Small tip...

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  • Ankai
    Treeleaf Unsui
    • Nov 2007
    • 1002

    Small tip...

    Hi.
    Something I happen to think of this morning while I was sitting... As most folks know here, Parkinson's disease, which means I sometimes have to address certain parts of my practice. Not a big deal. It's a simple adjustment to make practice possible or easier in my condition.
    I also leave meditation groups at work, with people in recovery from substance abuse disorder involving drugs or alcohol or both. This can have long and short-term neurological effect faces, very similar to the tremor of my own Parkinson's.
    One thing I have noticed is that some of us have a hard time keeping our hands still. The trimmer is completely involuntary, and trying to practice Zazen wild ones ends are twitching and fittering can be very distracting frustrating.
    The simple fix?
    Interlace my fingers. I can maintain the shape and position of having my hands, one in the other, palms up, thumbs touching, and if I simply interlace my fingers, the shaking is completely under control.
    I realize that's most people it's either not a big deal or seems completely obvious, but for people new to practice or with newly emerging physical ailments, something that's small and seemingly insignificant might make all the difference in the world.
    If it works for you and you get something out of it, great. It's not, that's great too, maybe at some point in your life you'll meet someone you can pass it on to.

    ST
    LAH
    Gassho!
    護道 安海


    -Godo Ankai

    I'm still just starting to learn. I'm not a teacher. Please don't take anything I say too seriously. I already take myself too seriously!
  • Matt Johnson
    Member
    • Jun 2024
    • 405

    #2
    Hi Ankai, thanks for your post. My dad has Parkinson's and I find it very interesting some of the connections between those with Parkinson's and those who have dealt with significant substance abuse issues. Seems to me a lot of these have something in common... dopamine... or lack thereof. Perhaps not so coincidentally, my dad is also a recovering alcoholic.

    In any event, what you describe with regards to how to hold one's hands or one's body. Due to illness and chronic pain, I've had to completely abandon the form. And I often find that having some posture which allows for containment of certain tremors and ticks is helpful (despite how weird it looks). Sometimes I will cross my arms which I know looks weird and we have this thing about body language, but quite simply it seems to allow me to feel contained and it allows me to relax.

    anyway, just thought I would relate to that.

    _/\_

    sat / lah

    Matt
    Last edited by Matt Johnson; 07-04-2024, 03:52 PM.

    Comment

    • Ankai
      Treeleaf Unsui
      • Nov 2007
      • 1002

      #3
      Well, I imagine Jundo would say something like "Even if you can't sit when you're sitting, you're still sitting..."
      ST
      LAH
      Gassho!
      護道 安海


      -Godo Ankai

      I'm still just starting to learn. I'm not a teacher. Please don't take anything I say too seriously. I already take myself too seriously!

      Comment

      • Jundo
        Treeleaf Founder and Priest
        • Apr 2006
        • 40480

        #4
        Originally posted by Ankai
        Well, I imagine Jundo would say something like "Even if you can't sit when you're sitting, you're still sitting..."
        ST
        LAH
        ALL OF LIFE IS OUR TEMPLE

        Comment

        • Ryumon
          Member
          • Apr 2007
          • 1801

          #5
          I have an essential tremor (ie, not caused by a specific illness, but by neurological damage in my brain), which is an intentional tremor; that means the tremor only manifests when my muscles are tensed. I put a cushion on my crossed legged and rest my hands on it when sitting, because otherwise I would have to use muscles to maintain my hand position.

          Gassho,

          Ryūmon (Kirk)

          Sat Lah
          I know nothing.

          Comment

          • Ankai
            Treeleaf Unsui
            • Nov 2007
            • 1002

            #6
            I'm glad that works, Ryumon! I tried something similar. Worked for a while, then, back to the ol' jiggle-and-twitch. For me, lacing my fingers does the job.
            Does it affect your typing and texting? I find that I have to use voice to text, then go back correct some of the more bizarre mistakes it makes.

            ST
            LAH
            Gassho!
            護道 安海


            -Godo Ankai

            I'm still just starting to learn. I'm not a teacher. Please don't take anything I say too seriously. I already take myself too seriously!

            Comment

            • Ryumon
              Member
              • Apr 2007
              • 1801

              #7
              Originally posted by Ankai
              I'm glad that works, Ryumon! I tried something similar. Worked for a while, then, back to the ol' jiggle-and-twitch. For me, lacing my fingers does the job.
              Does it affect your typing and texting? I find that I have to use voice to text, then go back correct some of the more bizarre mistakes it makes.
              No, the heels of my hands rest on my desk or my laptop when I'm tying. My tremor isn't very bad, but it is - or was - particularly annoying when sitting. It was quite distracting.

              Gassho,

              Ryūmon (Kirk)

              Sat Lah
              I know nothing.

              Comment

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