Probably most people begin meditating because they want to feel relief from suffering. And sometimes the relief does come quickly. But not always.
People often invest in the stock market because they want to gain money, and sometimes they do the next day. But other times, their stock falls for a while right after purchasing it. With bad luck, the market could crash 20% or 30% the very next day after investing. But over time, generally the funds recover their losses and continue upwards, and a jagged line of growth more up than down over time leads to accumulation of financial progress.
Both of these investments have in common that they are unpredictable in the short term. Meditation doesn’t always lead to relief right away. In fact, it often leads to closer contact with difficult emotions that were being kept at bay with business, before taking the time to sit still. This makes sticking with meditation difficult.
But over time, the tendency is for meditation to pay off while it’s done, and also between sessions. Like the stock market price trend line, the trend line for well-being goes up as we invest in meditation, although there are going to be unpredictable short term “dips” in well-being while meditating.
If you are trying to keep up a meditation practice, perhaps think of each session as a small deposit in your spiritual investment account. It may be uncomfortable to ride the volatility, but over time, with patience and consistency, the rewards will eventually come.