Small Things Alison
Meditations on WhatsApp
Small Things Alison
Meditations on WhatsApp
Once upon a time, pre-pandemic, I was a yoga teacher. Now I have taken the parts I especially enjoyed, body scan, focus on the breath, settling in at the beginning of class and the longer guided meditations/visualizations/stories and poetry at the end, and put them together in a group called Small Things Alison on WhatsApp.
If a meditation practice is something you've been wondering about, if you're wanting to escape, find balance, your breath, a bit of mindfulness, quiet your mind, or simply get some sleep, then Small Things Alison might fit the bill: a variety of short meditations/visualizations, freely given, to help us through this unsettling time.
Random comments:
"Your voice and meditations are a wonderful blessing."
"Actual meditating had always been a chore for me. Didn't feel right, didn't do it enough and I was restless and the end wasn't relaxing - more stressful. But somehow yours are different. Thank you!"
"I wanted to let you know that your meditations have been a blessing for me. I had a HORRIBLE day last week and it was leading to a sleepless night. It was early morning and I started replaying your meditation. It gave me a couple of hours of sleep."
The meditations show up as a voice message on WhatsApp, Monday, Wednesday, Friday with sometimes an extra one on the weekend, for you to listen to whenever you please. The app is strictly for the meditations. The meditations will begin for you from the date you sign up. Once you're signed up, I have no way of knowing whether you are listening or not, so you need not feel obliged. And of course you can leave the group at any time. There is no charge.
HOW TO JOIN
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Open WhatsApp.
If you don't already have it: go to the App Store and download WhatsApp Messenger. It's free!
Agree and Continue to Terms of Service.
You can either join through Facebook or through your phone number.
Enter your name and/or profile pic. (Really helpful, because if your phone number isn't in my contacts, I only see you as an impersonal number).
Then click here to join the group Small Things Alison; its icon is a green chrysalis because right now we are all in the chrysalis...
Meditation: "This being human is a guest house. / Every morning a new arrival." Rumi
Meditation: "This being human is a guest house. / Every morning a new arrival." Rumi
Yoga has always been more than simple exercise to me: the calming effects on the mind intrigue me. Yoga naturally led to an interest in meditation, which eventually led to annual ten day silent retreats. I've attended workshops all over the L.A. area with luminaries such as Thich Nhat Hanh, Amma the Hugging Saint, Jack Kornfield, and Sharon Salzberg. The psycho-spiritual search continues with Voice Dialogue, Family Constellation, art and SoulCollage®, and small (mostly Buddhist) meditation groups. Always, yoga is the constant: so many teachers over the years offering their different styles: physically challenging classes, fun classes, restorative classes, classes heavy on ritual and chanting and breath work.
When I turned 60, I took the plunge and completed Yoga World’s 200 hour teacher training with Gabriel Hall. I continue to find my own voice. I incorporate the teachings of many of those early teachers who so inspired me, but my preferred style is gentle yoga, with an emphasis on awareness of the body, breath and mind, closing with a guided meditation or visualization or really good poem.
And since yoga is at a standstill for me right now due to the pandemic, I have taken the parts I especially enjoy teaching, the body scan, focus on the breath, settling in at the beginning of class and the longer guided meditations/visualizations at the end, and created ongoing meditations in a group called Small Things Alison on WhatsApp. If you wish to join, open or download WhatsApp and click on this link.