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Bakasana B. Yay! Fun because I don’t know how I’m doing it.

Also fun: the fact that the pain in my lower back really does seem to be gone. I’ve been reluctant to say that because it seemed like I’d be tempting fate and it’d come back (superstition!). But I think it’s over. There’s a tightness in the lower left lumbar region, but it doesn’t hurt anymore. It just has “sensation.” Hard to describe, but you know the kind of deal where there’s a tight spot and it feels really good when you stretch into it.

How long did that last, the pain? I was thinking about it this morning. Six months, maybe? Eight? It is kind of like the awful hamstring pain I had for months when I first started practicing. I remember sitting on frozen peas every morning while I drank coffee before practice. Why did I do that? A weird kind of drive to carry on, and a dose of faith. Likewise the back pain. Something has unravelled, or is unravelling.

Zazen podcast. Scroll down to the very bottom — Zazen Mind. You will hear some interesting and familiar stuff, yogis. One thing that’s curious is to hear zen practitioners talk about awareness (and suffering) of the body. So do yogis cultivate a mirror-image suffering of the mind? We come to the same thing, from different entry points.

Promotion. Yup, a promotion at work. I’m happy. My Mom asked, “Does this mean you’ll have more free time?” Um, I think she must be thinking of the days when a promotion meant you sat in your office with your feet up on your desk and a cigar in your mouth. Anyhow, no, that’s not what it means. Still, it’s sweet.