<p>This could be the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Five_hindrances" rel="nofollow noreferrer">hindrance</a> of <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Uddhacca" rel="nofollow noreferrer">Restlessness</a>-<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kukkucca" rel="nofollow noreferrer">worry</a> which accompanies irritable tingling tingling sensations.</p>

<p>This is increased by not giving wise attention to it. That is to look at the sensation with equanimity noting that it arises and passes away.</p>

<blockquote>
  <p>There is, bhikshus, the lack of mental calm (cetaso avupasamo). Frequently giving unwise attention
  to them is food for the arising of unarisen restless and worry, and for the growth and abundance of arisen
  restless and worry.</p>
  
  <p>...</p>
  
  <p>There is, bhikshus, mental calm (cetaso vūpasama). Frequently giving wise attention to them is not
  food for the arising of unarisen restless and worry, nor for the growth and abundance of arisen restless
  and worry.</p>
</blockquote>

<p><a href="http://www.themindingcentre.org/dharmafarer/wp-content/uploads/2009/12/7.15-Nivarana-Bojjhanga-Ahara-S-s46.51-piya.pdf" rel="nofollow noreferrer">(Nīvaraṇa Bojjhaṅga) Ahara Sutta</a></p>

<p>The enlightenment facts to cultivate and not to cultivate are as follows:</p>

<blockquote>
  <p>And should cultivate:When the mind is restless it is not the proper time for cultivating the following factors of enlightenment: investigation of the doctrine, energy and rapture, because an agitated mind can hardly be quietened by them.</p>
  
  <p>When the mind is restless, it is the proper time for cultivating the following factors of enlightenment: tranquillity, concentration and equanimity, because an agitated mind can easily be quietened by them.</p>
</blockquote>

<p><a href="http://www.accesstoinsight.org/lib/authors/nyanaponika/wheel026.html#rest" rel="nofollow noreferrer">Aggi Sutta | The Five Mental Hindrances and Their Conquest</a></p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2017-06-13T17:01:50.107Z
2017-06-13T17:07:04.880Z
2018-08-14T22:06:13.773Z
Suminda Sirinath S. Dharmasena
<p>When formally meditating, it is ideal to wear comfortable loose clothing. </p>

<p>Monks &amp; nuns generally do not wear bras &amp; underwear therefore you can follow their example when meditating. Refer to this <a href="http://meetthemonk.blogspot.com.au/2009/06/10-qs-for-monk.html" rel="nofollow noreferrer">link</a>. </p>

<blockquote>
  <p><em>Monks in tropical countries are still retaining this ancient set of
  clothing with the addition of an inner shirt covering the left
  shoulder but revealing the right and a waist belt to tighten up the
  under robe (underwear is not allowable, rather not prescribed for
  monks, though wearing underwear is a common practice for modern
  monks).</em></p>
</blockquote>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2017-06-14T05:41:57.803Z
2017-06-14T06:11:37.423Z
2017-06-14T06:11:37.423Z
Dhamma Dhatu
<p>As @Dhammadhatu mentioned it is best to wear comfortable clothes. I have felt ticklings and sometimes etchings while meditating. I wouldn't say it's a mindly hindrance but rather an external hindrance.</p>

<p>At home, I would wear a silk/nylon t-shirt (It feels comfortable and light) and a <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sarong" rel="nofollow noreferrer">Sarong</a> (It doesn't restrict/tighten your legs like it would do with Jeans and it provides a good air ventilation to your lower body leading to a comfortable sit. Also, It's more comforting when not using an underwear) </p>

<p>This is what I have experienced and what I do to prevent the ticklings. </p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2017-06-16T05:08:56.810Z
2017-06-16T05:08:56.810Z
Akila Hettiarachchi
<p>You are bound to get those sensation as you sit mindfully, your mind gets concentrated. There are always sensations on our body. As you become concentrated and mindful, you start to notice those sensations. This is very normal to get irritated because this is our normal habit pattern of reacting. </p>

<p>You should try not to agitate and observe those sensations equanimously. And if you need to do anything to get rid of it, do it mindfully.</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2017-07-03T12:15:59.887Z
2017-07-03T12:15:59.887Z
Rohan Kushwaha
<p>I was following <a href="https://buddhism.stackexchange.com/q/17341/254">an older thread</a>, however I would love if someone could respond with an answer as to how I can handle the following situation.  This happens almost every time I do mindfulness.</p>

<p>As I sit in mindfulness I almost always get a tickling or tingling sensation from my clothing, whether its the bra or underwear etc. As I sit there I try to continue breathing in and out focusing on my anchor, but inevitably the sensation gets the best of me, I feel exasperated and do what I ned to do to relieve the sensation. I feel like I could burst from the agitation sometimes, and I have never been able to sit through the agitation long enough for it to go away, the agitation can persist for 10 plus minutes.</p>

<personal-practice><mindfulness>
Agitation during mindfulness tickling
# Agitation during mindfulness tickling

(Asked by: username_0 on 2017-06-13)

I was following [an older thread](https://buddhism.stackexchange.com/q/17341/254), however I would love if someone could respond with an answer as to how I can handle the following situation. This happens almost every time I do mindfulness.

As I sit in mindfulness I almost always get a tickling or tingling sensation from my clothing, whether its the bra or underwear etc. As I sit there I try to continue breathing in and out focusing on my anchor, but inevitably the sensation gets the best of me, I feel exasperated and do what I ned to do to relieve the sensation. I feel like I could burst from the agitation sometimes, and I have never been able to sit through the agitation long enough for it to go away, the agitation can persist for 10 plus minutes.

**Tags:** personal-practice, mindfulness


---

## 4 answers

### Answer by username_1 on 2017-06-13. Score: 1

This could be the [hindrance](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Five_hindrances) of [Restlessness](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Uddhacca)-[worry](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kukkucca) which accompanies irritable tingling tingling sensations.

This is increased by not giving wise attention to it. That is to look at the sensation with equanimity noting that it arises and passes away.

> There is, bhikshus, the lack of mental calm (cetaso avupasamo). Frequently giving unwise attention
> to them is food for the arising of unarisen restless and worry, and for the growth and abundance of arisen
> restless and worry.
>
> ...
>
> There is, bhikshus, mental calm (cetaso vūpasama). Frequently giving wise attention to them is not
> food for the arising of unarisen restless and worry, nor for the growth and abundance of arisen restless
> and worry.

[(Nīvaraṇa Bojjhaṅga) Ahara Sutta](http://www.themindingcentre.org/dharmafarer/wp-content/uploads/2009/12/7.15-Nivarana-Bojjhanga-Ahara-S-s46.51-piya.pdf)

The enlightenment facts to cultivate and not to cultivate are as follows:

> And should cultivate:When the mind is restless it is not the proper time for cultivating the following factors of enlightenment: investigation of the doctrine, energy and rapture, because an agitated mind can hardly be quietened by them.
>
> When the mind is restless, it is the proper time for cultivating the following factors of enlightenment: tranquillity, concentration and equanimity, because an agitated mind can easily be quietened by them.

[Aggi Sutta | The Five Mental Hindrances and Their Conquest](http://www.accesstoinsight.org/lib/authors/nyanaponika/wheel026.html#rest)


---

### Answer by username_2 on 2017-06-14. Score: 1

When formally meditating, it is ideal to wear comfortable loose clothing.

Monks & nuns generally do not wear bras & underwear therefore you can follow their example when meditating. Refer to this [link](http://meetthemonk.blogspot.com.au/2009/06/10-qs-for-monk.html).

> *Monks in tropical countries are still retaining this ancient set of
> clothing with the addition of an inner shirt covering the left
> shoulder but revealing the right and a waist belt to tighten up the
> under robe (underwear is not allowable, rather not prescribed for
> monks, though wearing underwear is a common practice for modern
> monks).*


---

### Answer by username_3 on 2017-06-16. Score: 0

As @Dhammadhatu mentioned it is best to wear comfortable clothes. I have felt ticklings and sometimes etchings while meditating. I wouldn't say it's a mindly hindrance but rather an external hindrance.

At home, I would wear a silk/nylon t-shirt (It feels comfortable and light) and a [Sarong](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sarong) (It doesn't restrict/tighten your legs like it would do with Jeans and it provides a good air ventilation to your lower body leading to a comfortable sit. Also, It's more comforting when not using an underwear)

This is what I have experienced and what I do to prevent the ticklings.


---

### Answer by username_4 on 2017-07-03. Score: 0

You are bound to get those sensation as you sit mindfully, your mind gets concentrated. There are always sensations on our body. As you become concentrated and mindful, you start to notice those sensations. This is very normal to get irritated because this is our normal habit pattern of reacting.

You should try not to agitate and observe those sensations equanimously. And if you need to do anything to get rid of it, do it mindfully.


---

