Dear Girija

Is there anything in your life that brings you even a moment of peace or joy or inspiration?

Do you have access to  any nature including animals?

These may seem odd questions, but you have to start where you are – one can not be immediately whisked off with a click of fingers to some wonderful retreat to start building that inner strength nor am I advocating anyone staying in an abusive situation. ie sometimes the bathroom may be the only place in the home that feels a modicome of peace, if you can place a candle , plant or flower there it will help to remind your mind that this is your peace time even if it is for just a few minutes.

There are thousands of different meditations, but the most basic one is counting the breath and there are various versions also body scan meditation(yoga Nidra) there are loads on youtube. If you can treat yourself to even 5-10 minutes a day that is a start, do not expect miracles I think it takes as long to undo the damage as the damage and the sub-sequences of that damage. This is not to dishearten you but to give a more realistic outlook. I always celebrate when a young person meets the dharma as they have accumulated less  in general. I have worked with people who are in their 70’s 80’s & 90’s who are only just starting to unravel a lifetime of hurt and have seen that it is possible to make considerable progress even at that later stage of life.

It is not just one area of our lives that needs to be nurtured but the whole of our life. What we eat, read, do physically. meditation/mindfullness etc is not a stand alone fix.

Best wishes

Roberta