Sitting Together...Miles Apart.

Straight up, being with others - having shared experiences - is important. For Buddhists, the word 'sangha' is used to represent the collaborative spirit of individuals who study and practice together. In modern-day Christianity, the Greek term 'oikos' is employed to indicate a collection of individuals who through social interaction and commitment to mutual growth form familial bonds. A common thread for many spiritual and religious traditions is communing and practicing with others, underscoring the benefits of having a 'crew'. Shared practice is a means of accountability to self and others, as well as an awareness of others' presence on the path - whether seen or unseen. In essence, shared practice is both a comfort and a kick in the pants - avenues by which to foster one's intrinsic motivation to deepen practice.

For some, shared practice is a struggle; time, money, access all pose challenges on the path. Online networking, however, opens up shared practice to all and creates the space for communities of online practitioners to develop and grow.

The Online Meditation Crew (OMC) is a group of individuals who, through the wonders of technology and a common interest in shared practice, have bumped into each other along the path. The purpose of the OMC is to foster the meditation practice of the individual through the support and company of a crew. Anyone and everyone is welcome to come along on the journey. You can sit. You can walk. You can snuggle under the covers. Just be one with your meditative practice and one with the Crew in sharing your journey.

How do you become a member of the OMC?
- Everyday a Tweet will sing out into the interwebs calling for crewmembers to join together in meditation for 15 minutes (a notice on the Blog will be posted too).

- When the initial call to meditate goes out, crew members will be asked to reply with a 'CHECK-IN' message that they are ready to begin.

- Each individual will set a timer for 15 minutes and begin the countdown once the official 'BEGIN' alert goes out.

- Meditate, per usual.

- When the 15 minutes are up, another 'CHECK-IN' message will go out and all crewmembers will be asked to send back a reply (either in short on Twitter or a bit more lengthy in the comment section on the OMC blog).

Ready to get meditatin' with the OMC?