Why do I feel worse after I meditate sometimes?

Feeling worse after meditation, although less common, can happen for several reasons:

1. Unresolved Emotions:

Meditation can bring buried emotions to the surface. If you’ve been avoiding or suppressing certain feelings, they may surface during meditation, leading to temporary discomfort or sadness.

2. Increased Awareness:

Meditation heightens awareness, which means you might become more attuned to physical discomfort, mental chatter, or unpleasant emotions that you weren’t fully aware of before.

3. Overexertion:

Just as physical exercise can leave you feeling fatigued if you overdo it, meditation can also drain your mental energy if you push yourself too hard, especially if you’re new to the practice or attempting longer sessions than usual.

4. Expectations and Frustration:

If you approach meditation with specific expectations or goals, such as achieving a deep sense of peace or transcendent experience, and those expectations aren’t met, it can lead to frustration or disappointment.

5. Resisting Thoughts and Emotions:

Trying to force your mind to be quiet or suppress thoughts and emotions during meditation can create inner tension and resistance, leading to increased distress rather than relaxation.

6. Unsettling Insights:

Meditation can sometimes lead to insights or realizations about yourself or your life that are uncomfortable or challenging to confront, causing temporary distress before leading to personal growth.

Tips for Addressing Discomfort:

1. Acceptance and Compassion: Approach your experience with kindness and self-compassion, acknowledging that it’s natural to encounter difficulties during meditation.
2. Gentle Exploration: Instead of pushing away uncomfortable thoughts or emotions, gently explore them with curiosity and openness, allowing them to arise and pass without judgment.
3. Adjust Your Practice: If you consistently feel worse after meditation, consider adjusting your approach. Experiment with shorter sessions, different techniques, or guided meditations to find what works best for you.
4. Seek Guidance: If you’re struggling with persistent discomfort or emotional challenges during meditation, consider seeking guidance from a meditation teacher, therapist, or mental health professional who can offer support and guidance tailored to your needs.
5. Balance with Other Activities: Remember that meditation is just one tool in your toolkit for well-being. Balancing it with other activities that bring you joy, relaxation, and fulfilment can help maintain overall mental and emotional balance.

Feeling worse after meditation doesn’t necessarily mean that meditation is harmful or ineffective. It’s often a natural part of the process as you navigate the depths of your inner experience and cultivate greater awareness and insight. With patience, self-compassion, and experimentation, you can learn to navigate these challenges and derive greater benefits from your meditation practice over time.