Can Meditation Help with Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome and HSD? A Complete Guide for Beginners

Estimated reading time: 12 minutesThe short answer is yes, meditation can absolutely support people with Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome and Hypermobility Spectrum Disorder.

There is a growing body of evidence to support that it can genuinely help.

Living with EDS or HSD often means navigating a complex world involving pain, fatigue, anxiety, and a sensitized nervous system.

While meditation can’t change your connective tissue it can calm and overworked nervous system, reduce the brain’s amplification of pain signals and make movement feel safer.

I think meditation or mindfulness is often offered in the context of “just relax” in ways that feel dismissive of our lived reality. An eyeroll in response is understandable.

We can wonder how meditation could help with such complex issues. How could something as simple and accessible as meditation make a difference?

I experienced the impact when I trained in transcendental meditation back in 2017 after my mother died. I was struggling with my health and, in particular, a lengthy mast cell reaction to stress.

The MCAS response was showing how deeply stress and the nervous system are connected. This practice really helped me regulate and calm it down.

Since then, I have integrated meditation into my own daily routine and include it as a key part of the Integral Movement Method for hypermobility.

So for those of us that have been told to “just relax”, I want to offer something different in this blog: a practical, EDS-aware guide to finding a meditation practice that works for a hypermobile body, brain fog, and all.

What is meditation and why does it matter for hEDS and HSD?

Meditation is often misunderstood to mean you need to empty your mind. That is very difficult – the mind is always on the lookout for things to think about.

Meditation is the practice of paying attention on purpose; usually on something like the breath, the body’s sensations, or the present moment.

That’s why meditation can take many forms. It doesn’t mean we have to sit cross-legged on a yoga mat.

Types of Meditation That Work for hEDS and HSD

Breath awareness is particularly important for EDS and HSD due to our breathing pattern disorders and tension patterns.

Some of us have a hard time with breathing exercises, especially if we have POTS, breath-holding, or anxiety around breathing. Use grounded, or body scans first, and layer in breathwork later.

Body scans can help identify tension in the tissues. This can support interoception, pain processing, and relaxation. The key is gentle, non-judgmental noticing.

Try not to analyse how you feel. If focusing inward increases your pain, switch to an external focus like sound or visualization instead.

Guided relaxations can help if your mind feels busy. We have a whole collection of these The Zebra Club. I enjoy recording these meditations that can guide someone through a practice like releasing tension and bracing in a certain part of the body.

You can find a number of these in the Calm Your Mind section of the platform.

Mindfulness practices involve being present in what we are doing, in the moment.

One example of this is mindful eating, where you only focus on the act of eating or drinking. Like slowly tasting a piece of fruit, noticing texture, flavor, and aroma. Or, feeling the temperature, weight, and shape of a cup while drinking

Gentle visualization can include gently picturing a scene, a sensation, or an outcome. The brain loves visualization, and it can help deepen presence and relaxation.

These are helpful when pain makes body awareness uncomfortable. Visualization gives the mind something to focus on.

Movement-based meditative practices are at the heart of mindful movement and the Integral Movement Method, and are a core part of what we practice in The Zebra Club.

This is perfect if you struggle to sit still – try IMM micro movements – we have a foundations level 1 course on the platform just for this. Gentle rocking is soothing.

Somatic meditation involves bringing gentle, curious attention to physical sensations in the body as they arise — noticing without trying to change or fix.

It overlaps closely with body scans and the movement-based practices in the Integral Movement Method, and can be a helpful bridge between the two.

Meditation can be more than mental exercise. It can become a physiological tool that can shift our bodies and minds out of fight or flight and into a calmer, safe place where healing and nervous system regulation can begin.

What does the research say about meditation and pain in EDS and HSD?

Pain is complex, with different types and many factors that influence how it starts, how we feel it, how long it lasts, and how strong it is (1).

Part of the pain experience involves the interaction of the central nervous system with emotion and thought responses. These can interact with each other and even amplify pain (1).

Aspects of this can be seen in scans of brain activity showing that pain involves areas of sensory, cognitive, and psychological processing (1).

Meditation has been shown to help regulate the body and mind, and there are a large number of studies studying the impact of meditation on pain experiences (1).

Mindfulness Meditation reduces pain signaling

A new study found that both a placebo cream and a simple breathing exercise lowered pain from a safe heat stimulus. But real mindfulness meditation worked much better, reducing activity in the parts of the brain that create pain signals, which the other two did not (2).

Mindfulness meditation can improve pain symptoms in chronic pain conditions

Research spans its effectiveness in fibromyalgia, migraine, chronic pelvic pain, irritable bowel syndrome, and more (3).

Meditation may impact how we emotionally respond to pain (3)

Study participants reported meditation helps make pain feel shorter and softer, reduces dwelling on it, and lets people experience it without judgment.

Meditation may impact how the brain amplifies pain signals (3)

When it specifically comes to hypermobility, there is little research.

A pilot study by Lattimore and Harrison found that an online 2-week-long daily meditation program led to both improvements in pain experience and in quality of life scores in people with hEDS(4).

A 2025 retrospective study of people with hEDS and HSD at the Mayo Clinic found that 43% already use meditation as a self-management tool for pain, making it one of the most commonly reported approaches in this community (5).

Why does the hypermobile nervous system need calming before exercise?

When I created The Zebra Club and the IMM, I knew that movement and exercise were not enough. People were trying to exercise and add stability and strength work without addressing key factors first, leading to pain and flares.

The hypermobile body is deeply influenced by the autonomic nervous system. This is the system that governs stress responses, muscle tensions, heart rate, digestion, and pain sensitivity.

Because jumping straight into strength work didn’t seem to be effective for hypermobile people, I learned we needed to address the nervous system regulation first.

And that’s where the IMM is so successful for so many people around the world. It introduced a much-needed paradigm shift in how to approach movement and exercise in hypermobility.

My own recovery journey taught me this. It wasn’t about strengthening my muscles or fixing my alignment by stacking my bones.

It was learning how to calm my nervous system, reduce my reactivity and sensitivity, learn to breathe calmly and effectively, and reconnect with my body in a more compassionate way. Meditation, which I found during a time of extreme personal challenge, became very powerful.

I integrated meditation into my work because so many of the people with EDS and HSD I was seeing in the clinic were experiencing chronic sympathetic activation — a nervous system stuck in high alert, making pain louder and movement harder.

I had learned that pain becomes more persistent when the nervous system feels unsafe, which is why I developed the 3 S’s: Safety, Stability, and Strength, always in that order.

Mind-body approaches like meditation can reduce hypervigilance and help the body feel safe enough to move. They are also accessible to almost everyone, even if you need to start very small and find the approach that works for your body.

Perhaps most importantly for hypermobility, meditation helps prepare the nervous system for the slow, mindful movements that build genuine control and proprioception.”

The EDS-Nervous System Connection

People with EDS and HSD have higher rates of dysautonomia and difficulty regulating the autonomic nervous system. When this becomes dysregulated, the whole system can feel on edge.

Pain and instability create constant alerts. Joint instability and subluxations can keep the brain in monitoring mode. This can contribute to sympathetic dominance.

Many people live in a chronic fight or flight without realizing it. I certainly did for most of my life. The vagus nerve can struggle to downregulate. It decreases the body’s ability to rest, digest, heal, and process pain signals calmly.

Over time, central sensitization can occur, and the brain becomes more sensitive to pain, pressure, and movement. We call this nociplastic pain now.

Nociplastic pain is pain that arises from a sensitized nervous system rather than from ongoing tissue damage — the nervous system itself has become better at processing pain signals, making them feel louder and more persistent.

This is not psychological but physiological. A highly stressed and dysregulated nervous system makes pain louder and movement harder. This is how meditation can really help with nervous system regulation.

Meditation supports nervous system regulation in several ways that are particularly relevant for EDS and HSD.

It increases parasympathetic activity, promoting the relaxation response that so many of us struggle to access when our bodies feel constantly on high alert. Regular meditation also reduces central sensitization, gradually changing how the brain processes pain information (1), which over time can help turn down the volume on pain that feels louder than it should.

It quiets hypervigilance too, training us to notice symptoms and sensations without becoming alarmed by them. This is a skill that is genuinely difficult to build when you live in a body that has given you good reasons to be vigilant.

Breath control improves with practice, which is particularly valuable in hEDS/HSD, where breathing pattern disorders are common. And by fostering a gentle, safer awareness of the body, meditation can enhance proprioception and help us reconnect with how our body feels in space without fear.

A mindful walk can count as meditation.

Why does traditional meditation feel impossible with EDS, and what can you do instead?

Being unable to sit still is so common with hypermobility. Traditional meditation styles don’t consider the realities of living in a hypermobile or neurodivergent body.

If you have tried to meditate and found you cannot relax, if it made your pain worse, or if you simply cannot sit still long enough, you are not doing it wrong.

You are meditating in a body that needs a different approach. Here are the most common barriers and what to do instead.

Difficulty sitting in one position. Sitting can be uncomfortable and painful for some. The body may feel restless or unstable in one position. The good news is you can do meditation in any position. Try lying down, reclining, or even gently moving.

Muscle tension and inability to relax. If you find yourself wondering how to relax when your muscles won’t stop tensing, this is very common in EDS and HSD.

Constant tension is often a nervous system response rather than just a muscle problem. Try movement-based or guided approaches first rather than attempting stillness. This is why relaxation is a key pillar of my approach, and many Zebra Club members have found it can come with practice.

Brain fog and concentration difficulties. Trying to focus on nothing can feel frustrating or impossible. This doesn’t mean meditation isn’t right for you – we can adapt the style. This may involve following a guided hypermobility-specific meditation, like in The Zebra Club can help because you follow a voice rather than directing your own attention.

Neurodivergence. With neurodivergence, stillness can feel dysregulating, and traditional meditation can trigger discomfort.

Movement-based, guided, or sensory-friendly methods like holding a smooth stone or using a fidget can work far better.

You can also adapt body scans, like skipping certain areas where the sensations are too strong, or gently touching the area.

Restlessness from dysautonomia. With blood pooling, traditional upright methods just might not work. It’s perfectly ok to meditate lying down. You may also want to go gently with breathwork and try shorter sessions.

Fear that “doing it wrong” means it won’t work. There really isn’t a right or wrong way to meditate. It’s about being comfortable and being present, however that looks for you.

The Truth: Meditation Doesn’t Require Sitting Still

Alternative Meditation Positions for EDS and hypermobility

Dynamic meditation: can involve gentle, mindful movements, like in the many classes I have on YouTube or The Zebra Club. This Parasympathetic class is a good place to start.

Lying down is always a valid option. If you have neck pain or cervical instability, make sure your head is fully supported. A small pillow or rolled towel under the neck can jelp maintain a comfortable position. I love lying down with my legs over a bolster

Walking meditation can be as simple as forest bathing, which can involve noticing and paying attention to your environment around you.

Using props to get comfortable. Try blankets, pillows, bolsters, eye masks, and essential oil diffusers, which can all help create a sense of ease and safety before you begin.

Using guided meditations can be really helpful, especially when starting out. Following the voice of someone else removes the pressure of directing your own practice. I love the wide range of hypermobile meditations on The Zebra Club.

Is breathwork safe if you have POTS or dysautonomia?

Breathwork is a meditation technique that deliberately changes the breathing pattern to influence the nervous system, and for people with POTS or dysautonomia, this requires a more careful approach than for the general population.

Breathwork is one of the simplest and powerful tools for nervous system regulation. It can help reduce pain signals, anxiety, improve posture over time, and can even help improve POTS and fatigue.

Not everyone finds it calming at first. Some of us with anxiety, trauma history, neurodivergence, or POTS can find breath focus uncomfortable or triggering.

To work around this, don’t start with the breath – do some grounded work like gentle rocking, feeling your feet in the ground, or a guided visualization.

How do you start meditating with EDS or HSD as a complete beginner?

If you are not sure where to begin, or you have tried before and it did not work, start here. Meditation for EDS and HSD doesn’t need to look like traditional meditation, and for most of us, it probably shouldn’t.

The goal isn’t to force stillness or silence but rather to create a sense of safety and regulation in a body that often feels unpredictable.

Here are some key takeaways for beginners (But may also be helpful if you have been meditating for a while):

1. Take whatever position feels comfortable. As I said above, lie down, sit in chair, or a recliner. Just find a position you can relax in.If you have neck pain or cervical instability, make sure your head is fully supported before you begin. There is no correct posture.
2. Meditation can be movement. Try a gentle Zebra Club class, a walking meditation, or even gentle rocking or micro moves while listening to a meditation
3. Comfort is essential. We need to feel at ease. Often your temperature may lower if you are still for a while, grab your favorite blanket.
4. It’s OK if you fall asleep. Remember, no right or wrong here, enjoy the rest! (You might want to set an alarm if you have somewhere to be!)
5. Start small. It can be as short as a few minutes and work up slowly from there, and only when it feels comfortable to.
6. You don’t need a quiet mind to meditate. The only task is to notice the thoughts without following them. For brain fog, short micro meditations of 2-3 minutes often work better than longer sessions.
7. If focusing on your body makes your pain worse, try meditations that do not focus on the body but use an external focus instead, like a guided walking meditation or external focus like guided visualization. This is very common in EDS and HSD and is not a sign that meditation is wrong for you.
8. If you struggle to be consistent, set an alarm for the same time every day, or make a calendar where you can check off days.  Consistency matters more than length. A daily two-minute practice builds more nervous system regulation over time than an occasional longer session.

Not sure where to start? Try this: lie down comfortably, close your eyes or soften your gaze, and notice five things you can feel in your body right now — without judging or trying to change any of them. That is your first practice.

Try a Guided Self-Compassion Meditation

In this guided meditation, Jeannie leads you through a short self-compassion practice designed to be accessible for people with EDS, HSD, pain, or fatigue. You can follow along lying down, seated, or in any position that feels comfortable. No experience needed — this practice works even if your mind is busy or you are in pain.

FAQ

What’s the best meditation position for hypermobility?

The best meditation position for hypermobility is whatever feels most comfortable—lying down with legs elevated, sitting in a supportive chair, or even gentle movement. There’s no requirement to sit cross-legged. People with EDS and HSD should prioritize comfort and joint support over traditional positions.

What type of meditation is best for EDS?

Guided meditation and movement-based practices work best for EDS because they accommodate pain, dysautonomia, and difficulty sitting still. Body scans, gentle visualization, breath awareness, and mindful movement address the nervous system dysregulation common in hypermobility while being accessible for people with brain fog or joint instability.

Can meditation actually help with chronic pain from EDS?

Jeannie Di Bon

Jeannie Di Bon is a movement therapist, educator and author specializing in hypermobility, Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome and chronic pain. She is the founder of The Zebra Club app and the creator of the Integral Movement Method.