08/02/2025
Here's a compelling caption for this Zen training story:
My Zen master made me push him up hills until I puked. Here's why. 🏔️
I thought I was tough as a runner - fast, athletic, but completely lacking in real core strength. My teacher had a brutal solution: become his personal human bulldozer.
Picture this: A steep Hawaiian hill. My hands on his hips. Him as dead weight. Me pushing 200+ pounds of "nope" straight uphill until my body gave out completely.
This wasn't some fitness trend - this was HARA training - developing the deep core strength that grounds you physically, mentally, and spiritually in Zen practice.
The real lesson? Your body is the foundation for everything else. Without physical grounding, meditation becomes impossible. Without core stability, presence becomes performance.
After weeks of this homegrown torture, I finally earned my way to the hidden temple in Kalihi Valley - nestled deep in the mountains, surrounded by trees, backed by a flowing river. A sacred space where real transformation happens.
But here's what nobody tells you about intensive meditation: Hour 1 feels manageable. Hour 8? Your body screams things that would make a sailor blush.
The physical demands aren't punishment - they're preparation. They teach you that discomfort isn't the enemy, resistance is.
Your nervous system needs this kind of grounding too. Whether it's Zen training or somatic work, real healing requires building capacity slowly, intentionally, with proper support.
Ready to build your own foundation for healing? Link in bio.
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