Chronic Pain and Meditation
Hello everyone :)
I just joined 7 cups of tea a few days ago. I have fibro, endometriosis, hypothyroidism, and a few other things yet to be diagnosed or dealt with.
Anyways, I've been doing daily meditation since I started, and I've noticed something.
The meditation i was doing today was talking about taking yourself out of autopilot and being more in the moment and one with your body. And I realized that when I was doing that, I was becoming more and more aware of my pain and how it was affecting me, my mood, and my body, and it wasn't really enjoyable, to say the least.
I feel like if i'm on autopilot, it means that I can sort of, push my pain to the back of my head, for the most part. I'll still notice it, and if its bad, I wont be able to ignore it, but say, i'll notice the stabbing pain, but I won't notice a smaller, nagging pain, like a back ache, or a sore neck, or stiffness.
Does anyone else go through this phenomenon? Are there any tips and tricks? I know its important to meditate and kind of take a step back and evaluate how you're feeling, but it keeps reminding me how much pain I'm in!
Hope everyone is doing as well as can be expected today :)
I understand what you mean. I was actually very sick and doing much more than I am now, with treatment but I didn't know it at the time so I just kept pushing and it was easier when I was in go, go, go mode. I was actually so exhausted I didn't feel it.
Now I'm healthy enough were I notice these issues and it makes coping in the short-term more difficult.
For me, my pain is an important indicator so I try not to ignore it. If I have already dealt with the serious underlying issue I focus on something other than my body. I like playing number games in my head, which isn't for everyone! Other things that work, a favourite place, a favourite memory, word games, etc. Something to take your mind out of the usual autopilot but not focusing on the body while doing so.
