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headache from meditation?
Sunspot5254
Explorer
in Meditation
I think I'm doing something wrong. Normally when I meditate I can't block anything out from my surroundings. For the past couple of nights I've done great at it but it leaves me with uncomfortable headaches? I'm wondering if maybe I'm doing something weird with my eyes while they're closed or something. Anyone else had this issue and figured out the problem?
0
Comments
It might be some kind of tension. Could you say more about the headaches?
When I can block everything out I feel like my consciousness has moved deeper into the back of my head instead of being right behind my eye lids. In this state I feel like my temples and the front of my brain begins to throb and hurt. And when I open my eyes I see spots. Idk how else to answer the question.
I would say it's a medical question and I would ask my doctor.
I'm no medic but it could be raised blood pressure, possibly due to tension.
Trying to block everything out doesn't sound like the right approach, you need to relax into a meditation practice.
Suggestions:
1. Do some relaxation exercises at the beginning of the meditation.
2. Gently close your eyes, don't scrunch up.
3. Try meditating with your eyes open.
Is there anywhere you can get some face-to-face instruction on meditation? Any local Buddhist groups or centres?
There are lots of guided meditations on the internet - have you tried any?
This guy is pretty good:
@Sunspot5252
When developing headaches in a meditation practice....
from the perspective of soto zen.
I think that if I tried to block anything out of my meditation,
I would call what I was doing a concentration exercise rather than a meditation exercise and
would call that resulting headache a teacher asking
If the form of your meditation requires your eyes to be closed, perhaps you could try opening them occasionally just to explore if you are actually crossing them in the ardor of your practice & causing your own headache.
and
It is also not a bad idea to investigate why the the eight fold path does not call for you to simply develop concentration but asks instead for right concentration. Understanding the differences between those two types of concentration can go a long way to bringing balance to a meditation practice.
If you are pushing too hard in a meditation practice, ask yourself whether it is just another way of dodging the more uncomfortable requirement of accepting where you really are.
Try raising or lowering the cushions under your butt. Bad posture can create tension in other muscle groups, as for example, the shoulders ... and tight shoulders can lead to headaches.
Hi there.
I've never seen any type of meditation or exercise designed to keep one's attention in the here and now to have instructions to 'block' one's surroundings, so my guess is it's probably that.
Have you tried a body scan?
From time to time during the meditation session, you could softly scan your body for points of tension.
Make sure you are not straining too hard to keep your eyes closed, nor frowning, no tension on the face muscles, the lips, the ears, the shoulders, the neck...
And then, relax on the blocking-out part.
Simply allow the world around you to arise and pass you by.
You are meditating, not blocking out.
Some inspirational reading/viewing about meditation might help set the mood/vibe also. I like: Ayya Khema, Mooji, Shenpen Hookham, Adyashanti, Rigdzin Shikpo, and Thich Nhat Hanh.
Hi @Sunspot5254
Hope what people have suggested is helpful
How did you arrive at your current practice? It is causing physical suffering. Something astray.
The Buddha according to the sutras during his yogic training, before he woke up, did breath retention and the sort of thing you describe and deveveloped nothing more than intense headaches. You are in good company.
Basically suppression or suspension of breath, consciousness or sensory sensations is not meditation in the Middle Way or Buddhist tradition unless undergoing specialised techniques under supervision.
As people have suggested, body scanning and eyes open meditation would enable the eyes to rest gently on a spot about three foot ahead of you. Make sure the head is back and the chin slightly lowered and the brow not furrowed and the teeth not clenched tight. The eyes are gently focussed.
If for whatever reason you wish to continue your mind suppression technique then I suggest starting or ending with Yoga Nidra.
First the obvious - ensure it is not a medical issue.
I have on occasion had headaches and for me it was caused by a lot of energy in the brow center, when this occurs I focus on my breath and get still, or sometimes I focus on directing the energy for a specific task.
This is not unusual, either that or I've inadvertently stumbled upon several online people who describe the same thing! A pain in the head while meditating. All the 'different' schools of Buddhism have that many reasons and solutions. Thanissaro Bikkhu (Thai Forest tradition) actually warns about internally straining yourself, thus causing a headache. He believes in a very unscientific idea that we 'breathe' with our whole body and especially circulate 'breathe' along certain areas closely related to chakhras. He encourages people to relax and go easy especially when 'breathing' through the little area in the brain lest you cause a headache for yourself.
Otherwise he's a great guy
. But I'll join with the others who suggest tension, 'trying too hard', straining unnaturally. All this comes from being too idealistic about your practice -- and is inevitable. So I hear anyway 
Good on you for making meditation as important as it is in your life. Meditation 'stopped' me from doing anything but read and be an intellectual Buddhist up until a year and a half ago. For some reason it was quite a hurdle for me, so I tend to admire the willingness. And idealize it. Hey . . .
>
Aw, heck no! You're supposed to use those noises to focus on - sometimes. Really! (Not kidding)
One day, when you least expect it, you will hear all those noises all at once and achieve nirvana.
(straight-face)
>
Part of mindfulness which is sort of an 'intro' to meditating is simply focusing on something. I found that focusing on simply bringing my attention back to my breathing worked best for me to start with...then, as I would read more, I would try other things that were suggested. For example, there's a train not too far away and whenever it comes around, I focus on the sound of the train OR there's a dog a few houses away that howls mournfully or barks every now and then, and when I hear him, I stop what I'm doing and simply just pay attention to him. It turns out that it's relaxing. It preps you for deeper and deeper meditation.
It all brings you closer to a true meditation - which from my understanding is more of an emptying of thoughts as humanly possible. It's never meant to be a competition with yourself or others - it benefits you to stop the mind-chatter so that true insights can find their way to your consciousness. I hope this helps.
Blocking it out isn't possible, as a deliberate act. It looks like people with extensive meditation can achieve certain states where sounds and sensations disappear, but as a deliberate act of 'blocking'? No one has that kind of control, nor is it useful IMO.
I've done meditations where I only LISTEN to sounds, focusing on (for instance) sounds that are in the room with me, then sounds outside the room, then sounds outside the house, in the city, outside the city, farther and father away to the point I was 'listening' for the Amtrak trains which I couldn't hear but I was 'listening' for them. You could do the same for bodily sensations and probably visual ones.
The point is to train and refine focus/concentration with what is naturally 'there' in your environment.
Probably everyone new to meditation has the wrong but common idea that meditation is getting your mind to go empty, or block all thoughts and sensations. That is IMPOSSIBLE as a deliberate act. No one can do it. Experienced meditators can do unimaginable things and I'm not one of them so I'm leaving them out of my examples
.
Guided meditations might suit your present situation
http://www.tarabrach.com/audioarchives-guided-meditations.html
As soon as you work out where to go . . . we can all enjoy the ride . . .
First and foremost: don't make such a big deal out of it, @Sunspot5254.
I have some experience meditating through noises, sounds and toddlers.
If you find it impossible to carve out at least fifteen minutes for a formal sitting-down session, work with your breath.
Interspersed throughout my day, anywhere, anytime, I simply close my eyes and do some deep breathing.
Just focusing on the breathing.
I don't shut anything out. I allow sounds to emerge in my conscience and subside.
I allow thoughts to pop up, and acknowledge them before softly bidding them farewell.
Breath meditation is probably the simplest (I did not say easiest) thing to do.
Don't force anything. Don't strain your body. Lighten up and be there with your breath.