How do you deal with self control and concentration? How do you deal with pain while you are sitting in a pose?

Self control and concentration are like a muscle. The more you work it the stronger it will become. For me I started with shorter meditations that way I felt more accomplished in the beginning and slowly added five minutes.

With the pain, adding extra cushion under my tailbone has helped. I also found if a sit in a chair with a back helps tremendously because it supports my back. I still try unassisted meditations but my back still isn’t in a place to do that. In my opinion I would rather meditate in an unorthodox space and be able to focus completely then sit on the floor and battle with focusing on my pain or the meditation

Concentrate on your breathing. Try to be in a place which you can call your own space with no distractions and slightly less noisy . If you are uncomfortable just lie down on a mat / floor or bed and be as comfortable as you can.

The only thing I think about in that situation is that if today i sit through this pain, tomorrow will be better; tomorrow I will have more strength than I had today or yesterday.

If I do it every day it gets easier to sit for longer without pain. Also I always do yoga in the morning before sitting down to meditate for 10 minutes

I usually meditate and listen to meditations lying on my back, on my bed. Sometimes sitting on the train. I can’t do or keep that Buddha pose 🙂

I choose comfort over form…if you are in pain sitting, lay down or adjust your sitting. Also be mindful of the type of pain. Is it tightness – trying warming those muscles up and stretching before you sit. If it more like a pinch or sharp radiating pain – go see a chiropractor or or doctor or physiotherapist to get to the core issue. As for concentration don't be militant. Everyone at some point has their minds wanderer or are in less than ideal situations to meditate. When you wander refocusand continue. I write down what my mind goes to and look at it once a week. I can usually find pervasive worries and concerns, then I can actively deal with it. It can be big, like how am I going deal with health concerns to small like getting something at the store that is on sale.

Pain is a signal that something’s not right. Relax and find the alternative pose as there usually are some. Once there, deep breathe and send oxygen to the sore places. Name five things to be thankful for (one being you are up and doing poses! You showed up!)

Practice practice practice… finding your edge and only going in incremental steps past your unique edge (which changes moment to moment). If you go too far, you can injure yourself, don’t go far enough, you bypass growth & building ‘strength’. If you’re in pain, I’d say you need more stretching and physical support in your sitting pose (pillows, bolster, etc.). Look into/research basic meditation sitting support. If your body isn’t ready for a certain sitting pose, it isn’t ready yet; don’t force it, build up to it. Listen to your body and what it’s telling you, ignore your ego (shoulds, aught to, etc.) the best you can. Don’t think of starting at your end goal, build up to it at your unique pace. Be okay with going slow, yet try to ignore your thoughts and just listen to what your body is telling you. Concentration will come with practice and not giving up even though it’s hard. Same with self control.. build up to it, even if you start with one thing a day (flossing, meditating for 1 min, breathing more than you feel like for 2 mins, etc.). Start there and do it for weeks whether you feel like it or not. Once that becomes easy and second nature, add something else or increase your time. Keep building, brick by brick. Eventually you’ll be further along than you ever thought possible. Don’t let difficulty be a factor in whether to keep going or not, difficulty is your baseline for growth. If it wasn’t difficult, it would grow you… keep going!! And lastly, truly acknowledge your success. Stop and feel your success for as long as you can. If super uncomfortable at first, keep doing it, because eventually your self appreciation will be the wind in your sails (which is all we need in the end; our own wind, no one else’s). Good luck, I believe in you!!

A small amount of discomfort is ok when you first start meditating, just acknowledge it and then ignore it. But if it's pain, change your position, or sit on a chair instead. Pain will distract you too much and will turn you off meditation. What i do is practice yoga first and then meditate. The yoga puts you in a focused (perhaps even spiritual?) Mindset already and it liens up the body, so sitting in a meditation posture becomes easier.

Honestly, as cliche as it sounds, just gotta do it. Stop listening to the child in you and start listening to your Sage. As soon as you think of succumbing to an excuse or distraction, dismiss it. Trust me, you are greater than your urges; you must overcome.

If sitting in lotus position is difficult, sitting upright in a chair with your feet flat on the floor is just as appropriate. Another option that I found is helpful is placing a small pillow below your bottom, when you are in the lotus position. Yoga also has helped me to sit in the lotus position.
I find that first thing in the morning a cup of room temperature lemon water cleansing your system helps your focus. Starting with Deep breathing exercises really helps with focus and concentration.

There is a technique called brain scanning where you picture a wave going over your body. I like to imagine it as a healing wave, going over me and "filtering" out pain and negative or distracting thoughts.

Focus on breathing, in and out. It’s basic but it helps. Don’t try and focus on multiple things at once, choose one thing at a time and focus on that. Let your thoughts and feelings come and go, but don’t ignore them. Acknowledge them, then let them flow through you. Pain is something that will go away after awhile, just stick with it and then you stop noticing it as much, focus on a clear mind and positive thoughts.

To concentrate I need quiet music and be on my on. If I don’t have that leisure I only think about the task and how I feel after I done it.