Numbness
Numbness while meditating is entirely normal, but it can be a little unnerving for some people. Here’s some advice on how to deal with it.
Try 14 days freeBetter mental health starts with Headspace. Unrivaled expertise to make life feel a little easier, using guided meditations, mindfulness tips, focus tools, sleep support, and dedicated programs.
Numbness is something that occurs fairly commonly when people sit to get some head space. But it doesn't happen to everyone, I'd say probably 10, 20% of people will experience it at some stage or another. Often it's accompanied by feelings of pins and needles, either in the hands, the fingers, the feet, or the toes. More often it's in the upper body. And if you think about your posture, how you're sat during your session, usually more often than not the body is set up in such a way that the blood tends to sort of drain downwards, as it does when we're sitting down. The heart has to work a little harder to keep the blood sort of pumping around. And because we completely still and the heart rate's kind of slowing down, everything starts to slow down. And that's sometimes our circulation as well. Again, this is nothing to worry about. It's entirely normal. For some people though, a certain subset of people, like it can slow down to such an extent that we start to feel a little bit numb, say like sort of pins and needles in the hands, the fingers. And it can be a little unnerving, especially if we haven't experienced it before or especially if we're just learning the technique. So the most important thing is how you relate to it. It's tempting just to sort of panic a little bit and immediately sort of get up and start shaking your hands, your arms, moving them around a little bit. But as much as possible, just try and stay with it. The interesting thing, and I say this from experience is, when you experience a certain sense of numbness in the body, we can sometimes assume, okay, that's how it's going to be for the rest of the session. But I've sat with numbness myself and just watched and observed. And funny enough, sometimes the numbness has passed. It's just been a sort of a temporary thing, a fleeting thing. So as much as possible, rather than moving your posture, simply bring your attention to the feeling. Again, it can be quite uncomfortable at first, maybe especially if you feel a bit sort of squeamish. It's quite a strange feeling to bring your attention to, but as much as possible, just focusing on the feeling rather than thinking about the feeling. Again, they're two very, very different things. As long as we can do that, and as I said, more often than not, the numbness will pass. If it doesn't and it's genuinely sort of concerning you, then you can just gently and very mindfully open and close your hands. So it's like you're stretching your fingers. Again, you're just encouraging circulation in the body or help bring greater sense of blood flow into your arms, into your hands, into your fingers. And it can just be reassuring. But as much as possible, as I say, try to do it consciously, mindfully,...
Details
About your teachers
- More about Andy
A former Buddhist monk, Andy has guided people in meditation and mindfulness for 20 years. In his mission to make these practices accessible to all, he co-created the Headspace app in 2010.
- More about Eve
Eve is a mindfulness teacher, overseeing Headspace’s meditation curriculum. She is passionate about sharing meditation to help others feel less stressed and experience more compassion in their lives.
- More about Dora
As a meditation teacher, Dora encourages others to live, breathe, and be with the fullness of their experiences. She loves meditation’s power to create community and bring clarity to people’s minds.
- More about Kessonga
Kessonga has been an acupuncturists, therapist, and meditation teacher, working to bring mindfulness to the diverse populations of the world.
- More about Rosie
Rosie Acosta has studied yoga and mindfulness for more than 20 years and taught for over a decade. Rosie’s mission is to help others overcome adversity and experience radical love.
Look after your mind
Proven guided meditations and programs to help you stress less, sleep more soundly, and better navigate life’s challenges
Science-backed
Studies show that using Headspace for 30 days can reduce stress, increase resilience, and improve overall well-being
Explore 1000+ expert-led exercises
Access our library of meditations, breathing exercises, and guidance videos for stress, sleep, focus, everyday anxiety , parenting, and more.
Member reviews
Hear from some of our members
Your app brings so much peace and tolerance to our home.
Rachel
UK
Changing my thoughts has allowed me to change my life.
Davide
London
The stress and loneliness courses … taught me how to comfort myself.
Alicia
Canada
Headspace provides me with … a connection to myself, and a disconnection from negative thoughts, feelings, and sensations.
Keri
UK
Related to 'Numbness'
- © 2024 Headspace Inc.
- Terms & conditions
- Privacy policy
- Consumer Health Data
- Your privacy choices
- CA Privacy Notice