By Jonathan Kaplan, Ph.D.

...what's going to happen.  Being present mindfully is allowing oneself to be open to whatever experiences arise.  Often, the present moment does not unfold exactly as we expected (or as we would prefer).  This evening, during my meditation on emotions, for example, I suddenly got a muscle cramp in my leg.  It was quite painful and distracting.  Rather than changing my seated position or ceasing the meditation, I turned my awareness towards the pain itself.  It was sharp and came in waves.  I noticed my body tensing around the experience of being in pain.  I was holding my breath, and it felt like my torso was contracting.  None of this happened volitionally; I was not trying to avoid the pain.  It was simply how my body responded to the experience.  After several minutes of observing this process, it subsided.  When the pain stopped coming, my body and breathing relaxed.  It was interesting to see the automaticity of my reaction, based simply on having a physical body.

What is the strangest reaction that your body has experienced during meditation?