[4existence]

Thank you Gem and Unseeking Seeker.

Gem, you mentioned:

I think that's going a bit beyond the scope of this thread, and it's probably best to have the one thing - just feel your breathing. People will start to be like 'oh I have to watch my mind, I have to do emotional work, I have to aware awareness, which are all relevant things, but since this is just about having trouble meditating, a lot of stuff isn't going to make things any easier. Feeling breathing is simple, and no matter what mind and emotion does, just feel breathing.

This is something I nearly left out of my post for the reason of scope, but I included it because I think there is relevance toward "sorting out life", which as you described, is a big part of why meditation can be difficult.

Related to some of what Unseeking Seeker described, I think a lot of people eventually get caught up in meditation (especially in the early stages) as a rigid practice, which can stunt personal growth toward self-realization.

People are initially drawn to meditation for a wide range of reasons, but as we continue with it, awareness naturally begins to move to the forefront of experience, opening the lid on the jar of emotions and thoughts that we weren't otherwise aware of. This can be very challenging to handle whether or not you know what's happening with the process. However, if you have some understanding of what's going on, you may be able to more skillfully navigate it. This is why a practice of becoming aware of awareness itself can be a meditative tool. You can see that these thoughts and emotions do not have to define you or drive you, and this can be very valuable toward letting them go so they no longer overwhelm or control you.

I agree, breath as a focus of meditation is not just for beginners. I mentioned it is a great starting point, but it certainly can also be of value at any stage. However, if used rigidly, there could be suppressive effects. While it is part of the one "perfectly clear" task, the act of returning to the breath after mind distraction could be misunderstood for ignoring and pushing away thoughts and emotions that need to be expressed. Additionally, it may also be possible to become so attached to the breath and practices around it, that we may not realize that it is something that also will inevitably need to be let go.

You also mentioned that emotional exploration through journaling can become obsessive. I agree, but what I was trying to communicate is that spiritual journaling should be used not to ruminate, but to assist with finding truth. Asking yourself what is the truth behind this emotion, what is its root, what is the truth in that root - this can do wonders for letting it go. However, like a rigid practice of focus on the breath, it could also backfire if there is not a fuller understanding of how to integrate it with your journey, and that it must also be let go.

The reason I included the breath, emotional exploration, and awareness of awareness in my post was to communicate that these all come into play and can be valuable tools. If nothing else, the mention of each may plant a seed, consciously or subconsciously, as something that can be kept in mind as one starts their journey with meditation and inner exploration.

It seems the purpose of your thread was to give those interested a simple way to start and help them understand what to expect in relation to their own life conditioning. My post was simply to add a couple other tools that may come in handy along the way as the life conditioning part becomes more apparent. Different things work for different people, so perhaps it will be of value to some depending on where it meets them. There may be value for people to know a bigger picture of what they are starting so simply.