Fibromyalgia and Meditation

[q]

I have found recently in sits of 3-3.5 hours, that after 2 hours my body lets go of deep muscular 'micro' contractions all through out the body, pain that has been assessed by a Rheumotologist as being related to Fibromylgia. The constant muscular 'micro' gripping of the muscles, and excruciating pain, occurs mostly in the legs when palpitated. After 2 hours and having entered the 2nd Jhana I experience the feeling of the body melting and turning into 'jello', or water, releasing the muscular tension. I also find that I experience deep itching in the muscles that feels very good when massaged after meditation. I know Jeffrey has pointed out that the transition between 2nd and 3rd can be marked by 'surface' itchiness of the skin, but this is rather, deep in the muscles and all throughout the body that I get this deep itching. The 2 hour mark seems to be when the 'jello effect' usually happens, accompanied by a sense of expanded awareness and an opening of the 3rd eye, in addition to a divine sense of clarity in all of the senses.

I often find that after the 2 hours, although I sometimes go deeper, I become distracted by thoughts, or I simply reach a 'plateau' point.

Any suggestions on whats going on? Or how to go deeper from here? I always hope that the deep muscular pain will one day just disappear, but it has been chronic, 24/7 for over 10 years. Worst on the right side and in both hips.

[jhananda]

Hello q, sorry to hear about the Fibromyalgia. It sounds like your meditation periods are too long. The Buddha recommended 4 meditation postures, which I believe directly addressed the problems of people who do a lot of meditation. Those postures were sitting, standing, walking and lying down. So, during your long meditation sessions do try meditating equal amounts of time in each position.

[Michael Hawkins]

Hello q, Jeffrey and friends,

Following on what Jeffrey has suggested, I can share that, with the group I'm working with at the Hawaii retreat, my initial instructions have included offering the three non-sitting positions as options. There is a former policeman in the group who carries a bullet in his shoulder, has bad knees and general pain throughout the body. And, from experience, I know that folks who are not used to sitting for a minimum of one hour tend to struggle throughout the sessions I lead -- when what I am attempting to do is bring them to recognition of the charisms as soon as possible. So, inevitably, 75% of the meditators end up in sivasana position (flat on their backs)... and, even when they fall asleep for a period of the sit, they all say that they "emerge" into the bliss during the last 10 or 15 minutes of the sit.

I do suggest to them, however, that it's good to mix it up, and to work toward being able to sit comfortably for an hour at a time as they take their new ecstatic meditation practice home with them.

[q]

Hi Jeffrey and Michael, and thanks for those suggestions I don't in fact usually meditate so long, usually only 1 hour/time. But my last couple of sessions have been very good, going deeper, and although 3-3.5 hours, they felt like only about 1.5 hours. What I discovered, however, and have experienced last year, is that at around the 2 hour mark, I get a wonderful 'muscular' release from the pain, a feeling that is like the body turning into water, or a big piece of jello. Accompanying this wonderful release from muscular tension, is deep itching in the muscles, that is relieved by strong massage. I wonder if I actually do not have 'fibromyalgia', but some form of tension in the mind that is releasing when reaching the deeper absorption states. I find after the 2nd Jhana, as I feel myself going deeper, there will be what feels like an expansiveness in the stomach region, flashes, and again what feels like a wonderful release of 'anxiety and tension' in that area. Because of the itchiness deep in the muscles, I am guessing that I am somewhere between 2nd and 3rd. Can one be reaching deeper levels of absorption than 3rd, yet still retain the acute sensitivity associated with that stage?

[jhananda]

Hello q, the single most salient characteristics of the 4th stage of absorption (4th jhana) is the feeling as if one could meditate forever. Inherent in this description is a deep level of comfort, which is a loss of bodily awareness without going out-of-body yet, and a loss of time awareness.

Most people who meditate to the 4th jhana tend to not end the meditation session. Instead the meditation session seems to end itself.

The body feeling like jello, might be you arriving at the 4th jhana. Or, perhaps your body has just gone numb due to excessive meditation duration.