On Holosync and Equisync

I initially started contemplating meditation thanks to the two programs listed above. They are both in the category of brain entrainment which attempts to use sounds to re-calibrate the brain. Both of the above companies like to say that using their programs allows relative newcomers to achieve the results of veteran meditators and how can you not like that?

So do they work? I've tried both and have had some good sessions along with some sessions that were pretty meh. I do think they might have some value but not when used exclusively or as a way to speed up the process. One of the things that I've come to understand about meditation and my own practice is that even the less than perfect sits accomplish something in furthering my understanding of who I am and what I am about and that's the goal. Better self-awareness leads to living a life that's truer to who I am and understanding that allows me to be more accepting, more loving of myself and others and (hopefully) out of that, the courage to make changes where and when necessary.

While I'm not doing away with the above tools, I am going to lay then to the side for a bit to see where the slow process takes me. Maybe at some point in time there'll be an opportunity for HS and ES but right now I'm sticking with the guided meditations from Mindful Worship, Insight Timer, Mindfulness I and Mindfulness II and see where that takes me.

By the way, this morning was from Mindful Worship and was a lovely 16 minute meditation on peace (as in the peace that you get from Jesus). Ricky Spears is the guide and his voice is just right and his meditations tend to linger with me which is nice. Sort of a residual buzz if you will.

"No bird soars too high if he soars with his own wings."

Credit the above line to William Blake and perfect for me when talking about the weekend. Saturday was the silent retreat and a day for taking a closer look at other ways to meditate (principally standing and walking). I found the silence to fit comfortably around me and the hard part was avoiding eye contact with my others. How is it possible for me to be in a place with so many nice people and not be talking to them? Yet I was and I was fine. As a matter of fact, I wish that we had ended the day in silence and went from the building that way, scattered of to re-enter whatever we were re-entering.

I went home to dinner and cats and a basketball game that I had a hard time getting up for and then the next day was a work-day so not a whole lot of time to reflect back but I know for sure I was better on Sunday for the experience of Saturday. Very much appreciate the community of SF Insight and most especially Marlena and Carol and their generosity and wisdom. This Thursday will be the last of the beginner's class and while that makes me a little sad, I would like to think that I've been prepared to be a big boy around meditation and that the tools that I've gathered along with the support of people I've only began to know will be enough to kick me down the yellow brink road of mindfulness a piece. I'll be back tomorrow to talk about another form of meditation I've not really talked about but that holds interest for me.

Peace.

Meditating with cats (Friday edition)

This morning's meditation was courtesy of Mindful Worship and was focused on Psalm 131. It's a short psalm but well suited for a morning meditation especially when Fernando (cat) decides to join me. His presence is comforting and the purr adds to the music that backs the guided meditation in a way that makes the soundtrack just right. As for the psalm itself and the way that it relates to meditation, the three verses all contain phrases that work well with the breath and very calming. Whether it is "I have calmed and quieted my soul" or the way the guide uses "O Israel, hope in the Lord from this time on and forevermore" substituting your own name or the name of a friend or even a place like a church, it's filled with simple but profound messages. As a christian meditator, I'm really enjoying the site and will see if this is something that I can use as a dedicated source for early morning quiet time and mindfulness. Tomorrow is an all-day retreat and I'm sure I'll have lots of thoughts to share though I might want to just sit on what I'm feeling for a little bit. Who know's what tomorrow will bring. For the moment I'm focused on today...

Permission to not focus on the breath.

My morning's meditation came from Insight Timer and was a 16 minute beginner's guide to Vipassana. I really enjoyed this meditation and part of the reason why was that it allowed for the possibility that being focused on the breath was not the only thing you might use as a baseline. It introduced the idea that there might be something else to center on: something sensory perhaps and that really worked well for me. I felt like having options allowed me to have a short, small list of things to focus on that were/are still in the moment (breath included) which made it a shorter route back to the breath. Don't know how much sense that makes but believe it makes sense for me so there!

Exploring different types of meditation

Two meditation discoveries yesterday: a walking meditation (three different guided meditations) and a site called Mindful Worship that offers a variety of free and paid meditations including a series on the fruits of the spirit (and where have I heard that before?). Did the walking meditation this morning and chose the one of the three that was focused on enlivening the senses (other two are enlivening the body and being fully present). The day is gorgeous even out in the hinterlands so I got a chance to focus on the air, the sounds of the street, the smells of the flowers and trees and occasional smoker. By the time I was finished with that I had caught up with a friend and we walked together the rest of the way picking a challenging route. Awake, aware, fairly calm... This afternoon or late morning I'll do a meditation from Mindful Worship (the fruit is gentleness) and will try and note my thoughts for all to share. This really is a journey!

The difference a day makes.

Yesterday was not only a Monday (my Tuesday) but it was cold and overcast and dreary enough to dampen my mood. I'm usually able to overcome stuff like the weather, but given my mood lately, it was easy enough to collapse into the greyness and have an all-around crappy day. Did do a small meditation but felt so roiled that if there was a moment when I was able to focus on my breathing it was gone before I had a chance to notice it was there. That was yesterday... Today I woke up too early, listened to the weather report, thought to myself, uh-oh but then stopped. Okay, if that's the way it's going to be, maybe I can do something different and maybe, just maybe if I am able to do that then the day will be different. That's when I noticed that the sun was shining. So the walk to work was good, got here in a different state of mind and then went about doing things differently. The difference in the day has been noticeable, my response to people has not been as miserable and so it's lunchtime and I'm starting to believe I'll survive the day. And yes, that means making my way down to the chapel sometime for a sit in the quiet and maybe a silent meditation to see how that feels. Or maybe I'll take the guitar and play my way into the calm! Nice to remember that I have choices around these things and just because it's grey outside doesn't mean I have to be grey on the inside.

Peace.

The thought for the day is courtesy of St. Augustine: "It is humility that makes men as angels, it was pride that changed angels into devils."

Meditating with cats

At last night's sit there was another mention of the Insight Timer so this morning I downloaded it and tried an 8+ minute breathing meditation led by Jack Kornfield. I realized a couple of things as I started: first was that the one of my two cats (Fernando) was going to be joining me and second, the window was still open from yesterday's very warm day. Neither one was a distraction and truthfully, they both helped stay focused on the breathing and the body. I was aware of the cool air and the warm fur (of the cat) and his purring was very calming so I ended up in a more comfortable place than when I started and for me that's a positive step. Like the app and figure I'll try it for a week and see where it leads me.