Good morning. I have been in bed with migraine for 24 hours. Ok now, though a bit weedy. Sat two days running in the middle of the night, because that was the time I was awake and feeling like it. That was nice because very quiet.
Janice, if you can work out the time difference, I'm walking most days between 8.45 and 9.30 am and between 5.45 and 6.30 pm. What a sweet idea - I shall seek you in my mind as I walk...
Oh, Jean, sorry to hear about the migraine. I hope you feel better soon: being sick stinks, and headaches are the worst!
I woke up without an alarm just before 5 am this morning: pop! It was like my Inner Buddha knew it was Time to Practice even though Fridays are a sleep in day. Since I awake, I did bows & began to sit...until I remembered I'd be sitting again at 11am! So I sat for about 10 minutes before stopping, figuring I wouldn't want to cram in *too* much mindfulness into any given day. ;-)
I guess my Inner Buddha is more awake at 5am than my Inner Scheduler is!
Lorianne, "Cram" in too much mindfulness"! oh, you're too funny! -:)
Jean, sympathies, migraines are painful, long bouts. I missed you yesterday, and now I find out why, and I'm sad that you get these headaches and wish they would dissipate.
Years ago I used to get bad headaches that went on for perhaps a day, sometimes up to three days, so not so bad, then I learnt when I felt one coming on to stop everything, lie perfectly still, no lights, no sounds, my back very flat, tiny down pillow or none at all, and relax, and if I did this I could head it off at the pass. But I still needed some hours of absolute stillness, relaxation, no disturbance. The last couple of years I've even been free of the threat of a migraine.
Jean, so sorry to hear that you suffer from migraines. I have had bouts of bad headaches all my life, though not migraines. Changing my diet has been the most help, but stress and sinus problems are a factor too. Headaches are so debilitating. I'm so glad you're feeling better now.
Yes, Brenda, I think you, Lorianne, Leslee and I are in the same timezone. I have a conference call at 10:00 and am hoping to be off by 11:00, but I'm likely to be overlapping with Ruth. "See" you all later! (Good morning, Dale!)
Hello. I locked the office door and turned the light off and sat for 20 minutes, and was far away from there, and closer to you. Strange and nice. And no one knocked, though when I came out a package had been left outside the door...
Well, I got sidetracked getting my car inspected, something I was supposed to do *last* month. (So much for mindfulness!) The mechanic showed me a list of necessary repairs a little before 11, I okayed the work, then I set off to walk home with an umbrella through the rain.
(You should have seen the look of shock on his face when he offered to arrange a ride & I said no thanks. I figured walking meditation was better than nothing!)
After encountering a student with a question (I walked right by campus), I got home around 11:30, right when most of you were ending! But I sat a late 20 minutes anyway, figuring I'd be overlapping, perhaps, with other late-comers...and I still think that walking-with-umbrella meditation counts even if you're interrupted...
I was a little late actually sitting, though from 11am on I was already in-synch, focussed on you all. I came online into the noosphere, cybersphere, maybe 15 minutes late, sitting that is, quietly meditating, and I did feel a sense of a 'circle,' right across the globe, small and intimate and loving...and how very beautiful. xo
hello everyone...what a lovely thing to read of the start of the preparations! it's like christmas! I hope, Jean, your migraine took a break with you!
It is now 5pm GMT I think. The schedule is so unreliable here that I decided to take some time actually in the rehearsal as there is so much of it where we are simply sitting. It was only about 5 minutes before we were called upon to play again, ironically, but wierdly it felt far more concentrated than my pathetically scatty 20 thismorning when I was obsessed by a piece of hot milk skin lodged stubbornly in my throat.
Just being with you all accompanied by the hushed sounds of actors rehearsing the story of Cain and Abel was rather beautiful!
Thank you everyone for the amazing suppport in this practice and for all your different colours!
I sat with you all for 25 minutes starting around 11:10. About halfway through I decided suddenly to do some bows, to honor each one of you, so I bowed to each person by name, going around the globe, and then did an extra one in case I had forgotten anyone! This felt like a really good thing to do and was totally unplanned. Then I read Soen Joon's repentance litany, which felt perfect for today: a release of any negative energy I might have been feeling along with positive hopes for all sentient beings. I felt quite renewed at the end of this, after what has been a really difficult week, and filled with gratitude for life and for each of you.
So good to hear from all of you today about your experiences in preparation, sitting, and walking.
I did a two-for-one overlap … that is, a later sit with Ruth and Lorianne and Beth at 9 am PST (5 pm GMT) and a walk with Jean at 10 am PST (6 pm GMT). Hope I have the time zone conversions right by now … if I don’t, please don’t tell me. I’m happy in my ignorance.
Lorianne talked about walking meditation … and I certainly agree that this “counts”. For me, this is a means of really being present with nature and other sentient beings in a very profound way. Often, my heart feels more open and expanded when I’m outside, hearing with my eyes and seeing with my ears.
Beth, I send my gratitude for your bowing to each of us. Aitken Roshi was asked by a young boy as we walked down the stairs from the zendo, “the first of the Four Great Vows says, ‘the many beings are numberless, I vow to save them.’ How do you do that?” Roshi answered, “include every one.”
I drove up to Rocky Butte, a hill in east Portland that commands a view all around -- from Mt Hood to the middle Cascades; across the Willamette to the West Hills, & across the Columbia to Washington State, as far as the stump of St Helens. The sky was white and silver, with gray rain showers moving here and there underneath. Did a few minutes of walking meditation -- then I had to be off to work, had a presentation to give. But I was all alone up there, at 8 AM, so wasn't embarassed to do the really slow walking meditation.
I love thinking of the convergence, -- Jude at night, me in the morning, the eastern Americans in the late morning, the Europeans in the afternoon -- except it's all at the same time. I think these group sits may be the first time I've really completely believed that the world is round :-)
Dale, you put into words a sensation I've had but haven't been able to articulate!
Thank you, Beth, for your bows. I do not bow, but individually hold each one of you a couple moments in my heart. It's a nice feeling. How is it that when I love I feel loved?
So our next monthly sit, while I'm thinking of it, will be Friday, March 3rd, at 11pm GMT, i.e.
Fri, March 3, 3:00 pm Vancouver Fri, March 3, 4:00 pm Boise Fri, March 3, 6:00 pm Montreal Fri, March 3, 11:00 pm London Fri/Sat Midnight Berlin Sat, March 4, 8:00 am Tokyo Sat, March 4, 9:00 am Queensland
Did I miss anyone? Montreal is the same as "Eastern time" in Canada & the US, and Tokyo and Seoul share a time zone.
By the way, is including you Londoners as "Europeans" correct, in your books?
And Ruth, your time would be an hour ahead of Greenwich in the winter, so your time would be the same as Udge's, I think? (that seems odd -- it's a long way to Berlin!)
16 Comments:
Good morning. I have been in bed with migraine for 24 hours. Ok now, though a bit weedy. Sat two days running in the middle of the night, because that was the time I was awake and feeling like it. That was nice because very quiet.
Janice, if you can work out the time difference, I'm walking most days between 8.45 and 9.30 am and between 5.45 and 6.30 pm. What a sweet idea - I shall seek you in my mind as I walk...
and all of you in my mind later today.
I'll try and sit at 5pm GMT so anyone who is sitting later would be keeping me company!
Oh, Jean, sorry to hear about the migraine. I hope you feel better soon: being sick stinks, and headaches are the worst!
I woke up without an alarm just before 5 am this morning: pop! It was like my Inner Buddha knew it was Time to Practice even though Fridays are a sleep in day. Since I awake, I did bows & began to sit...until I remembered I'd be sitting again at 11am! So I sat for about 10 minutes before stopping, figuring I wouldn't want to cram in *too* much mindfulness into any given day. ;-)
I guess my Inner Buddha is more awake at 5am than my Inner Scheduler is!
Lorianne, "Cram" in too much mindfulness"! oh, you're too funny! -:)
Jean, sympathies, migraines are painful, long bouts. I missed you yesterday, and now I find out why, and I'm sad that you get these headaches and wish they would dissipate.
Years ago I used to get bad headaches that went on for perhaps a day, sometimes up to three days, so not so bad, then I learnt when I felt one coming on to stop everything, lie perfectly still, no lights, no sounds, my back very flat, tiny down pillow or none at all, and relax, and if I did this I could head it off at the pass. But I still needed some hours of absolute stillness, relaxation, no disturbance. The last couple of years I've even been free of the threat of a migraine.
Which is what I wish for you.
Be with you all in two hours!
Jean, so sorry to hear that you suffer from migraines. I have had bouts of bad headaches all my life, though not migraines. Changing my diet has been the most help, but stress and sinus problems are a factor too. Headaches are so debilitating. I'm so glad you're feeling better now.
Yes, Brenda, I think you, Lorianne, Leslee and I are in the same timezone. I have a conference call at 10:00 and am hoping to be off by 11:00, but I'm likely to be overlapping with Ruth. "See" you all later! (Good morning, Dale!)
See you all in half an hour!
Hello. I locked the office door and turned the light off and sat for 20 minutes, and was far away from there, and closer to you. Strange and nice. And no one knocked, though when I came out a package had been left outside the door...
Well, I got sidetracked getting my car inspected, something I was supposed to do *last* month. (So much for mindfulness!) The mechanic showed me a list of necessary repairs a little before 11, I okayed the work, then I set off to walk home with an umbrella through the rain.
(You should have seen the look of shock on his face when he offered to arrange a ride & I said no thanks. I figured walking meditation was better than nothing!)
After encountering a student with a question (I walked right by campus), I got home around 11:30, right when most of you were ending! But I sat a late 20 minutes anyway, figuring I'd be overlapping, perhaps, with other late-comers...and I still think that walking-with-umbrella meditation counts even if you're interrupted...
Love & good vibes to all!
I was a little late actually sitting, though from 11am on I was already in-synch, focussed on you all. I came online into the noosphere, cybersphere, maybe 15 minutes late, sitting that is, quietly meditating, and I did feel a sense of a 'circle,' right across the globe, small and intimate and loving...and how very beautiful. xo
hello everyone...what a lovely thing to read of the start of the preparations! it's like christmas! I hope, Jean, your migraine took a break with you!
It is now 5pm GMT I think. The schedule is so unreliable here that I decided to take some time actually in the rehearsal as there is so much of it where we are simply sitting. It was only about 5 minutes before we were called upon to play again, ironically, but wierdly it felt far more concentrated than my pathetically scatty 20 thismorning when I was obsessed by a piece of hot milk skin lodged stubbornly in my throat.
Just being with you all accompanied by the hushed sounds of actors rehearsing the story of Cain and Abel was rather beautiful!
Thank you everyone for the amazing suppport in this practice and for all your different colours!
I sat with you all for 25 minutes starting around 11:10. About halfway through I decided suddenly to do some bows, to honor each one of you, so I bowed to each person by name, going around the globe, and then did an extra one in case I had forgotten anyone! This felt like a really good thing to do and was totally unplanned. Then I read Soen Joon's repentance litany, which felt perfect for today: a release of any negative energy I might have been feeling along with positive hopes for all sentient beings. I felt quite renewed at the end of this, after what has been a really difficult week, and filled with gratitude for life and for each of you.
So good to hear from all of you today about your experiences in preparation, sitting, and walking.
I did a two-for-one overlap … that is, a later sit with Ruth and Lorianne and Beth at 9 am PST (5 pm GMT) and a walk with Jean at 10 am PST (6 pm GMT). Hope I have the time zone conversions right by now … if I don’t, please don’t tell me. I’m happy in my ignorance.
Lorianne talked about walking meditation … and I certainly agree that this “counts”. For me, this is a means of really being present with nature and other sentient beings in a very profound way. Often, my heart feels more open and expanded when I’m outside, hearing with my eyes and seeing with my ears.
Beth, I send my gratitude for your bowing to each of us. Aitken Roshi was asked by a young boy as we walked down the stairs from the zendo, “the first of the Four Great Vows says, ‘the many beings are numberless, I vow to save them.’ How do you do that?” Roshi answered, “include every one.”
I drove up to Rocky Butte, a hill in east Portland that commands a view all around -- from Mt Hood to the middle Cascades; across the Willamette to the West Hills, & across the Columbia to Washington State, as far as the stump of St Helens. The sky was white and silver, with gray rain showers moving here and there underneath. Did a few minutes of walking meditation -- then I had to be off to work, had a presentation to give. But I was all alone up there, at 8 AM, so wasn't embarassed to do the really slow walking meditation.
I love thinking of the convergence, -- Jude at night, me in the morning, the eastern Americans in the late morning, the Europeans in the afternoon -- except it's all at the same time. I think these group sits may be the first time I've really completely believed that the world is round :-)
Dale, you put into words a sensation I've had but haven't been able to articulate!
Thank you, Beth, for your bows. I do not bow, but individually hold each one of you a couple moments in my heart. It's a nice feeling. How is it that when I love I feel loved?
So our next monthly sit, while I'm thinking of it, will be Friday, March 3rd, at 11pm GMT, i.e.
Fri, March 3, 3:00 pm Vancouver
Fri, March 3, 4:00 pm Boise
Fri, March 3, 6:00 pm Montreal
Fri, March 3, 11:00 pm London
Fri/Sat Midnight Berlin
Sat, March 4, 8:00 am Tokyo
Sat, March 4, 9:00 am Queensland
Did I miss anyone? Montreal is the same as "Eastern time" in Canada & the US, and Tokyo and Seoul share a time zone.
By the way, is including you Londoners as "Europeans" correct, in your books?
And Ruth, your time would be an hour ahead of Greenwich in the winter, so your time would be the same as Udge's, I think? (that seems odd -- it's a long way to Berlin!)
Thanks, Dale, for planning the next synchronized sit, along with time chart. That's very helpful.
Thank you, Beth, for the bows. I love that you tossed in an extra one just in case, like leaving an extra Seder seat for Elijah!
And thanks to everyone for your practice, whatever form (and in whatever time zone) it takes!
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