Practice Order

In what order does one go in social meditation? There are several options we can use to define the practice order.

The order that we go in changes depending on the type of practice we're doing, how many people are participating in the practicing, etc. Here, we'll highlight the different order potentials that exist within the broader Social Meditation framework.

Sequential

With the Sequential Order–also known as Round Robin–there is a fixed order as one person goes after the next. When it's your turn, then you go!

Spontaneous

With the Spontaneous Order–also known as Popcorn Style–there is no fixed order. Whenever you feel moved, you go.

Synced with the Breath

When the order is synced with the breath, this means that you follow the instruction when you get to a particular point in your breathing cycle, including either:

1. Synced with the In Breath–which means that you follow the instructions when you get to the top of your next inhalation.

2. Synced with the Out Breath–which means that you follow the instructions when you get toward the bottom of your exhalation.

3. Synced with the In & Out Breath–which means that you follow the instructions when it reaches both the top of the inhalation and again when it reaches the bottom of the exhalation.

There is another consideration when doing a practice which is Synced with the Breath, and that is when you say something aloud. Much like the Sequential and Spontaneous order's above, there are two variations for when you can say something out-loud, and these include:

• Taking Turns - In this variation each person takes turns, one at a time. When you follow the instruction is still synced with your breath, but you'll need to do it internally, until it's your turn to go.

• Each Breath - In this variation, every time you reach the next phase of your breath, where it's your turn to say something aloud, you go. In this variation it's ok if you sync up with other people who are also going at the same time.