M15 Ep017: Ouch! Meditating with numb legs, aches, pains, and itches

Mindful15: Stress Management | Mindfulness | Meditation

Today, I want to answer a frequently asked question: What do I do if my legs fall asleep or if I have a pain or an itch that’s prompting me to move? Do I have to stay absolutely still? Listen to the podcast: Or, read the blog: I once had a headache that would not go away - for days on end. It was a moderate headache, but no matter what I did, it wouldn’t fade. I tried gentle stretching, drinking water, heat, cold, acupressure, and finally aspirin, but nothing worked. The longer the headache persisted, the worse I felt, not because it was so very painful, but because I couldn’t stop fretting about it and feeling sorry for myself. In desperation, I finally gave in. I sat on my meditation cushion and just meditated on the headache. I simply observed how the headache actually felt. And the result was very interesting. I’d never fully experienced a headache before, never got really curious about it. I noticed all sorts of things. I noticed that the pain wasn’t steady. It ebbed and flowed, and for seconds at a time, disappeared entirely. And, its nature changed constantly. One minute, I felt a stabbing sensation. The next, I felt oscillating heat and cold. And the sensations moved around a lot. The meditation did not directly cure my headache, but it did get rid of all the fretting and self-pity. It demonstrated to me that I could survive quite nicely, quite happily, with the headache. And, in this way, it reduced my suffering. I was able to relax and the headache did go away an hour or so later. There are all sorts of bodily sensations that can distract you during meditation. You might have an annoying itch, aches and pains might pop up, or your feet and legs might fall asleep (a condition called paresthesia - read about what causes it, here). When these things come up during meditation, are you supposed to just tough it out, ignore the sensation, and sit completely still? No, meditation is not an endurance sport. Any time you need to move to relieve a disturbing bodily sensation, you can do so. But, don’t just move right away. We often react to a pain or numbness in an automatic way. We judge it as unpleasant and quickly move to get relief. Bodily sensations, however, live in the moment. They can become useful objects of meditation and they can teach us how to be mindful. When a sensation arises, start by just noticing it. Become curious about it. Bring your attention to it and see if you can sit with it for a little while. Notice how the sensation actually feels. Tune in to the raw sensations. Then, when you need to move, move. There’s no value in forcing yourself to sit with discomfort for a long time. But, when you move, move mindfully. Tune in to the sensations of movement. Notice your body as it contacts your clothing and your chair. Notice the feeling of your joints and muscles moving. Hear the rustling of clothing or the noises made by your limbs moving. Just be fully present with the movement. Take time to settle in to your new position. When you’re settled in and stable, you can move your attention back to the breath. Why don’t you try this with me now? The following is a 10-minute guided meditation including instruction on sitting with discomfort. Before you go If you enjoyed this lesson, please share it using the social media buttons you see below, or click here to tell your friends. To subscribe to our lessons, use one of these links: Email (you’ll get free extras) | iTunes | Stitcher | YouTube | Google Play | Blubrry | Libsyn | Blogger | facebook | iHeartRADIO | Spotify (search for Mindful15)