The mind is like water. When it’s turbulent, it’s difficult to see. When it’s calm, everything becomes clear.

—Jack Kornfield

Welcome to Meditating Simplified. Here you will find information to help you on your journey developing a meditation practice. But first, you may be wondering…

“Why meditate in the first place?”

The World In Your Pocket

As thinking, feeling, conscious human beings, navigating the wildly dynamic terrain of life can be overwhelming. Modern survival and peace of mind are often at odds with each other, especially as remote work responsibilities, social media, and short-form entertainment compete for our attention.

The internet, remarkably fast and always accessible , has penetrated our social and professional lives to a degree that makes separating from these areas tricky. Smartphones put the stress right in our pocket. Throughout the day, regardless of where we are, friends and family message us and expect us to respond. We could reply to that work email we received earlier in the day. People might like our latest Instagram post. These events capture our attention both when they happen and when we expect that they could or should happen soon — for most of us, this is virtually all the time. We have constant access to the internet, and it has constant access to us.

The rise of TikTok, Instagram Reels, and YouTube Shorts further complicates things. These videos supply immediate novelty — a new video is always a swipe away, and individually tailored AI-algorithms further bypass the need to search for consciously decide what we want to watch. They train us to increasingly seek immediate, effortless pleasure that lacks depth or lasting satisfaction, becoming a shortcut refuge from the ever-present stresses of life.

Doing vs. Being

When we don’t have access to distractions of this nature, our minds struggle to fill the void, leading to overthinking, anxious agitation, and a compulsive desire for control over our experience. This puts us in a state of doing, rather than simply being. We are unable to meet our experience as it is, so we scramble to change it. Ironically, this neurotic doing can cause us to freeze up, spin our wheels, and procrastinate on important tasks — furthering our suffering and making us crave more mind-numbing distraction. It’s a vicious cycle, [baked in a lack of awareness]. For many of us, this pattern is so deeply and unconsciously learned that finding a single moment of peace throughout the day is a challenge. Building a life of happiness and fulfillment can feel impossible.

With all these new distractions and pressures at play, what can be done? Is there a way to combat or transcend these forces? The answer is yes, yes there is.

Seeing Clearly

Simply put, meditation is one of the most time-efficient, well-studied, universally effective tools we have to balance our minds and improve the quality of our lives. Practiced regularly, even for ten minutes a day, it can rescue us from the cycle of constant dissatisfaction and impatience. It can help us engage with our experience directly, with strength and without fear. It allows us to slow down and be more productive. Among all of the benefits and reasons why people meditate, a key pillar of meditation is seeing clearly. When the mind is busy and agitated, it is like trying to see while swimming through an ocean of turbulent waves or surrounded by a blanket of fog — we become overtaken by our thoughts and emotions. Meditation calms the mind, allowing us to navigate our inner world with clarity, execute our plans more consciously, and enjoy the peace that remains when we have space to simply be.

The benefits of meditation on mental health are supported by a multitude of scientific studies. Check out the following video to learn more:

How to Start a Meditation Practice

Now that we’ve covered why meditation is worth your time, you may be wondering how to actually start a practice. The best way to begin is by following a guided audio recording that teaches the technique of your choosing. But how do you decide which technique to start with? You can zero in on this based on the goals of your practice.

Many people get into meditation for better clarity and focus in order to cut through ongoing distractions and increase work productivity. Others find they benefit most from meditation techniques that promote relaxation, which can help cope with anxiety and restlessness. And while meditation is great for general mental health and efficiency, it can also give us access to existential insights about the nature of mind and consciousness. As your practice deepens, you may consider learning more about meditation for spirituality and the metaphysical understanding that can be gleamed from certain techniques.

Meditation can also be especially helpful — and challenging — for the growing population of people diagnosed with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), so we have included a page specifically addressing how to meditate with ADHD.

Stillness vs Movement

Most meditation techniques are intended to be practiced sitting down, often with eyes closed, and require sitting relatively still for sustained periods of time. Therefore, it is helpful to find a comfortable meditation posture we can use in our practice. However, it is also possible to meditate while while walking or performing other passive activities throughout the day. This meditation in motion can be especially helpful for those with back issues or other physical limitations affecting their ability to sit still for long periods of time.

Find What Works for You

As you can see, there are a variety of approaches to meditation. A simple approach to get started is to try a couple techniques found on the pages Meditation for Clarity and Focus and Meditation for Relaxation and see what happens. Try one technique every day (or as close to that as you can manage) for at least week, and see how you feel. Then, either continue with that technique, or try another one. There is no “right” way to go about this, but it’s helpful to give any technique some time before judging its effectiveness for you. Once you have some experience, you can switch between techniques or, in some cases, combine them at your discretion. You are doing this for your wellbeing — it’s your mind and your life, and you are a scientist running your own personal experiment. Remember, only you can walk your own path.

Peace is available to all who can see clearly. May you find peace and happiness. Best of luck. 😌🙏