Can I scratch an itch or move during meditation?

Yes! You don't have to sit completely still while you're meditating and you can play with what happens as part of your meditation. Meditation and mindfulness helps you notice what's going on so you can decide what to respond to - and what to simply watch pass by. The next time you get an itch or the urge to wiggle when you're meditating, try this:

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• Notice the impulse to scratch or wiggle or do something else.
• Then notice that you have a choice.

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It’s likely that if you just observe the itch, it'll go away. Or maybe you'll decide you do need to 'scratch it'. That's okay too! Just do it with full awareness. Practicing meditation can help us reduce our less thoughtful, automatic responses. Dan and Joseph Goldstein talk more about this in Session 5 of The Basics course on the Ten Percent Happier app.

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Want more guidance? Check out our How to Meditate page.