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Stress & muscle tension - distracting my meditation
Mountains
Veteran
For about as long as I can remember, my job stress and other stress has generally settled in my right trapezius muscle (the muscle on top of your shoulder). Whenever I have a massage (which isn't often enough!), there's always a hard knot in that muscle about the size of a pecan. I stretch it, I exercise it, I rub it, and still it burns when I'm feeling any stress at all.
Lately it's become bad enough that I find it very, very difficult to meditate because of it. I've tried concentrating my attention on the burning and the sensation, but it's so distracting that I often (regrettably) cut short my sitting meditation as a result.
Anyone have a similar experience and/or a thought on how to alleviate it?
Peace
Mtns
Lately it's become bad enough that I find it very, very difficult to meditate because of it. I've tried concentrating my attention on the burning and the sensation, but it's so distracting that I often (regrettably) cut short my sitting meditation as a result.
Anyone have a similar experience and/or a thought on how to alleviate it?
Peace
Mtns
0
Comments
If you concentrate on the burning and the pain, then you will have lots of it. Try not to let you mind settle upon that sensation.
I also have those kind of problems, and, when I meditate, I put a pillow between my lower back and a wall ( I'm meditating in my bed, which is "glued" to one of my room's walls) and that will keep my back straight for a while.
I've known a few women who carry a knot very similar to yours. It has characteristically been between the spine and the scapula, about 1/3-1/2 down the blade. I have not seen an acupuncture or yoga rationality for it, but it seems very common. It could be from using a mouse a lot, which was one theory. Another was that it happens from people who have a lot of compassion but are unsuccessful in remaining rooted in compassion in the moment... often looking back at situations with regret over the lack of compassionate response. Something about abundant heart energy not flowing into the hands or some such. These are only very speculative, as every journey is unique of course.
One of the ways relief was described to me was by daily corner massage... one lady continued to press that spot directly into the corner of one of her doorways to loosen the muscle. With enough daily focus, it seemed to her to go away.
I'd say look for an ergonomic/repetitive reason that would be there, and try to be more loving in the moment.
With warmth,
Matt
either the pain will dissipate, or it will remain but you will not suffer from it anymore.
It all changed when I went to one meditation group where we 'warmed up' before sitting: we used prostrations and I still do. Then we stood and looked at the place we would sit and focused on our intention. First: to sit; then why we were sitting. Finally, and before silence, we sat and our teacher led us through a progressive body scan, not stopping at points of tension but noticing them and moving on with a blessing. When discomforts arose during meditation silence, we were urged to notice them and return our attention to the point of our breath.
Discomfort will arise, whether it is pain or itching. As others have said, if we focus on it we get caught up in it whereas if we learn to notice and pass on we can maintain, more and more, the true focus of our sitting or walking time.
Good luck and don't let it stop you.