“Twitchy” & “Itchy?”
Savasana, or stillness time, at the end of a movement class at the SuperHealth Immersion Training in 2019
Have you ever been in the middle of a meditation and your nose suddenly became itchy, and it seemed like you just HAVE to scratch it? …Or, maybe you have been laying out on your back at the end of a yoga class (in Savasana) and you can’t seem to keep your eyes closed or hold still. Why try if it’s so hard?
We can become discouraged or impatient with ourselves or our students with the “twitchy” and “itchy,” and times of stillness seem to spur because we know that learning to “sit through discomfort” is a critical part of our yoga and meditation practice. Once we begin to increase our tolerance for discomfort, sitting through discomfort is a skill that can translate into our efforts to break habits or behavioral patterns. We practice sitting through discomfort while on the yoga mat, so that we can call upon those same skills as we go about the rest of our day while off the yoga mat.
Pain vs. Physical Discomfort
Before we can talk about sitting through discomfort, it’s important to define the differences between pain and discomfort. While we certainly want to challenge ourselves to sit through physical or mental discomfort, we never want to overextend or push too hard into straining ourselves. We want to pay attention and respond to both pain and discomfort.
Pain is:
Any sensation that continues, even with long deep breathing
Any sensations that continue after coming out of the shape or stopping repetitive motions
Anything sharp or stabbing (stop immediately)
Feeling light-headed or dizzy (Stop immediately. Check the instructions to make sure you are doing properly. Do not continue if dizziness persists).
Anything that is “too much,” not only physically, but also mentally/emotionally
Physical Discomfort is:
We may find it challenging to continue; however, we can continue the posture or repetitive motion by breathing into it.
If we release the posture, the sensations immediately go away. So try the suggestions below:
Backing off or modifying allow you to continue. Try only one arm or leg at a time. Find a more comfortable seated posture or sit in a chair. Don’t lean as intensely into the full expression of the posture.
Supporting yourself with the right prop allows you to continue. Sit on a folded blanket, cushion, pillow or block to lengthen the spine or pads your buttocks. Using blocks or a strap to extend the reach of your arms.
We may find that once we started noticing and responding to the signals of physical discomfort and pain, sitting through mental discomfort can become easier.
Challenging Mental Discomfort
When my body is properly supported when I’m on my yoga mat, I find it easier to challenge myself mentally.
Here is that itch again…can I challenge myself to wait for one more round of the mantra or 5 more breaths before lifting my finger to scratch it? Maybe I have had enough practice that I can even choose to re-direct my thoughts and attention somewhere else.
Rather than walking out at the end of class when everyone is getting set up for laying on the back, or Savasana, maybe I can at least try to lay down, but on my side. Maybe I try closing my eyes this time for as long as I can, but when I notice they are open again, I focus on my breathing. Maybe I really do need to move my arms this time.
In Conclusion
Learning to sit through discomfort is the process of training the mind through mental self control. For me, this dance has become: noticing pain or physical discomfort, making the necessary adjustments where needed, then doing my best to sit through the mind games that pop up from the mental discomfort, and challenging myself each time I get on the mat to play with all of this.
The biggest difference between now and before I understood this is that I am making a conscious choice. I’m choosing to keep my arms up even though my mind is screaming that I can’t (or I’m choosing to put them down today because I am pushing myself too hard into pain). I’m choosing to adjust my breath. I’m choosing to open my eyes or back off a little bit. I’m choosing to hold perfectly still. I’m choosing to let the full intensity of emotions surface (or I’m choosing that right now is not the best time).
Being consciously conscious is the gift developed inside of us as we learn to sit through discomfort. Over time, saying no to “twitchy” and “itchy” helps us develop the grit and stamina necessary to say no to negative habits or behavioral patterns because this practice translates to off the mat, too.
The SuperHealth team has put together a free e-book that can help you practice sitting through discomfort. It is called “Meditations for Times of Crisis.” You can download it here.
We also just announced the 2022 dates for the next SuperHealth Immersion Training: February 19th & 20th, March 5th & 6th; March 19th & 20th. Join us whenever you are ready to really go deep and develop your grit and stamina. Your value is in your experience!!!
Siri Dharma Kaur
lives in Northern Utah with her husband and their 4 energetic children. She spends most of her time as a homeschooling mamma. She is certified in over 1000 hours of Yoga Teacher Trainings including: Kundalini, SuperHealth, Hatha Yoga, Yin Yoga, Karma Kids Yoga, and Khalsa Way Prenatal Yoga. She loves reading, anything in nature that includes bodies of water, and good music.