Zen of the Mask

[carbonman]

Zen-direct experiential realizations toward obtaining an awakening.
The practice to discover, through daily, or in this case, nightly,
experiences that will lead one to ultimate enlightment.

All things are brought to each of us, for a reason.
Why OSA???

In OSA therapy, the mask, is everything.

What is the Zen of the Mask??

These are some immediate, superficial experiences:

Anger:
Why is this happening to me?

Courage-
to attend the sleep study
to know/accept the results
to take responsibility for myself and my therapy

Patience-
to deal w/the sleep study
to deal w/the DME
to deal w/your inner self
in dealing w/the mask

Frustration-
in accepting the results
in obtaining equipment for therapy
in dealing w/the mask

Antisipation-
can this help me?
can I be well again?

Enjoyment-
the first night that you accept the mask
the first morning that you feel that something has changed
the first night, w/hours of sleep
the first night you feel comfortable w/the mask
entrance into a whole new world of friends and experiences

Yin/Yang of life-
MY choice to embrace or reject, the mask, and in so doing,
chose quality of life.

The mask has come as an incredible blessing.
Have I paid a Karmic dept in the years of suffering the fatigue and pain?
Have I proved through my actions that I earned this blessing?

Whatever it is, this entire process and recovery that I am going through,
is having a profound effect on me, both physically and spiritually.
This is not just the mechanics of blowing air up your nose.

I don't know, yet, what the true Zen of the Mask is.
It will come over time, with more experience.

What is your Zen of the Mask?

[mommystired]

This is a good post......I hope to form a good 'relationship' with the mask as mentioned on here a lot, but so far, I don't think I have. I keep shutting off the machine and taking the mask off after just 4 hours of therapy.

Apparently, I haven't found the zen of the mask, but I hope to.

[lookin4sleep]

I wondered how I would adjust to the mask also, but a certain relationship has developed. I thought I would feel like I was being closed off or cut off, and I worried about claustrophobia since I use a full face mask. Instead, I find the feeling I get when I put the mask on is related to the feeling of putting my head through the curtains and peeking out at the audience before a play, or putting your head under the cloth to take a picture with an old fashioned camera - I'm ducking into an adventure or the beginning of something interesting. This happened naturally, I didn't create it with visualization, etc., but I would have worked on positive associations consciously if I had needed to. I was kind of surprised and happy that this association developed naturally. Maybe it's because each night I have the adventure of sleeping and dreaming instead of the nightmare of suffocation!

I'm glad you started this thread as I have been thinking about this surprising and helpful connection in the past few days - who says there's no synchronicity???

Chris

[adrienneiii]

I'm bringing this delightful thread back up to the top because Carbonman's post articulates very well what I would like to say, too.

Let's see...
I'm 65 days into the exercise and have "masked up" every night (though I did cheat for several hours early one morning when I had a nasty head cold).

It is working. Not always pleasant (see head cold, above, and my own adventures with the "Sleep Disorders Industry" which we won't go into here) but overall, this curious remedy is one of the best things to enter my life in years. I didn't know how dragged down I had become until, suddenly, I'm alert once more.

Perhaps I am becoming "one with the mask" after all. While the rush of air feels nothing at all like a comforting old teddy bear, my body seems to have taken to accepting it as the signal that "we're going to sleep now".

And then there are those knitting patterns running through my mind for stripy, fuzzy hose covers...

Best,
Adrienne

[Babette]

What is the sound of one hand clapping over the exhaust ports of your CPAP mask?

And, tangentally.... The DME that can be told what to do and will do that thing, is not the Eternal DME.

Om,
B.

[SleepyDragon]

I am not one with the mask.
There is no mask.
I am a carbon based lifeform
with a plastic and silicon snout
attached by a 2m tube to a machanical air pump.

I am BORG.
Resistance is futile!

[Babette]

Oh wait, I didn't say that quite right:

The DME that can be told what to do, and will do that thing, is not the Eternal DME that is the Preferred Provider of your Insurance company.

LOL,
B.

[Bookbear]

Become the Mask.... BE the mask!