Since April of this year, I’ve been the unlucky recipient of pain in various parts of my body, all Musculo-skeletal. This is the 2nd time I’ve had pain for extended periods so I’m hoping this one will resolve too.
In the meantime, it’s been a challenge to my meditation practice as I was literally unable to sit. Now I’m able to sit. Living with pain, as many of you know, is a challenge to our emotional and psychological states. I’m experiencing physical pain, but this also applies to emotional pain such as anxiety, grief, and depression.
. 2010.How do we maintain a positive, forward-looking outlook? How do we see its impermanence when the pain continues day after day? How do we maintain good relationships when we’re worn down by the pain?
I’m sure many of you have ideas on how to cope. Please share your thoughts as I think it would be helpful to many people.
My heart goes out to anyone with chronic pain or illness.
Chronic emotional pain has been more part of my experience than physical pain. Thinking about impermanence, I try to remember that pain is no different than pleasure: both can feed feelings or beliefs of attachment, value, and self-worth (or lack thereof). To say it another way, I tell myself that what I am experiencing *simply is*—whether I call that experience pleasure or pain. One is not better than the other in terms of cultivating the conditions of enlightenment.
Of course, telling myself these things does not make the uncomfortable feelings go away. But it can help me to keep things in perspective and recognize the beauty of experience regardless of how we are conditioned to categorize it (good or bad, pleasurable or painful).
Thank you. Wise words.
I remember when I first heard about impermanence many years ago. Even though I knew ‘feeling good’ wouldn’t last, a part of me fantasized I could figure out how to make that happen. So hearing about impermanence was a disappointment. But when I heard that ‘bad things’ are also impermanent, I felt hope. Since then, my understanding of impermanence has deepened, and seeing the flow of all things has helped me keep balance.
Hi Erica…so sorry you have been in pain for so long and glad to hear you can sit again. My left heel, plantar fasciitis has been a bear for months. Getting my orthotics (and possibly new shoes) this Saturday…stretching, losing weight and resting when needed are all good medicines. Pain is a message if I’m listening…if not, it persists till I’m ready to hear. Here’s to heels and bones healing in their time, thoroughly and for our utmost health & well-being!
I state the obvious as following: actual pain can’t be avoided but only mitigated through various therapys which I’m sure you are aware. It’s the self inflicted amplification through thoughts of anger and fear (it will never go away etc.) So isolating the pain by noticiing it directly without giving energy to it. You know this. The same pain in a larger perspective is the best we can do. I also notice that distractions can help. I recently had knee surgery and got addicted to the pain killers and then quit. I was manifesting pain so I could take the pills. Facinating.
I am very sorry to hear about the pain. And how it physically complicates your sittings. What an ordeal. It has helped me in difficult situations to add guided meditations to reflective practice. Separately, this probably wouldn’t be of assistance to you, but, I added a daily mindful-guided meditation to daily reflective sit. I can see progress in dealing with challenges because more mindful throughout the day.