Losing touch with the body

shanyin

A person I wouldn't suspect to have much advice on meditation said to me about meditation "you lose touch with your body". We were talking about me not doing so well and being confused about the medication I was on in the past. He suggested, "Just stop taking your meds, they mess with your mind and stop meditating, you lose touch with your body."

I really really don't want to get into the advice part because I think you'd have to know me and I assure I'm aware of medical consequences of stopping medication.

What do you think about what he said about losing touch with your body?

Glow

I've found the opposite to be the case: meditation forces you out of the conceptual world of thought into deep and present awareness of the body.

lobster

Glow is right, body awareness increases. A lot of the mental arisings have a physical 'sensation'.

chela

I do body scans during meditation-- sometimes several, depending on how long I'm sitting. I also have a bad back and I have one leg/foot that often "goes to sleep" on me, so I'm very aware of these things happening during meditation. I have to agree with @Glow.

Walking meditation and yoga are types of movement meditation in which you can't really lose touch with your body. In fact, it's impossible unless you want to fall over, trip, or suffer some other physical accident.

I'd say that your friend may have a skewed idea of what meditation really is/does. I wonder if what you said in your first sentence may warrant more attention from you.

shanyin

Yeah I mean it's been a while since I've had a in my opinion successful good feeling meditation but when I would literally be focusing on my body: the upper lip. I think Glow is right.

Tosh

Maybe there's some crossed wires here. When I start a formal meditation I'll start with mindfulness and I'll feel how I'm feeling; my body. But as I progress through my meditation I'll focus on my breathing; in and out; and sometimes it can feel like my body is 'dropping away' because my awareness is on my breath.

It's been described as the 'Cheshire Cat' in one Buddhist meditation book I've got; you know from Alice in Wonderland when the cat disappears and all that's left is the smile.

But it doesn't make me lose touch with my body; and when I remember to be mindful during the day, I'm very much in touch with my body.

Awakening

I'll paraphrase here: The Buddha said that there was no more expedient means to awakening, when cultivated, than mindfulness of the body.

I'd say meditation makes me feel "more grounded".

mfranzdorf

I've never felt more aware of my body than when meditating. Your friend maybe meant well, but that advice is suspect

Invincible_summer

@shanyin - What does your friend mean by "lose touch with your body?"

Losing attachment to the body? I don't see why that's a bad thing.

Not being aware of the body? Some meditative states can cause the body to feel light or that it's "disappeared," but as I've been told, it just takes practice to notice the subtleties of the body when your mind gets that quiet. I don't think it's got any inherent harm.

shanyin

@invincible_summer

I'm not entirely sure what he means. I've noted the general consensus here.