Stiffening up

[soitgoes]

Re: Stiffening up

I will guess that it could involve the change in blood pressure, or that you are pressing on a nerve down there. I would not worry about it unless it continues. Are your pants/underwear too tight? Most folks in Asia actually sit in robes, gowns or skirts ... not trousers. Try to loosen up you pants/shorts. Also, adjust your sitting position on the Zafu to ease the pressure a little on that part of the body. Try sitting a drop more forward on the Zafu.

My pants are quite loose and I'm sitting on the front third of my zafu, so I don't think pressure is the problem. It seems the matter arises when I feel that my meditation is going really well and get a pervasive sense of well-being.

[Dainin]

Re: Stiffening up

It seems the matter arises when I feel that my meditation is going really well and get a pervasive sense of well-being.

Well damn, man, then enjoy that stupa of yours! :wink:

[Jundo]

Re: Stiffening up

I've had the same trouble ask Skye. I wear glasses, too and was wondering whether that has some effect. Looking slightly downward, I see the bottom rim of the frames when I am focusing on the wall.

Linda

Hi Linda and Keith,

I have noticed that many Japanese Buddhist monks sit with their glasses on, although others take them off (I usually do not wear mine). Up to you. If they are a constant distraction, then do not. But they need not be. If it is just like any other object in your line of vision, then you should "see without seeing", part of looking at "everything and nothing particular". They are "there but not there". Got my point?

Here is Nishijima Roshi's first teacher, "Homeless" Kodo Sawaki with glasses ... and without ...

[Skye]

Re: Stiffening up

I made a point yesterday of keeping my eyes in focus, and I didn't have the blurry afterwards. I must have been defocusing without realizing. It's a little distracting to keep focusing, but I'll probably get used to it. I'll experiment with glasses on, glasses off - having them on doesn't distract me at all.

Thanks for the tips, now back to the stupas

[Shane]

Re: Stiffening up

If i took my glasses off, everything becomes one thing...so maybe i could enlighten myself faster without them.

the heck with stupas i'm gonna go build a gilded pagoda in honor of Jundo's upcoming talks.

[Undo]

Re: Stiffening up

I have always taken my glasses off when I sit. For quite a while I have not only been having problems with concentration but with also staying awake. I presumed this was due to events happening where I am at the moment. However since glasses wearing has been mentioned I have had them on. So far so good. Rather than sitting in a mist I am sitting where I am. This appears to have helped.

On a side issue, as a short sighted painter I have found it helpful (from time to time), to be able to take my glasses off and see things as shade and colour rather than line and detail.

Maybe there is room for both?