Question
Hello Master Kosen,
I am a 55-year-old man, and I have stuttered since I was three or four. It becomes increasingly unbearable as I grow older. My stuttering comes with tension and contractions in my chest, around my lungs or heart; I find it hard to pinpoint.
I have also practiced meditation since 1984. A yoga teacher I studied with, Claude Perrot, had been a disciple of Master Deshimaru. He taught me the posture and the essentials of meditation, and lent me Deshimaru's book "True Zen," which had a profound influence on my life.
Having suffered from serious depression for several years, I have returned to regular meditation in the hope that it might help me regain some balance and lightness in daily life. I know we should meditate without a goal, but this is more a reason than an actual goal (I work it out as best I can!).
Here is my question: do you think meditation, or a certain kind of meditation, could help me overcome this stutter? Or perhaps some particular exercise you know of? I am truly weary of having to struggle like this every moment of my life whenever I have something to say. The effort is constant and leaves me with lingering, painful sensations of muscle tightness.
Thank you for taking the time to read this and for any advice you might be able to give me.
inovo
Master Kosen’s answer
Read these links: http://paroledebegue.free.fr/blog/index.php?post/2006/01/10/40-la-techni...
And also http://www.inctb.net/redefiniriebegaiment.pdf
If you practice zazen, focus your attention on your breathing, especially the pause between inhaling and exhaling, and between
exhaling and inhaling. The pause matters; just as in music, rhythm rests on silence. Master the pauses, respect the silences to establish the rhythm, and take full charge of your breath.
Kosen