You have decided to start taking meditation seriously, but suddenly, it’s harder than you envisioned. Sitting still has become an uphill task, and at every turn, you are hounded by pain and discomfort.
Is it normal to feel restless, pain, or discomfort as you meditate? The short answer is yes.
Everyone feels these mental and bodily sensations when they meditate. Even seasoned meditators will occasionally suffer a bad session. It should not be a cause for concern. I’ve heard rumors there are Zen meditation instructors who are strict and will have you facing the wall and walk around behind the meditators in training and swat them with a stick if you start to slouch or are not practicing “correctly.”
For the average person and in my experience within my own zen meditation group, it is more realistic to just notice the itch… and scratch it, or if you have a cramp… stretch your leg. This is what I prefer to teach as well, especially for newer students.
What to do about negative sensations while meditating
Discomfort and unpleasantness are part of daily life; we are sometimes too busy or distracted to notice them. But when you quiet your mind and concentrate your awareness, they become more pronounced.
You start to ache or feel uncomfortable from sitting in one position for too long. Your thoughts seem never-ending, and the more you try to quiet them, the louder they become. You may also realize that you are extremely bored.
Meditation is not what most people think it is. There is no immediate state of transcendence waiting for you once you clear your mind or not as most think.
Meditation, especially mindfulness meditation, revolves around focusing all your awareness on the present moment without judging your experiences.
When you experience these “bumps” during your sessions, lean into the sensations. It may seem counterintuitive, but focusing your awareness is easier when you have a strong emotion, thought, or sensation anchoring you to the present moment.
The other day I was at my meditation group being lead by one of my meditation instructors and I was sitting on a cushion the group owns which is a bit different than my own cushion at home. Anyhow, I got a leg cramp. I started leaning into it and focusing just on that area and exploring my feelings related to this cramp. The pain intensified! Ha! I was not ready for that and so I let it go and readjusted and almost instantly it went away only for an itch to appear on my cheek. I scratched it. I’m still on the journey. Ha! I do recommend trying to explore these things though.
Ask yourself questions like “What does it feel like?” or “Where am I feeling it?” to better immerse yourself in your present. Doing so pushes you to focus less on your reaction to the negative sensation and more on the sensation itself. This can lessen its intensity.
Neutralizing negativity during meditation
While you might think of them as problems, pain and discomfort are part and parcel of every experience.
It helps if you tune your mind to not think of them as problems but rather as different sides of the same experience.
If you find your mind wandering, let it wander. Observe your trail of thought to completion, then gently bring your awareness back to your present. This is not always recommended, but sometimes you find some interesting territory.
Try not to label anything you go through as desirable or unpleasant. Instead, play the role of a neutral observer to your interactions with the objects of your experience.
If a thought or sensation brings rise to an emotion, such as anger, don’t try to suppress it or distract yourself from it. Instead, let it flow through you until it gradually fades away.
The key to neutralizing any experience you deem as “negative” is to accept it without judgment. Pain is not inherently bad, and neither is happiness inherently good. They are sensations that we have subconsciously judged as desirable or unpleasant, but truthfully, they’re neither good nor bad.
It is incredibly important to learn how to tolerate uncomfortable experiences. The better control you have of your mind under unpleasant circumstances, the more clarity and peace you possess.
Dealing with physical discomfort
As much as comfort shouldn’t be a priority when meditating, you shouldn’t suffer either, especially from aches that you can easily avoid.
Most people face physical challenges when beginning to meditate. Sitting down cross-legged or on the floor if you’re not used to it can cause pain and soreness. Sometimes posture and how or where you sit can cause problems.
To prevent that, do some light stretches before settling into position. It is also said that doing some walking meditation is a great primer for sitting meditation. I typically do these separately, but it might be a good thing to test. It’s important to teach your body how to be comfortable in your meditation posture as it allows you to stay focused on the present.
Try out different positions to reduce initial soreness. You can sit in a chair with your feet planted, lie down with your legs straight, or lie down with your knees bent and feet planted, or even laying down with your feet on a chair.
Let me share a few resources that might help here…
Here is a video to help you find ways to implement a pre-meditation stretch routine that might help you have a stronger sit with less pain discomfort. I think pre-stretching might be a powerful addition to your practice if you have the time and space for your formal sitting practice.
Here is an article I found related to some other stretching ideas that you may find helpful. This article is titled – The Five Best Stretches for Meditation: How to sit cross-legged comfortably. Check it out and let me know what you think.
Then I found this article that reviews different positions and has some good photos to help you try some different poses and understand some of the differences between each one. The article is titled – THE 8 BEST MEDITATION POSITIONS. Again, give these different poses a try and see if it eases your pain, discomfort and distractions while meditating.
Lastly, Just Take it easy
The worst thing you can do is be hard on yourself. Meditation is a lifestyle, not a quick fix, so don’t expect your sessions to be perfect. Focus on the long-term benefits and always be willing to try again no matter how badly you think you are doing. If you feel too out of sorts to continue, stop first, then come back to it later.
Once it’s an ongoing practice, you will barely feel inconvenienced by sensations that would previously derail your sessions.
Last year I wrote an article titled – WHAT ARE THE TOP 10 REASONS WHY MEDITATION MAY NOT BE WORKING FOR YOU?. You might find this as a great additional read for overcoming some other issues you may be struggling with as you are building your meditation practice.
Want to try Meditating Together?
May 21st, is World Meditation Day 2022 and I will be offering a free group meditation to celebrate World Meditation Day and also do a meditation session with a virtual group. Sign up here if you would like to join us. I will be able to answer any questions you may have to also assist you on your journey.
Want to try adding mindfulness and meditation to your regular self-care routine? Click below to get details about the Introduction to Mindfulness & Meditation mini-course. There are a few lessons that are even great for someone who’s been meditating for years. Give it a try!