value of group sitting

One of the absolute newcomers to last weekend's workshop arrived early this morning, received some tutoring on dojo etiquette, and joined us for the first sitting and kinhin (almost half of our full session). I'm glad that our format enables people to fully participate without having to endure marathon events while getting their feet wet.

Another gentleman who's been participating in regular practice with the group for about three months referred to himself as a newcomer, somewhat in comparison to me. This got my mental gears turning a bit, as I've only been practicing regularly with the group for a rather short time. So I think of myself as the newcomer, despite how long ago I began practicing.

There's a meaningful difference between regularly practicing a specific tradition with a group and practicing alone without such ties. Personally, I place some value on the three months he's practiced with the group, and have been doing the same here lately myself.

Aside from the consistency of routine, group practice raises the bar on everything from punctuality to excessive fidgeting. When sitting with the group, one's respect for the practice environment of others may help cultivate healthy behavior about which one may tend to be more lax when practicing alone.

Besides, when practicing solo, where do you turn when you have a question?