Zazen is a Pain

Have you ever tried not moving for an extended period of time?

 It is very difficult to do.  Yep, don't wiggle, fidget, blink, adjust...you name it.  Got an itch on your ear, cheek or nose?  Note it and leave it alone.  This is the physical constraint of zazen, or sitting meditation.

You might ask - Why would you do something like this?  If you sit for any length of time you start to realize that as you quiet your body you also quiet your mind.

However, this does lead to several practical considerations.  Ideally it's sort of like Lamaze...moving from pain to "some discomfort."  Over the next several blogs I will describe my journey through the land of pain and what I have done to move to some discomfort.  This is still an ongoing process but I have made some real progress.