Improv-Awakening

Had my phone date with Frank today. Other than being the tremendous inspiration that it was, it was a great time to pause and reflect on this practice and what it means in my life. We spoke a little about the dual meanings of the word "practice" and how it can mean both what you do on the cushion and what you do out in your life. I liked this idea - that I am practicing for my practice of life when I am sitting on the cushion and that everything feeds into each other.

Also spoke a little bit about the differences between suffering and pain. I had a weird kink in my shoulder today after practice and I put a hot patch thing on it to calm it down (wonder in retrospect if this was just me averting from that pain). After about an hour or two of wearing it, my skin started to really burn, so I took it off and then it seemed to get worse. Instead of making up a story about my skin burning off (I actually remembered having this thought), I stopped what I was doing and did a short seated (in my office chair) meditation. Maybe 7-10 minutes most. But I noticed the sensation of the burning and how it came and went (in pulsations) and how it really wasn't that bad, just really uncomfortable. After the sit, I washed my shoulder and it actually felt WAY better.

But I kind of just realized that meditations can happen spontaneously too. It doesn't just have to be when you schedule it in.