Using Pain as support for meditation

[lisakramerhunt]

Since pain is something we all experience at one time or another, I would like to open a discussion about this. I am having pain after a recent ski crash. At the time, I noticed how quickly my mind grabbed onto a past ski injury and the fear associated with this. But at that moment, I could also just watch my breath enough to assess the situation. Had I broken my leg again? Could I move the leg? Would it support my weight? Could I ski on it? It turns out that I just bruised the bone quite a bit and the result is a lot of tight and sore muscles. So, rather than doing the practices that I have been following recently, I use this opportunity just to connect with myself, to just be with the pain, watch how it moves, lessens, intensifies. I am interested to hear how other have used this practice.

Topic

[ssb2]

Hi

I don’t know whether posting here will work since this conversation is quite old.
I am only just working through JoL 1 and think I’m missing something wrt awareness of the body.
The first 2 practices of body scanning and being aware of any sensation were fine.

But the walking thing I didn’t get at all.
All my movements were automatic, I couldn’t figure out to have ‘awareness’ of much except the pressure of putting down my foot.
I got bored and gave it up.

Now I’m supposed to work with pain and be aware of the mind’s reaction to it.
But I am only aware of the sensation at the site of the pain.
And amazement that the body is able to clearly identify the exact location and the nature – pressure/ heat/ numbness – of the sensation.
There seems to be no corresponding activity in my head!
And this seems to be reinforcing the idea of me/ my physical body instead of demonstrating that there is no me.

When there is a feeling of aversion, I don’t really know where it is, what it’s saying.
Can anyone clarify what I’m supposed to be watching?

Thanks in advance

[lisakramerhunt]

Thank you Edwin and Beth,
I will do some further exploration with this pain. The pain wakes me at night, so the bonus is, I am getting another hour of meditation practice in every night. Edwin, I will look at the underlying self investment and identification with the story.
thanks

[edwin]

@Lisa Pain is a great object for support for awareness. I injured my back in a motor cycle accident when I was 18, I did my first meditation retreat three years later and for the past 40 years my meditation has been dominated by the physical sensations in my body that are mostly the result of that accident. So far my practice has taught me the following:
1) Pain has a powerful ability to get your attention. This is a good thing for one who meditates. There is always an object to support awareness.
2) It is easy to turn pain into the enemy, make it into a monster and develop a relationship with it that is mostly based on hope and fear. All of this is great fodder for mindfulness practice. Anyone of these issues warrant close observation and exploration.
3) Pain is a mixture of a myriad of physical sensations, it is not one solid, single thing. Explore the detail, watch it pixilate.
4) Physical injury is like any trauma, the ego likes to recreate the story, identify with it and reify it. Exploration of the underlying self investment and identification with the story, by applying the basics techniques of vipashyana practice, is a valuable tool for dismantling the suffering.
Happy meditating,
Edwin

[ohmybeth]

Since pain is a physical sensation, I have used this practice but with the physical sensations associated with menopause symptoms (hot flashes, heart palpitations, insomnia). It might be a little bit “easier” since I know these sensations are “normal”. That is, I am not worried about things like whether or not I have something other than plain ordinary menopause symptoms. I mainly notice the impermanence of the physical sensations when I meditate with them…it’s a good reminder about impermanence in general.

[Author]

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