Do you have the patience to wait
till your mud settles and the water is clear?
Can you remain unmoving
till the right action arises by itself?— Lao Tzu, Tao Te Ching, Chapter 15
Meditation helps us clear our minds from confusion and overwhelm. When we are unsure about the best use of our time in the moment, or feel the impulse to seek dopamine by the cheapest means possible, meditation will allow us to settle our thoughts and bring clarity to the moment.
Why is it then that we avoid meditating in the moments that we know it will be most helpful to us?
I prefer meditating outdoors, on my yoga mat, in a quiet setting, maybe with a candle or some incense to give my eyes something to rest on. And while I believe I know that meditation will be most effective in such a setting, holding on to this ideal this can also be a significant hurdle to entering meditation in the first place.
Because it takes effort.
Because those moments when I want to reach for my phone to scroll my way to comfort, are the same moments that I can't be bothered preparing the ideal setting for my meditation. A quick fix becomes even more appealing when motivation is lacking.
While ritual and setting certainly have their place, it is important to remind myself that meditation does not require effort. In fact, effort is antithetical to effective meditation.
Stop
Stopping does not mean just stopping the mind, but stopping the body.
Stop what you are doing and allow the body to relax.
You can sit on the floor, legs crossed, back against the wall if you otherwise feel uncomfortable. Place your hands gently in your lap and allow your spine to gently straighten so the weight of your head is supported through your neck, shoulders, spine and through to your backside.
You can lay in your bed. Body relaxed. You can rest your head on a pillow or place a pillow beneath your knees. Keep your legs otherwise straight and and allow your knees to roll away from each other. Rest your arms beside your body, palms facing up.
You can stand where you find yourself. Feet side by side in parallel and apart, knees ever so slightly bent like you are about to squat, hips relaxed, back and neck straight, arms in front with hand gently clasped, one over the other.
Put yourself into a comfortable position that will not cause pain or discomfort over time. Notice any tension in the body and allow it to be released.
Find your breath
There are many ways to enter meditation, but few are as effective and as simple as following your breath.
You don't need to control your breath. Just notice it. Feel your chest rising and falling. Notice the breath flowing in and out of your nose and airways. When distracting thoughts come, either let them pass, or write them down if you can't let them go. A journal is nice, but an email or text to yourself is fine too.
Soon, you will be able to move on from your breath if you wish. Notice your body and how it feels. Hear the sounds around you without letting them affect you. Become the observer of your own thoughts. Allow the internal dialogue to calm down until it stops.
Whatever meditation ritual works for you, you will find it easier to move on to if you simply start with your breath.
Don't seek an outcome or feeling
If you have been meditating for any length of time, you likely have felt the euphoria and connection that can arise. But don't seek this. It is a result of the clarity that meditiation can provide, but it is not the aim. Seek it, and you are unlikely to find it.
Don't have a goal. Release expectations. Simply be present in the moment as much as you can, and move on when you feel it is right to do so. There is a good chance that you will find motivation to do what it is right for you to do next. Don't judge yourself if you don't.
By keeping it simple you can enter meditation when you most need to, and still enjoy your best settings and rituals when you are up to it.