Days of Dryness

Days of Dryness in Your Practice

There are days of dryness in the Buddhist tradition. These are the days where no matter what you do, mindfulness will not manifest, your mind worries about things that really do not matter, and you seem to dry up as far as progress goes. In the worst situations this dryness can last for weeks on end. Thankfully, for me, that rarely happens.

Illness, Medication & Meditation

I come from a place of dealing with severe depression and stress anxiety, so maybe I suffer ‘days of dryness’ more than others, but I believe that we all experience this condition on occasion. It can be incredibly frustrating, but that frustration is yet another opportunity for practice. Dryness is not a sign of failure, it is just a sign of Samsara getting the better of you for a while. Samsara has a habit of doing that when you are not alert or ‘on top form’. It will creep up on you when you are distracted and not paying attention. Samsara is waiting there, just behind you, waiting for that moment of distraction, ready to leap forth and drag you down and make you feel despondent. It’s a bit like Darth Vader waiting in the background to make Luke Skywalker’s life a misery just when he doesn’t need it, or Voldemort spoiling a party for Harry Potter! Continue reading →