Of the various newcomers who attended the Intro to Zen Workshop and then participated in sesshin the following day, only one came to the much less intensive weekday practice this week.
It's too soon to tell if any of the others will show up for some of our other meetings, as 5:30 p.m. on Tuesday and Thursday can actually be a formidable scheduling hurdle. I wonder if we'll see any semi-fresh faces at the 10:30 a.m. Sunday session.
Hopefully sesshin didn't just plain wear anyone out. I worked my way up to intensive practice gradually over months when I first started mindfulness practice.
Some times it seems easier, and some times it seems harder. Earlier this week I tried breath counting, which I hadn't done in years, and counted 83 out breaths before becoming meaningfully distracted. Then my concentration waned, and just minding my breath at all was like stargazing on a partly cloudy night. I could see just fine for a time, then the view would be obstructed.
I hope those newly introduced to zazen practice give it more than just one shot and get to see clear skies. In zazen, even the clouds provide opportunities to return again and again to the awesome views that await anyone patient enough to wait for obstructions to run their course and glide away.
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