Meditation should be approached as training for stress tolerance: rather than seeking absolute calm, the goal is to actively observe one's tensions during practice in order to develop, through adaptation (as with lactic acid during physical exertion), greater daily resilience.

noli's read

The idea that meditation trains our minds to recover better from tension is scientifically very sound. Randomized controlled trials (RCTs) conducted by Dr. Richard Davidson's laboratory show that regular practitioners benefit from faster emotional recovery, characterized by an accelerated return to equilibrium in the brain's emotional center following a disturbance. Furthermore, meta-analyses confirm that mindfulness meditation improves tolerance to discomfort and decreases levels of cortisol, the stress hormone. On the other hand, the 'lactic acid for the mind' analogy and the idea that one must feel stress during a session to progress are stimulating athletic metaphors but lack direct scientific evidence. Research instead shows that the benefits of stress regulation stem from training attention and cultivating a compassionate perspective, without the need to experience the practice as a mentally painful struggle.

the sources

1. 1Goyal M, Singh S, Sibinga EMS, et al. 2014