This talk explores both physical and emotional suffering in the form of unpleasant experiences, giving detailed explanations on how to be with these with mindfulness. It also explores where real suffering is and how we can experience freedom even when life is unpleasant or painful.

Physical pain; draining tension through the body; meeting the agitation of being on retreat; dealing with demons and emotional chaos; are liberation practices and goodwill compatible; is goodwill readily available through study and reflection; what thoughts to let pass, what to examine; definition and experience of full knowing; is noting necessary for Vipassana?

In this talk, Shaila Catherine encourages practitioners to view illness and pain as opportunities to practice equanimity, patience, and mindfulness of the body. When we are sick or in pain, we can still practice being attentive to present conditions, and reflect that all beings are all also subject to illness and death. Illness is not wrong; it is inevitable. The more we resist this fact, the more mental suffering we add to our physical difficulties. When we learn to be present with both pleasant and unpleasant feelings, we will know an experience of profound peace.

This two part series explores how we regularly leave our body and skim life’s surface in a mental trance, and the ways we can train our attention to come home again. We look at working with physical and emotional pain, and the gifts of love, wisdom, creativity and aliveness that arise as we learn to fully inhabit these living forms and all our senses with awareness. Includes a meditation to guide us in working with pain.

This two part series explores how we regularly leave our body and skim life’s surface in a mental trance, and the ways we can train our attention to come home again. We look at working with physical and emotional pain, and the gifts of love, wisdom, creativity and aliveness that arise as we learn to fully inhabit these living forms and all our senses with awareness.

We all experience some pain, mental, physical or both.  And we work with pain both in the body and in the mind until it is exhausted.  This is how we care for the mind, healing its sickness and removing the sand that obstructs the spring of truth in our hearts. Then we can see clearly. We see what obstructs the Dhamma eye and we open our eyes to the truth of the Dhamma.  A talk given given during Satipanna Insight Meditation Toronto (SIMT) Retreat, Chapin Mill, Batavia, N.Y in 2018.

Guided meditation on physical pain.

The practice of right mindfulness and full understanding can help us meet physical pain with openness, compassion, and wisdom.

Various suggestions for working with "pain," to help maintain a balanced relationship to physical discomfort