Getting Back - nearly a year later!

wow - I can't believe nearly a year has passed since my last post. Well I'd written in my last post how I felt I needed to devote more time to my meds(itation). Unfortunately it didn't work out quite like that. We ended up moving house and although I kept up my meds I didn't continue my walking meditation and listening meditation as I was, which seems to have been a mistake.

Anyway, I've been wondering recently how best to tackle situations where little things have been niggling me. I've come to the conclusion that it's best not to specifically devote time and mental energy targeting the issue head on. Instead, build up the core, underlying senses to make you mentally stronger in those situations...

that sounds a bit complicated...so let's have an example;

the dog licking his feet and other bits! - now this is a silly one, but it's just that the noise it makes had become such an issue to me. Every time I heard the lick it would make me snap at the dog, telling him off! not completely sane.

I'd tried just listening to the sound and trying to get used to it, but this seemed to make me worse. I couldn't control my thoughts.

So instead I spent time building up my listening mediation, listening to nature or whatever was going on around me while in a relaxing place. Similar to breathing meds you just need to keep coming back to focusing on the sounds and realise when your attention wonders.

How about an analogy to make it all make sense.

Let's say you wanted to make your legs stronger at the gym but you pulled a muscle in your thigh, if you kept doing legs curls regardless you'll compound the issue. If you isolate the issue, rest that muscle and work on other muscles, overall you will come out stronger.

maybe i'm babbling.