Advice needed for pain when meditating

zenbiker

Hi everyone! I've been lurking here for a little while but registered so that I could ask this question.

A tiny bit of background first: I've been practicing mindfulness for about three years, but I just started meditating. I do 10 minutes every day, usually sitting in a chair as I'm recovering from a back injury.

I want to incorporate a "body scan" type meditation in addition to my daily sitting meditation but am hitting a roadblock.

Whenever I do my guided body scan meditation -- 45 minutes -- I get nearly done with the meditation when I get a very intense pain in my left shoulder. I can work through my normal back pain, but am really having trouble with the shoulder pain. It flares up very quickly and intensely and gives me a very strong sensation of restlessness deep in my core, so strong that it makes me nauseated.

My question is thus:

Should I continue trying to do the 45 minute tape, pushing through and forcing myself to lie there in pain? I do try to accept the pain and notice it without judging, etc, but fundamentally it is strong enough that I really do wind up forcing myself to lie there.

Or should I back off and perhaps try 10 minutes of lying-down self guided meditation, with the eventual goal of being able to do the 45 minute tape?

I'm very torn because on the one hand, I want to learn about this pain and figure out what it's trying to teach me, but on the other hand, I'm finding myself procrastinating doing the tape at all because I don't want to hurt.

Brandon

you need to stop putting a label to pain. when the pain comes up see it as a sensation rather than thinking omg this is starting to hurt badly. If you think about it pain is not real it is merely a sensation that we perceive as bad. For instance run your hand through ice cold water. Why does it feel like it is burning but in reality it is not? Pain is illusory. Become one with it do not allow it to be labeled.

Cloud

OP: The pain may be due to a block of circulation from sitting in that position for so long. You can meditate lying down, as long as it doesn't constrict your breathing. Also when the pain comes along, move your attention fully to the pain; the normal reaction one has is aversion, but you want to become friends with it... know it fully, feel it out as well as any other sensation or tensions. With directed attention on the pain, it will likely lessen or present itself as less discomforting. Unless it's some health issue that can't be overcome, it should go away on its own or become some other sensation before very long at all.

fivebells

zenbiker wrote: »

Should I continue trying to do the 45 minute tape, pushing through and forcing myself to lie there in pain? I do try to accept the pain and notice it without judging, etc, but fundamentally it is strong enough that I really do wind up forcing myself to lie there.

Or should I back off and perhaps try 10 minutes of lying-down self guided meditation, with the eventual goal of being able to do the 45 minute tape?

I'm very torn because on the one hand, I want to learn about this pain and figure out what it's trying to teach me, but on the other hand, I'm finding myself procrastinating doing the tape at all because I don't want to hurt.

You don't want to push through something which is causing you severe emotional disturbance. Otherwise, you end up with exactly this kind of procrastination and distaste for meditation. If something comes up which you can't handle, stop and rest. At least until you've discussed the issue with an experienced teacher.

Jeffrey

slow gentle steps is better than biting off more than you can chew. Imho.

TheDoctorDonna

I have to deal with pain during meditation on a regular basis due to Cerebel Palsy. Here is some advice that I have gotten from my Lamas.

1 The most important thing in terms of posture is to keep the back straight. You may stay seated or even lie down if needed so long as your back is straight.

2 There is no need to work toward a "correct Posture". Work with what you have and if in time, you posture inproves thats ok, if not don't worry about it. We are in for the long haul.

3 In general it is better to do shorter meditations without pain than to suffer thru. If you are just sitting gritting your teeth waiting for the tape to end, you are not really benifiting.

I have found that over the 2 plus years that I have been meditating on a consistant basis that pain, like any other thought, becomes more easy to deal with over time, so don't get discouraged.

There are specific meditation techniques to deal with pain. I am not ordained so I can't try to teach them, but ask a qualified Lama for guidance. The Lama's at my Monestary have been very patent with my struggles.

I hope this helps.

All the Best.

zenbiker

Thank you all! I think I'll try 10 minutes of self-guided body scan (lying down) today in addition to my daily 10 minutes of sitting.