Is physical discomfort during meditation part of the problem

[aly4519]

So, I've found myself trying to meditate in so many various ways.

Sitting up in a chair.. not comfortable for me. I've even tried propping up the back legs so the chair itself is more flat. I just can't get comfortable. It's like I'm trying too hard to keep my posture "as it should be."

On a meditation bench with a cushion. Also not comfortable... but it should be, right? It's setup to give me the appropriate posture (I would think?).

Lying in bed, sitting up. This has been the most comfortable for me. But people don't seem to ever suggest this one. My assumption is that it's wrong.

This could all be tied back to me constantly judging my breath, asking myself if I'm forcing it. That part is very frustrating. I've been told to rest my hand on my stomach to follow the breath, and that it tends to help not force it, but instead my arm gets tired. Resting a pillow under the arm doesn't feel more natural or help.

I appreciate any thoughts you guys have.

[JonW]

Hi aly4519,
Is it more mental fidgetiness that gets in your way or actual physical discomfort?
I guess the sitting positions that most teachers advise for meditation (lotus, straight-back chair, meditation bench) are mainly chosen for ease of breathing. Also, in those positions, there's less chance of slouching.
But most teachers would also say that, from the point of view of self-compassion, your physical comfort is a prime concern. Given that, I can't see that lying in bed/sitting up would be inadvisable in any way and I can't see that it would devalue the meditation. I'm assuming that you haven't had any problems with discomfort when meditating in this position?
It would be interesting to get some other views on this.
Anybody?
All best wishes,
Jon

[FeeHutch]

I meditate either sat on my sofa or my bed propped up with cushions. I tried at the start of my practice to sit what I thought the 'correct' position was. I spent almost every practice thinking about how uncomfortable I was, which bit of me was going dead and which bit was about to go into an agonising cramp. There is lots to be gained from noticing body sensations and choosing to let them go or mindful shift position but not, in my experience, starting in an uncomfortable position.

[Matt Y]

You can choose whatever position you like. Meditation teachers often over-emphasise the importance of posture, insisting that there's an optimal posture to adopt. I would suggest that the optimal posture is the one that you find the most helpful. You can lie down in bed if you want.

Perhaps more importantly, be willing to experiment. You might find that different postures result in different degrees of comfort, and also different mind states.

With patience, you might also find that you can sit comfortably. It's usually not the posture that is the problem. More often, it's the mental gymnastics that cause the discomfort.

I taught a class yesterday, and one of the students, who had never meditated before, said he always fidgeted, and couldn't sit still for more than a minute. I then guided the group through an interesting series of mindfulness exercises in which he remained as still as a statue for over 20 minutes. He even remained still, with his eyes closed, for some time after we finished. This is not uncommon. Given the right instructions, and the right information and attitudes towards sitting, practically all the 'fidgeters' I've met, have been able to rest comfortably.

[aly4519]

I meditate either sat on my sofa or my bed propped up with cushions. I tried at the start of my practice to sit what I thought the 'correct' position was. I spent almost every practice thinking about how uncomfortable I was, which bit of me was going dead and which bit was about to go into an agonising cramp. There is lots to be gained from noticing body sensations and choosing to let them go or mindful shift position but not, in my experience, starting in an uncomfortable position.

This is EXACTLY my problem.

[KernelOfWisdom]

Loving the responses here to far, but thought I'd reiterate that you can certainly meditate in bed as you've described. Meditation is simply about spending some time with you and observing whatever you notice, so there IS indeed (as others mention) value in noticing your physical discomforts and learning what you can from them but another great lesson is also just our relationship to "should" or "proper". The reality is, meditation happens within us so the posture isn't that big a deal. It is important to the extend that we can be alert and focused on the meditations, and able to sit for some time. If more traditional postures, or the ones we hear about more, take away from that - I'm all for finding an alternative that works for you. And you can always experiment with different postures to see what you learn along the way.

Hope that helps, and I hope you can happily meditate with all the great advice from these folks moving forward

[aly4519]

Loving the responses here to far, but thought I'd reiterate that you can certainly meditate in bed as you've described. Meditation is simply about spending some time with you and observing whatever you notice, so there IS indeed (as others mention) value in noticing your physical discomforts and learning what you can from them but another great lesson is also just our relationship to "should" or "proper". The reality is, meditation happens within us so the posture isn't that big a deal. It is important to the extend that we can be alert and focused on the meditations, and able to sit for some time. If more traditional postures, or the ones we hear about more, take away from that - I'm all for finding an alternative that works for you. And you can always experiment with different postures to see what you learn along the way.

Hope that helps, and I hope you can happily meditate with all the great advice from these folks moving forward

You know what's funny is that I hadn't see you post on these forums before, and I youtubed an awesome video the other day, and it was the kernel of wisdom. Didn't realize you were here too! Awesome!

[KernelOfWisdom]

You know what's funny is that I hadn't see you post on these forums before, and I youtubed an awesome video the other day, and it was the kernel of wisdom. Didn't realize you were here too! Awesome!

That's awesome aly519! I LOVE this forum, Gareth and team have done SUCH an awesome job and it is such a lovely community. It is also great to hear you found one of my videos Thanks for letting me know!! I look forward to chatting more in the forum.

Oh and if it helps (perhaps this is the one you found), I DO have a video about how to deal with pain & discomfort during meditation: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GhvwzsCBUew. Hope it can help too (but it says basically the same stuff I already mentioned).