
Bullying My Way into Peace
More than once the narrative in my mind while I try to find peace in my sitting meditation is a critique of my failure to find peace.
That’s not the best path to satisfaction.
Most of the advice I’ve ever seen says maybe the most important thing you can do while watching your thoughts is to suspend the judgement of them. How often do you really have the chance to practice tenderness toward yourself – what is called metta, or loving-kindness? When I have had conversations with people who say they have tried meditation, but it just doesn’t work for them, usually there is some kind of self-criticism attached. It’s not something you would do to other people you cared about, so it’s probably not a good idea to do it to yourself.