Any tips on meditation for someone with restless body/oversensitivity ?

[NotSureToEndure]

Hey so i've recently been trying to meditate to help with my various symptoms.. unexplained body pain, negative thought cycles, 'IBS' as they call it.

I've been thoroughly checked out over the past few years and am consistently told i'm a healthy person. It's great, but I have a lot of issues in my body that I can't seem to find comfort from.

I quite enjoy doing yoga as I find keeping my body moving quite good for calming my overactive mind. It doesn't really 'fix' my issues, but it feels like a positive experience on the whole.

I'd love to try and do more meditation, but every time I do it I find myself focusing hard on the uncomfortable feelings I get in my body. Where yoga helps calm my thoughts through the movement and stretching, I find I can only sit still for a short amount of time before i'm focusing on my aches and pains, tightness in my chest, or the uncomfortable feeling in my abdomen that is really noticeable when I just lay or sit and breath.

I believe you're supposed to acknowledge the pains and sensations in your body.. to try not and get emotional about it, but I find it triggering sometimes, and actually feel like it moves me into a negative headspace as I'm questioning why my body feels this way but unable to find an answer.

Any tips for pushing through this? Anyone had a similar experience with meditation?

Thanks <3

 

[motel rooms]

I quite enjoy doing yoga as I find keeping my body moving quite good for calming my overactive mind. It doesn't really 'fix' my issues, but it feels like a positive experience on the whole.

Where yoga helps calm my thoughts through the movement and stretching, I find I can only sit still for a short amount of time before i'm focusing on my aches and pains, tightness in my chest, or the uncomfortable feeling in my abdomen that is really noticeable when I just lay or sit and breath.

Why not just stick with what works for you (yoga) instead of torturing yourself?

 

[GentleJerk]

I get what you're saying, I'm having this problem lately too. When I used to be able to spend a decent amount of time just relaxing and breathing, closing my eyes and going on pleasant little journeys of the mind, or silencing all the overlapping mental noise- now, if I'm not sufficiently distracted, I feel the pain and various health issues plaguing my body, and it's impossible not to focus on.

You have my complete understanding and compassion.

I'm not sure what to recommend, as I haven't found something that really works well for me to overcome those unpleasant feelings, and the thoughts that accompany them (other than ketamine, which is not a feasible solution) but may I ask, is it better or worse during the day or night by any chance?

 

[BeansOfRequirement]

Meditation is one of the few things that actually work for me when it comes to dealing with emotional pain (and whatever physical arises when sitting for long periods of time).

I'm not an expert and would hope you find someone (good) that actually teaches this stuff. A monk or someone like that. I have some stuff to say about it, though:

Nothing is hard to deal with for, let's say, half a second. When meditating we'll experience moments, rather than days/years/etc. The hard part is obviously to "stay in the present moment" when experiencing things like pain or falling prey to distractions (getting caught up in thought streams is a big one). I'd describe a good meditation practice as simple, but not easy.

Tbh, I've known of meditation for many years and have never really had a stable practice going. But, I think the best way to meditate is to do it frequently and for long durations. You can also "be present" in daily life and find that the psychological benefits of formal meditation can be supplemented in this way. Meditating gives some protection for a time after the session, that kind of thing. So we need to refill the mindfulness often.

There is the option of walking/standing/lying meditation, to complement sitting. It might be easier for you to do walking, and also to start with walking meditation and then sit down to meditate right afterwards.

The techniques vary, but the general idea is to focus on real experiences in the moment. Re-focusing every time we we get dragged into thinking or judging our experiences. The technique I prefer is having a mantra such as "feeling", "thinking", "rising/falling" (when breathing) while focusing on the real experience. This then cuts the mind off from doing what it always does, thinking about stupid shit, judging some sensations as extremely horrible, when they're actually not that bad, and so on.

Also, meditation as I see it isn't there to calm you down/make you feel good. That's an effect that isn't aimed at. The real purpose to me is to call the mind's bluffs and see experience clearly. I've spent many hours crying/writhing in pain over literally just my mind creating thoughts combined with some sensations from emotions (slight-moderate pressure around eyes, etc). This doesn't really happen when I'm in the moment and am just "catching" everything before it starts to gain traction. Also easy to jump in and even stop the process while it's happening by noting the sensations that are being experienced/thoughts.

I'd love to try and do more meditation, but every time I do it I find myself focusing hard on the uncomfortable feelings I get in my body. I find I can only sit still for a short amount of time before i'm focusing on my aches and pains, tightness in my chest, or the uncomfortable feeling in my abdomen that is really noticeable when I just lay or sit and breath.

Focusing on the most prominent experience is basically what I do. I would then note "pain, pain, pain" while focusing on "refreshing" myself into the present moment. Basically like hitting f5 every time I lose myself in judging the pain or whatever. It's also good to have a base object like the stomach breathing to return to, otherwise I'll start thinking when the pain/itching/heat/etc goes away. The mind is extremely quick, can only take a second for it to go from being attentive/noting/being with the experience to ending the meditation due to some desire/aversion/etc.

I believe you're supposed to acknowledge the pains and sensations in your body.. to try not and get emotional about it, but I find it triggering sometimes, and actually feel like it moves me into a negative headspace as I'm questioning why my body feels this way but unable to find an answer.

Yes, acknowledging and experiencing the pain for what it is in the present moment sounds correct to me. Avoiding getting emotional I don't think is good practice (again, I am not qualified here, just some random guy), we're not trying to repress anything or avoid certain experiences. So if an emotion comes, it is then going to be the new object of meditation. For myself, I tend not to note emotions but rather the physical sensations they are. So, sadness is to me treated as physical sensation when meditating. This may be incorrect according to many practices, I don't see anything wrong with noting "sadness" or more abstract things like "sitting", either. I just tend to keep things as experiential as possible when I meditate (feels more hardcore).

So, feeling triggered can be noted. Especially if you focus on just how it feels physically. The "negative" headspace and questioning can be noted as "thinking" or maybe even "negative thinking", "questioning", etc, depending on whatever you think describes the experience in the moment the best. Again, I like to keep it as sensation-based and non-conceptual as possible.

Hope that didn't confuse more than help. So, my primary advice is to find a good tradition/practice that you believe in and do that. You can also PM me if you want more info from me. Don't have a lot more, but might think of something, lol.

 

[Al_stargate]

I've been meditating for over a decade. Try focusing on one point in your body. Some practice focusing on different chakras, or on the third eye, or top of head. If you focus enough on one area you can somewhat numb other areas. I've heard story of a guy going to a dentist and had work done on tooth without any local anesthesia because he was concentrating on only one spot in his body and he didn't feel anything else. Also when meditating try to repeat phrase, chant, or simran as they call it in India. Something short and sweet, with focus on the highest God, like it could be just couple names of God you're familiar with. Something that works for you. You can meditate for 20 minutes or an hour but no need to force it.

 

[jandek]

Are you practicing a particular style of meditation? I've tried Buddhist vipassana and Zen meditation over the years, but have struggled keeping up with it for various reasons. I don't have a comfortable space for it and my deviated septum is a constant annoyance... An experienced teacher could maybe help you with some of these issues, if you have access to one. I've had a little more success with mantra meditation, where you recite a significant, sacred word or phrase, silently or out loud. This is a legitimate form of meditation, and some Buddhist and Hindu teachers claim it's the most effective means in the Kali Yuga and age of "degenerate Dharma" in which we live.

 

[NotSureToEndure]

Meditation is one of the few things that actually work for me when it comes to dealing with emotional pain (and whatever physical arises when sitting for long periods of time).

I'm not an expert and would hope you find someone (good) that actually teaches this stuff. A monk or someone like that. I have some stuff to say about it, though:

Nothing is hard to deal with for, let's say, half a second. When meditating we'll experience moments, rather than days/years/etc. The hard part is obviously to "stay in the present moment" when experiencing things like pain or falling prey to distractions (getting caught up in thought streams is a big one). I'd describe a good meditation practice as simple, but not easy.

Tbh, I've known of meditation for many years and have never really had a stable practice going. But, I think the best way to meditate is to do it frequently and for long durations. You can also "be present" in daily life and find that the psychological benefits of formal meditation can be supplemented in this way. Meditating gives some protection for a time after the session, that kind of thing. So we need to refill the mindfulness often.

There is the option of walking/standing/lying meditation, to complement sitting. It might be easier for you to do walking, and also to start with walking meditation and then sit down to meditate right afterwards.

The techniques vary, but the general idea is to focus on real experiences in the moment. Re-focusing every time we we get dragged into thinking or judging our experiences. The technique I prefer is having a mantra such as "feeling", "thinking", "rising/falling" (when breathing) while focusing on the real experience. This then cuts the mind off from doing what it always does, thinking about stupid shit, judging some sensations as extremely horrible, when they're actually not that bad, and so on.

Also, meditation as I see it isn't there to calm you down/make you feel good. That's an effect that isn't aimed at. The real purpose to me is to call the mind's bluffs and see experience clearly. I've spent many hours crying/writhing in pain over literally just my mind creating thoughts combined with some sensations from emotions (slight-moderate pressure around eyes, etc). This doesn't really happen when I'm in the moment and am just "catching" everything before it starts to gain traction. Also easy to jump in and even stop the process while it's happening by noting the sensations that are being experienced/thoughts.


Focusing on the most prominent experience is basically what I do. I would then note "pain, pain, pain" while focusing on "refreshing" myself into the present moment. Basically like hitting f5 every time I lose myself in judging the pain or whatever. It's also good to have a base object like the stomach breathing to return to, otherwise I'll start thinking when the pain/itching/heat/etc goes away. The mind is extremely quick, can only take a second for it to go from being attentive/noting/being with the experience to ending the meditation due to some desire/aversion/etc.


Yes, acknowledging and experiencing the pain for what it is in the present moment sounds correct to me. Avoiding getting emotional I don't think is good practice (again, I am not qualified here, just some random guy), we're not trying to repress anything or avoid certain experiences. So if an emotion comes, it is then going to be the new object of meditation. For myself, I tend not to note emotions but rather the physical sensations they are. So, sadness is to me treated as physical sensation when meditating. This may be incorrect according to many practices, I don't see anything wrong with noting "sadness" or more abstract things like "sitting", either. I just tend to keep things as experiential as possible when I meditate (feels more hardcore).

So, feeling triggered can be noted. Especially if you focus on just how it feels physically. The "negative" headspace and questioning can be noted as "thinking" or maybe even "negative thinking", "questioning", etc, depending on whatever you think describes the experience in the moment the best. Again, I like to keep it as sensation-based and non-conceptual as possible.

Hope that didn't confuse more than help. So, my primary advice is to find a good tradition/practice that you believe in and do that. You can also PM me if you want more info from me. Don't have a lot more, but might think of something, lol.

Thankyou for this reply, it really means alot for you give such detailed advice, much appreciated, lots to think about

Are you practicing a particular style of meditation? I've tried Buddhist vipassana and Zen meditation over the years, but have struggled keeping up with it for various reasons. I don't have a comfortable space for it and my deviated septum is a constant annoyance... An experienced teacher could maybe help you with some of these issues, if you have access to one. I've had a little more success with mantra meditation, where you recite a significant, sacred word or phrase, silently or out loud. This is a legitimate form of meditation, and some Buddhist and Hindu teachers claim it's the most effective means in the Kali Yuga and age of "degenerate Dharma" in which we live.

I've only really dipped my toes so far.. Following guided YouTube videos and sometimes I just try to sit and breath whist sort of meditating, though I'm not sure how to measure my success.

I think speaking with a local teacher could be a good shout thanks

I've been meditating for over a decade. Try focusing on one point in your body. Some practice focusing on different chakras, or on the third eye, or top of head. If you focus enough on one area you can somewhat numb other areas. I've heard story of a guy going to a dentist and had work done on tooth without any local anesthesia because he was concentrating on only one spot in his body and he didn't feel anything else. Also when meditating try to repeat phrase, chant, or simran as they call it in India. Something short and sweet, with focus on the highest God, like it could be just couple names of God you're familiar with. Something that works for you. You can meditate for 20 minutes or an hour but no need to force it.

It is interesting when I hear these stories, and wish I could unlock a similar power. I feel like I'm just super sensitive to certain pains in my body these days. I'm quite able bodied I think but I get terrible aches in my hands which cause me all sorts of problems like even typing this message on my phone feels quite tiring, but i could go for a 20km bike ride and probably feel fine.

Lots of gastro issues as well, despite changing diets and restricting a bunch of foods.

Often wake up early and can't get back to sleep because I feel uncomfortable in my body even in a comfortable bed. I try to relax by laying and breathing in various counts but every technique I find my body feels uncomfortable after a short time and then I'm back to being restless, and probably short on sleep.

I wish I could switch off my nerves sometimes! A few years a go I could sleep thorough any pains but these days it's very different :/

I get what you're saying, I'm having this problem lately too. When I used to be able to spend a decent amount of time just relaxing and breathing, closing my eyes and going on pleasant little journeys of the mind, or silencing all the overlapping mental noise- now, if I'm not sufficiently distracted, I feel the pain and various health issues plaguing my body, and it's impossible not to focus on.

You have my complete understanding and compassion.

I'm not sure what to recommend, as I haven't found something that really works well for me to overcome those unpleasant feelings, and the thoughts that accompany them (other than ketamine, which is not a feasible solution) but may I ask, is it better or worse during the day or night by any chance?

Ha i think my use of Ketamine led me into the uncomfortable pains i get now. I started getting abdominal pain after experimenting with it a few years back. Not a chronic user but probably was having abit too much too regularly for a couple of months.

I've spoken to many doctors about this and none accept that it could be the cause of the pain, as all my organs are seemingly working fine.

Haven't used drugs in ages now. Barely drinking either. Trying to be as healthy as possible but it doesn't actually seem to make me feel any better.

No difference in time of day i think.

Why not just stick with what works for you (yoga) instead of torturing yourself?

It's a good point. I guess I feel compelled to succeed as it seems like a powerful tool

 

[goofy]

Look into peptides. You'll have to inject with needle (or nasal spray i think) but it can heal your messed up body.

 

[NotSureToEndure]

Look into peptides. You'll have to inject with needle (or nasal spray i think) but it can heal your messed up body.

Injecting something doesn't sound like fun...

 

[goofy]

Injecting something doesn't sound like fun...

It's not but it can cure IBS.