When I Come Back To Now...

[SyntaxJO]

After sitting a while my shoulders start aching. When I find myself drifting in thought , I bring myself back to 'now,' and the pain in my shoulders becomes more apparent at the same instance. Is it because I was distracted by thought, and noticing my body again; or could it be some physiological result of me maybe forcing my mind in some way. I can't tell if I'm forcing my mind to think of nothing at that crucial moment.

[disastermouse]

Or it could just be that your shoulders were hurting.

I read something in a Douglass Coupland book where the main character's brother suggested pretending your life was a dream and interpreting it thus....like, "Hey, what does that shadow MEAN?".

[Jundo]

Hi,

Well, yes ... if you are sitting for hours and hours a day as you are ... your shoulders may start hurting ... and when you bring your attention back to it, you will notice that your shoulders are hurting.

Trying relaxing the tension in your shoulders or adjusting how you sit on the Zafu.

If that does not work ... take two aspirin and call me in the morning.

Okay, nurse Chet, bring in the next patient!

Gassho, J

PS - I am curious why, Jordan, as you live in Japan, you flew down to Bali to sit this retreat.　Seems kind of far to go when sitting can be anywhere.

[SyntaxJO]

Chet.. my shoulders hurting was one of the options I gave, brother bear. If me coming back to now and then being aware once again of my soulders. I said that, right?

[SyntaxJO]

Jundo, I dont live in Japan. Just didn't update my location. I was going to work all month in Bali and the Apple broke. SoI found myself in Bali when I decided to do the retreat. Quality problem, ehh?

And Aspirin? Really really? Oh, man! That's pretty damned sweet!

[Jundo]

Ah!

Well, anyway, sometimes sore shoulders are just sore shoulders.

If you cannot get them to not be sore through relaxing or stretching or adjusting your posture ... just sit with the soreness. The soreness is a Buddha's soreness, Just What Is.

As the elderly Buddha is quoted in the Sangiti Sutta (actual quote, and similar aches and pains found in several other Sutta):

The Buddha, surveying the monks sitting silently all about said to venerable Shariputra,

"The monks are free from sloth and torpor, Shariputra, you think of a discourse on Dhamma to give to them [and fill in for me today]. My back aches, I want to stretch it."

"Very good, Lord." Replied Shariputra.

Gassho, J

[disastermouse]

Sometimes sore shoulders are sore shoulders, and sometimes it's fun to look at it the other way too.

Boredom is the last desperate ploy of the 'avoid-awakening-at-any-cost-defense-system'. And sometimes it's just boredom.

[Hoyu]

After sitting a while my shoulders start aching. When I find myself drifting in thought , I bring myself back to 'now,' and the pain in my shoulders becomes more apparent at the same instance. Is it because I was distracted by thought, and noticing my body again; or could it be some physiological result of me maybe forcing my mind in some way. I can't tell if I'm forcing my mind to think of nothing at that crucial moment.

Perhaps it's your minds way of saying "screw you!"? Its resistance to being ignored. The mind hates when we cease to let it have its way and can get pretty pushy for attention! Not that your shoulders don't legitimately hurt(because I'm sure they do) but more like the mind taking advantage of anything it can attach to and run with out of desperation.

Gassho,
Hoyu