Zazen on pain medication

[Snark]

Hi Everyone,

I just sat Zazen and due to post surgery pain medication found it difficult to stay awake, let alone enter into a state of samadhi. I don't want to stop sitting because my days are structured around it. I am interested to know what people think about the value of sitting Zazen under these conditions?

Gassho,

dan, satlah.

[Jishin]

Hi Everyone,

I just sat Zazen and due to post surgery pain medication found it difficult to stay awake, let alone enter into a state of samadhi. I don't want to stop sitting because my days are structured around it. I am interested to know what people think about the value of sitting Zazen under these conditions?

Gassho,

dan, satlah.

Hi,

Don't swim upstream.

Gassho, Jishin, __/stlah\__

[Kokuu]

I just sat Zazen and due to post surgery pain medication found it difficult to stay awake, let alone enter into a state of samadhi. I don't want to stop sitting because my days are structured around it. I am interested to know what people think about the value of sitting Zazen under these conditions?

Hi Dan

If your body needs to rest and heal, let it rest and heal. Sitting can wait.

Otherwise, consider 'sitting' laying down for a time or using a guided body awareness meditation or similar instead of Shikantaza. Or sit for five minutes, one minute or one breath.

Structures can change as required and although Zazen has immense value, there is also value in dropping the imperative to sit for a time.

Look after yourself.

Gassho
Kokuu
-sattoday/lah-

[Onka]

Hi Dan
Post-surgery or not you'd find many folk here who take a variety of medications with associated variety of side affects. I agree with Jishin and Kokuu here. Don't put pressure on yourself.
Gassho
Onka
sat today

[Jundo]

Hi Dan,

In Zazen, we sit as "just what is", even if that "sitting" is flat on our back, moaning in pain or even dozing off unavoidably due to medicine.

Remember that good Zazen is Good Zazen, and it is Good to sit good Zazen, but bad zazen is also Good Zazen on those days when it is just bad and is what it is.

We do not need to attain deep "samadhi" states in Shikantaza, and enter such states when we enter them, don't enter them when we don't. We place no demands to get something whatsoever upon Zazen, and that radical "no demands" down to the bone is really getting something special!

Of course, if there is a day because of sever pain, life trauma, pressing work duties or other unavoidable reasons that we cannot sit, even for a minute or two ... then we accept that too. No need to sit. But when we can, it it lovely to just sit with the pain, trauma or duties ... letting the pain trauma or duties just be the pain trauma and duties with no demands on them by us. For example, let the pain just be the pain on one mental channel, even as another part of you dislikes it and hopes for a cure. When moaning, just moan ... for moaning just to moan when sick is Shikantaza too. If the medicine makes you unavoidably sleepy, then just sleep ... for sleeping just to sleep when it cannot be helped is Shikantaza too. I have found that the "best" Shikantaza is sometimes when something really seemed the opposite of peace, comfort, beauty, calm ... and I radically let it be and "sat as that" anyway, allowing what was.

Jishin is right, "don't swim upstream" when you cannot, and sometimes just cast out your arms and drift, letting the flow of life carry you where it will. That is true especially when the waters are a bit wild. If your body really will not allow the equanimity of Shikantaza, then do a mantra meditation, guided meditation or the like as Kokuu recommends. Don't put pressure on yourself.

But at the same time, if you can, try to sit with the radical acceptance of your state that is Shikantaza.

Gassho, Jundo

STLah

[Snark]

Thank you Jishin, Kokuu, Onka, Jundo. I guess i need reminding regularly that we are practicing "the middle way". i can be too tough on myself, but i am looking forward to sitting today in pain or fatigue or dullness, and just being.

much love

Gassho,

dan.

[Meian]

hi dan,

i can't really add much to the wisdom that everyone has shared already. hopefully your situation is temporary. i'm on a few longterm medications that are required to manage what i live with, and they all have side effects. some days, it's okay and i can handle it. other days ..... i take things moment by moment and just breathe.

you do what you can do. sleep when you need to -- listen to your body.

gassho, meian st

[Tai Shi]

I have chronic pain due to a severe rheumatoid condition. My doctor has wisely allowed me to go off one strong pain medication, and go onto another entirely different, completely different class-- different purpose madication. The first was harmful becasuse I had been taking it for years. The second is relitively new to me and has many new benifits one of which is better chronic pain management. The new medication in nonaddictive, and then I wear patches to help. One is a small ammount of powerful pain medication released over two days-- then I change my patch. The second patch is strong but I change the second patches every 12 hours, 12 on, 12 off, etc. AH me, such is the life of the chronic pain patient. I will say that these medications are carefully monitired and managed by my doctor. I no longer drive by doctor's advice. These days, I am more alert, and more understanding because of good doctors. I sit good zazen, sitting in recliners, or high back office chair. Sometimes I sit lying on my back.
Tai Shi
sat/ lah
Gassho

[gaurdianaq]

I'll just repeat what everyone else has said. If you can sit, then great, but if you can't then that's ok too. Take care of yourself and don't push yourself too hard!

Evan,
Sat today