Free Meditation for Pain Relief Lessons

Written and verified by Holly Hazen

I use Herbert Benson’s relaxation response as a meditation for pain relief. I think his method is similar to transcendental meditation. Learn how to adapt it to be used with migraines here in just a few easy steps.

Whether you choose to start a regular practice or just meditate before a migraine is up to you.

There have been several studies done now that show meditation reduces migraine attack rate of recurrence and severity.

So there appears to be specific benefits for us migraine sufferers from having a regular practice or just doing a meditation before a migraine attack starts.

I'm talking pain relief. 

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Meditation for Pain Relief – The Basics

According to Dr. Herbert Benson, my hero, there are a few steps to consider before meditating and then there are some simple steps to follow.

Fundamentally your free meditation for pain relief lessons require you to silently repeat a mantra for 20 minutes. When we adapt this to migraine pain, the actual pain becomes the focus.

Make Sure You Have a Warm, Calm and Quiet Environment

It is best if you can choose a room or space that is warm and quiet with no distractions. For us migraineurs our dark bedroom is best. Obviously this is not always possible, like if you are at work for example.

But try to find the best place where you can calm yourself and your mind easily. This will make focusing on your physical sensations and or repeating your word or phrase easier.

Choose Your Focus – a Sound, a Word, an Object or a Phrase

Choosing a sound or a word like one, or peace for example, or a phrase will keep your mind from “wandering.”

You can repeat it out loud or silently.

Dr. Benson in his book The Relaxation Response tells us to use a constant stimulus to shift our mind from “logical, externally oriented thought” to internal awareness.

You can also gaze at a fixed object like a candle flame which is quite popular. However, this is not recommended for pre-migraine but its your choice, and I want to provide you with options. I like options. Focusing on just one thing is essential.

If you can bear it, you will also be using your pain as a focal point. The idea is to attempt to observe the pain from a distance.

Some say it is best to choose a word that is meaningless to you so that it does not stimulate your mind to have unnecessary thoughts. The word “one” is very useful for this purpose.

• Closed eyes for repetition


• Open eyes for gazing at your object
  
  

Always Start With Taking a Minute to Bring Awareness to Your Breath

Pay attention to your breath, following your normal rhythm is important. Breathe only through your nose. You will be saying your word on your exhale. You might find that once you pay attention to your breath your body will already start to relax.

Never force your breath. Don’t hold it in, and don’t force it out. Allow a natural rhythm.

Don’t Worry Be Happy Now

If you find that your mind is very busy don’t worry. Disregard your thoughts and come back to your word, phrase, or sound. Keep it simple, and just allow the thoughts to be there but repeat your mantra. “You should not worry about how well you are performing the technique” this might interfere with your meditation. There is no right or wrong way.

And of course, the intensity of your pain may dictate if you can continue to remain a passive neutral observer, or not.

Distractions Will Occur

The mind creates thoughts - that’s what its function is. If your thoughts intrude, just return to your breath and your mantra. When I say mantra, I mean the word, sound or phrase that you have chosen. So return to repeating your mantra, and let go of paying attention to the thoughts. Thoughts are expected, so just allow them.

Your pain will be distracting too. Physical and emotional pain around these dreadful migraines will intrude. Expect distractions.

Find a Comfortable Position

If you are practicing your meditation for pain relief in bed, then just make sure you are comfortable. Your head should be supported, and a cool cloth on your forehead, an ice pack on your neck and preferably a hot water bottle on your hands, should ease the pain.

If you are not in bed, then finding a comfortable sitting posture is very important to endure the whole 20 minutes of meditation required. Some people sit with crossed legs or kneel. You can sit in a chair as long as you can relax your muscle groups, and your spine is straight.

Some individuals lay down to meditate and this often leads to falling asleep. In our case, lying down and falling asleep is completely acceptable and actually desirable in order to help the migraine pass.

The Benefits Accumulate

The body should not take long to learn this relaxation process with regular practice. The rules change a little for migraines but the benefits will accumulate if you stick with it. It is recommended to practice twice every day, once before breakfast and before dinner is best. Do not meditate for two hours after a meal as your digestive function may interfere with the meditation.

Be Proactive With Your Migraines

This is one of the best ways you can be proactive with reducing the frequency and severity of your migraine attacks. Dr. Herbert Benson sure did millions of us a favor by studying TM for over 40 years and he provides us with the very basics of learning meditation for pain relief.

Here's my meditation course for migraine relief and prevention. You can experiment with a variety of techniques:

• Guided Meditations

• Mindfulness Meditations

• Energetic Healings

• Hypnosis

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_{Book for Free Meditation for Pain Relief Lessons: Benson, H. M.D. (1975) The Relaxation Response. HarperCollins Publishers: NY. P. 162-163 [Online], Available at: http://www.relaxationresponse.org/steps/}

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