07 September 2010

An Open Question to the Crew

Who is the Online Meditation Crew and what do we do?

All voices welcome. Comment below.

8 comments:

  1. From my perspective, we are simply people who are all helping each other to get by and progress along the middle path. We support each other and talk to each other, and generally just have fun and meditate.

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  2. reposted from my blog post about the #OMCru

    I’m sure by now, those of you who use Twitter, have seen quite a bit of the #OMCru which stand for, you guess it, Online Meditation Crew. For those that haven’t seen the hashtag being used, here’s the low down… (description taken from Online Meditation Crew blog)

    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.

    So how do you join in with the crew? Simple… join Twitter and follow some members of the crew. At the bottom of this post, there is a list of folks to follow that way it’s easy to find them.


    And then, just look out for calls to meditate. Usually you will see a shout out using the #OMCru tag asking anyone if they #wannasit. The shout outs are usually done 15 minutes in advance of the sitting session.

    Once the meditation begins you… well… you meditate like you normally do. Usually, folks only meditate for 15 minutes, but if you sit longer feel free, they are no rules to the meditation time wise.

    After your session, head back to Twitter and check-out. Anytime you make an announcement or try to grab the attention of the crew make sure to use the hashtag #OMCru.

    For more info check out the Online Meditation Crew’s first post “Sitting Together Miles Apart!”

    Hope to sit with you soon!!

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  3. I have recently joined the crew. For me it's a chance to practice taking refuge in the Sangha. I study with a teacher and usually a few other people meet together, but this is how I can practice my daily refuge of the triple gem. For me, I gain knowledge of others' practices and learn from their experiences. The Buddha did say to experience the truth for one's self and I believe that this is a good way to do this. I get to see the Buddha's Dhamma at work in all of the members of the crew through their daily tweets and blogs. I think it's also great how respectful everyone is of each others' paths. No one is dictating a certain belief or tradition but rather it a shared community of refuge. I really appreciate that.

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  4. I feel the crew is an amazing support group for my practice and beliefs. We have a lot in common and a lot of differences. This is what Buddhism is about. It is about accepting people for who they are and encouraging and fostering compassion in on another. The crew is the best thing on the internet for me. It has made my practice more fulfilling, especially since I have no group locally to join. I love the support and caring of this group. I could gush for days but I will leave with this on passing thought and that is that the Crew is Buddhist support at its finest.

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  5. I had wanted to meditate for a long time, but never got the self-discipline required to begin and sustain a practice regimen. I had also been looking for an online sangha/resource where I could get my newbie Buddhism questions answered. When I saw the OMC blog, it was like a bolt of lightning hit me out of the blue. Here was a way I could sit, and I would have the motivation to keep it up while I was nurturing the self-discipline to sustain.

    I've been sitting with the group for almost a month, and it's been even more than I had hoped for. Even though we are not in the same physical room, the energy that is present during the sessions is just amazing. And the people who are involved are the best! They have been available to answer questions, have pushed (nudged) me when I needed it, and have provided support (whether they realized it or not).

    I like that it is developing organically. When I first started there was just one organized sit. Then some people wanted to sit after work hours, and started the evening crew. And that was fine. I like that anyone can send a shout-out whenever they need to, and there is always someone to sit with. And that's okay, too. It's not about ego, it's not about control. It's about supporting each other as we walk the path.

    I seem to have drifted away from the original question, but that's just the beginning of what the OMC means to me. I think all of those above me have answered the question better than I could have.

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  6. sangha is 100% of the practice. the OMCru is a spontaneous, joyful, mettahead laden, twangha. when you sit, we sit with you. gets us out of self; out of no time to sit; out of separation. does not matter the path, there is only the path; so wannasit with the crew?

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  7. I am so grateful to and for the OMCru! I can't sit often at the planned sessions, but the fact that there are shout outs happening at all times of the day, and knowing that when I'm sitting there are probably others sitting with me, is just great! It is just the right sangha for me right now :)

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