Psychological sensations during meditation

[girlwithguitar]

During meditation, I sometimes feel psychological sensations in my feet. A little while ago, it felt as if my feet were 'bleeding.' Coming from the arch of my foot, it felt like I had a leak there. There was no pain or visible ailment, it was just a feeling that I knew was there. A little while later, it stopped but now I feel like my toes are burned. Particularly the great toes.

I have asked my Yoga instructors, and they say it is possibly due to energy loss, but cannot support me much more than that. Does anyone know of any resources to help me learn more about what is happening to me?

[girlwithguitar]

I'm still interested in hearing other points of view, but I have quizzed someone else who does work with their breath/ chi energy. They explained that energy can get built up in the feet and can sometimes not find a good way to circulate through the body. The person encouraged me to align my spine properly when meditating and also to place a pillow under my knees when meditating in savasana. Elevating the feet helped a lot, as did placing the pillow under the knees.

[JonW]

Hi girlwithguitar,
It sounds to me that regular body scan practice would address these sensations you are having.
Cheers,
Jon

[piedwagtail91]

hi
i've had a similar experience thought not whilst meditating. it felt like my waterproof pants were leaking when i was out in heavy rain but they weren't. it was as though i could feel the water running down my lower leg.

i've found this about posture, it's from an insight meditation handout.
i'm not sure if it's of any help.

"The ideal is an upright, alert posture. Slumping only increases the pressure on the legs and discomfort in the back. It is important to attend to your posture with wisdom, not insensitive will-power! Posture will improve in time, but you need to work with the body, not use force against it.
Check your posture:
• Are the hips leaning back? This will cause a slump.
• The small of the back should have its natural, unforced curve so that the abdomen is forward and "open".
• Imagine that someone is gently pushing between the shoulder blades, while keeping the muscles relaxed. This will give you an idea of whether you unconsciously "hunch" your shoulders (and hence close your chest).
• Note, and gently release, any tension in the neck/shoulder region.
If your posture feels tense or stack:
• Allow the spine to straighten by imagining the crown of the head as suspended from above. This also lets the chin tuck in slightly.
• Keep the arms light and held back against the abdomen. If they are forward, they pull you out of balance.
• Use a small firm cushion underneath and toward the back of the buttocks to support the angle of the hips."

this is the full article. http://www.budsas.org/ebud/ebmed012.htm
mick

[girlwithguitar]

Thank you mick and Jon!

It was through the body scan when these sensations became apparent, but I was not really sure why it was happening or what to do about it.

Thank you mick for the link, I will have a look.

[piedwagtail91]

unless it's a serious health issue, then during the body scan the 'why is this happening?' isn't important, it's the 'being aware of it' that is, and you're already aware of it.
see if it's possible to let the accompanying thoughts go and stay with the body scan with the sensations, exploring them.
if it is something that needs attention then you can spend time with that and with a possibly clearer view of things after you finish the practice.

this isn't the quote i was looking for but it's not far off, it may or may not help with the awareness and what to let go of during a body scan.

"Suppose a man is struck by a poisoned arrow and the doctor wishes to take out the arrow immediately. Suppose the man does not want the arrow removed until he knows what tree the wood came from,who made it,who shot it, his age, his parents, and why he shot it.
the important thing is to remove the arrow, then afterwards all those questions can be looked at. "

[girlwithguitar]

thank you, that is wise

[MindfulnessTherapy]

Such psychophysical sensations are an important part of the inner structure of emotional formations (sankharas) in the mind. It is well worth while meditating on them, creating a mindful relationship with them in which you allow them to change in their own natural way. When they change it brings about an equivalent change at the emotional-energetic level which you will experience as a release of energy.

[SydneyMeditation]

As you may or may nor be aware, we are fluid, malleable, changeable. This is the nature of our being. No meditation is ever the same. We are expansive. Remember the Buddhist Concept of Impermanence.

This concept is known as anicca in Buddhism, according to which, impermanence is an undeniable and inescapable fact of human existence from which nothing that belongs to this earth is ever free.

Embrace your expansion ...

[SydneyMeditation]

The best thing if you're losing energy after this can *sometimes* be neurofeedback.

Although meditation and yoga help to release and expand our minds, it can be very helpful and faster with brainwave entrainment through neurofeedback.

When brainwaves are *balanced*, that means not too much beta, alpha, theta OR delta, neurochemistry changes.

See EEGInfo.com for more. Delta (0.5hz) and infra-low frequencies (0.5-0.0001Hz) have helped heal many diseases and a local Sydney neurofeedback specialist here has told me that they have healed schizophrenia completely in Turkey.

With the stress levels of today's society and the fact that mass consciousness is being sabotaged and many people being constantly connected to WiFi devices, altering brainwave frequencies via digital media and the devices upon which it is delivered, is a huge abuse on humanity.

I also suggest Delta brainwave entrainment to be very helpful to those who need instant help. StevenHalpern.com 's Sleepscape Delta CD is a huge help to those who need to get deeper levels of rest *immediately*.

Whilst meditation balances brainwaves, the assault upon our minds by digital for the control of mass consciousness, and the battle by corporations for the dollar & pound, we need to really be aware and have every method available to the individual for their individual needs.

That is going to include meditation, yoga, qi gong, neurofeedback, acupuncture & more.