I get a sharp pinprick kind of "pain" only for a few seconds in one of my toes.....
..... and at the same time one in the centre of my tummy (on the surface of my skin)
What's that all about do you think?
Hi,
I sometimes get the kind of sensations you describe. I suspect they are to do with meridians. I just notice them and think it's about natural healing processes going on. This could be what's happening, I just don't know for sure.
Norbu
When I first learned Reiki, about 10 years ago, and then for a few weeks after an atunement, I used to get a sensation in my foot. I used to think of it as being about the body opening the meridians and clearing my body.
It kind of made me feel that something real was happening and changing.
Blessings
Jill Miller
Or it could be neuralgias? I get neuralgias all over my body!
Hi Claire
Or it could be neuralgias? I get neuralgias all over my body!
This is from Wikipedia:
Neuralgia is pain in one or more nerves[1] that occurs without stimulation of pain receptor (nociceptor) cells. Neuralgia pain is produced by a change in neurological structure or function rather than by the excitation of pain receptors that causes nociceptive pain. Neuralgia falls into two categories: central neuralgia and peripheral neuralgia. This unusual pain is thought to be linked to four possible mechanisms: ion gate malfunctions; the nerve becomes mechanically sensitive and creates an ectopic signal; cross signals between large and small fibers; and malfunction due to damage in the central processor[2
There are a wide range of sensations that come up in meditation and post meditation. Some of these for sure are about the neurological effects of meditation. Although I have not been involved with Reiki, there are similarities with effects it can have to meditation.
One common observation in meditation is pain in various parts of the body. In some meditation practices, you just observe this pain with a still and curious attention. You have the choice to watch it like this or move. You can just be present with it. You find you can be with it a bit longer than you would have done if you were just reacting to it normally. Often the pain moves or changes. Sometimes sensations of heat replace it. Often there are sensations of pressure or movements or waves of sensations across different parts of the body. Things are happening that's for sure. There is definitely a neurological aspect to this, that's for sure but there is more to it than that.
One way of talking about it is to do with meridians and subtle body structures. These do relate to healing. Sensations, some of them definitely do relate to subtle body structures, some may not but there are processes going on that are more than mere neurological malfunction that might be described by a rather general category of "neuralgia."
Often pains that come up in meditation are related to releasing locked emotions coming up with painful memories. From this perspective, at least much of what healing is about is slowly learning to be curious about pain in our lives and approaching it with patience and gentleness. From this perspective, it is our habits of running from pain and grasping at comforting conditions that is the cause of much psychological and physiological illness in the first place. We cause ourself damage by locking away our pain. In the end this can cause illness.
From this perspective, neuralgia is not a cause, so much as a result. Pains that come up are more about our bodies, their nerves, our minds and subtle body structures trying to make us pay attention to what is going on so that we can heal.
Norbu