MBSR — Weeks 5 & 6 + food for thought

Week 5 ended uneventfully, with a mix of 39′ sittings and body scans.

 

Week 6

Days 1 and 2:

-39′ sittings with Kabat-Zinn’s CD. My legs go to sleep, but have been managing to stay put without shifting until the end of the practice. I guess it’s good training staying with something uncomfortable and with a bit of pain, as I typically move away immediately  from anything that causes me discomfort. 

 

Day 3:

-Used my meditation bench for the 39′ sitting today. With the bench I feel no pain and my legs don’t go to sleep, but (oddly) I find it harder to focus–my mind seems to go all over the place. Conversely, when I sit cross-legged and I feel some pain and my legs give me trouble, the only way of staying put is to intently focus on my breathing, the sounds (and silence), or the sensations in my body. Strange… some discomfort seems to be conducive to a more mindful sitting (I will continue exploring this). And here is where things get interesting… can this be the case also in life? If we let them, can the difficulties we face sharpen our awareness? Make us more mindful?  This would certainly mean looking at things in a whole new light–of course, this is easier said than done!!!