Hi I stopped meditating about 6 months ago - im not sure why that happens but i feel like i need to get back to it. im not happy at work, and feel pretty stressed out there - and i find myself reacting too quickly in situations, where as before i could almost take a step back and not get too involved in all the bullshit that goes on in the workplace] I hope meditation can calm my mind again - just feel like im always moaning lately ... do others fall off the meditation wagon from time to time ?? many thanks Andy
I totally stop sometimes and I think it's okay. If you are getting stressed out it would be good to start up again. Create sacred space and try to relax. There is some kind of Bob Marley relaxation drink out, I can't think of the name right now but it calms me down alot. In fact I don't recommend driving on it.
Hey, Don't try to stop but you can reduce daily time session if you have not enough time or just for the sake of getting out of it little bit. Short time session for yoga daily will be fine for keeping you in good mental and physical health.
There's a wagon ? Meditate, not meditate mmmmmm ....... Bob Marley relaxation drink ? wha ? Ganja tea ?
Yes. It's natural to act and rest, and in meditation, to rest, and to act. I meditated for ten years everyday. Then I stopped for five years and my life went to shit. Basically, drugs. Then I learned to do any amount of mind refreshing meditation as consistently as possible instead of the whole lifestyle and two hours a day. I learned that any amount of something beneficial is better than none. So I lowered the bar for myself and made it acceptable again as a lifestyle. So that is my advice - any amount of something good is better than any amount of something bad. Also, it's best not to force meditation. Meditation is a haven from other things. So it must remain a haven. Keep it a place where you want to go. So don't make it a mere exercise or force it. If you need a break then take it, before you have overwrought the thing and rebel against it.
There are things that seem to be conducive and non-conducive for mediation; mind alerting chemicals seem to stimulate the mind which may impede meditation including nicotine, alcohol and caffeine. A starting point for trial and error would be to eliminate all mind altering chemicals for a substantial time and see what happens.
I fall off the wagon constantly. I agree that it should not be a chore; on the other hand, I believe a meditation is something with long-term benefits that, if cultivated and followed, has deeper benefits than mere stress-reduction. As a result, I do tend to view meditation as something I ought to be doing, even when sometimes I don't want to. I have been keeping a better meditation practice recently, and the benefits have been visible, not just in the calm of my outside life, but also in the actual productivity of the meditatins sessions. I have had my deepest experiences of absorption and present-moment awareness in recent meditations sessions. This is also an encouragement to continue practicing. As for the mind-altering substances (though I don't know why they were brought up, since the OP didn't mention them): depends on the substance, depends on the person. I find, for example, that a small amount of cannabis aids my meditation greatly.
