Thread: "How do we practice presence around difficult parents?"

Difficulties can actually be a good tool for bringing you into the moment. I realized this after meditating for about 10 hours a day for a week. The pain in my knees was really bad, but if I didn't resist it and tell myself a story about it the actual sensation of it brought me deeper into the moment. Look at everything with curiosity and wonder. See it for what it is and stop getting absorbed in the story of what should be.

Stay optimistic, and don't be attached to results. I'd guess you feel like shit because you want something other than what is. Look at it with curiosity rather than with a desire for it to be a certain way. Try to help, ease their suffering in any way you can, and if you can't do anything, accept that. Notice any suffering, any shitty feeling that you feel in yourself and feel it deeply. Go into it, be it, see why it is there. If you need to take action, take action, but usually in these sorts of situations it's just a mental resistance. When you see the story for what it is and see the feeling for what it is it will usually dissipate.

Originally Posted by StonedApe

Difficulties can actually be a good tool for bringing you into the moment. I realized this after meditating for about 10 hours a day for a week. The pain in my knees was really bad, but if I didn't resist it and tell myself a story about it the actual sensation of it brought me deeper into the moment. Look at everything with curiosity and wonder. See it for what it is and stop getting absorbed in the story of what should be.

Stay optimistic, and don't be attached to results. I'd guess you feel like shit because you want something other than what is. Look at it with curiosity rather than with a desire for it to be a certain way. Try to help, ease their suffering in any way you can, and if you can't do anything, accept that. Notice any suffering, any shitty feeling that you feel in yourself and feel it deeply. Go into it, be it, see why it is there. If you need to take action, take action, but usually in these sorts of situations it's just a mental resistance. When you see the story for what it is and see the feeling for what it is it will usually dissipate.

Meditating for 10 hours a day for a week?! Are you a monk? What possible good did that bring you?