Sitting with pain is real and metaphorical. The question is, which is which? For me, both apply as I "did something" to my right shoulder on May 3, 2019, and it has been reminding me, in various degrees, ever since.

Now, this is not the ordinary pain, mind you of just sitting, that pain usually speaks through my lower back, left knee and right foot. I know this trio well and we just hang out.

The doctor said it was a deep muscle strain and sent me to a physical therapist. And sure enough, as I have been doing the exercises prescribed the pain has become... worse. I also had a wonderful deep muscle massage and met a new friend called Tiger Balm, a secret salve from Asia that comes in what looks like a round can of shoe wax. It has the smell of medical success which it induces for about an hour.

But my tactics have now changed.

For several setting periods, I have been attending the pain or better yet it and i (small "I" intended) have been just spending time with each other. I am experiencing that, being with the pain is not the same as, being in pain. I am sitting as best I can, It is turning one way and me the other, and the pain is paining as best it can. We are dancing.

So, I'll see how long this relationship continues as we both will just show up at our next sitting...

108bows

----------------------------------------

My pain and I will be Zooming-in Tuesday night at 8PM/EDT for Dharma Discussion You can join us by using the following password: https://zoom.us/j/7096899032

___________