Mindfulness - help?

[Mystical]

A lot of what is described as meditation or mindfulness appears to be more about avoidance rather than awareness. 

Growing up, if I told my dad I hurt myself or something, he'd ask if I wanted him to bite off my finger and he'd play put my hand up to his mouth.

My dad's..weird. But, that said it kind of makes sense here. I'd think of how much it would hurt to have my finger bit off, and the pain I was feeling would subside, if only for those moments of shock that I endured at the thought!

Its not so much avoidance but rather focusing your attention. Don't take what I say as gospel-- I'm mostly a self learner. For me, physical pain is unavoidable, and so too have come coping methods. Is it incidental that the behaviors I've come to implement are actually written down elsewhere by other people with whom I've never met yet they themselves have had the same issyes as I have (like pain)? 

No. The human body reacts the same ways to certain things. This homogeneous effect is what we humans can count upon, for the most part, in our ability to relate with one another and to the world around us. Without pain we would not be able to know if we broke our toe which can be life threatening if infected, or we wouldn't be able to empathize with those in our Co optive society. 
But, if you're in enough pain.. distraction ceases to work.

As it pertains to meditation. 

For me, pain is just life when my autoimmune diseases are flaring and I need to be put on numerous chemo meds to treat them. Right now I go maybe 36hrs total in a weeks time, sporadically not in pain. There are different levels of pain. After a certain point, there are no distractions from that pain. You are blinded by it. It over takes your thoughts, and movements. Writhing in pain, for instance. It's a coined phrase for a reaction biological entities endure when in massive amounts of pain that their consciousness cannot escape! But up to that point, there are numerous ways one can cope with pain and uncomfortability with mindfulness. It just depends on the situation, and you really do have to find the most effective technique from many, for you. There are basic ones that always work though. Distraction is one. Pinch your earlobe with your nail and you won't feel the needle while getting blood drawn, for instance. 

Ok my hands hurt I gotta stop. Sorry I didn't finish my point but there's the gist of it. :

Thanks for te resources miss Aurora, I plan on che king them out for sure!