[dms-discuss] Mindfulness & Computing follow up 5

[Emily Schleiner]

Hello gang,

Thank you for attending the fifth Mindfulness and Computing workshop. It
was great to take the group through our ‘Physical Awareness and Care’ day!

For anyone who missed this night and would like to stay caught up, we did
some mindful walking, did a guided meditation, and did some stretches for
computer users (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zq26tBSSHHI). We played the
game ‘Learn Git Branching’, with an eye towards physical posture and
comfort, drank some hot tea, and wrote a haiku about how our bodies felt
(some of us using the command line to make each word a directory). All of
the exercises were interspersed with mindfulness breaks and brought our
focus to physical sensations.

Goals for the day: Gently increase awareness of physical feelings and
observations. Address any feelings of discomfort with a slowed-down
kindness and care.

Discussion:

One person commented that they were struck by the uncertainty of not
knowing if the exercises were being done correctly during the workshop, in
large part because working with computers and behaving mindfully are very
different experiences usually.

We thought that this was an excellent observation. This workshop is
specifically venturing into new territory by trying to combine mindfulness
and computing, so this comment really acknowledges a specific awkwardness
and challenge that practitioners cultivate an awareness of during this
series. As counterintuitive as it may seem, gently becoming more aware of
all the multitude of feelings during moments of strain is a great
accomplishment when it comes to mindfulness. By then continuing to stay in
the moment, we can have a more full experience of our observations and
feelings (even especially feelings of awkwardness) and safely, warmly
experience feelings if or until they depart. The good news is that all
feelings and observations are a potential springboard for deeper and more
gentle inquiry. Those first moments of deliberate mindfulness are a huge
step in the right direction. (Hurrah!)

Mindful checkins during any activity can be a great way to release some
tension and become more aware throughout the day. The homework for next
time is to do:

   - a two minute mindful checkin twice a day
   - or write mindfully for 5 minutes noting your thoughts, feelings, and
   body sensations

Here are links to two 2 minute mindful checkin video:

https://youtu.be/w1EZ_hpnhDM
http://elishagoldstein.com/videos/mindful-check-in/

Next workshop day: Tuesday November 14th, 7:00pm (*Tomorrow!*)

Topic:  *Vision and Big Picture*
Looking forward to seeing you next Tuesday!

Thanks always,

-Emily and Rez

-- 
__________________________________
Emily Schleiner
cordial-emily.com
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