12. I didn't want to bring up emotions.
From childhood, I learned to repress (rather than express) feelings such as fear, anger, and disappointment. Over many years, we develop maladaptive coping strategies to keep these emotions buried, such as workaholism, consumerism, or drugs and alcohol. The difficulty I found in meditation is that when I stopped to focus inward, the repressed emotions would surface, and I'd feel anxious and unable to focus or sit still—what psychologists refer to as "neurotic anxiety".
What worked for me: No one wants to feel those emotions they've been running from since childhood. It's an ongoing process, one I've been working on for more than 20 years of daily practice. What's key for me: a supportive community of friends and working one-on-one with great meditation teachers over the years. I highly recommend both. — Josh Korda, teacher at Dharmapunx NYC