Q) Sometimes I find it difficult to stay awake during zazen, particularly at the beginning of sesshins (Zen retreats). Why is this?

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Zen retreats as part of Zen practice.

Slowing down the pace of life turns attention inward to the psyche

Retreats sharpen up the skill of both meditation and mindfulness

Different people can experience retreats very differently

Encountering repressed material on a retreat and factors that help us to cope

Practices of restraint can leave us feeling ‘pumped’.