What to do if Meditation is Making you Feel Bad 🧘‍♀️

BryWisteria · February 4, 2021, 8:32am

Merry meet to all!

While reading the news this morning, I chanced across a very interesting article in the BBC

The article- How too much mindfulness can spark anxiety- discusses that while meditation is a popular way to reduce negative feelings- it can in some cases actually increase the negative emotions we are trying to free ourselves from.

A quick summary of the article:

The article discusses how some people experience negative effects after meditating, various forms of meditation, potential ways that meditation can backfire (such as focusing too hard or overly blunting emotions), and suggests ways to make your meditative routine work for you and your mental health.

TLDR: The overarching message of the article is that if your meditative practice is bringing you more stress than it alleviates- it’s time to try something new.

“We should really honour the diversity of contemplative practices that are available, because they all do different things, and people would have a much better chance of matching what they need, if they had a bigger buffet of choices.”

Each person should choose the best technique – and the correct “dose” – for their particular situation, rather than doggedly pursuing a plan that is not working."

[From BBC: How Too Much Mindfulness Can Blunt Your feelings and Spike Anxiety]

The Many Forms of Meditation

Meditation is as diverse as the people who practice is- so if you find that the type of meditation you have tried isn’t working for you, consider trying a new form!

Here are just a few types of meditation (loosely sorted into categories) that you might experiment with:

Internal Meditation
Focusing on your own thoughts, emotions, and feelings

External Meditation
Focusing on an external entity- such as an object, person, or situation

Zen Meditation
Clearing your mind of all thoughts- both positive and negative

Zazen Meditation

Meditation in Movement
Focusing on the movement of your body

Learning to Meditate

Different meditation practices will be easier or harder depending on the individual. If you find yourself struggling to focus and getting lost in negative thoughts of anxiety- take back control of your meditative experience!

Meditation takes time to become a helpful habit. Here are a few resources that may prove helpful for those learning:

For current meditation practitioners and beginners alike, there is a weekly group meditation ritual every Thursday held in the forum. Check the Activities Category to find details about this week’s gathering!

Do you meditate? What types of meditation have you tried- and would you recommend them?

Feel free to share your personal meditative journey and past experiences with your coven!

Blessed be and Happy Meditating!

christina4 · February 4, 2021, 2:35pm

The article is interesting. I personally enjoy meditation very much! I’ve listened to, livestream Ed, heard many typed of meditations. I say that everyone could benefit from it but yeah, not too much

Kasandra · February 4, 2021, 4:27pm

Makes sense. Too much of anything isn’t good for you and one size doesn’t always fit all.

Candle and tea meditations have helped me relaxed at the end of the day. The only time I can ever remember feeling anxious is when I didn’t reach “a deep state of inner knowing” during a purple candle meditation. But I understand that it was my first time doing so. And I usually reach that state when I’m not expecting it.

BryWisteria · February 5, 2021, 9:20am

I agree with you @Christina4 and @Kasandra- meditation has been a wonderful practice for me too! Although I agree it can be stressful when a session doesn’t go as you hoped it would.

So you can imagine my surprise when I saw the article on the front page of the BBC News I felt like I just had to share with other meditation-enthusiasts!

Most people in my circles are very positive about meditation and it’s numerous benefits- so I was very intrigued to see the opinions from those who have experiences otherwise. All in all, I agree with the main point- it’s good to switch it up and experiment with different types of meditation (and not too much of it at once!)

It made me realize I haven’t done a walking meditation in years We used to do them often at the temple where I first learned to meditate

[Pic of my old DBZ Temple from the temple website]

Seems like a good chance to delve back into good old meditation habits

Kasandra · February 5, 2021, 4:18pm

I enjoy going for a walk whenever the weather is nice around my neighborhood or in the woods in my area as an alternative form of meditation. Sometimes all you need to do is turn off your phone and enjoy the birds singing and/or the gurgling of a creek to put your mind at ease.

Magdelina · February 6, 2021, 2:04am

I use all sorts of meditation. I recently watched the show Rewired on Gaia that explains how meditation works on the mind and body in a straight forward and sometimes complex scientific way. It helped me to understand the basic concepts and to see the how it works. So I started out with HeartMath’s Heart Congruence free classes and meditations and ended up buying the heart monitor and getting the app. It helped me so much that I use that to keep my fight or flight response from getting out of control while I drive in the snow (I get PTSD from that really bad from a bad accident in 1987 that almost killed me). This winter as been a dream driving in the snow without any anxiety whatsoever. Then I moved on to the healing frequency meditations and found a few that I really like. Mind you this is now almost a year of learning which forms I like and which ones work for me. I cannot listen to anything while sleeping but I found a Youtube insomnia buster meditation music that really spoke to me and helps me sleep better. My husband can just sit down and meditate, drives me nuts since I cannot do that. I have to either have guided or music. I have been so deep in that the one time my cat pulled me out I felt disoriented for several minutes. It can happen. I am still finding new ways for meditation that I like.

Jeannie1 · February 6, 2021, 4:32am

Stephanie,
I love ur pics and your tip on meditation! I try every once in great while to go to our “happy place” and find some peace!
image|375x500

Jeannie

NickWick · February 6, 2021, 11:10pm

Love these pics @Jeannie1 they look so relaxing, I am really enjoying the pic.

BryWisteria · February 8, 2021, 7:22am

So true, @Kasandra! Thank you for sharing a slice of your paradise- you’ve found a lovely spot for meditations

It sounds like you have found a lovely meditation practice that not only works for you, but helps you to heal, @Magdelina Wishing you the best of luck as you continue to explore new ways to meditate!

That is such a gorgeous spot, @Jeannie1! It makes me want to jump through the computer screen and be there in person- thanks for sharing!