Posted by Ensign Domingo Chavez (Security Officer) in Counselor’s Office (Post-Sim Side Sim)

Posted by Lieutenant Commander Katie Nunn (Counselor) in Counselor’s Office (Post-Sim Side Sim)

Posted by Ensign Domingo Chavez (Security Officer) in Counselor’s Office (Post-Sim Side Sim)
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Domingo nodded his head but then shook it slightly, “Follower wouldn’t be the correct term Counselor, but subordinate. I know it may seem like I’m splitting hairs, but subordinates are usually involved in the decision making process while the Chief of Security does make the final decision, in my case anyway. Sorry, I have a thing for having things in black and white with no ambiguity.”

Katie flushed slightly at her poor word choice and nodded an affirmation. “You’re right, that wasn’t the right word,” she observed and then grinned wryly. “And I know what you mean about black and white…”

“As for meditation, like you asked, I suppose there’s no time like the present.” Domingo matched his words with action, removing his shoes before placing them to the side of the couch. He then slid gently down to the floor and sat cross legged, then looked at the Counselor.

Ensign Chavez, Sec

Katie blinked but followed Chavez down to the floor of her office, folding her legs into a matching cross-legged position before looking expectantly and slightly uncertainly at the security officer. Her shoes were already off from her sprawl on the couch when Chavez arrived, so at least she could skip that step.

Lt Cmdr Nunn, CNS

“Next would be to have your arms in a neutral position, where it would still support your posture but not lead to a distraction.” Domingo said while loosely clasping his hands together around the height of his navel.

Katie went to mimic the formation of his hands, but she quickly found it to be relatively uncomfortable and rested them gently on her knees, palms down, as she listened expectantly for the next set of instructions.

“Don’t slouch and keep your back straight. You could end up meditating for up to an hour and immediately regret bad posture when you’re done. Fortunately the couches can provide some back support.” He said while keeping back straight and loose.

Katie was suddenly very aware of her terrible posture as she forced her upper body into a more upright stance. She found herself leaning against the couch behind her quite a bit as she tried to get comfortable, shifting her weight from side to side as her body wanted to return to the slight spinal and shoulder curl that it was more accustomed to.

“Now the actual meditation method can vary person to person. Some like soft music, others a consistent ticking sound, or even just silence. It’s said that the key is to go until your mind is empty and tranquil.” Domingo snorts lightly at that point, “I call BS on that idea personally. Some minds never settle, but they can be focused. I tend to count to myself, either to ten thousand, which the number doesn’t really matter as it just serves as a focusing device, or by going through prime numbers if I want my focus more keen. I use this type of hyper-focus to drown everything else out. Then every tenth number would be either an inhale or an exhale. Eventually the counting fades away until I only focus on the sound of my breathing.”

Domingo pauses before asking, “Any questions?”

Ensign Chavez, Sec

Katie was still fidgeting trying to find a comfortable position before sighing with a slightly pained expression on her features. “I’ll give it a try but I don’t think I’m going to be a meditation success,” she remarked with a self-chastising grin. Her eyes took in Chavez’s structured form as she waited for some indication that it was time to begin. While she was certainly interested in meditation for a practical skill for her patients, it didn’t seem like something that was particularly well-suited to her. She could, at least, keep an eye on the prized beverage at the end of the session, however.

Lt Cmdr Nunn, CNS