[movlabk]

Greetings travelers,
During meditation, I find it easier to acknowledge and then ignore pain and discomfort in my body than it is to ignore itchiness.
This has become a pretty comical experience, because I find that when I give in and scratch that itch, it moves to another point in my body, like a monkey crawling up and down. Pain, I have read, is an experience that we can use to challenge ourselves, to challenge the emotions (fear of mortality, fear of endless pain, etc.) that come with it, and ultimately can be used to realize impermanence.
I am trying to understand the lessons of an itchy body, but so far, all I can summon is comedy.
It seems to me that the itchy body is a physical manifestation of the monkey mind: pay attention here, no here, no over there. Why does it seem as if pain is something to just breathe through, to not stop and find a remedy, whereas an itch seems to require immediate attention.
Anyone have thoughts on this?
Thank you!

[Michael-jeckson2]

I would suggest not to scratch or try to do anything other than just notice the itching and then bring your attention back with the breath again.

I posted this link in the Theravada forum, it might be helpful for you, Red Thread.


http://www.amaravati.org/abm/english...now/03ana.html

[TeemFilla]

Think of the itch as a teacher.

[Phouepou]

haha, the teacher is a monkey! This experience is rich with comedy.

[Rchzygnc]

Think of the itch as a teacher.

What started as a funny fantasy has become deeper.
I sat down wondering "How can an itchy body be a teacher?"
This can be an experiment in challenging sensation. Pema Chodron (among others) writes about
craving being an "itch", so to have a physical manifestation with which to practice is profound. It proves that sensation is temporary. If, instead of scratching and disrupting my practice, I continue focusing on the moment/breath/mantra, the itch goes away. This proves that practice is more powerful than sensation and desire for satisfaction.
But it goes further than that. I don't know how to talk about this very well, but these are my thoughts- something being temporary has to have something for comparison. What is a short time that a sensation is asking for attention? Temporary is fluid idea, so does this talk about duality? Is this about dependent origination? It is a short time compared to a whole day or a lifetime of itch. Does that mean that our sense of time is dependent on two periods of time simultaneously, as in, now compared to then or tomorrow or this afternoon?
Thanks so much, cheers!

[QEoMi752]

Think of the itch as a teacher.

Ignore it

[Abnorttrano]

Be mindful of the sensation, dont advert or want just be

[indocrew]

From a Soto Zen perspective (shikantaza): There was some interesting advice that Charlotte Joko Beck (in Everyday Zen) gave regarding physical as well as mental "itches"-- and it seems to work for me. Her suggestion is to simply say to oneself (not aloud, of course) "I am having a thought about _______________." She says it is particularly important that one is quite specific about what that thought is, and to bring your attention to it immediately as it arises-- that is, don't wait a few moments and then do this.

What I find is, oddly, that by becoming aware of this right as you are having this or that thought or sensation, it tends to quell it-- you tend not to identify yourself with the sensation or thought. This of course is not a matter of "forcing" out certain thoughts or sensations, but letting them come and go. I suppose it is the difference between "awareness" and "being caught up in." Anyway, its practical advice that works for me-- might be worth giving that a try.

() kyorei

[iklostardinn]

I remember listening to audio of joyful wisdom by Yongey Mingyur Rinpoche. He was asked to take part in an elaborate experiment by being hooked up with all sorts of wires to test brain wave patterns and that sort of thing. The process also called for him to be put in the CT scan machine, just big enough to lie in. Even he noticed that though he was fine in the moments leading up to going inside, once he was inside and unable to move his arms in any way this was when the "itch" began. Of course he had the urge to scratch, but he couldn't.

(BTW Rinpoche is undergoing a 3 year retreat at the moment)

Sorry to be a tiny bit off topic, but I guess this shows that it happens to the best of them. Like others had suggested, when meditating, it is best to make the decision to not scratch those itches, and things like that. It helps to make a firm decision that that particular time is set aside for practice. As one teacher said jokingly to his students during a short meditation session, "You can blink, you can swallow, but that's IT!"

[Sowsunese]

Thank you all, the links and advice are helpful. Funny how something so mundane can become at first amplified, until realization occurs that it doesn't matter- it's just an itch, it comes and goes. Interesting to consider the freedom of choice one has during meditation.

[AffipgyncDync]

I remember listening to audio of joyful wisdom by Yongey Mingyur Rinpoche. He was asked to take part in an elaborate experiment by being hooked up with all sorts of wires to test brain wave patterns and that sort of thing. The process also called for him to be put in the CT scan machine, just big enough to lie in. Even he noticed that though he was fine in the moments leading up to going inside, once he was inside and unable to move his arms in any way this was when the "itch" began. Of course he had the urge to scratch, but he couldn't.

(BTW Rinpoche is undergoing a 3 year retreat at the moment)

Sorry to be a tiny bit off topic, but I guess this shows that it happens to the best of them. Like others had suggested, when meditating, it is best to make the decision to not scratch those itches, and things like that. It helps to make a firm decision that that particular time is set aside for practice. As one teacher said jokingly to his students during a short meditation session, "You can blink, you can swallow, but that's IT!"

What was the purpose and results of the brain tests? Im curious to know more about science on meditation.

[fil_nurser]

@Balgore> and anyone else that is interested- Zen and the Brain by James H. Austin is an amazing book about the science of meditation. It's actually a medical text, so it's a giant book with huge scientific terms, so bring a dictionary if you decide to read it. But it goes through all of the chemical and physiological changes in the brain as people go through different levels of meditation.
http://www.amazon.com/Zen-Brain-Unde...4175639&sr=1-1
Hope that helps!

[opelonafqe]

Its interesting, I read in the customer reviews for the book, one of them mentions that through meditation we destroy some brain cells and activate other ones. So in other words, we can 'rewire' our brains through meditation. Pretty neat.

I may eventually one day consider getting that book, for now, I have like 5 others I need to get through first lol.

[errolurberozy]

I'm sorry Balgore, I'd missed your question!

I will need to revisit it again, but the purpose of these experiments was essentially to monitor brainwave activity and see the differences when experienced meditation masters are in practicing in deep concentration, subtle mind states and things like that. Hopefully I will be able to elaborate or even find a link for you...