Beyond Symptom Relief
I think it's fair to say that many people seek a meditative practice with the initial motivation to reduce pain, be it physical or mental. This is the category I fell under which lead me to meditate. In February, 2004 I found myself in the emergency ward hooked up to an EKG, short of breath, suffering from chest pains and experiencing numbness down my left arm. Oddly, my EKG and blood pressure were normal. What could cause such profound symptoms other than heart failure? To my great surprise, I was informed that I had experienced a very common affliction. A panic attack. I almost laughed out loud! "I don't panic over anything, everything is great", I told the doctor. He was not satisfied with this answer and started going through a list of things that might be stressing me out. Nothing seemed too stressful to me, I honestly could not think of a single thing that would cause these heinous anxiety symptoms. Over following weeks the symptoms continued.
Having tried various methods, I found Chinese medicine an effective drug-free treatment, yet it was never a permanent cure. I tried a few types of meditation, TWDD being the technique that resonated with me and which I settled upon. I started in the winter of 2006 and since then I have been mostly anxiety free. At last, I have found something to deal with these very uncomfortable sensations. However, a new and more profound stage has evolved. Having meditated regularly, it seems I am becoming more aware of my actions and of my environment. With this comes insight into one's behavior and the ways which it can contribute to one's overall unhappiness. When the doctor in emergency asked me what I was stressed about I had no answer. The meditation is starting to provide those answers. Answers to these questions were not even a motivation of mine to come out and meditate. Ironically, it is these answers which will lead me to a place where I will never suffer a panic attack again.
For beginners who are motivated to meditate by their pain, I just wanted to point out that the benefits may go beyond what you expected!
