No Pain, No Gain?

A common question starting meditation, is why one should sit through pain, rather than move.  Do we need to be masochists to meditate?

I certainly struggled with this in the beginning as I was striving to for the perfect meditation experience.  Ah, my foolish mind.  The good news is that you do not need to become numb to pain, or cultivate any desire toward pain.

The bad news is that there is a reason to pause, when you experience pain.  The more we are caught up in automatic behavior (whether that's eating, anger, and the list goes on...), the more likely we are to respond without knowing why.  The simple answer is of course, it's pain, and since I'm not brain dead, it's uncomfortable.  But are you sure?  Ever eaten a full meal knowing you aren't hungry?

The practice of pausing, is an opportunity.  It allows you to investigate what's driving.  The signals for discomfort from being hungry, being lonely, or being cramped up from sitting, are not that different.  I found to really work effectively with this practice, there was one thing I had to make a priority:  allow myself to get comfortable.

For me that meant experimenting with different cushions, zabutons, and chairs, (even trying laying down), until I finally found the best balance of comfort and stability was sitting my but down on a bench, with a slightly firm zabuton.  The reason for the zabuton, is two fold.  First, it helps with the pressure on the knees.  The bench mostly eliminates strain from crossing the legs, but introduces some pressure, as you are now kneeling (with much of your weight on the bench).  Second, I discovered that in the beginning, and even now for longer sits, it helps to let my toes hang over the edge to reduce the applied stress to the shins, ankles and feet.  Experiment for yourself.

Also, when settling into position, take your time.  Any pressure points which stand out at the beginning, are likely the areas that will be coming up later in the sit.  Allow yourself a few minutes of grace, to adjust as you feel necessary, knowing this to be an important step to support your body for the time you are asking it to support the mind and heart.

Be kind and compassionate to yourself.  Allow the act of meditation to be a graceful act of love.