Being with Ourselves
When you practice meditation, you are strengthening your ability to be steadfast with yourself. No matter what comes up: boredom, sleepiness, wild fantasy, you will develop a loyalty to your experience. It's not about getting it right or wrong. It's just about staying present with yourself.
When you sit down, get in touch with your body and see what is going on. Literally come to your senses. Return to your body.
The key instruction is stay put, just stay put. Be gentle to yourself, be kind to yourself, and just stay put.
Many people, including long-time practitioners, use meditation to avoid negative emotions. Stay open to whatever arises. Trying to fix yourself is not helpful. It implies struggle and self-denigration. If you relax with yourself, you will transform, and you will let go of what harms and hurts you.
Transformation occurs only when we remember, breath after breath, year after year, to move towards our emotional distress without condemning or justifying the experiences. Just welcome the emotions.
Pay attention to this very moment, to your mind and to your body. Be tender towards yourself, others and the world.
Coming back to the present moment takes some effort, but the effort needs to be very gentle. Touch and then let go. Relax your struggle. Soften. Life will become basic, tender, wholesome and fresh.