Interesting - a memory ; when as a kid & not engaging my dad intuitively tapped behind my ears upward like that & I do remember clearly being able then to turn in ! It works .

Hi Harri, I feel you have answered your own question there. I absolutely love the practice of fives. I often use it in my practice, also. I am a particular fan of the breath ,as my anchor, so have been incorporating the two, especially recently, where my imagination has been going into overdrive and I have felt the need for some calm abiding. I'm sure it matters ,not a jot, how we practice as long as we practice. I tend to mix and match whatever I feel my body needs.at any given time. How lucky are we to have so many of Alistair's lovely videos to choose from. Looking forward to seeing you when we Zoom again. XX 🙏

Well, the truth is that you intrusive thoughts ARE conditioned by your day (but also by your body, the seasons, your history, the news cycle and the menstrual cycle - amongst a million other things). We can tie ourselves in a million knots trying to get the perfect set of conditions OR we can simply welcome in what’s there and be interested in that. As Pema Chödron says: start where you are.

Hi Erin. You can find any kind of music that has wide intervals. Or you might like to listen to these kinds of music not for pleasure but for their therapeutic benefit. Simply following the line of the Melody with your mind or - even better - singing along can break any resistance the dorsal and sympathetic states of arousal and collapse might put in the way of coming into the vagal state. For this exercise it’s more about the therapeutic effect than the aesthetic one.

Thanks for that @Harri Frost I think the rationale with always beginning with shamata is that our minds tend to be very turbulent and it's hard to "see" what is going on with a mind that is all scatty and obscuring. So we begin most meditation with something to focus the energy of the mind into something more perspicacious. The central Fives section is to train the mind to move from awareness of awareness (shamata) to awareness of phenomena (beingfulness) in a seamless and flexible way. Then the closing section is a more outward orientated section of beingfulness. Hope that makes sense.

Ah. So lovely to E-meet you Anita. You’re a very young looking 75. And delighted to have you in our little anxiety-busting community. Welcome! 😀🌈😀

Hi guys I’m back too! Can’t find how to get a photo onto my profile but I’m sure that’ll follow! Looking forward to the June online retreat! I’ll book as soon as I can figure out how the membership discount gets applied (which it may not for this one)! Love to all! xx

Hello Zana… it’s lovely to see familiar names. Hope you are well.

Hi Patti, hope you are ok? Good to see you here and we will see more!

Ah. Thanks. What’s your cats name? I’ll remember her too

Yes, this seems to work. However, I cannot access the recordings now since you put it in "dropbox"

Thank you for this reminder of all the unconditional love that we have received and continue to receive every single moment. I thank existence that gave me loving parents, sadly gone now, loving siblings and friends and loving teachers in all walks of life, you being one of them. Your open heart is always giving, and I am thankful for that.