Meditation easy is something I truly believe in—I know it offers powerful benefits for my health, mind, and soul. I’m confident it can have a positive impact on my overall well-being, and I genuinely want to make it a daily habit. However, despite my intentions, I often go months without meditating. Every now and then, I’ll think, “I should really meditate sometime,” but I rarely follow through.

My problem is that, although knowing that meditation is beneficial to me, I choose not to practice it. I have a feeling that I am not the only one.

I have read a ton of books about meditation. It is not funny how many meditation retreats and classes I have attended.

I am aware of the meditation techniques. Staring at a candle flame is something I have seen before. I understand what it is like to still your thoughts. I am aware of the inhaling and exhaling of the nose. I am aware that you can create your own visualization.

I am also aware that they have a work-like vibe. I feel like I have to work at them. It is difficult.

I am not lazy, I know that. I can see that you are not like me either. Simply put, we still have not figured out how to meditate effectively.

Here are some strategies to help you find meditation more enjoyable and manageable.

1. Try the 100 breaths technique.

This method of meditation is really intricate!

I inhale a hundred times. I keep track of them. I make an effort to focus on nothing else.

Yup. It is revolutionary. Additionally, I find it to be really effective. While the rest of me is just hanging about, unintentionally meditating, it gives my brain something to do (pee! counting!).

The lesson here is that meditation may be done in a variety of ways. Look through them to discover a method that works well for you, then just follow it.

2. Take a meditationap.

Be careful. This one is complex. Oh, yes—it’s the love child of a meditation and a nap.

Lie down on a bed, couch, or sun lounge, or pile your (empty) bath with pillows and blankets.

Close your eyes and do nothing. Maybe you’ll fall asleep. Maybe you’ll have Zen inspiration. Maybe you’ll just happily float along. Either way, it will be sublime.

My favorite meditationap consists of a sun lounge, a blanket, an afternoon, and my ipod filled with lovely music. If Zen master meditation retreats consisted of this kind of meditating, I could totally do them!

The lessons here is: Meditation should be enjoyable. We only consistently do things we actually like doing!

3. Use the alarm clock meditation.

If you find that 100 breaths is not enough, set a timer for five minutes. After that, meditate until the timer sounds. In this manner, you can stop wondering how long it has been and how long you should meditate. It is similar to meditating while on a cruise.

The takeaway from this is to make your meditation as enjoyable as you can.

4. Get comfortable.

I began examining the aspects of meditation that irritated me and prevented me from practicing it. And this was one of the things that annoyed me: I dislike discomfort.

No one does, in my opinion. Furthermore, I do not find it comfortable to sit cross-legged in lotus with a straight back and poised mudra fingers. It spells back pain, butt pain, and pins and needles.

Maybe it will not when I am a woo-woo yoga guru master, but it does right now when I am not. Therefore, it is a practice for me to get comfortable without dozing off.

For me, this means leaning against a wall outside, lying on a sun lounge on the back deck, or relaxing in a comfortable recliner inside. You may have a completely different idea of what comfortable looks like.

The takeaway from this is that meditation is not a way to practice discomfort. It is a place of comfort, tranquility, and repose. So settle in.

5. Start small.

I create a small agreement with myself when I feel like I do not have time to meditate and I really, really need to. I tell myself, “All right, we do not have to spend any uncomfortable time meditating. Let us simply take ten breaths.

And my rational mind responds:

“Ten breaths? Do you believe I have time to meditate for ten breaths? Are you serious? Lady, I have things to do! You hippy, we are not on retreat!

“Oh,” I reply. I am aware of how busy you are. I feel as though I need this. Me and you. It is only for ten breaths, however.

Reasoned brain: “All right. Only ten, though. I am counting, too.

It is pleasant after we complete our ten breaths. And because it feels so amazing, we either continue for another ten or twenty minutes, or we stop there because we think we have refreshed just enough.

Here’s the lesson: Start small. Everyone has ten breaths to spare. Watch what occurs. It is a small method of getting beyond obstacles.

6. Make it a reward.

Meditation should not be uncomfortable or dull; it should be enjoyable and easy, and it should feel good for you. Determine what it is about meditation that you find most beneficial. Not “Everyone says that I should meditate.” Not even a “I ought to practice meditation.”

Look for a method that inspires the thought, “I want to meditate.”

The benefit of meditation for me is as follows:

The first half of every 100 breaths I breathe is really dull. However, it feels like bliss after that. The second part is excellent, but I am not sure if it is because I am finally relaxing or because it is a rush of oxygen to the brain.

Additionally, it makes the beginning incredibly worthwhile. The second-half release is my small prize.

Here’s the lesson: Use meditation to find your own reward. And never forget it. Make use of it as a reward for reaching that point.

7. Use help when you need it.

I use CDs when I need more assistance meditating. They serve as my own tiny, private guides to peaceful, lovely places.

See what works for you by experimenting with various CDs, books, and meditation methods. Make the golden wisdom in your life what works for you.

Do not assume you have to do everything alone. That is the lesson here. With a little assistance, everything is simpler.

8. And most of all…

Keep in mind that you are not currently meditating because you are lazy. It is because you have not yet discovered an enjoyable, simple, and cozy method of meditation. It will be a lot simpler if you figure out the way that works.

Take away the portions of meditation that irritate you. Make it as pleasant as you can by experimenting with all the different approaches.

And never forget that you are the one who knows you best. Ignore the rest and focus on the amazing things that work for you.

Your journey to happiness is unique, and there are six billion possible routes. Make it a joyous occasion.