(((((Sundog))))), (((((Sanityseeker))))), and welcome LovingKindness,

It IS challenging sometimes to suspend the voice of judgment when we don't meet our expectations. Sometimes, when I'm really struggling, I have to pare down my plans for the day, make it really basic and simple. I can really heap it on, and then feeling stressed by the "to do" list, I avoid it. And it's hard to sit and be still, especially with the crud that passes through my mind. Sometimes, Stephen Levine's words come to me, "Have mercy" (toward ourselves).

I've been doing the briefest of meditation the past 2 days, under 10 minutes. This morning, I was able to sit for 15, although it was interrupted by sips of coffee, and once fetching dog toys from under the sofa I sat on (Sherman has me well trained), but I sipped and fetched mindfully . I felt pretty concentrated during the time, what my judging mind labels "good" meditation. Though brief, it did help to start my day with a clearer mind than usual. I was able to use dish washing as a meditation, feeling the dishes, the water, my movements, hearing the sounds. Some of the Vepassana teachers teach using noticing sounds in the environment as the anchor for meditation. I like that, plus using tasks as the point of awareness.

When my mind is too jumpy to just focus on breathing as the anchor, I've used "metta" or lovingkindness meditation. It's a series of wishes for oneself and then others, said in a specific order. I could go into more detail if anyone's interested. Or I'm sure that googling metta or lovingkindness meditation instructions would give a lot of hits. It's great for opening the heart.