Board Thread:Role Plays/@comment-24487330-20140311194023/@comment-24487330-20140707213137

(Prior to focusing)

"Yeah, there is that, definitely," Camo admitted. "It's natural for people to want happiness and peace of mind and to dislike sadness and pain. What sets apart savants and savages, so to speak, is how one deals with the undesired bits...Take them in stride, use them to some advantage, ignore them outright, or consciously reject them...There are benefits and consequences to any approach. The key is to find the one that brings you into balance with yourself and with the world."

The archer was honestly enjoying this discussion with the newcomer; listening to his well-read opinions and comparing them to his own was quite refreshing. He made a mental note to as his name later, and with that thought came the realization that this group idea wasn't so bad after all. Maybe Gretel was right: maybe he should expand the group into an official community after all...For now, though, his focus was required to aid his current company, so he soon brought an end to their debate and began rifling off his instructions...

=
====

(Shortly after settling into position)

"It's not that difficult if you practice," Camo muttered just loud enough for the others to hear. "It's sometimes called 'butterfly posture' because of the way your knees bend are bent. It takes some flexibility, but I've been doing this for a while, so it's just something that comes naturally to me...Now, less chit-chat, more meditating."

=
=====

(After several minutes pass)

...Eventually, after all participants had some time to study their habits, they convened to discuss what they had discovered. Camo led the discussion, starting by outlining his plan. "OK, now we take a minute to talk things out, just like we discussed. I'll get us going, and we'll all take turns sharing what we experienced. Then our observer will compare that to what she witnessed. It's kind of a roundabout way to learn about yourself, yeah, but it's better than trying to figure it out on your own if you're just starting to practice meditation.

"For me...I think I've been getting this nervous tick lately. It's probably because there are so many people around here, but whenever I'm in a public place where other people are gathered, I catch myself twitching a little every so often. I think the same thing happened once or twice just now...That, and my nose was a little stuffy, but I'm sure you all noticed already. Sorry about that, by the way." Concluding his self-assessment with a little levity, Camo turned to the trainee he had been talking to earlier, expecting him to follow suit...