2009.06.14 19:00 - Let the Sun Shine In

The Guardian for this meeting was stevenaia Michinaga. The comments are by stevenaia Michinaga.

I sat alone for the first 15 minutes and quietly with Avastu for the next 15... until Paradise Tennant and Rowan Masala arrived for the rest of the conversation

stevenaia Michinaga: Hello, it's been quite a while

stevenaia Michinaga: what have you been doing?

Avastu Maruti: hello again my friend

Avastu Maruti: love to you

stevenaia Michinaga: smiles

stevenaia Michinaga: thank you

stevenaia Michinaga: always appreciate your kind wishes

Avastu Maruti smiles

stevenaia Michinaga: Paradise

stevenaia Michinaga: hello

Paradise Tennant: hiya steve avastu :))

Paradise Tennant: avastu :))

Avastu Maruti: love to you my friend

stevenaia Michinaga: I was just looking at Avastu's web reference in his profile

stevenaia Michinaga: http://www.urbangurucafe.com

stevenaia Michinaga: it was keeping me busy :)

Paradise Tennant: :))

Paradise Tennant: looks interesting :))

stevenaia Michinaga: yes, starting at the beginning :)

Paradise Tennant: it looks like it could keep one busy and happily occupied for a long time ..

stevenaia Michinaga: we shall see, how have you been Paradise ? IS there something you would like to discuss

Paradise Tennant: hmmmm very well thanks and you :))

Paradise Tennant: not sure .. what was the theme tonight :))

stevenaia Michinaga: no theme, your theme :)

Paradise Tennant: lol

Paradise Tennant: hmm

stevenaia Michinaga: I spent the day with SL friends in RL today

Paradise Tennant: oh cool

Paradise Tennant: like doing that

Paradise Tennant: :))

Paradise Tennant: what were you to :)

stevenaia Michinaga: hello Rowan, always nice to see you

Rowan Masala: hello Steven, Avastu, Paradise

Paradise Tennant: hiya rowan :))

Avastu Maruti: hello my friend - love to you

Rowan Masala: love to you too, Avastu :)

stevenaia Michinaga: Nice that appreciation is usually the first thing expressed when meeting :)

Rowan Masala nods

Paradise Tennant: :))

Paradise Tennant: perhaps love should be the theme :))

Rowan Masala: love is always a good theme :)

stevenaia Michinaga: it always is

Paradise Tennant: :)) almost a kind of chemical or muscular movement that opens your heart

stevenaia Michinaga: usually starting with a simple thing, a word, a look, a touch

Rowan Masala: my heart has felt very closed today - it wasn't a good feeling

Paradise Tennant: :))

Paradise Tennant: no an open heart is always sort feel free to me

stevenaia Michinaga: closed can be quite an effort

Paradise Tennant: when you lose touch with it .. always kind feels constrained

stevenaia Michinaga: lots of work goes into that Rowan

Rowan Masala nods

Paradise Tennant: daily work for everyone on the planet really :))

Rowan Masala: I would like to be more conscious when I'm doing that work

Paradise Tennant: :))

Paradise Tennant: me too

Rowan Masala: I end up exhausted and unhappy for no reason

Rowan Masala: but I think today my mind was working to shut down after the dreams I had last night

stevenaia Michinaga: more conscious of what Rowan?

Paradise Tennant: hmm when I am unhappy .. i usually just go to bed with a firm conviction ..everything will look better in the morning and it always does :))

Rowan Masala: more conscious of the fact that I'm working on closing my heart - so I can stop the process

Paradise Tennant: closing your heart to ...

Rowan Masala: I'm sorry - I'm probably not making much sense - a group of people just came in

stevenaia Michinaga: take your time

Rowan Masala: Steven said it takes a lot of work to close your heart

Rowan Masala: I've felt very closed to everyone around me today - no love coming in or going out - it was such a surprise when Avastu said it

Paradise Tennant: ;)))

Rowan Masala: I don't think Steven ever feels that way - do either of you?

stevenaia Michinaga: What I really meant was it can take very little effort to open your heart, as an pen heart is what's left when you stop closing your heart

Paradise Tennant: hmm yes of course

Paradise Tennant: what I find works .. is remembering we are all sort of one thing .. and what ever ..who ever you are trying to shut out .. is really already in you :))

Paradise Tennant: my mental phrase is surrender ..

Paradise Tennant: lol say it quite often lol

Rowan Masala: ah, that word is so difficult for me

Rowan Masala: conjures up bad Christianity memories

stevenaia Michinaga: I see love's light that shines out lets love in as well, closing off love is like trying to darken the light, much energy consumed doing that

Rowan Masala: but for some of us, it's such a habit that we don't even notice it when it's happening

stevenaia Michinaga: love is the easy path ... for me

Rowan Masala: yes - you have great wisdom regarding love

Paradise Tennant: it does make everything easier lighter

stevenaia Michinaga: yes, hugs help alot, I should count them one day :)

Paradise Tennant: often i think we seek isolation or conversely conflict because we are driven re-enforce our sense of selves... sometimes letting go of that sense of individual self .. makes loving even easier :))

Avastu Maruti smiles

Rowan Masala: I'm trying to do metta meditation

Rowan Masala: and yesterday it really helped

Rowan Masala: today, it was difficult

Paradise Tennant: what is metta mediation :))

Rowan Masala: I don't really know a lot about it, other than that you wish individuals well, saying "may you be happy, may you be well, may you be safe, may you be peaceful and at ease" or something like that

Paradise Tennant: ahh kk kind of a general ton glen :))

Rowan Masala: and you start with yourself, and then with a close friend, and then with someone you feel neutral about, and then with someone you have difficulty with, and eventually the whole world or universe

Paradise Tennant: nods

Paradise Tennant: wonderful practice

Rowan Masala: what's a ton glen?

Paradise Tennant: hmm more of healing .. practice . but similar visualizations

stevenaia Michinaga: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tonglen

Paradise Tennant: like loving kindness meditation - metta

Rowan Masala: yes - metta is translated as loving kindness

Paradise Tennant: :)) great link steve thanks

stevenaia Michinaga: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Metta

Rowan Masala: I only have a few more days here at the beach with my friends - I would like to be more open tomorrow - does anyone have any concrete suggestions?

Paradise Tennant: lol go shoe shopping !!

Paradise Tennant: :))

Rowan Masala: LOL

Paradise Tennant: works for me

stevenaia Michinaga: start with a friendly god morning to eah person and hugs, hard not to be open with that as a beginning to your day

stevenaia Michinaga: *good

Rowan Masala: even if I don't feel huggy?

stevenaia Michinaga: especially then

Rowan Masala nods

stevenaia Michinaga: these are your friends :)

Paradise Tennant: hmm I would get up go for a walk by the water .. breathe .. and focus on each breathe and the sheer astounding wonder of it

Rowan Masala nods

stevenaia Michinaga: yes, appreciation

Paradise Tennant: and when you are alive to the awe it entails ..you will be able to look at your friends with that same wonder :))

stevenaia Michinaga: it;s always important to see the love in each of us, even if you don;t see it in yourself, it is there waiting to be found

stevenaia Michinaga: it;s not the love what wanes with time, it;s what you cover it with , that;s what needs to be removed

Paradise Tennant: :)) lovely thought steve

stevenaia Michinaga: been listening to the musical soundtrack from "Hair" ...Let the sun shine in"

Paradise Tennant: :))

Paradise Tennant: and maybe it is quite ok ..not to be filled with love on occasion .. this is a many life time pursuit .. uncovering our internal sunshine :))

stevenaia Michinaga: Avastu, do you have anything to add?

Avastu Maruti: nothing comes to mind

stevenaia Michinaga: smiles

Rowan Masala: thank you for your suggestions tonight

Paradise Tennant: thank you

stevenaia Michinaga: thank you for coming

stevenaia Michinaga: start with hugging yourself a little :)

Paradise Tennant: :))

Paradise Tennant: lol never can figure out how to use this thing ..but sending you a very big hug rowan lol

Rowan Masala: thank you, Paradise :)

Paradise Tennant: like waving alot .. it is easier :))

Paradise Tennant: you have one more day of holiday left ? I suspect you will find it goes very well indeed :))

Paradise Tennant: sorry a few days

Paradise Tennant: :))

Paradise Tennant: even better

Paradise Tennant: would you like to do a quick metta meditation together before you go .. say five minutes ? would that help .. always find meditating in groups is more powerful:))

stevenaia Michinaga: did that once saying those things Rowan mentioned, ended with a room full of smiling people

Rowan Masala: Paradise, may you be happy

Rowan Masala: may you be well

Paradise Tennant: lol i always start with my dog ! he is the easiest lol

Rowan Masala: may you be safe

Rowan Masala: may you be peaceful and serene

Paradise Tennant: rowan may you be happy

Rowan Masala: yes, I started with my cat, because it was too hard to start with me

Paradise Tennant: may you be safe

Paradise Tennant: may you be peaceful and serene

Rowan Masala: Avastu, may you be happy

Rowan Masala: may you be well

Rowan Masala: may you be safe

Rowan Masala: may you be peaceful and at ease

stevenaia Michinaga: Rowan, may you be safe...

stevenaia Michinaga: may you be happy...smiles

stevenaia Michinaga: and peaceful and at ease all day long

Paradise Tennant: steve may you be happy

Paradise Tennant: may you be well

Paradise Tennant: may you be safe

Paradise Tennant: may you be peaceful and at ease :)))

stevenaia Michinaga: Paradise, may you be happy and well.. and safe and at peace

stevenaia Michinaga: and at ease

Paradise Tennant: :))

stevenaia Michinaga: Avastu is all those things...smiles

Paradise Tennant: avastu may you be happy, may you be well , may you be safe peaceful and at ease :))

stevenaia Michinaga: and resting quietly

Paradise Tennant: well I am smiling !

stevenaia Michinaga: :)

Rowan Masala: yes - it was a very good idea, Paradise

Rowan Masala: thank you

Paradise Tennant: still smiling

Paradise Tennant: :))

stevenaia Michinaga: :)

Paradise Tennant: thank you

stevenaia Michinaga: anything else before I close the log for the evening?

stevenaia Michinaga: wb Avastu

Paradise Tennant: nope think it was pretty much a perfect way to close :))

stevenaia Michinaga: nice to see you again Avastu

Avastu Maruti: and you, my friend

stevenaia Michinaga: bye Paradise

stevenaia Michinaga: see you again soon Rowan

Rowan Masala: goodnight, all

Avastu Maruti: good night my friends

stevenaia Michinaga: night

Paradise Tennant: good nite avastu