Getting back into meditation and mindfulness
Hi everyone,
I was meditating and practicing mindfulness regularly for about 2 years (and before that on and off). Alongside that, I was participating in plum village meeting and overall very into buddhism.
Unfortunately, I got a bit lost because I started getting really intense about it.
- I tried at home retreats, but felt lost and depressed and anxious after just a couple hours
- I tried reading more deeply about buddhism and just felt icky about it because some of the texts I really don't agree with
- I tried meditating for longer but felt that same void and whatnot
The thing is, I still recognize that meditation, of all kinds, has helped me quite a lot, and I recognize that maybe I went too deep too quickly.
So, I wanna get back into meditation and even plum village meetings, but I'd like to know if any of you have any advice. I'm thinking about starting really small, like 5-15 minutes a day, maybe even just 5. And maybe focusing on metta instead of open awareness.
I'd also like to know how you integrate meditation in your overall spiritual practices. Are you mostly buddhist? pagan? christian? something else? Have you switched from buddhism to something that is a better fit? Do you find it more helpful to stay away from any sort of organized religion?
The break I took from meditation was months-long so I wanna approach it with respect and care. Any help is appreciated!
Much love!
💜