Mingyur Rinpoche, likewise, encourages making all sensation, even pain, our “friend,” using it as a basis for meditation. Since the essence of meditation is awareness, any sensation that anchors attention can be used as support—and pain particularly can be very effective in focusing. Treating it as a friend “softens and warms” our relationship, as he puts it, as we gradually learn to accept the pain rather than try to get rid of it.
