Beth Upton: Wildflowers and Wanderings

 

Monthly update: Wildflowers and wanderings

Ayya Anuttara picking wildflowers, Burma

May 4, 2026: Hello, friends! Springtime is in full bloom here in Austin, Texas, as we find ourselves halfway through our third Buddhist meditation retreat.

It is an incredible pleasure to spend the month with an American group this strong — a testament to the dedication we have all put in over the past years, both in meditation and in service to the Sangha, the spiritual community.

• VIDEO: Disenchantment with the mundane world: Beth Upton as a Buddhist nun for ten years

As the wildflowers come out to play and our retreat deepens, I am left feeling surprisingly hopeful for the future of our growing community.

Like wildflowers: You must allow

yourself to grow in all the places

people thought you never would.

— E.V. Rogina

🌼 "Like wildflowers" E.V. Rogina (pinterest)

For those who are keen to join a retreat with me before the end of the year (and before I take a year off), the last opportunity will be a short retreat that I will be leading in Uruguay in October 2026.

Registration is open through May, and places will be distributed on a lottery basis with half of the places reserved for students from Uruguay. REGISTER.

For those patiently waiting for appointments with our wonderful team of teaching assistants, four out of five of them remain on retreat with me for the next two weeks. Please be patient as they enjoy some precious time to deepen their own practice. They will be back online towards the end of the month.

Good news! Eva will be back leading online Dhamma Circles with me through the first two weeks of May and the whole of June, 2026. We look forward to seeing everyone there to deepen our skills in this powerful work.

Book Dhamma Circles along with all of my online groups here. I will be spending the second half of May mostly offline as I travel from this beautiful mini-Burma here in Austin to Spain, London, and then to Hungary for the start of our June retreat. So be sure to get all of the instruction you need from me in the first half of the month.

Where will wildflowers wander?

Last month, you may remember, I did a session with the team at Sangha Live. The session was on deepening our relationships in practice. It was a joy to meet the group. If unable to join the session at the time, a recording is now available. WATCH.

 

On Thursday May 14th I will be hosting the next Ask Me Anything group call. This call is open to everyone. It is a chance to ask all the questions you’ve always wanted to ask. Come along in the spirit of the Dhamma. Ask me anything, and I will answer almost anything. Book a place on the call HERE.

Sacred stupa (reliquary mound) in Burma

Our next Service Team Call will be on Wednesday, May 20th, 2026 — a chance for our Service Team to catch up and regroup after this season of service at Sitagu to learn and grow more deeply in our service to the Dhamma [the historical Buddha's Doctrine as preserved in the Pali canon]. If interested in joining the Service Team, find out more HERE.

Full Moon Gatherings

Full Moon Gatherings with Beth Upton

On Sunday, May 31st, 2026, Beth Upton will be hosting our next Full Moon Gathering. This month’s topic will be on the much requested subject of food — something we all need to deal with every day. Come share struggles and wisdom as we support one another through this tasty topic. Book a spot at the gathering HERE. As always, our Sangha Support groups are open to everyone and are here to keep everyone resourced and motivated in the Dhamma.

Join Josipa, Ricardo, Iva, Jonathan, Laura, Ayya Ahimsa, Joe, and Isabelle for online group sittings, Dhamma study, accountability, and parts work. If interested in leading a Sangha Support group, APPLY HERE.

E. V. Rogina on setting fire to her work

Last but not least, my one-on-one availability has now been updated through May 2026. These appointments are made available ONLY through the newsletter and tend to book up very quickly, so if interested, get on it without delay.

Because my one-on-one time is very limited, out of consideration for the community as a whole, please use this time only for things that cannot be easily addressed in a group setting. Book an appointment.

All of my work is given on a donation (dana) basis, which means that all of this is only possible because of generous voluntary support. Support this work.

With metta and gratitude, Beth Upton

• Beth Upton (Monthly updates: Wildflowers and Wanderings by Beth Upton), edited by Dhr. Seven, Wisdom Quarterly, Pa Auk Sayadaw students

Going Zen at home with Jennifer Garner

Balance: Taoist-Buddhist yin-yang symbol showing the seeds of the opposite on each side

Let's go to Jen Affleck's house to help her.

(Homes & Garden) Thoughts of a Los Angeles "farmhouse" may not immediately lead to a Zen Garden (or, more specifically, a pool area), but Hollywood actor Jennifer Garner has just challenged our conventions.

The actress's pared-back exterior space (architecturally designed by Steve Giannetti) makes a case for minimalist garden design – most notably thanks to its lack of planting, poolside furniture, and accessories.

• The Zen of Jen (and Ben) | Marie Claire She's the nicest girl in town, but as a newish mom in 2007 and as Ben Affleck's wife, Jennifer Garner is finally learning to show some steel. Now in 2024 he's miserable because Latin dreamboat Jennifer Lopez has dumped him again, so Jen and Matt Damon have to keep him off the ledge.

(Live_Online #A) Jen Garner does a live at home guided meditation
with r. Chelsea online: Forgiving a piece of yourself (Feb. 17, 2021).

However, despite the absence of decoration, Garner's pool area is anything but boring. Instead, it's soothing, grounding, and designed so that the wood (from both the house and the decking) can take center stage.

• Zen is a Japanese word from Chinese (Chán). The Korean (Sŏn), Vietnamese (Thiền), Pali (Jhana), and Sanskrit (Dhyana) are all words for "meditation," more specifically a kind of serene state of absorption. "Zen" in everyday use refers to the practices in the popular imagination rather than a Mahayana Buddhist school that originated in China (禪宗, chánzōng, the Chan School, "meditation school") or the Buddha-mind school (佛心宗, fóxīnzōng) [1] that later developed into various sub-schools and branches. Zen was strongly influenced by Taoism ☯️, especially Neo-Daoist thought, and developed into a distinct school of Chinese Buddhism [2]. China got Zen from India, Chán deriving from Buddhist dhyana. It then spread south to Vietnam and became Vietnamese Thiền, northeast to Korea to become Seon Buddhism, and east to Japan, becoming Japanese Zen Buddhism [3]. Zen emphasizes serenity meditation practice and direct insight into one's own innate "Buddha nature" (見性, Chinese jiànxìng, Japanese kenshō), and the personal expression of this insight in daily life for the benefit of others [4, 5]. Wiki edited by WQ

Native American practice? Jen's rain dance for LA

This natural material works in harmony with the surrounding greenery and pool water to bring a sense of calmness to the area, and it's one of the finest (and one of the most beautifully simple) examples of a Zen Garden we've observed over the reign of this ever-growing outdoor trend.

A pool makes me feel cool in the garden

• (Marie Claire) A rolled-up yoga mat and a baby stroller is pretty much all you need to blend in at the farmhouse-red Brentwood Country Mart in West Los Angeles [outside of Tinsel Town, closer to UCLA], where Jennifer Garner has asked me to meet her. The cozy-looking place is an apt choice for Hollywood's most down-to-earth star, except for the novelty item being sold at the bakery today: $5 cupcakes commemorating Paris Hilton's imminent trip to jail. There's a camera crew set up by the cash register. In a pair of blue jeans, a short-sleeve polka-dot blouse, and sneakers, Garner is walking along...when I stroll over to say hi. At which point she shoots me a curt "hello" and turns her back. Cuts me dead, [b*tch]. But it's half of the Bennifer! More
• 20 things millionaires refuse to buy despite having money

Stalking Nirvana (Sings-Alone)

Alongside Garner's (unintentional) approval, experts say we owe the rise of Zen-style gardens to their therapeutic qualities – many of which translate to spaces of all sizes (whether we have a pool or not). The key is in the simplicity, they explain.

"Compared to cottage and country garden-style gardens, this style of outdoor space is uncomplicated and paired back. It doesn’t feature a lot of different flowers, creating a sense of peace and tranquility," comments Marcus Eyles, the horticultural director at Dobbies.

• Kelly Ladwig - Nashville Realtor | Anyone else walk down the street and wish they could get a peek into everyone’s home? (Instagram)

"The aim is to create a space with a modern feel – light and clean lines are important when it comes to establishing a sense of Zen." More

VIDEO: Inside Jennifer Garner’s Farm-Style L.A. Home | Open Door | Architectural Digest

(Architectural Digest) Sept. 3, 2024: Today, AD is welcomed by Jennifer Garner to tour her farm-style home in Los Angeles. When designing Garner’s home, there was no Pinterest board or pictures from a magazine; it was simply an in-depth discussion with designers Steve and Brooke Giannetti and a watercolor painting of their vision. Together, they designed a farmhouse-style oasis full of warmth and character. From her wooden kitchen with a dedicated baking station to an orchard in the backyard, it’s easy to forget Garner lives among the hustle and bustle of LA. “I wanted it to feel old and cool and historic, but I also wanted to make it work for a big family with a lot of things going on.”

• How Jennifer Garner uses wood to ground her Zen pool area | Homes & Gardens (homesandgardens.com)
• Home & Garden via MSN.com; Architectural Digest, 9/3/24; Ananda (Dharma Buddhist Meditation), Dhr. Seven, Ashley Wells (eds.), Wisdom Quarterly Wiki edit Zen

Where can I gain jhana? BSWA, Australia

Buddhist Society of Western Australia

Laywomen to fully ordained Buddhist nuns

BSWA is a Buddhist non-profit association serving a local and global community irrespective of age, color, creed, or sexual orientation.

Its aim is to establish and support both male and female monastics to practice in a secluded, forest setting close to the original way in which monastics practiced in early Buddhist communities.

This forms the basis for nurturing teachers in the present and future to offer wisdom and insight derived from personal practice to a diverse and growing lay community.

Dhammasara nunnery, Australia (BSWA)

BSWA offers numerous resources and support to those interested in practicing the Dhamma (the Buddha's Teachings) as encapsulated in the Four Noble Truths, the fourth of which is the Noble Eightfold Path of the historical Buddha.

In the spirit of reconciliation, the Buddhist Society of Western Australia recognizes the Traditional Owners and Custodians of this land on which we live, work, and care. We pay our respects to Native Elders past, present, and emerging. We extend that respect to all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples in Australia.

Jhana Grove Retreat Centre

If only Johnny and Amber had meditated well.

Jhana Grove is a dedicated meditation retreat center nestled in a valley of the Darling Scarp adjacent Bodhinyana Monastery in Serpentine, Western Australia.

It can accommodate up to 60 guests at a time, each guest with one's own room and ensuite. This allows a great deal of privacy and thus maximizes the benefits of Buddhist meditation practice.

British monk Abbot Ajahn Brahm, BSWA

Connected by a covered walkway to the cottage is a large, air-conditioned meditation hall with three adjoining halls for the convenient practice of walking meditation.

There is also a well-equipped kitchen and dining area, as well as laundry, office, and storage facilities. A small caretaker's residence completes the center.

• ABOUT: Buddhist Society of Western Australia, Perth, Western Australia (BSWA.org) (locations)

• About Jhana Grove
• BSWA Retreats at Jhana Grove
• Retreat Dates and Bookings
• Getting Ready for Retreat
• Getting to Jhana Grove
• Donate to Jhana Grove
• Meditation Retreats Daily Schedule
• Noble Silence
• Jhana Grove Contact
• FAQ
• BSWA.org; Amber Larson (ed.), Wisdom Quarterly

Chicken Brain/Monkey Mind: Meditation

Don't choke your man-chicken all week and expect it to calm down when you sit for meditation.

.

I can't get this man-chicken to shut the h*ll up!

Oh, it's you. (Gary Larson)

The Buddha taught two general types of "meditation" (bhavana, "cultivation"), calm (shamatha stillness = samadhi) and insight (vipassana, "clear seeing"). It all begins with calm and relaxation. It is essential for entering a meditative state. This is greatly aided by letting go and allowing the meditation to occur naturally. We are not "doing" it; it is just happening. What we do do is set up the conditions, the ingredients, the circumstances for calm to happen.

• 10 funniest Far Side comics that prove Gary Larson is obsessed with chickens (ScreenRant/MSN)

Discursive (monkey) thinking in average American

Pick a quiet and undistracted location, time, and come to it in silence (because outward silence gives way to inner silence), well rested with the determination to sit for such and such a length of time, say 20 minutes or an hour. The habit or "ritual" of doing it cues the mind to get into that peaceful state.

Quick and easy techniques to calm anxious mind

It is very refreshing. With the mind trained to enter this lightly hypnagogic state of deep relaxation, things can go very deep in a relatively short time. Otherwise, we risk taking to the mat for years, only noticing progress after a while. Of course, progress is made from meditating even once, but it is not likely to be noticeable until we sit on a somewhat regular basis and have our waking life mirror our inner calm.

Big set up. The punchline is lying behind the cowboy's hindquarters.

Look away, Monk, or you'll get no peace!

What happens in a sitting meditation is very much affected by what we do for the other 23 or more hours of the day. By way of comparison, imagine owning a chicken. And once a day (alone) or once a week (in a group), we sit to meditate for an hour. What is the likelihood that that chicken is going to stay calm and quiet for an hour and not bother anyone? Next to none. But it all depends.

If anyone thinks a chicken is going to calm down because we tell it, "Calm down and shut up!" or attempt to beat, strangle, and chase it around the room, try to grab it by the neck and wrestle it to the mat, we must not know very many chickens.

They are nervous, inquisitive, territorial, bothersome, easily disturbed nuts. And once riled, it is almost impossible to get them to calm down again.

Training our chickens (minds) to fly effortlessly is meditation.

But if we pet it lovingly, soothe it, look on it with kind eyes, bring it back to sitting still again and again, without getting angry or frustrated with it, it might calm down for a minute, and not much more than that.

But if we choke our chicken, yell at it, threaten it, grab it by the feathers and try to force it down, scream at it to shut the h*ll up, that will never work. It will only reflect what we are intending at it.

Now we may say, we don't have a chicken and we never will. But we do, and we always have. Only we call it a mind. That mind is much more sensitive than a chicken, much more reactive to our attitude towards it, much harder to settle and keep calm even for a minute. We can fake it until we make it, but "monkey mind" may drive us so crazy that we can't even fake it.

Then what are we doing? Berating it, treating it the way we were raised -- or at least all the bad ways in which we were raised: yelling, anger, punishment, threats, condemnation, criticism, dismissal, non-support. Whew, what a number our parents or caretakers did on us.

What were you expecting, Doctor, a chicken? - No, my Little Ducky, no.

If only a detective were on hand to make sense of the clues.

We have actually always been taught that one way to remain calm in the midst of the "slings and arrows" life hurls at us -- being hit with unpleasant words, sights, sounds, circumstances, or threats, or attitudes and shades and the sense that we are not liked or, worse yet, physical abuse -- is to slowly count to ten.

Well, what's the use of that if we have not in advance linked that counting to a calmer state.

I like life much better now that I'm not afraid you'll yell at me for anything wrong I might d.

.

What comes first, calm or a calm-chicken?

But the Silva Method of Mind Valley's Vivek, we can accustom our minds to associate that calm counting with an objective measure of calm, a more soothing brainwave state. Try it. And at all times everywhere for the whole week between group sits (but particularly at every solo sit), be nice to your chicken. Treat it as you would want to be treated in the best of circumstances.

If only we had a nice closing line to wrap it all up in a memorable way. "A happy wife, a happy life" or, in this case, "a foul fowl is a living howl," where "howl" means hell. "A happy hubby, a stubby chubby"? No, that one doesn't work. Got it! "A happy spouse, a peaceful house"! Yes, that's an original!

• It's a technicality, but things arise together. Paticca samuppada (Dependent Origination, Conditioned Co-Genesis, Conditionality) means things co-arise simultaneously. See Bhikkhu Bodhi, As It Is (tape series),
• Gary Larson (The Far Side); This is Part II by Meditation Instructor Seven, as told to Ananda (Dharma Buddhist Meditation), Jen Bradford, Moon, Wisdom Quarterly, from a Mind Valley commercial by Vivek Lakhani based on an idea, insight, and teaching by Jose Silva, author of Silva Mind Control.

A magic trick for deep meditation

These breakthrough salesmen can get irritating. Everyone is offering a get rich scheme, rarely with any substance. But finally a longform commercial came across our surfing with some substance.

This trick offers real possibility. It was developed by mind expert Silva of the famous Silva Mind Control Method.

He is no longer with us. But his discoveries are being carried on by spiritual entrepreneur Vivek Lakhani of Mind Valley/ He shares this easy to grasp method to produce astonishing results.

Serene tranquility meditation is learning to let go and relax. It is close to the sleep state, but it is not sleep. The difference may be defined in terms of brainwaves. The conscious mind is very active, characterized by an alpha brainwave pattern. Beta is deeper and slower.

But if we cross our legs and sit to meditate, good luck letting go of the "monkey mind," thinking, distractions, the Five Hindrances (lust, annoyance, sleepiness, agitation, and skeptical doubt). Meditating soon becomes little more than the "chore" of bringing the mind back and beginning again and again.

Done incorrectly, we build up resentment, anger, and try to control things too much. Or we drift endlessly in discursive thoughts and fantasies. Or we pass out, particularly if we are sleep-deprived in our regular life. Nearly all of us are, and it never becomes so apparent.

If we persist, things get better. If we stay regular, it pays off. But good luck doing either. What we could use is a trick, a shortcut, a hack. Meditation instructors will say, "Don't bother with that. Stop grasping, setting up expectations, or thinking of it as a chore."

"Just sit. Just breathe. Just be." These things are easier said than done. Luck starts seeming like a real component because, due to past karma in previous lives, a few people are naturals. They take to sitting the way a stone duck in the shape of the Buddha takes to the mantle.

They let go, relax, and go deep. If the reader is such a person, carry on. There's no need to do anything more other than to persist in the practice, making it a twice daily habit until sitting for an hour at a time seems natural and comfortable.

If, however, the reader is not so luck, does not plunge into serenity, and is losing patience, what to do? Give up? Never. Try harder? No! That's a worse idea. Try easier. And the way toward that could be aided along by Silva's discovery. Fathom this.

When we wake up, most of us rush out of sleep, and this is done by checking our phone for our addictive dopamine hits.

Here is the fact. When we awaken, if we do not rush out of bed, we are still in a deeper brainwave state than our waking life, which is busy and exhausting. We awaken in beta.

The practice or self-training is this: When awakening, stay in bed for 5 minutes, emerge slowly, stay relaxed and quiet. But from now on for the next 30 days, sit up slowly into the meditation pose in bed. Stay in that pose for 5 minutes, while counting down (backward) from 100, 99, 98...all the way to 1.

The brain has something to do so it won't fall back asleep. Continue this for 10 days. On Day 11, count backward like before but this time from 50, 49, 48...all the way to 1, at the rate of about one count to one breath.

On Day 20, count down from 10 to 1: 10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1. Do over and over for those first five minutes after arising. What will happen?

A miracle will happen. And that miracle is this: We will have trained our minds -- in just 30 days -- to associate counting down from 10 to 1 to immediately put us in that relaxed beta state.

Now when we sit for meditation, we begin with a deep breath and counting down. By the time we hit 1, we are in alpha. How long did it take us to get there? Less than ten breaths. Now we can really enter a peaceful meditative state at will, effortlessly (or all the effort has already taken place during those 30 days of counting for five minutes in our waking calm). CONTINUED IN PART II

• Part I: Meditation Instructor Seven, as told to Ananda (Dharma Buddhist Meditation), Jen Bradford, Moon, Wisdom Quarterly, based on a Mind Valley commercial by Vivek Lakhani based on an idea, insight, and teaching by Jose Silva, author of Silva Mind Control

Buddhist meditation, 3 Guides, InsightLA

Why should I sit with a sangha on a Sunday?

On Sunday evenings in West Los Angeles, we now have a reopened InsightLA meditation center.

It's on Olympic near 14th Street in Santa Monica with free street parking. After a guided sit in a spacious, sparkling clean room of wooden floors in good company, there are introductions, a Dharma talk, and then open discussion. It's well attended in person and online via Zoom (by donation).

Who needs a guide to spiritual awakening?

Tonight, the Dharma topic with Eileen Ybarra was Ti-Sarana or the "Three Refuges."

Now, "refuge" is a terrible translation of sarana, which really means "guide" or "guidance." When Early Buddhists and Theravada tradition practitioners today repeat the lines

1. Buddham saranam gacchami. "I go for guidance to the Buddha."
2. Dhamman saranam gacchami. "I go for guidance to the Dharma."
3. Sanghan saranam gacchami. "I go for guidance to the Sangha."

American Col. Henry Steel Olcott stamp

Colonel Henry Olcott, one of the first Americans to formally become a Buddhist more than a century ago, repeated this formula. But he understood that the 19th century translation was very faulty. Monks confirmed that but were not too concerned with what people wanted to call it in English.

Olcott emphasized how misleading it was to use "refuge" when language, linguistic, and Buddhist philosophy all clearly pointed toward "guidance."

• Going for Refuge? NO. Going for Guidance (sarana)

I thought the Buddha would do magic? - No.

Just as the Buddha, Dharma, and Sangha are the Three Jewels or Gems, they are also the Three Guides. They point the way to enlightenment and the real refuge from all suffering, which is nirvana.

Who is the Buddha? It for us at this time is the historical figure of Siddhartha Gautama, who became the Buddha Gautama, the "Awakened One," more than 26 centuries ago. He awakened under the bodhi tree in Bodh Gaya, Bihar (Enlightenment Grove, Vihara, names based on what happened to him there).

No one saves us but ourselves,

No one can and no one may;

We ourselves must walk the Path;

Buddhas only point the Way.

Does Gisele Bundchen have insight? Probably not because her biggest fan did not see fit to teach the world and help us. But Gisele does have an app.

• CONTINUED IN PART II
• Disclosure Project: Dharma Buddhist Meditation
• WhatsApp: chat.WhatsApp.com/D5zsBZlmGel5mR9ctzEknP
• Dhr. Seven, Ananda (Dharma Buddhist Meditation), Jen Bradford, Wisdom Quarterly; Eileen Ybarra (guided meditation instruction), Insight Los Angeles (insightla.org)

The way to absorption and enlightenment

Dhr. Seven, Ananda (Dharma Buddhist Meditation) with Sayalay, Wisdom Quarterly

Say what? Slow down. Sit down? Be humble?

What is it going to take for meditation (natural levels of absorption) to succeed?

Yes, "there are two paths you can go by, but in the long run, there's still time to change the road you're on," if Robert Plant (the lead in Led Zeppelin) is to be believed.

The stairway to heaven is twofold, calm and insight. Mindfulness (dispassionate, non-investigative, attention and radically-acceptance of the present) helps with both. 

I'm ready to start. - You could've started sooner.

But it is better to begin what the Buddha called the "gradual training." That establishes samadhi or coherence (blissful all together mind), on a foundation of virtue (sila).

When these states are cultivated, they become a strong foundation for a more important practice. That is the effort toward enlightenment and liberation, bodhi and nirvana.

That gets underway -- vipassana through systematic satipatthana, i.e., insight via establishing the Four Foundations of Mindfulness). The real secret will be the practice of Dependent Origination (paticca-samupada). But all of that can wait. The mind/heart must first be prepped and purified.

It's nearly effortless now. Allow it.

Stop. Sit still. Or freeze in any of the other three postures (standing, walking, or lying down) and give attention to something that always stays in the moment, in the ever-changing present, such as the ever-present breath. Relax with each exhalation. LET GO of everything. We've been waiting to exhale. This is it.

• The Buddha's admonition to give will make sense now as in giving there is a letting go, and it is that letting go, that non-clinging or internal-renunciation that makes all the difference. How could we let go of the bigger things (views, ego, pride, willfulness, opinions, etc.) if we are still clinging to the small and insignificant ones?

The mind will go into the object of attention, which may be a sign (nimitta) brought about by focusing on the breath to the exclusion of everything else.

The sacred instructions

Who are the noble ones, and how do we know?

Communicating with an enlightened (someone attained to at least the first stage of path fruition) nun, we secured these step-by-step instructions for reaching the first meditation.

We'll reserve those for Part II. This article is about the harder thing, getting started. If there's one word to associate with meditation, it's sticktoitiveness. Persistence pays off. Starting and stopping and not building up momentum is exhausting, leads to expectations, and gets going about as well as a fire from rubbing two sticks together. (Try it and vividly experience how much it's about starting and not breaking off until there's smoke and an ember to nurture, like the pleasant zest and enthusiasm one feels for the nimitta once it appears).

How does it feel? - Meditation or this silly cap?

Now let's get kooky and creative: the cap. What will put us on the path and hold us there until lift off? Lift off is deceptive because of beginner's luck or stories one inevitably hears about "naturals" effortlessly sitting, attaining, and progressing very quickly. People like that, just start. This is for people not like that.

The cap, the cap

that covers the skull

Can crack, be krak,

and never be dull

Helmet to contain

twinkling neurons

and dancing brain

Footballer's drum

Dome of gold

crystal arrayed

Scuffed and old

Binaural at play

Crown, tiara, dunce

magnets, Faraday cage

Employ it young

Come back with age

Where are thought,

Experience, feeling?

Surely the heart,

Not the ceiling...

That may not work. Well, it's OK. Be creative.

A copper wire or band with clear quartz crystal (or amethyst, rose, etc.) will serve for a start. Arrange it over the forehead so the stone rests over the third eye (pineal gland). Then just let it be.

To fall asleep, we have to pretend to already be asleep. Therefore, it follows that to absorb, be as if already absorbed.

Does it have to be a cap, helmet, or headband? Could it be a laurel wreath, woven out of plant-helpers like the vine of the dead, an MAO inhibitor, and the bark of a tree or a mushroom cap feted by datura flower petals, stems, and a creeper?

That might work as the volatile oils, scents, and vibrations begin to do their work by proximity and sympathy. Frequency, vibration, it all seems to be about resonance.

• Helmet in lead photo said to stimulate hair growth (irestorelaser.com)