Last year we conducted an experiment. After months of feedback from clients and colleagues about the relentless burden of stress they face with our current economy, their businesses and the world in general, I decided to host a series of calls with my dear friend and business partner, Dan Spinner, Former CEO of Deepak Chopra’s Foundation. The series is Guided Mediation from a Master; Transforming Stress.

You can listen to our calls here:

Call 1(4/9/2009)
Call 2 (4/22/2009)
Call 3 (5/6/2009)
Call 4 (5/27/2009)
Call 5 (6/11/2009)

It started when I sent out an e-mail on short notice to a small group of people with a simple invitation, and a vague date and time. Dan and I sorted out our schedules and settled on a time for the call a couple of days ahead of time, and I then sent out another e-mail with very little notice for the call, which was held at 7PM PST (late for a lot of people).

Almost 30 people were on the call! And the feedback I received in the hours that followed were simply incredible. We decided to continue the calls for as long as they are helpful. Over the past week a community has emerged! The mediations have been transformative and the dialogue with our meditation community is always a joy.

I would like to express my appreciation for everyone’s presence on our calls. It is both a comfort and a joy to be among a community of people who show up with openness and inquiry. Some, who started as skeptics, have had profound experiences. Others, who were experienced in meditation, have risen to new levels. Some have taken naps.

I would also like to express my gratitude for Dan’s awesome guidance and teaching. Dan is a deep spiritual well. His skills are broad and deep. Parts of our calls are Q&A, and Dan connects fully with each person’s feedback and questions. We try to keep Q&A to brief questions in order to allow more people to ask questions and to provide feedback.

It’s important to note that during or after a guided mediation such as this, the questions and insights that individuals express during the Q&A period are generally insights and questions that relate to everyone and are part of the community and energetic flow that comes with group guided meditation. Sometimes guided mediations can cause sleepiness, impatience or even dissonance or physical discomfort. The temptation might be to quit the call, which is OK. But it is important to try to hang in there through to the end. A moment of silence pondering someone else’s issues or insights can be profound path of learning and inquiry into one’s own life.

We welcome your questions and insights as they occur after the mediation. But there is no need to comment. Our meditations are flexible, where you can feel free to get up an get a glass of water or if sleepy, to take a nap. Every journey is unique. If you have questions, please contact us and we will be pleased to arrange a time to talk and follow up.

This is an experiment, and we want your feedback and comments. Please send an e-mail with comments, or insights you think would improve the experience and ideas that you have that could make the next call better.

Thanks for being a part of our group, until we talk again, I wish you,

NamasteCowabunga!

(Translation: the soul in me honors the soul in you in this journey of inquiry; and Surf’s Up!! Dive in! The water’s great! The bigger the wave, the better the ride!)

Stewart Borie & Dan Spinner