How to Use Meditation for Pain Relief
Mare Chapman, a Mindfulness-Based Psychotherapist, says meditation can ease everything from life-interfering chronic pain to stress-induced muscle tension to the occasional migraine or menstrual cramp. While you may not be able to eliminate the cause, you don’t have to suffer. Chapman offers these tips for using mindfulness meditation to deal with it:
1. Notice the pain.
Mentally note where the pain is, what it feels like, how your body is reacting to it, and so on.
2. Be present.
Encourage yourself to drop into the present moment. Start by focusing on your breathing. You can do deep belly breaths or just concentrate on your inhaling and exhaling as they come. Focus on your body connecting with the floor or the surface upon which you rest.
3. Get interested.
Investigate the pain as if experiencing it for the very first time. Become interested about the pain in that moment. “The more curious you become about the actual sensations, the less you’ll worry about the ‘what ifs’ that can lead to suffering,” says Chapman.
4. Repeat regularly.
Whatever form of meditation choose, make it a regular practice. Chapman says overtime you can train your brain to respond naturally pain this way.