One of the most frequent questions I get from mindfulness students is, “Sitting meditation is very uncomfortable for me.” What can I do?
As with all things, sitting meditation can cause discomfort. Sometimes, the position of sitting can cause pain. Sukhasana, also known as Easy Pose, is widely considered to be the best position for meditation. For someone whose hips rotate quickly externally, this might be true. Sukhasana can be difficult for those whose hip joints are more susceptible to internal rotation.
Another example is: Some people can’t bend their knees in the way that traditional sitting meditation requires. Some people might have trouble sitting with their spines neutral, even if they are high up on a meditation pillow.
Even if your hips and knees are perfect for sitting on a meditation cushion, you’ll still experience discomfort. There are always discomforts when we sit for long periods. Mindfulness meditation requires us to pay attention and be aware of our body sensations. Even minor pains can quickly become major problems.
A MATTER OF MECHANICS
It is essential to choose the most comfortable chair possible. It is crucial to determine whether your hips are most comfortable sitting in a Sukhasana (Hero’s Pose) or a supported Virasana. Sukhasana is best for externally rotated hips. Virasana, on the other hand, works best with internally rotated hips. For the first, V -Shaped Cushions and Zfus, as well as Zen Cushions, make great choices. The Meditation Chair, a Zafu or Zen Cushion with its back facing you, is the best choice. This post can help you choose the right cushion or bench to suit your needs.
Some people find sitting on the ground uncomfortable, no matter how much support they get. These people are more comfortable sitting in a chair.
HOW MINIMUM MINDFULNESS MAY HELP GET DISCOMFORT
No matter what type of sitting support you use, there will be discomfort at some point. Not only our backs, hips, and legs can feel pain. All parts of the body can experience discomfort from time to time, including the shoulders, necks, arms and hands, and feet.
Normal human reactions to discomfort are to try to avoid it. Temporary relief can be achieved by adjusting our bodies to the pain. The problem is that when we try to get rid of discomfort, it adds to the already difficult situation. To banish despair, you will only cause more pain.
Mindfulness practice encourages us to be open to discomfort. As part of mindfulness practice, we are encouraged to explore the pain. This can be done in small or large doses, depending on the discomfort’s severity.
If we feel a slight discomfort, such as an itch or a sneezing sensation, we can focus our attention on it and then wait for it to unfold. It’s often easier to see the details of any feeling than we think. It will fluctuate between intense and mild. It may be severe for a time, then fade away for a few seconds before returning. It’s possible to notice any sensation and discover it is not as solid as we thought.
We can examine in small doses if there is severe discomfort. This includes acute and chronic pain. You can commit to looking closely for 10 seconds, then move your awareness to a more pleasant part of the body for about a minute. We can then return to discomfort for another ten seconds.
You can adjust the time you spend with an unpleasant sensation depending on how you feel that day. Moving towards discomfort is about learning not to add struggle to the pain. If 10 seconds of deep look is possible, keep going. You can try for 30 seconds or longer, but you should stop when you feel at war with yourself.
It may seem radical to move toward pain. However, mindfulness can help us find our way to freedom by allowing ourselves to be aware of discomfort. Although we may not be capable of avoiding discomfort, we can learn to live with it and avoid creating more. This is the beauty of mindfulness.