FPIAFW - Week 3: The Mouse In The Maze

[agshortee]

Hello All,
I am new to this forum and to mindfulness meditation. I am in Week 3 following the 'Finding Peace in a Frantic World book. I am dealing with chronic pain in my butt/hamstrings and am still searching for medical help for this issue. So when I sit (or lie down) and meditate, I hurt. I try to focus on my breath, but find my thoughts constantly going down the 'ruminating' path of 'why I have this pain and what can I try next to fix it'. I am trying to accept my body and the pain as it is today, but finding that difficult because the pain is a constant reminder. I know that I shouldn't try to ignore the pain. I usually try to breath into the painful areas and focus on the non-painful parts of my body. I've heard some people describe focusing all their attention on the pain. Should I do this? Any other ideas for dealing with physical pain while meditating?

TIA,
Anne

[Gareth]

Welcome Anne,

It sounds crazy, but befriending the pain actually works. I have a nasty symptom of my MS called trigeminal neuralgia, which is some really tough pain to handle. It's still very difficult, but I have found that when I can embrace the pain, it's a great deal easier on me. Try leaning into the pain, exploring it's texture, it's location etc. Don't try and shut yourself off from it.

I have been practising for a long time though, and it took me a long time to get to this stage. Mindfulness is alien and difficult to begin with. The important thing is to keep practising and go easy on yourself.

I don't want to put you off, thinking that mindfulness is some long arduous process. It's just that it doesn't make a great deal of sense at the beginning; you just need to have a little faith. Mindfulness is quite simply the best thing that has ever happened to me; I hope that it helps you too.

[agshortee]

Thank you, Gareth. I'm so sorry you are in pain also. Thanks for your encouraging words. I am find a ton of benefits to mindfulness meditation and will definitely keep practicing.

When you say 'Try leaning into the pain, exploring it's texture, it's location etc. Don't try and shut yourself off from it.', does this mean that you focus your concentration on the pain while meditating? Is that what I should do?

Thanks again,
Anne

[JonW]

Hi Anne.
May I attempt to answer that?
It's not so much focussing attention on the pain. When the pain arises, the natural impulse is to fight it and/or push it away, wishing so much to be in some other moment.
Mindfulness is saying, "This is the moment we are in. Can we just be with everything that is arising? Both negative and positive? If pain is arising, can we show it curiosity and be with it?"
We have a very inspiring interview with Vidyamala Burch coming up on this forum and Vidyamala explains things a lot more clearly than I could hope to do.
Watch out for that.
Meanwhile, all good things,
Jon

[WillP]

Hello,
Like Anne, I am new to this forum and process - about to start Week 3, following, and committed to, the book 'Finding Peace in a Frantic World'. Somewhere in Week 2, I experienced and still am experiencing, a kind of dip in mental wellbeing, as if the process and reading around it were 'stirring things around' in an uncomfortable way, despite the exercises themselves being rather gentle and reassuring. I just wondered if others had gone through this?
Will

[Nicko]

Started week 3 yesterday. It was so funny. We got onto the second meditation and our dog joined in. He jumped up on a chair, stuck his nose in the air and on perfect cue to 'now focus on the breathing', he started snorting like a pig in a fit of sneezes.

We both howled with laughter

It did teach us one thing though. Not to take practice too seriously. We see now that ,rather than just being another task we need to do, adding stress to an already too busy schedule,practice is there to help ease the stress of the day.

The stretching meditation was interesting. We already do about 10 minutes of basic yoga a day with a very similar effect.We are going to try to be more mindful while doing our yoga, rather than do the guided stretches aswell.

Nick

[FeeHutch]

brilliant! Good dog!

[agshortee]

Mindfulness is saying, "This is the moment we are in. Can we just be with everything that is arising? Both negative and positive? If pain is arising, can we show it curiosity and be with it?"
Jon

Thank you, Jon, for your response. As I've continued with the 8 week course, this has been made more clear to me and I think I am more able to approach the pain with a curiosity and openness. I look forward to reading that interview.

... I experienced and still am experiencing, a kind of dip in mental wellbeing, as if the process and reading around it were 'stirring things around' in an uncomfortable way, despite the exercises themselves being rather gentle and reassuring. I just wondered if others had gone through this?
Will

I think I've experienced this also. For me, I think just bringing awareness to all my thinking (both positive and negative) has shown a light on just how much of my thinking is not positive. But what has been most helpful to me is understanding that this is ok, to accept what I am thinking and feeling with compassion, and to not try to 'fix anything'. It is the endless cycle of trying to 'fix' my moods that has been so unsuccessful in the past. I am finding freedom in just acknowledging and accepting with curiosity without the need to fix it. Hope you are continuing with the practice, Will, and it is helpful for you.

[WillP]

Thank you for this advice. I am continuing with the course and my understanding of it is deepening, I hope. WillP

[Happyogababe]

I found this week especially comforting.
Returning to the course has been a very positive experience for me. Has made me appreciate the distance I've travelled in the past six months, since embarking on the mindful journey. With the greatest of respect to the chronic worrier and ever-anxious creature that is my former self, I don't miss him at all.

I'd like to be saying that in 6 months time. I'm really tempted to get this book