Stillness in Motion

[MalleableGirlParts]

Hi,

Here I go again, flapping my virtual gums.

I've been realizing recently that maybe one of the best gifts I've been getting from regular Zazen practice has been carrying over the stillness in body and mind to my daily activities. Of course it isn't all the time, but I do often find myself with a feeling of "floating" through my motions. I feel a lightness in my mind and body. Small, seemingly inconsequential objects become incredibly fascinating and they make me happy. So do the smallest movements, like lifting my hand to my face or turning a doorknob.

I don't know. It's interesting and I thoroughly enjoy it. Granted, I've always leaned towards the tendency to study the little things. I enjoy the nitty gritty, the space between conversation or the pebble on the sidewalk.

Another unexpected feeling is that I almost resent my breathing and heartbeat while sitting. I know that sounds ludicrous, but I look for perfect stillness and they get in the way. I become all too conscious of the motion my lungs and heart generate within the otherwise perfect stillness of my body. :-) I know, I know. I wouldn't be here without them. :-)

Anyway, anybody else with thoughts on stillness in motion? Zen in Action!?

[Shinshi]

Stillness in motion - Zen in Action: it is Running for me.

Gassho, Shinshi

SaT-LaH

[Bion]

Hi,

Here I go again, flapping my virtual gums.

I've been realizing recently that maybe one of the best gifts I've been getting from regular Zazen practice has been carrying over the stillness in body and mind to my daily activities. Of course it isn't all the time, but I do often find myself with a feeling of "floating" through my motions. I feel a lightness in my mind and body. Small, seemingly inconsequential objects become incredibly fascinating and they make me happy. So do the smallest movements, like lifting my hand to my face or turning a doorknob.

I don't know. It's interesting and I thoroughly enjoy it. Granted, I've always leaned towards the tendency to study the little things. I enjoy the nitty gritty, the space between conversation or the pebble on the sidewalk.

Another unexpected feeling is that I almost resent my breathing and heartbeat while sitting. I know that sounds ludicrous, but I look for perfect stillness and they get in the way. I become all too conscious of the motion my lungs and heart generate within the otherwise perfect stillness of my body. :-) I know, I know. I wouldn't be here without them. :-)

Anyway, anybody else with thoughts on stillness in motion? Zen in Action!?

There was a time years ago, when I went through a patch of just struggling with the breath... For whatever reason I'd become so hyper-focused on it that I would slightly panic, feeling like I wasn't getting enough air. Funny to remember now as I empathise with you in a way. I love our shared experiences.

On a personal note, I think zazen is absolutely like a journey in the dark to an unknown land, with no map. Every moment of zazen is brand new, unique and filled with not-knowing. I can't ever predict what it'll be like, nor can I trust that what I made it into with thinking is true. Sometimes it's wandering thoughts, sadness, panick, other times itches, breath, bliss, insight or simply nothing. To return to it again and again is to uncover it as brand new every time! I truly believe the experience of "playing" like that in just unhindered awareness, in zazen, is something we carry with us off the cushion after a while!
Thank you for sharing your experiences and thoughts!

Gassho
sat lah

[MalleableGirlParts]

Stillness in motion - Zen in Action: it is Running for me.

Gassho, Shinshi

SaT-LaH

I love it!

[MalleableGirlParts]

There was a time years ago, when I went through a patch of just struggling with the breath... For whatever reason I'd become so hyper-focused on it that I would slightly panic, feeling like I wasn't getting enough air. Funny to remember now as I empathise with you in a way. I love our shared experiences.

On a personal note, I think zazen is absolutely like a journey in the dark to an unknown land, with no map. Every moment of zazen is brand new, unique and filled with not-knowing. I can't ever predict what it'll be like, nor can I trust that what I made it into with thinking is true. Sometimes it's wandering thoughts, sadness, panick, other times itches, breath, bliss, insight or simply nothing. To return to it again and again is to uncover it as brand new every time! I truly believe the experience of "playing" like that in just unhindered awareness, in zazen, is something we carry with us off the cushion after a while!
Thank you for sharing your experiences and thoughts!

Gassho
sat lah

Hi!

Thank you for sharing! I haven't felt like I wasn't getting breath, thankfully!

Yes, it's slightly strange to think that I almost have no idea how my sit will go every time I do it. I think that sometimes I'm afraid to do a scheduled sit because I don't know if I can do the half-hour. I mean, I know I CAN, but maybe not at that time. It's been more than once that 12 minutes go by and I'm thinking "ring the bell!!". :-0 I know that sometimes it comes easily, but other times I'll have back pain or I'll get anxious. Honestly I'm afraid I will struggle through the sit and I suppose I have a difficult time doing things unless I'm confident I CAN. Something to work through...

[Bion]

Hi!

Thank you for sharing! I haven't felt like I wasn't getting breath, thankfully!

Yes, it's slightly strange to think that I almost have no idea how my sit will go every time I do it. I think that sometimes I'm afraid to do a scheduled sit because I don't know if I can do the half-hour. I mean, I know I CAN, but maybe not at that time. It's been more than once that 12 minutes go by and I'm thinking "ring the bell!!". :-0 I know that sometimes it comes easily, but other times I'll have back pain or I'll get anxious. Honestly I'm afraid I will struggle through the sit and I suppose I have a difficult time doing things unless I'm confident I CAN. Something to work through...

I hear you! I think we've all gone through the "ring the bell already!" experience more than once! I still go through itt, especially with longer sits. My approach to this is to sit and let whatever happens happen and deal with it when it does, not before it exists. Let me also say, there is a whole aspect of support in sitting WITH folks, in knowing the whole group is engaged in zazen, that everyone comes with their own little battles, struggles and limitations, and we start and finish together.

Gassho
sat lah

[Jundo]

If obsessing on breathing, heartbeat or many things and problems in life ... then they are an obstacle.

If we just let them be, and do not obsess on breathing, heartbeat or many things and problems in life ... then they are no obstacle. So, just leave them be, and do not obsess.

If you struggle through a sitting, then it is a struggle. If one just let's the sitting flow as the sitting, there is no struggle.

The obsession and struggle are both largely between your own two ears.

Also, the feeling of "floating" through motions, or that something is incredibly fascinating like turning a doorknob, are all wonderful and fruits of Zazen. But they need not be all the time, or even most or much of the time. Sometimes "float through motions" or be fascinated by the smallest things ... other times, just get on with things, bump along, and just open the door.

Gassho, Jundo
stlah

[Rich]

If i recorded every thought and feeling while sitting some may say this guy is a train wreck. Always been good at creating suffering. So today i met my new doctor and was nervous until i walked in the door. Then as i started interacting with the staff and doctor i noticed the stillness. I think that’s the residue of all the sitting in this lifetime

sat/lah

[Jundo]

If i recorded every thought and feeling while sitting some may say this guy is a train wreck. Always been good at creating suffering. So today i met my new doctor and was nervous until i walked in the door. Then as i started interacting with the staff and doctor i noticed the stillness. I think that’s the residue of all the sitting in this lifetime

sat/lah

[MalleableGirlParts]

Thank you everybody for your responses! That stillness is a wonderful feeling. I don't get it all the time, but am thankful when I do. I'm so incredibly grateful that I'm still very much always looking forward to sitting. It's becoming a true part of my daily life and it feels necessary now. It's beginning to feel like brushing my teeth or putting on my seatbelt...things feel off if I neglect it.

[ZenJay]

A few days ago I had to do a walkthrough of a school who asked my paranormal group to check into some strange activity happening there. I was walking around with about 12 teachers and we were standing in one of the classrooms. I began to sweep the class with my electromagnetic field detector when suddenly “BOOM!”- something slammed into the door that connects to the next classroom. Every teacher with me screamed and jumped, and then proceeded to run away. I didn’t even flinch! I was surprised by how calm I remained throughout the whole scene. Normally I know I would have at least jumped at the sound, but I found myself just accepting everything as it came a little more with ease… it was actually confusing at first, but quickly and pleasantly surprising as well! I felt like the eye of a storm that was raging around me. Practice has made me calmer, less reactive, and more at ease in life… Once everyone settled down, we quickly discovered that one of the teachers had snuck next door and thrown a doll at the door. Gotta love “spooky season”

Gassho,
Jay

Sat/lah today

[Hoko]

I have been fighting a stomach bug the last few days which has made my IBS flare up.
So, on Saturday night I sat right after dinner and my insides were making a lot of noise.
It sounded like a pod of whales singing to each other!
Then, halfway into my sit, the snooze function expired on my security system so I started getting alerts on my phone as members of my family moved about the house setting off the motion detectors.
So now I had R2-D2 beeping and blooping from the floor off to my left where I had set my phone down.
Then, my older two sons met in the kitchen and started showing each other videos on their phones and laughing and talking in their loud, booming voices (they're in college now).
They were being so loud that I could hear them through the walls from all the way across the house!
And my left nostril was clogged so I was making a whistling noise out of my right one...
So, naturally enough, frustration began to arise, because, after all, a little peace and quiet now and then would be nice!

BUT...
The singing whales and the beeping droids and the laughing boys and the whistling nostrils and the frustrated old curmudgeon all sat together in stillness anyway.
The end/no end

Gassho,
Hoko
ST/LAH

[Jundo]

BUT...
The singing whales and the beeping droids and the laughing boys and the whistling nostrils and the frustrated old curmudgeon all sat together in stillness anyway.
The end/no end

[Susan Warren]

I enjoyed this thread, thought about it as I sat this morning, hearing the sounds from the lobby of our apartment building as people left for school and work - just hanging out with what is happening, smiling!