When it is hard to sit zazen

[Mokuso]

When it is hard to sit zazen.

Sitting zazen is not always easy. Every zazen is the first I believe. But the times I feel that it is really hard, I think "this is my last zazen in this life." Sit respectfully with body and mind" . Then the zazen immediately feels much better and easier.

What are your tricks?

Gassho. Mokuso

[Ryumon]

Don’t judge. Whether it’s hard or easy, it’s the same. With the exception of physical pain when sitting, zazen is always different, sometimes it’s like a struggle, other times it’s like flowing water, but that’s just our reaction to the weather of our mind. Give up trying to decide if it’s hard or easy, and it won’t matter.

Gassho,
Ryūmon (Kirk)
Sat

[Mokuso]

For me is all kind of zazen is good zazen.
Gassho. Mokuso

[Jundo]

For me is all kind of zazen is good zazen.

Be sure to sign your name and "SatToday," Mokuso.

Gassho, Jundo

satTodayLAH

[Daiman]

Not sure if there are tricks so to speak, but I tend to take to the cushion and say, "and now this." In that statement there is a wide open space that allows for anything that shows up to show up just as it is. There seems to be an internal jikido and monitor always observing and maintaining the direction of shikantaza.

Gassho,

Daiman
SatToday

[Meian]

When it is hard to sit zazen. Sitting zazen is not always easy. Every zazen is the first I believe. But the times I feel that it is really hard, I think "this is my last zazen in this life." Sit respectfully with body and mind" . Then the zazen immediately feels much better and easier. What are your tricks?

Hi Mokuso,

I don't know that this is a "trick" so much as an "easing in" or modifying my practice to make it possible for me to sit. Like many others here, I modify most of what I do to accomodate my disabilities.

For various reasons, I am not able to sit zazen for 30 minutes. Sometimes even 10 or 15 minutes is problematic for me - I have discussed why previously.

I've also mentioned a few times before that I make generous use of insta-zazen, which I sit for a couple minutes at a time (and repeat when I can). My insta-zazen sessions are often untimed, but sometimes I set a timer to make sure I don't accidentally fall asleep. However, as Jundo has mentioned many times, it's not the accumulation of time that is important. Just sitting - for however long or short - is essential. (I hope that I am paraphrasing that correctly - Jundo I request your correction if I am wrong. )

So, I guess those are my "tricks" for when zazen is difficult for me. I have also found that doing a little deep breathing helps to settle mind and body, as does box-breathing.

Ultimately, just sitting is just that -- sitting, being still with ourselves, and letting fall away and float by all constructs, myriad rules, expectations .... and observing the millions of thoughts and feelings bombarding our minds each minute, but not grabbing or following them down the rabbit hole. The thoughts and feelings are there, but they are not us.

Thank you for sharing your practice with us.

Just sit.

stlh

[Bion]

For me, it all has to do with the idea I have of zazen and how I approach it. I don’t look at zazen as just formal sitting ( timed, zafu, wall, bows) That in my eyes takes away from the possibilities every day offers for sitting and makes zazen small... Zazen is like sleeping, or eating, or even breathing in my eyes. Sometimes I am tired and fall asleep easily, sometimes I resist falling asleep, sometimes sleep is sound, sometimes I eat fast, other times I take my time, make various dishes, lay out a table and invite friends, sometimes I breathe deeply and easily, other times I have to make an effort because my nose is stuffy or I am tired from effort. Same with zazen.. Once a day I prostrate, get on my knees, recite kesa verse, wrap myself in the the robe and then sit, at other times I will sit on the bus while traveling, I will sit in a park, on the side of my bed, on the couch wrapped up in blankets, for 50 minutes, 30 and sometimes for 5. But if zazen in one form is not available, I don’t dismiss the other opportunities. I don’t judge the zazen because I expect nothing from it. Zazen sits itself and whatever happens during it, for however long, it is part of that zazen. This way, I can’t find a justification ever for not sitting every day, nor do I have a need to do so. No tips here, just sharing my experience..

I apologize for running so very long

Sat Today lah

[michaelw]

Not sure if this answers your question but when there are times when my mind is whirring and I cant concentrate I just sit and try to be in the calm centre of the storm. The observer. Sometimes it works sometimes it doesn't. What you get is what you get don't fight it.
As an aid for these times I sometimes use a meditation timer app that I can set up with single bell at five or ten minute intervals just to bring me back in case I have wandered off so I can start again. Breath in breath out.

Gassho
MichaelW

sat

[Doshin]

Perseverance. I start again, then again, then again and then end with the bell

Doshin
St

[Daiman]

Thought I would share this quote from Shunryu Suzuki. It always helps me in my practice.
06dd0aa3b53921b6a44d0da1454b2ed4.jpg

Gassho,
Daiman
SatToday

[Ankai]

Not sure if there are tricks so to speak, but I tend to take to the cushion and say, "and now this."y

LOL I read this and flashed on the old Monty Python segue, "And now, for something... completely different."
-which is, actually, quite appropriate.
(Although there's a chance that it'll pop into my head on the cushion now, in the voice of John Cleese...)


Sat today.

[Shujin]

Sometimes what brings to the mat is a remembrance that this is the only time I have to sit zazen. I don't know if there will be a future, and I can't travel to the past. That said, I try not to be self-absorbed and overly serious about it all. I think Ryumon's post explained better than I could.

Gassho,
Shujin

st

[Nengei]

When I am sitting, and have difficulty with zazen, I remember this is it. This is the time. This moment exists for zazen. Eventually, the bell will ring (or I will keel over) and then there will be no more chance to be One.

Gassho,
Nengei
Sat today. LAH.

[Daiman]

Ah yes, Roshi Cleese. This is a good teaching!

Gassho,

Daiman
SatToday

[Daiman]

LOL I read this and flashed on the old Monty Python segue, "And now, for something... completely different."
-which is, actually, quite appropriate.
(Although there's a chance that it'll pop into my head on the cushion now, in the voice of John Cleese...)


Sat today.

Ah yes, Roshi Cleese. This is a good teaching!

Gassho,

Daiman
SatToday

[Mokuso]

for me it's really about "just sitting" . regardless of whether you don't want to or can't. if you have planned to sit at a certain time of the day and for how long, then do it. for me it is important to sit fully for the time I intended. but when, for example, I clean or play a musical instrument or play with the children, then it is also zazen for me. I try to do it fully with full presence for just that. and even that can sometimes be tough to do when other things around life are knocking. but then telling me that "this is the last time you get to do it in this life" makes it easier to really see and do what really makes me feel good.

Gassho. Mokuso

[Seiko]

Perhaps getting the zazen habit is one approach. Making sitting part of my routine seems to work

Gasshō
Seiko
stlah

[Onki]

I try to make it a part of my routine like brushing my teeth. It definitely takes some practice (pun intended!)! I would set alarms but that didn’t seem to help as I’m a procrastinator and I would think, “I’ll just do it later.” I got to thinking that later is now therefore why not sit now? I like to think that I’m sitting with all the Buddha ancestors; all together as one. Feels pretty cool to me.

Gasshō,

Onki

Sat today

[Jishin]

רק יושב
בחדר הזה
אין מטרה או מטלה
אני רק יושב
בחדר הזה
בכניסת האוויר
אני משקיע את הנפש
בכל רגע של הנכחות
אני רק יושב
בחדר הזה
באיכות הנפש הטהורה
אני מזכיר את עצמי
שאני רק יושב
בחדר הזה

Translation

I'm just sitting
In this room
There's no goal or task
I'm just sitting
In this room
With the air coming in
I immerse my soul
In every moment of presence
I'm just sitting
In this room
In the quality of a pure soul
I remind myself
That I'm just sitting
In this room

Gassho, Jishin, ST, LAH

[aprapti]

When it is hard to sit zazen.

Sitting zazen is not always easy. Every zazen is the first I believe. But the times I feel that it is really hard, I think "this is my last zazen in this life." Sit respectfully with body and mind" . Then the zazen immediately feels much better and easier.

What are your tricks?

Gassho. Mokuso

This facebookgroup helped me to keep going. https://www.facebook.com/groups/146869718842953

aprapti


sat

[Veronica]

Once I am sitting, it's fine, but I get tempted to skip out of laziness or feeling busy. Like another comment above, I am trying to think of it like brushing my teeth, to resist the temptation to "skip".
It's the cumulative effect of zazen. I hope I have the discipline to maintain this, as it's still new. So far so good! And all the reading and the Sangha really helps.

Veronica
Stlah

[Spiritdove]

I find it funny how hard it is to clean the house when its easy to dirty up. Or how hard it is to eat right when we can eat badly very easily. If maybe the mind can change to the sitting as something I really want to do with all my heart it would be easier to not want to put it aside. It would be something in regards of a good desire which I think desires aren't all that bad as long as your not attached to them. But I hate to admit I am attached to meditation.
Confused a lot but that's ok too.

Marj "Spiritdove"

Sat Today

[Jacob Janicek]

Hardest part for me is not wrestling with my thoughts or being dragged away by them. I just try to reel myself back in without falling into the trap of feeling like I'm failing. I've always struggled with intense daydreaming, yet zazen seems to help make the rest of the day easier even if I have to sacrifice a bit of sleep to fit into my schedule.

Gassho

Jacob Jay
Sat today

[Shōnin Risa Bear]

Jishin, I totally heard that in the melody of Bernie Glassman's "hungry ghosts."

gassho
ds sat

[Tairin]

I am very schedule oriented. I get up at the same time every day. I work out/exercise every morning. I go to bed at the same time every night and sit Zazen before bed. I don’t even really think about it. It is just a part of my day like eating breakfast or brushing my teeth. I think due to my consistent regimen I don’t even stop to question my motivation or lack there of. I realize not everyone’s lives can afford that sort of consistency. I certainly understand it because if we are away from home travelling I have to work that much harder to fit my daily sit in.


Tairin
Sat today and lah

[Meiun]

Mokuso,

A view I take on this is in relation to effort.

On a 'good' day sitting is effortless (almost!)

On a 'bad' day a tremendous amount of effort is needed.

I am learning that there has been a tendency for me to make a greater effort on the 'bad' days because I would prefer them to be more like the 'good' days.

But... In reality, there is more value in me making less effort on these days. Accepting that this particular sitting may not be a 'good' day and just allowing that to be ok releases a tension and allows me to just be with whatever is going on.

A beautiful sitting contradiction that it's ok for me not to fully understand

Gassho

Meiun

Sat today

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[Jundo]

But... In reality, there is more value in me making less effort on these days. Accepting that this particular sitting may not be a 'good' day and just allowing that to be ok releases a tension and allows me to just be with whatever is going on.

There are many kinds of Asian arts in which it is better to relax and not struggle, rather than to struggle as effort. Counterintuitive perhaps, but it works. One is more like to bring your own inner peace by not struggling to attain inner peace, but by peacefully accepting that one does not feel peaceful in a particular moment.

Gassho, J

stlah

[Mokuso]

”Just sit” It took about a year before I understood the meaning of this expression. Lovely with all the objections on this topic! In my opinion, zazen and shikantaza are about "just sit”

Mokuso

[Mokuso]

regardless of what is written here, my reflection is "just sit" regardless of where and how long or how you sit. so it is in a way that suits you. and that's your specific "just sit"

Gassho. Mokuso

[Jundo]

regardless of what is written here, my reflection is "just sit" regardless of where and how long or how you sit. so it is in a way that suits you. and that's your specific "just sit"

Gassho. Mokuso

And forget not your "sat today" when you sit!

Gassho, Jundo

sattodayLAH

[Kaisho]

To be honest if I didn't have a routine in place I just wouldn't sit at all. I shower, dress, and sit first thing. This helps me keep going. If I have time in the morning I'll listen to a zen podcast or study a bit. This helps me set a tone for the day.

Gassho
Sat2day/lah
Kaisho

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