Did you know that those well practiced in meditation can distance themselves from undesired sensations?
Imagine finding someone really annoying whilst also having the ability to observe them and maintain your inner peace. Almost as though you’re taking that annoying person from being in the room with you to watching an HD video of them on your phone. You can still experience them but you aren’t as emotionally stirred.
Science is showing us that we can do the same thing for pain. The best example is the monk, Thích Quang Duc who burnt himself in protest whilst maintaining complete focus. Another is the Sikh, Guru Arjan who was able to sit in meditation whilst being tortured.
According the data collected on Buddhist monks, those who are able to master this discipline experience pain but are able to observe their discomfort rather than experience it. This is because they have separated the self (or the soul) from the experience. But we don’t have to master it, we just have to practice it. Our brains are like muscles which become stronger with practice.
To help our patients who are living in Chronic Pain, we have created a Persistent Pain Meditation with Leyla Ramadan. This will guide you into a meditative state to enable you to observe irritation or pain without being moved by it.
Give it a go and let us know what you think.