Yogi: I have been meditating for a while; but I still find it physical and mentally painful and challenging. It is difficult to be detached from the object.

I can be aware of what is happening, but it is very hard to have to suffer the experiences.

Sayadaw: Can you leave the painful experiences that are happening in the mind and body and choose an object that is neutral for you and just bring your attention to that continuously?

In this case you’re not doing choiceless awareness, but choosing an object that will calm the mind a bit.

Yogi: I have not had much luck doing that. The best luck I have is going out for a walk and trying not to pay attention to what is going on anywhere in my experience.

Sayadaw: The experience you’re having is in itself painful, and if the mind complains on top of the experience – ‘I wish it wasn’t like that’, ‘I wish it would go away’, ‘This is so difficult’ and all that, it makes it harder. If you can, remind yourself that this is nature.