We named our podcast Meditation Oasis. The name came to Richard early on. Then we spent a lot of time brainstorming to find the "best" name, but Meditation Oasis stuck. We didn't realized that the name would have a life of its own. I recently did a search on iLike.com in order to "claim" our artist pages. Not only were we listed as Mary and Richard Maddux and Mary Maddux, but Meditation Oasis was there as well. When we started a page on MySpace a couple weeks ago, the only kind of page we could fit into was a "band" page and now we're a band called Meditation Oasis on MySpace! Instead of just "going with the flow", I found myself saying hey, whoa, is this really the name we want? Let's sit back and think this thing over. Maybe there's a better name. It's something about how I was raised. It's always been a challenge for me to buy the first thing I see. I can find the perfect pair of jeans right off, but end up having to try on all the rest "just in case". I measure my progress sometimes by my ability to go with the first thing that comes along when it feels just right. But this one really challenged me -- the name our work is coming to be known by. Life once again is challenging me to walk my talk (or I should say follow my own meditations!)

"Meditation Oasis" has a life of its own. Life itself is a life of its own. It's not mine to direct in what I may think is the "best" way. It happens. And once more, I'm learning to go with the flow.

As Lennon and McCartney once sang it, "Turn off your mind, relax and float down stream...".

Usually when I lead guided meditations, it's in person. Podcasting has been a very different kind of experience. In person, I see everyone's faces, I have a sense of "where they're at" with meditation, and I can feel the energy of the group and how it's responding during the meditation. There's an immediate kind of feedback mechanism. The meditations are created by the consciousness of the group.

When I record a meditation for a podcast, I know its also being created by the group, and yet I don't really know who is "out there". It's been great receiving emails, and they've helped me know what people are responding to and hoping for in future podcasts. One woman, for example, wanted some direction about coping with grief, and I plan to focus on that in a future podcast.

I'd love to hear from you -- you can leave comments here if you wish. Ultimately I know, however, that even if I don't hear from another person, we are meditating together in what, for me, is a most unexpected and delightful way. Thanks for visiting and thanks for listening!

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