"I can't meditate because I can't get comfortable.
​This pain, or that discomfort won't let me focus. "
say most meditators at one time or another.

Physical Distractions

Discomfort

Short Term Pain

Chronic Pain

There will be flight delays, but there are ​

Skillful Solutions

Acceptance

• Awareness of discomfort is a common experience when beginning to meditate or resuming a meditation practice.
• The discomfort may not actually be due to the stillness.
• The stillness may just allow you to notice aches or discomfort that was already there, but lost in the busyness of your active day.
• Pain and discomfort can provide useful information.  Do not ignore your pain or discomfort out of pride of endurance.
  
• If an adjustment could help, by all means make an adjustment, but do so mindfully rather than impulsively.  Take a moment to acknowledge the sensation and only then make an intentional adjustment.  

Start Small

• Pain may limit the length of your meditation
• You may find that you can gradually increase the time you are able to meditate  
• Allow the time for your meditations to expand as your meditation practice helps to alter your experience of the pain

Patience and Kindness

• It is easy to allow frustration with your body to roll over into anger toward your self.
•  You may find that you can gradually increase the time you are able to meditate.
• Allow this increase to grow naturally rather than forcing or rushing it.

Posture

• If your pain does not allow for sitting for long, whether on the floor or in a chair, try one of the other postures available.
•  You may find that changing postures during a single period of meditation can allow for a longer meditation.

Attend to the pain itself

• With chronic pain, that is going to be with you whether or not your are going to meditate, you might as well be in pain while meditating as to be in pain while not meditating.
• With the support of the structure provided by meditation, practice noticing and accepting the pain as you experience it.
• Accept the experience of the pain without getting wrapped up in the thoughts and emotions surrounding and intensifying the pain.
• There is a meditation in the Library for attending to the pain.

Return to the Breath

• When the pain distracts you from the intended focus of this particular meditation, return to your breath until you are able to return to the intended focus.
• If breathing itself is painful, there is a meditation in the Library for meditation on painful breathing.