra on mindfulness..that we could read together slowly
arabella Ella: my list is never ending
arabella Ella: oh that sounds interesting Micko
arabella Ella: its a deal
Riddle Sideways: let's see need to schedule a hold this breathe
Mickorod Renard: I have cut it into a small peice so wouldnt take long to read
arabella Ella: I'm sorry it took me more than 10 mins!
Riddle Sideways: hehe
Mickorod Renard: :)
Riddle Sideways: thought it would
arabella Ella: yeah he he
Mickorod Renard: ok folks, I have to go
arabella Ella: thank you all
Mickorod Renard: thankyou so much..sorry ewan wasnt here
Riddle Sideways: thank you all
arabella Ella: and looking forward to Siddharta next week Mick
Tura Brezoianu: thank you arabella
arabella Ella: my pleasure thanks for your attention and feedback!
Mickorod Renard: well, I could hold it until we need it
Mickorod Renard: see you all soon
arabella Ella: bye and good night for those in my time zone!
Tura Brezoianu: bye folks