Dealing with strong and subtle restlessness

[John AndersMember]

Hello,

I have been dealing with extreme restlessness for the past few weeks and wold appreciate any help I can get in managing it.

For the past week or two the restlessness/monkey-mind has gotten to the point where I cant really focus on any sensations (whether they be sounds or body related sensations) at all.

The restlessness manifests physically as tapping my feet, opening my eyes, the urge to move my arms and mentally as monkey-mind, an inability to focus on anything for a significant amount of time.

The restlessness is so bad that I can not apply the antidote suggested in the book which is grounding myself in the body by going back to steps 1 and 2 of the Four Step Transition. Though I should also mention that I never get past those steps anyway.

I have also tried the section on dealing with strong and difficult emotions and from reading that I understand that I should make the restlessness the object of attention.

I have tried this but have found it hard to do since I cant really distinguish the restlessness as an emotion as it it subtle.

When I try to find the emotion, as suggested in the book, it is either vague and subtle and therefore hard to find or it disappears and changes into something else.

I have managed to identify it as impatience and frustration but that is all.

So my problem is that I have a sense of impatience that is too strong to ignore but not strong enough to identify and make my object of attention.

I am at stage 2 have and have been meditating for an hour in the morning for over two months and for half of that time I have also been meditating 45 minutes in the late afternoon.

I appreciate any suggestions I can get!

Thank you!

[Blake BartonKeymaster]

Hi John,

Has anything changed in your life to cause this restlessness and monkey mind? Does the restlessness start at the beginning of the sit, or come on later after your mind settles.

Are you putting a great deal of effort to keep your attention on the meditation object. If so, this can cause agitation. Are you judging you meditation practice, or holding expectations about the way things should be?

When you feel the restlessness, where do you feel it in your body? Does it change in size? Is it constant or does it pulsate. What do the sensations feel like. Do they tingle, burn etc? It often helps to take a step back and examine things like a neutral third party observer, or child experiencing something for the first time.

If the sensations associated with the emotion end, then you can just go back to the meditation object.

Some exercise before you meditate could help to calm the mind. You could also try walking meditation.

Hope this helps,
Blake – DT Teacher in Training

[John AndersMember]

Hi Blake,

Nothing that I am aware of has changed in my life that could be causing this restlessness.

The restlessness starts at the beginning of the sit.

I do not feel I am putting to much effort into keeping my attention on the meditation object and if I am judging or holding expectations about the way things should be it is unconscious.

I have not been able to identify the restlessness physically. When I am restless either the physical sensations are not there or they are too subtle to identify. It could be that it is not restlessness that I am feeling but one or a few other feelings. I have managed to identify what seems like impatience, annoyance and frustration. It could also be that these come up one after the other. I do not know for sure. In any case if I try to go back to the meditation object I cannot retain focus at all and quickly go back into monkey-mind.

So it seems whatever it is that is obstructing my practice is too strong to disregard but not strong enough to identify.

• This reply was modified 7 years, 8 months ago by  John Anders.

[Blake BartonKeymaster]

Hi John,

Thanks for the additional information. You state that you don’t notice any judging or expectations, yet you are experiencing “impatience, annoyance and frustration”. Do you know what is causing these emotions? Are these emotions related to your practice?

I recommend taking a look at Hindrances and Problems in the Second Interlude. In particular I would look at agitation due to Worry and Remorse.

You state that you cannot identify the physical sensations related to restlessness. So how do you know that you are restless? There are usually sensations that make us feel that we are experiencing an emotion. However, they may be impermanent and fluctuating. The next time you are restless ask yourself (and examine) what restlessness feels like. If you don’t feel anything, then ask yourself how you know that your are restless.

I would also recommend trying some exercise or walking meditation prior to sitting to see if it calms the mind at all.

I hope this helps.

Blake – DT Teacher in Training

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