Wanting social support to get started. - Discussion
Father of two here and there are many more on this path who are parents 
Yes, good thing is to take a sane approach when caring for kids as they are in need of balanced parents , rather than having dark night parents.
However, Dukka Nanas can show up even if doing only concentration based practices. If the investigation/vipassana factor is strong during concentration then there is a chance to go through the insight stages.
I know too well the story of having great easy long meditations that felt wonderful and then at one stage all disappeared and turned to agony.
This journey is not either or. And it's not one size fits all.
It, however, seems to be about Right This Moment. Always just This. Whatever seems to have a sense of past or future needs to be seen for what it is Right Here while it's arising and passing.
I would suggest to have one sit a day, 45 minutes if you can but 30 as minimum. I find continuous daily sits to be of great benefit. If you miss a day or two it's fine but if at all possible structure the day so you have this one daily sit.
You choose your practice. If it's samadhi based try and find the one which is most engaging, one that is really interesting so your mind really buys into it.
Fire Kasina, Breathing in and out, whole body breathing, Nada sound, mantra, ... read about all the different approaches and choose the one that resonates well with you. Give it at least 6 month of daily practice before judging it and moving into another practice.
Just Calm-abiding is a good practice. Calming the body with each in and out breathing. Thoughts and other experiences come and go but you keep returning to calming the body gently with each in and out breathing. Whole body breathing in , whole body breathing out.
I find this one to have a very nice soft balance between concentration and vipassana.
Enough of me gibberish too much
Goid luck and best wishes!
I agree it's good to start a journal here. And just so you know, Daniel Ingram gladly talks to practitioners via video calls. In case you want one on one chat about what next could br the best. His email is on his webpage.
Yes, good thing is to take a sane approach when caring for kids as they are in need of balanced parents , rather than having dark night parents.
However, Dukka Nanas can show up even if doing only concentration based practices. If the investigation/vipassana factor is strong during concentration then there is a chance to go through the insight stages.
I know too well the story of having great easy long meditations that felt wonderful and then at one stage all disappeared and turned to agony.
This journey is not either or. And it's not one size fits all.
It, however, seems to be about Right This Moment. Always just This. Whatever seems to have a sense of past or future needs to be seen for what it is Right Here while it's arising and passing.
I would suggest to have one sit a day, 45 minutes if you can but 30 as minimum. I find continuous daily sits to be of great benefit. If you miss a day or two it's fine but if at all possible structure the day so you have this one daily sit.
You choose your practice. If it's samadhi based try and find the one which is most engaging, one that is really interesting so your mind really buys into it.
Fire Kasina, Breathing in and out, whole body breathing, Nada sound, mantra, ... read about all the different approaches and choose the one that resonates well with you. Give it at least 6 month of daily practice before judging it and moving into another practice.
Just Calm-abiding is a good practice. Calming the body with each in and out breathing. Thoughts and other experiences come and go but you keep returning to calming the body gently with each in and out breathing. Whole body breathing in , whole body breathing out.
I find this one to have a very nice soft balance between concentration and vipassana.
Enough of me gibberish too much
Goid luck and best wishes!
I agree it's good to start a journal here. And just so you know, Daniel Ingram gladly talks to practitioners via video calls. In case you want one on one chat about what next could br the best. His email is on his webpage.
Hi Isabel, great to hear from you and thanks for sharing your story here!
I am a father of two as well (6 and 2), albeit not a single parent like you (that must be even more difficult). I also started out with Osho ca. 15 years ago and still think Osho is a badass (and funny) teacher, even if his esthetics, morals and teaching style might not be everyone's cup of tea. So we have some things in common.
Just to confirm what others above me have already said - the path often does not give you a choice, as was the case with me when I landed in some pretty tough spiritual territory (A&P into dark night) with kids. I personally found Dipa Ma (one of the famous buddhist meditation teachers in the 70s, 80s and 90s) as a great inspiration for this "householder with kids on the path" archetype. She was a single parrent as well, went through quite a lot of difficulties, including raising 7 children together with her sister in a small appartment without running water. She manged to help hundreds of people on the path in her later years once she started teaching as well (this biography is a good read https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/193041.Dipa_Ma).
On finding a community - where do you live? I can direct you to a couple of good online sangha's that are mostly Europe-based and can provide the type of spiritual / medtiation support you are looking for. They don't restrict to Europe only, but might be easier for you due to time difference. If you are looking more for sharing/ therapy support groups I can ask about these as well. If you are in the States, I am sure there are similar sanghas or groups but cannot refer you to any.
Likewise, community support can also come from 1:1 interaction. I like doing 1:1 video calls with people here on the DhO and elsewhere - let me know if that is of interest for you and we can arrange something. Others here do that as well.
And as someone suggested above - talking to Daniel might be an idea as well.
I am a father of two as well (6 and 2), albeit not a single parent like you (that must be even more difficult). I also started out with Osho ca. 15 years ago and still think Osho is a badass (and funny) teacher, even if his esthetics, morals and teaching style might not be everyone's cup of tea. So we have some things in common.
Just to confirm what others above me have already said - the path often does not give you a choice, as was the case with me when I landed in some pretty tough spiritual territory (A&P into dark night) with kids. I personally found Dipa Ma (one of the famous buddhist meditation teachers in the 70s, 80s and 90s) as a great inspiration for this "householder with kids on the path" archetype. She was a single parrent as well, went through quite a lot of difficulties, including raising 7 children together with her sister in a small appartment without running water. She manged to help hundreds of people on the path in her later years once she started teaching as well (this biography is a good read https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/193041.Dipa_Ma).
On finding a community - where do you live? I can direct you to a couple of good online sangha's that are mostly Europe-based and can provide the type of spiritual / medtiation support you are looking for. They don't restrict to Europe only, but might be easier for you due to time difference. If you are looking more for sharing/ therapy support groups I can ask about these as well. If you are in the States, I am sure there are similar sanghas or groups but cannot refer you to any.
Likewise, community support can also come from 1:1 interaction. I like doing 1:1 video calls with people here on the DhO and elsewhere - let me know if that is of interest for you and we can arrange something. Others here do that as well.
And as someone suggested above - talking to Daniel might be an idea as well.