If You Hurt, Meditation Can Help Ease Pain

We know, and you know, that chronic pain isn’t all in your head. But you can use your noodle to turn down the volume on agonizing aches, whether you’ve got back pain, arthritis or other day-in, day-out discomfort.

The tool: an easy relaxation technique called mindfulness meditation. Bonus: It can counteract one of pain’s sneakiest, most frustrating downsides: memory loss.

You may have heard that this type of meditation eases pain by soothing stress, but the more we learn about mindfulness, the better it gets.

It also helps control your alpha rhythms, a type of brain wave that blocks out distracting information.

Practising mindfulness a few minutes daily boosts your ability to focus by tuning out distractions like, yes, pain signals, and fears about pain — both mess with your memory. It improves your ability to recall important stuff (when you’re meeting your wife for dinner or where you put the dog’s leash).

Want to give it a whirl? Find a quiet place. Get comfortable. Close your eyes, and breathe in and out at a natural pace. Notice whether your breath feels warm or cool.

When other thoughts, feelings and sensations crop up, acknowledge them, and then gently refocus on your breathing. After about 10 minutes, open your eyes and re-enter the world slowly. You’ll go about your day feeling better.

Source: Waterloo Record