NW Health Sciences University supports the use of meditation techniques to combat pain and its accompanying symptoms of anxiety, stress, fatigue and insomnia. When meditation is used as a pain management modality, it can be effective in several ways. Some techniques are used to transcend the pain while mindfulness meditation teaches a method of immersing in and being present to pain in order to minimize suffering. Additionally, the use of mantras in meditation can redirect your mind away from discomfort.
Mindfulness Meditation
Mindfulness meditation is the basis of Buddhist meditation techniques. To decrease your experience of pain, you can use this style to rest more deeply in a sense of present moment peace and the strength of silence. As Sharon Cameron's book, "A Beautiful Work: Meditations on Pain" illustrates, the practice of mindfulness meditation for pain management emphasizes being fully present to the pain rather than avoiding or resisting it. With practice, this meditation can help you to develop a level of self-awareness that may allow you to control the intensity of your pain. With consistent daily practice, you can learn to control and even dissolve the sensations of pain.
Trancendental Meditation
You can use a sacred word or sound called a mantra to transcend your pain during meditation. To practice this technique, repeat the mantra continuously for the complete meditation period. As you do this, you will bring your focus to the sound and feel of the mantra instead of the pain. As you notice your mind wandering, gently bring your attention back to your mantra. Eventually, you will increase your ability to transcend the pain by re-focusing your attention this way.
Visualization
You reduce your pain by meditating with the images of yourself in a healthy, pain-free state. After five minutes of breath or sound mantra meditation, spend at least 10 minutes visualizing yourself in a most happy and comfortable way. If you have never experienced this, use your imagination. Imagine what you look and move like without pain. Imagine others' reactions to you in this state. Allow your imagination to paint the most liberating and positive picture possible. Stay with these images as long as you like until you feel the sensations dissipate. Practice visualization everyday.
Member Comments
cindisilva April 28
by cindisilva on April 28, 2011 at 6:00 PM
I invite you to watch my video on how to meditate on my you tube channel CindiSilva Teaches. You might also want to try the full body meditation. I hope this helps. A simple meditation exercise you can do any time, anywhere is breathe 3x, half smiling -- on the in breath pay attention to how it feels as the air goes into your nose as you inhale, and on the out breath pay attention to how it feels as the air leaves your nose as you exhale. I think of this as a happy up yourself meditation, because doing this simple meditation for about 1 minute brings you clarity, gives you a boost of energy and happiness by keeping you calm.
Cindi Silva Communication Coach|
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