Meditation is not a ten letter word (or, the lazy man's guide to meditation)

As you know, I meditate.  I am not an expert on the subject.  I have read a couple of books (both by Thich Nhat Hanh) to get me started.  And I have found that, at least for now, that is enough.  I would like to revisit those books, but I can't find them.  I have moved about 5 times in the past 6 years.  They were excellent books, and I would love to build on my daily practice.  I will find them eventually (they are likely in my 6 x 6 compartment in the basement of my apartment, along with the a lot of lost dishware).  Luckily, I remember the basics.  That's all that I remember.  It's just deep breathing.  That's it.  Start in whatever position makes you comfortable (I prefer the half lotus position, hands hanging off of my knees, torso erect, sitting on my ottoman with a candle lit about 10 feet away).  You can meditate lying down, or sitting in a comfortable chair.  You can have soothing music (I don't listen to music, for the most part; but if I did, it would probably be the sound of rain.  I love the rain).  And then breathe deeply.  Two or three cleansing breaths, which you hold for a couple of seconds.  Then release.  After those breaths, just focus on breathing.  Don't think about anything else.  Focus on your inhalation, then exhalation.  Inhale completely, and exhale completely.  And slowly.  Keep your breath quiet; don't make too much noise.  And make sure you blow your nose first; it reduces the struggle to keep quiet.  And try not think about anything but your breathing.  That is the toughest part.  Just repeat to yourself, any way you want, in your native tongue, "breathing in, breathing out."  My major distraction is the thought of sex, since I enjoy that more than meditating.  Meditation is necessary, but to be frank, sex is much more fun.  Maybe someday I'll be able to meditate on sex (there's an idea for a book; as you can see, my challenges are many).  Anyway, this all takes practice.  Lots of it.  And it needs to be a daily practice.  I shoot for a morning meditation, before coffee.  And a nighttime meditation before I sleep.  But most of the time, it's just a morning event.  As you get better, you can tweak your practice any way you want.  You can meditate on anything.  Since my attention span is so short, I focus only on breathing and avoiding thoughts of sex.  That's where I'm at.  But my intention is to be able to meditate on all that I strive for in my quest for entrepreneurship, on life, on daily goals.  To focus my thoughts on singular goals, whatever they may be on any given day.  So pick a place.  And a time.  And some music, or none at all.  And breathe deeply (I forgot one more very important thing; you don't need to spend a lot of time on this.  Start with five minutes, or less, and build your way up as you get better.  Or just stay at five minutes.  I am up to about twenty minutes, but sometimes only 5-10.  And it is always enough).  You may not feel the immediate effect, but once you are done, your day will feel different.  Your will handle your challenges more calmly.  People and circumstances will be less irritating.  And you can breathe deeply any time over the course of the day (my favorite place is on a bathroom stop or at my desk, when anxiety or stress creep up on you).  I promise you, it works.  So start tonight, or tomorrow.  Don't wait too long.  You will feel like you've accomplished something big, tapping into the wonder of thousands of years of practice given to us by some of the greatest minds the earth has ever known (Buddha, Ghandi, Thich Nhat Hanh, and so many of the great Far Eastern influencers throughout history).  Become a part of history.  Tap into the best source of peace available.  It's free, and universal, and at your fingertips.  Sit down.  Relax.  And breathe deeply.  It's the next step in your journey.  And the world is waiting for you.