twas wise to back off.
I look at at this way, the mind almost works like a pendulum. If you hit one extreme, undoubtedly you'll become curious of the other extreme, it's how the mind works, duality... it knows only extremes.
To me meditation in great part involves finding that "middle path". Balancing your practice is definetly a huge part of this. Sticking to that "middle path" pt of view when unbalances come is also a huge part of it me thinks. Just the knowing that emotions will pass, good or bad. If one keeps "I am" in mind during the day, I think it helps. It's not so much "I am this, I am that", it's more of a negative quality. You can't grasp this "am". This applies to absolutly everything. When in doubt... "I am". haha
Meditation... For some it involves doing nothing but sitting and watching. Watching what? The one who seeks, who measures... the dual mind. Are you the one seeking? It probably seems like it sometimes. "I'm unhappy, when will I find happyness". It's just more seeking. When you watch it, you can see it for what it is. You don't have to do anything but shine the light of awareness on it. No need to feed it, to take away from it... you're not it anyway, so what are you taking away really? Or feeding?
Just know that emotions will pass... no need to force them out though. Paradoxically, the quicker you're ok with them as they are, the quicker the negative stuff is "purged out". The more you fight it, the more it fights back. Just face it, watch the habit of seeking.
One thing I like to do a lot, especially if I feel my mind holding on a bit too tightly to something, good or bad (i'm after the middle path after all), is take a few conscious breaths. Aka, facing that inner energy, seeing it for what it is. You might feel awful at moments, though you'll see, when you face it, it's never as scary as it initially seems. Just bring your awareness inside for 2-3 long relaxed conscious breaths.
