Oh, where is that nice feeling?

Question: 
I sat for two minutes in full-lotus and it began to hurt a lot. I endured pain as you’ve instructed. I later began to go for five-minute increments instead of two-minute increments. It really felt great afterwards. But it has been hard to achieve that nice feeling again. What happened?

Answer:
That is normal. When you experience enough pain, your body releases natural painkillers called endorphins. That gives the beginner that “great feeling.” As your pain threshold increases with your skill, your body no longer has to fight the pain, so it no longer releases the endorphins.

I urge you to NOT TO LOOK FORWARD TO THAT GOOD FEELING. It is a form of attachment. It is unwarranted, and impedes your progress. As your gongfu increases, you will no longer have pain, and at the same time you will experience greater enjoyment, and a greater sense of well-being. When that happens, enjoy it for what it is and then let it go. Just keep it up, and you will understand.