Sunday, December 23, 2007

Mindful Explorations

Today, I enjoyed a personal day in-world. I took my 'health & fitness correspondent' hat off and devoted time exploring my virtual self. Who is Kix? What is my purpose in this second life? Do I extend across various dimensions? Do I exist autonomously or am I a part of something greater? (Are these even my own thoughts?)

My afternoon began with a group Tai Chi session. I've always enjoyed participating in Tai Chi in a group. A powerful energy is often generated during a synchronous practice, everyone moving in unison. I spent a solid 15 minutes intensifying my practice - listening to the sounds of the birds chirping and water flowing in the park and simply being conscious through every posture.


Later, I discovered OkoKun Meditation Island (98, 138, 30)! What a delightful find! A wonderful place to learn and expand your knowledge on meditation and mindfulness practice. In fact, I attended an introductory lesson on meditation where the discussion focused on moving from "a pointed mind" towards "no mind" - interesting.

I sat quietly, absorbing these ideas, quickly becoming aware that I was actively still processing these concepts... then, I was thinking about the fact I was having thoughts about how I was processing these concepts... recognizing that in order to realize these concepts, I had to let my realizations go... easier said, than done... I resorted to start by focusing on my breath, first... inhale, exhale.

I loved my day today!

Friday, December 21, 2007

Santa, Baby!



In keeping with the holiday spirit, I bought myself a Santa hat. What do you think? Do you think Santa will like it? LOL. Maybe my wish will come true this year...

I went shopping today and I must say, the holiday decorations in SL are looking quite fantastic! I look forward to experiencing the holiday season in-world this year!

Friday, December 14, 2007

American Cancer Society

SecondLife can be more than just a social network for different health communities. American Cancer Society has sponsored a place for SL residents needing support with their disease. It’s called Hope Island.

I went to Hope Island today and sat down with Synergy Devonshire, Program Director for ACS-SL. I wanted to learn a little more about this unique virtual environment and the resources it’s providing to its community. “We offer survivor and caregiver chats, a buddy network, and lectures by qualified medical professionals,” says Devonshire.

As long as you respect everyone’s privacy, residents are allowed to express themselves openly. Those going through cancer treatments (and therefore feel sensitive about they way look), may find this platform to be a positive way to address their concerns and feelings. “There is no risk of being seen, or [display] unwanted emotions face-to-face,” she says. Voice-enabled chat also helps create more compassionate relationships.

Next time you’re in SL, check out the Hope Island campus. It’s absolutely gorgeous!

Thursday, December 6, 2007

Sporty Kix

What do you think of my new workout outfit and Nike shoes?

Tuesday, December 4, 2007

Wellbeing Conference: Body, Mind, and Soul 2007

I attended the WellBeing Conference on Saturday afternoon at the Cove (location: Xenia 140, 71, 21). Although I could not be present at all of the sessions and festivities (see my posts on the Worlds AIDS day and ECONOMAN Triathlon), I did get the opportunity to reconnect with fellow health and wellness professionals and sit in on a couple of different lectures.

Most of the presenters were already health and wellness professionals in their real-life. In this case, SecondLife served as another platform to communicate their health messages and ideas. The conference covered topics on coping with cancer, alcohol addiction, HIV, spirituality, meditation. (Click on the schedule to view full conference events.)

I attended Rivka Thorne's presentation on "Your Body's Best Friend: Practical Steps Towards Embracing and Supporting your Physical Self." She reiterated the importance of listening to your body and trusting your instincts. After all, you're the only one who knows you best. And I think this is especially worth remembering in a time where there is a lot of skepticism about our nation's healthcare. By trusting the messages from our bodies, we can develop healthier habits and ensure our longevity.

Avalon Birke (a SL and a RL counselor) discussed "Virtual World - Real Emotions." Her lecture was supported by the belief that "our perceptions make up our reality." So, if your experience discomfort, sadness, happiness in a virtual community - it's no different than experiencing those feelings in a RL environment. Your brain won't know which is stimulated by 'virtual' versus 'real' world. Avalon's work experience in SL have ranged from counseling RL clients with their RL issues via SL (much like e-counseling) to SL clients with their SL issues (such as relationships between avatars). In fact, sometimes she sees patients who are struggling with maintaining both their SL life and RL life.

The expo was small, but effective (yes, there was an expo - what's a conference without an expo, right?) American Cancer Society had a booth promoting their "Relay for Life." There was representation from SL Wellness Coaches and Hope Island (SL's Cancer Surivors).

I wonder if the conference hosts administered an evaluation. It would be interesting to gather feedback on the attendee experience. In other words, does attending a virtual health conference an effective medium for delivering health messages and promoting wellness? If so, how effective is it?

I hope there are more events like this to come. I would definitely attend another one!

Saturday, December 1, 2007

World AIDS Day 2007

Many events and activities in SL were promoting World AIDS Day 2007 today, although I couldn't make it to all of them. Around lunch time I attended a forum facilitated by Rinken Flow, originator of the SL Nyumba Rafiki Community Center (a meaning house for friends). Rinken discussed the issues and concerns for those with AIDS/HIV. Topics included medications, job security (absences due to regular doctor visits), politics and healthcare in regards those living with the disease.

"The NRCC has been present in SL for 2 months," according to Rinken. When people began confiding to Rinken about their HIV-positive status, he knew an SL community would be beneficial to residents. The center offers support for those with HIV/AIDS, as well as, welcomes anyone dealing with or wanting to learn more about the effects of the disease. Rinken hopes to create a RL non-profit version of the NRCC in the future.

I asked Rinken what he believed were the advantages to a person dealing with AIDS/HIV in a virtual culture. He stated that people were much more comfortable in sharing and discussing certain issues in the SL environment, especially if they hadn't 'come out' with their condition to RL friends and family.

I suspect SL develops the confidence needed to deal with RL consequences of the disease - be it emotional, social, physiological. However, I have yet to see any academic research qualifying the specific impacts of these virtual communities. But continued eductation and heightened awareness of health-related issues - in real or second life - is always a valuable effort.

Economan SL Triathlon!


What a great way to start the month of December: cheering on the athletes at the Economan SL Triathlon! It was encouraging to see the athletes tackling the challenging course on a brisk winter morning. Two laps of swimming, 2 laps of cycling, 1 lap of running! Because I had never participated in a SL Tri before, I opted to cheer from sidelines. Naturally, I brought my camera and took pictures of the event. Unfortunately, most of them didn't turn out too well because the athletes whizzed by me so fast!

If you would like to find out more about the SL Triathlon club, check out their landmark (Kona Island 39, 47, 23). Their studio offers a workout room, spinning classes (Tuesdays and Thursdays at noon), yoga and meditation spaces, and a retail shop for gym clothes and Nike shoes!

Good job to everyone who successfully completed the race!
I look forward to competing next month!

Morning Coffee

I'm up early this morning - enjoying my morning coffee at one of my favorite SL cafes: The Open Latte Coffee Shop (252, 218, 26).

Today will be an active day for yours truly. I have a lot of traveling to do. First thing on my agenda is the SL EconoMan Triathlon. I won't be participating this time because I haven't trained for it (meaning I haven't had time to create my swim, bike animations). But I'll definitely be on the sidelines cheering on the athletes. Winner gets L$300 (which is just under US$1).

Then I'll head on over to the World AIDS day celebration.
There will be speakers and roundtable discussions about AIDS/HIV. And of course, a dance party!

Finally - something I'm really excited about - the WellBeing Conference at the Cove. This conference will focus on Real Life personal well being. Sessions and discussions are designed to teach ways on improving your life on in various dimensions of wellness - specifically, the body, the mind and the soul. Of course, another dance party at the end of the day!

I will be blogging about my SL events throughout the day. If you have any questions, feel free to comment or email me directly - or come find me in SL.