Whenever we feel physical pain, our instinctive response is a whole-body flinch. We immediately gird ourselves against the pain in order to get rid of it, which often prolongs and intensifies the pain instead. Eventually, the effects of such a flinch can become worse than the pain itself. The opposite approach — befriending the pain — might seem like choosing to suffer. Actually, it's a rare form of presence that almost always leads to significant relief.
The Practice:
Reserve this practice for the next time you have a headache, muscle ache, or similar bodily pain. Begin when you become aware of your flinch, both its physical aspects and any thought patterns that arise. Gently relax your body as much as possible, and then place your focus directly at the center of the pain. Breathe into it over and over, noticing everything you can about the pain.
Is it hot or cold? Sharp or dull? Does it stay steady or fluctuate? Is a shape or color associated with it? What else does it communicate to you? Continue breathing into the pain and noticing everything about it until it departs completely or becomes more tolerable.
— Raphael Cushnir in How Now