Meditating in the Company of Pain

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ng the Mind</h2><p id="d517">My current practice is to use guided meditations on the Calm app, and I am learning to heal a different ailment, one of the mind.</p><figure id="589d"><img src="https://cdn-images-1.readmedium.com/v2/resize:fit:800/0*KhKagnlHE8t7cP7L"><figcaption>Photo by <a href="https://unsplash.com/@elevantarts?utm_source=medium&utm_medium=referral">christopher lemercier</a> on <a href="https://unsplash.com?utm_source=medium&utm_medium=referral">Unsplash</a></figcaption></figure><p id="4d95">Before my time on the mat, my mind was clouded with negative self-talk. It was the natural way I communicated with myself. Dropping my keys was a reflection of my inability to “do anything right.”</p><p id="c3c3">Well, in the early stages, I was sure I wasn’t doing meditation right either. As if the prerecorded instructor could hear inside my head, they would say “It’s okay if your mind has wandered. Just gently bring yourself back.”</p><p id="feda">I realized in this moment that I needed to practice self-compassion. It started as an isolated practice, ten minutes on the mat. Naturally, it started showing up during my day.</p><p id="e6c9">It was then that I realized that my peers also suffer from negative self-talk. The self-deprecating comments are said so casually at work. I offer a smile and a little kindness their way.</p><p id="ee82">What started as an experiment with body scans has evolved into a daily practice that keeps me centered. If you f

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ind yourself being a little tough on yourself, guide a little kindness to your inner self.</p><p id="28e4">I am a new writer on Medium, and I am working on building a positive community. I would love to have you be a part of it.</p><div id="4d15" class="link-block"> <a href="https://medium.com/@compassionately.simple"> <div> <div> <h2>Jasmine Persaud - Medium</h2> <div><h3>Read writing from Jasmine Persaud on Medium. Value oriented writer sharing experiences and thoughts on personal…</h3></div> <div><p>medium.com</p></div> </div> <div> <div style="background-image: url(https://miro.readmedium.com/v2/resize:fit:320/0*uThWDdmPPi58DU0U)"></div> </div> </div> </a> </div><p id="380b">To read more about my happiness journey:</p><div id="797d" class="link-block"> <a href="https://readmedium.com/why-im-so-damn-happy-f0323a2d8e42"> <div> <div> <h2>Why I’m So Damn Happy</h2> <div><h3>How I improved my mood without toxic positivity.</h3></div> <div><p>medium.com</p></div> </div> <div> <div style="background-image: url(https://miro.readmedium.com/v2/resize:fit:320/0*bcScv7-_PaAJQSn1)"></div> </div> </div> </a> </div></article></body>

Does Pain Have to Equal Suffering?

I meditate for at least ten minutes before I put on my work attire. I initially began my practice with body scans on YouTube. I was shocked by the power the mind can have over bodily sensations. Discomfort in my right shoulder shifted from a major aggravation to a little warmth.

I’m not suggesting that all can be mended through meditation, but this tool has personally guided me past many ailments. I see pain as a data point that signals the brain to act. If my arm was broken the tortuous feeling would require immediate action on my part.

However, the tightness in my body doesn’t require reactivity. The guided meditations taught me to have a novel relationship with this sensation. Allowing the feeling to be without any alteration to my behavior was often best. If I did intervene, it was by guiding breath into that space. Investing large amounts of energy in small inconveniences is a poor return on investment.

Healing the Mind

My current practice is to use guided meditations on the Calm app, and I am learning to heal a different ailment, one of the mind.

Before my time on the mat, my mind was clouded with negative self-talk. It was the natural way I communicated with myself. Dropping my keys was a reflection of my inability to “do anything right.”

Well, in the early stages, I was sure I wasn’t doing meditation right either. As if the prerecorded instructor could hear inside my head, they would say “It’s okay if your mind has wandered. Just gently bring yourself back.”

I realized in this moment that I needed to practice self-compassion. It started as an isolated practice, ten minutes on the mat. Naturally, it started showing up during my day.

It was then that I realized that my peers also suffer from negative self-talk. The self-deprecating comments are said so casually at work. I offer a smile and a little kindness their way.

What started as an experiment with body scans has evolved into a daily practice that keeps me centered. If you find yourself being a little tough on yourself, guide a little kindness to your inner self.

I am a new writer on Medium, and I am working on building a positive community. I would love to have you be a part of it.

To read more about my happiness journey: