Meditation Retreat: Fifth Day

Over the hump. We are supposed to keep our practice continuous throughout the day. It is extremely hard and kind of exhausting. I have not been able to do that too well, particularly in meal breaks.

I do feel more present during the breaks though. I’ve noticed:

my arm hair, in detail
the particular weave of various materials, such as the inner lining of my pants
the complete taste of arugula

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On full take-care-of-neck-pain mode. Using walking periods to put a heat-bag on and taking Ibuprofen. Five days of waiting didn’t fix it, so I’ll give this a shot. Metta meditation was very good today, and I formalized my practice (non-traditional). Rather than begin with “I” and move on to “you”, I just use “we” throughout—like a toast. I find that easier to connect with.
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By the end of the day, my practice appears to improve. I found a sense of calmness and peace today that I’m not sure I’ve ever felt. Not continuous, but often there.

Links in this Series:
Arrival
Second Day
Third Day
Fourth Day
Fifth Day
Sixth Day
Seventh Day
Final Day
Reflections