The article details the author's experience during a six-day silent meditation retreat, highlighting the intense physical discomfort encountered during meditation. As pain escalated from mild to overwhelming, the author struggled against it, feeling like a failure compared to others. Despite receiving guidance to simply observe breath, the physical sensations dominated focus. This struggle illustrates the deep connection between physical pain and emotional resistance, emphasizing that learning to accept and observe pain can foster a greater understanding of oneself. Ultimately, this experience sets the stage for future challenges, where acceptance would prove essential.
"Pain is not wrong. Reacting to pain as wrong initiates the tangle of emotional resistance against what is already happening." ~Tara Brach
While other practitioners appeared serene, their faces soft and bodies still, I was waging an internal war.
Each inhale brought awareness of new discomfort-a sharp knife in my hip, a dull ache in my shoulders, pins and needles racing down my calves.
The cushion that had felt so perfect during the orientation session now seemed as unyielding as concrete.
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