Well, I made it. Thanks to a heaping helping of good old fashion peer pressure, aka encouragement, I attended my first formal Zen service at the Atlanta Soto Zen Center (ASZC).
I have had it on my calendar every Sunday since we moved to Atlanta back in February. Now, that is not very long so, you may think "big deal, you made it within a couple of weeks".
However, my interest in sitting a formal practice goes back years. I attended a newcomers orientation with the group in Athens but, I could never bring myself to attend a service.
I had been intimidated by the three 25 minute periods of zazen separated by 5 minutes of kinhin.
How could I make it? The longest I had attempted on my cushion at home was 15 minutes.
The support that I received from my friends and the ASZC orientation were enough to give me the confidence to "get over myself".
Here's to my many mindful moments past, future, and of course present.
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