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