Hi spaceginger, I appreciate your sharing. Thanks for that. It's indeed nice to exchange. Sometimes I feel even lonely on steemit when no one commenst on my posts. I get the lonely feeling it is something many of us struggle with. It is good that you can acknowledge it. Part of your meditation could be just to surround that feeling with warm love/attention. This is a good practice to 'hold space' for your emotions. When you do you become much more comfortable within yourself as if you're making friends with yourself again. and you'll find that the loneliness is either gone or much easier to bear and for people around you to connect to you with more ease. I hope this helps. As for the physical pain, I understand you practice Vipasana? This is a meditation based on the masculine principle of discipline. While we do need some discipline in our meditation we need to balance it with feminine principles such as practicality and compassion. If you're not comfortable in the half-lotus position, take a higher pillow or even sit on the couch. Make yourself comfortable, when you are, you will have more joy from your meditation and will want to do it more often. It shouldn't be a punishment but a gift to yourself.