This is beautiful...  and moving...  Thanks for sharing... 

---Albert

My computer (cable probably) is having trouble staying connected so sorry about not being at the big house longer Sun.  I had a lot to share.  How was it?

Glad you posted this here. Thank you.

The young girl's video is sincere and uplifting.

Rob:  The Big House was great as usual...  it is, right now, in my opinion, the core of what this site gives to the world... 

Of course, it was definitely important, rich and deep work that we did this past Sunday.... 

The center of the group has become quite strong......and we continue to deepen in our growing honesty and vulnerability ...becoming the change, in our beings, day by day... step by step...honoring and respecting each of us as we make this journey... in each our own way.... towards our own inner revolutions of spirit, truth, and heart... an impact that, I believe, ripples outward far beyond the radar of mass media... and all the more powerful as it turns and touches the human soul...

Blessings to you,

---Albert

thanks rob

Albert,

Your words are touching.  I need to read this post again and again to absorb the meaning to me, to the circle, to the community.  You are so articulate.  Thank you for expressing so clearly what the experience of the Big House truly means to me.

Love, Mindy 

...that the virtual Big House has become the core of the site. We are lucky that we have self-discovered enough people, who are committed to the practice, that we have gained a "critical mass." In fact, we have made the first page of Google search results for Gestalt practice, mostly because so many people have taken the time to review the summary of Chrissy's teachings. So the Big House, and our practice, have gained traction on the Internet. Everybody who has participated over these months deserves to feel satisfied with our accomplishments. Everybody who has "shown up" has made a real contribution.

I think that a bit more attention can be paid to the Meditation House. For me the two go hand in hand -- Gestalt practice and insight meditation. And shared meditation periods are another way we can transcend space, in the same way we do in the Big House. The Meditation House currently doesn't share the natural coherence of conferencing technology. We must rely upon our shared desire to sit together. Perhaps it would be a good idea to rethink our sitting times. I have noticed that Steve sits in the Meditation House in the early morning, and Dorothy sits at night.

I certainly don't mean to discount the other ways we make community, from blogs to chat to tunes. But our on-line practice is what makes our community unique.

I support this idea John and could use the structure of having a committed time for "sitting".  Sometimes I am able to close my door at work and put a Do Not Disturb sign on the door for the mid-day sit.  I do not know if there is a time that could work for all of us.  Maybe starting with a weekly commitment to sit together as we do in the Big House would make sense.  I believe the original thrust of the meditation house (or so it seemed to me) was a sit for Natalia twice a day with an even greater audience as our times coincided with those of others off site.  Perhaps going back to that basic would be effective.  Sometimes when I sit I do not sign in.   I wonder if others do the same.

It is wonderful to see how many folks light candles throughout the day. That is a place of great activity even when it is quiet elsewhere.

Since I live in Austria I have a different time.

However, I want to share with you that I have this "sitting" every day. No matter, how busy the day is, I always keep an hour for my "nap". In reality it is my time to medidate, to pray, to be Esther-pure. This is the time when I feel connected to the Source and to the physical reality.

I am self employed and my office is just 5 steps across the hall from my appartment - so it is easy for me to keep this "sacred" time.

Please just know, that in this way I do join our "sitting" in the Big House!

This thread has travel some apparent distance from the original post... The Big House and Meditation House are what stand out for me as unique to what is going on in the virtual world of community building and community practice. I encourage anyone new to Gestalt Practice (or for that matter well experienced) to take a look at the well written concise articles that are posted in the Gestalt Alternatives Group

...I think we all know that you are here with us. I certainly enjoy seeing you show up.

You know, there are a couple of famous Kalyfornian's who come from Austia. (just kidding) It ain't exactly Bhutan. I've acutally been to Vienna. (I'd kind of like to visit Bhutan, too, but that's a different blog.) I have the greatest respect for some of those important Viennese inventions, like Chocolate Cake and Whipped Cream.

I think our virtual Big House meetings are at 9:30pm (21:30) CET on Sunday. That may be a little late for you, I know. But all it takes is a microphone, and ideally a webcam. The Flash software is a free download from Adobe. I'm sure Albert would be willing to consult with you about technical issues. What time of day do you meditate?

I usually meditate for an hour anytime between 2 pm and 6 pm GMT. I think this is 5 am and 9 am CET - right?

Anyway, I think it doesn't really matter that I am not actually joining you - as long as I keep being with this wonderful group in my thoughts - what do you think? 

Just imagine that by magic a virtual chocolate cake (Sacher, of course) is emerging out of your computer screen - and enjoy it! I am sending it with love! :-)

Best greetings from Vienna, Esther

You are here with us. (Anyway, it is all the same time. Now!)

Thanks for the treat! Yummy!

Thank you for the wonderful video.

Is there a way to save it? I work a lot with children of this age and I would love to show it to them.

Thank you! 

Best greetings from Vienna, Esther

It could be that more folks are sitting at the same time and not signing in at the meditation house or using the mediation house.  Esther, if you were to sign in it might be that you are sitting at the same time as some of the rest of us.  It's cool to know other people are meditating at the same time.  I like that sense of connection.

Mindy

hum should I hit reply or do a new post

ESTHER -- just give them this link.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5g8cmWZOX8Q

(But warn them You-Tube could have some other videos that might not be for all audiences).

nice review....of gestalt practice

I know that this has been quite a widely diverging thread.... but I deeply appreciate the range of thoughts and considerations here. 

John / Mindy:  I am definitely open to reconfiguring the sitting times.... though I am sure that we will not be able to find one time that fits everyone.  [Except for the time... of "now" :-) ]

Perhaps we should meditate on what good times might be. :-)  And see what emerges from spirit.

[stream of consciousness]...As I sit with this, I sit and wonder about what are the times that feel sacred to me....   sunrise, sunset... the moments just before sleep... the moments just after waking up... I think there might be certain times of day that have a field around them....  I am thinking that there are actually scheduled meditations that are led by [Daniel Bianchetta] Danny B in the actual meditation house at Esalen on Wednesday evenings... I think it is Wednesday at 6:30PM PST... maybe not the easiest time for some... families and feeding kids... but also there is something about sitting... [or even taking a momentary breath in awareness]... when knowing that other people are sitting... as a way of plugging into the field somehow.... to a place we might have known or been... with people who we know are also sitting... with us... even though distance separates us, we may still be joined connected as one.

I am not, in the least, wedded to this Wednesday evening idea.... but thought I would float it out there for people to consider.   What are the times of day that feel sacred for you...

There are, of course, no times that will work for all of us... but I think there are rivers of flow that open up in the world at certain points in time and we can do well to ride them... or even be aware of them as they are happening in the world, even when we are otherwise in the hub-bub of our lives....

Blessings to you all,

Albert

Well...we are still in the early stages of community formation. I have to remind myself of that. Maybe something works, and maybe it won't. I'm trying to see the nodes around which we organize. Like the eddies that you see at the edge of a river. The Big House and the Meditation House are two eddies.

I very much like the idea of sitting with Danny. I have always enjoyed sitting with him. We both were in a 5 day sit with an RC Monk (not Bro. David) back in 1980, that was important to me. Anyway, if we could sit with him that would be great. He wouldn't need to log on. If somebody (Steve?) could talk with Danny and confirm the time, and perhaps have Danny recognize our presence with him, I think that would set things up. Then we (I) could log on to sit with Danny in the Meditation House (where, lets face it, he actually used to live!).

Anyway, I'm trying to get a feel for natural clusters. (It's like looking at those scatter graphs of correlations.) It looks like Steve sits a little after 7am PST. Monte and Carol seem to like to sit around then. It looks like Dorothy logs in around 9pm PST, which must be around midnight her time.

I agree that there probably won't be an ideal time for everybody. There may be several natural cluster points in a day. And I'm not suggesting a straight jacket. I'm looking for natural convergences that more people might gravitate towards. Once a week, like Wed. evening sitting with Danny, might be a great way to gather in a group, and maintain contact with the Big E.

Anyway...

The Wednesday evening idea is a sound one. To synchronize with the Esalen meditation led by DannyB makes sense. Perhaps we could consider it a new experiment. Again, if folks in our virtual community are able to check in, there is a heightened sense of contact. If not, I think that is reasonable as well. I'd like to give it a go Albert and am excited to hear what others will have to say. As usual you have come up with a wonderful possibility. I appreciate your presence of mind and heart. Thank you.

Love,

Mindy

as long as i've been going (20+ years) danny has done his wed & sat meditations at 8 pm (advertised time, but doesn't really start until 8:15 or a little before).  i LOVE the idea of a meditation at the same time as esalen's meditation house.  i periodically sit and chant with them from here (11:15 pm my time) - - - - have done so for years.  it feels good knowing danny & friends are sitting too. and to add the iThou community would be all the more special for me.  i'm going to leave a message for danny to verify the time.  love.

...this is exactly what needed to happen.

from cynthia via maryann:  sometimes 8, sometimes 8:15.  

Sounds great...  

Thanks to everyone for helping manifesting this into being...

Blessings,

---Albert

Dorothy, Cynthia, MaryAnn, and, of course, Rob!

Shall me make it Wed. at 8:15PT? or maybe both Sat. and Wed.? or just the one...

Although Rob has done a great service by hosting this negotiation (at the UN no less!) perhaps a more public announcement would be appropriate.

Definitely it should be added to the meditation house page (if possible Albert) as an experiment. I like the possiblity of sitting twice with Danny B's group. It lends some continuity to the Circle as it expands.

Love, Mindy

Yes, you're all absolutely right... Thanks to everyone involved :-) 

I think Wednesday at 8:15PM sounds great.  I'll put up a more public annoucement, as well as hang a sign in the meditation house, soon.  :-)

Blessings to you all,

---Albert

Full circle; touched by this video again.

 And what a wonderful, great and thought-inspiring video to bring back to us.

I did not see this the first time around.

Thank you, Rob.

What a voice this child has.  What a message. 

Plays well with others