“You should sit in meditation for 20 minutes every day – unless you’re too busy. Then you should sit for an hour.” – Old Zen Saying

The earliest written records of meditation originated from India and China. Most likely meditation began long before it was written about. There are several types of meditation that you can find all over the Internet. Go ahead and Google it you will see what I mean. Below are the two that I find the easiest and most calming.

1. Focused meditation – This technique uses the five senses. It is very much like the grounding technique used to reduce flashbacks in trauma survivors. I like to do this in a darkened room with a single candle burning to focus on, and in the winter I do it by the fireplace. First, you find a comfortable place to sit or lay and with your eyes open or closed. Take a couple deep breaths and begin. Go through each of the five senses and describe to yourself in excruciating detail the sensations that you are experiencing. This allows your mind to become enthralled in the focused activity you are doing. Focused meditation can be done anywhere which is one of the reasons I love it. Also, you can take 10 minutes to do this meditation or you can stretch it out as long as you like.
2. Movement meditation – The most common of this technique is yoga. An abundance of people finds yoga relaxing, a stress reliever, and overall improves their well-being. Movement meditation does not have to be limited to yoga. It can include walking, gardening, or other movement activities where you can immerse yourself fully in the movements of your body. My favorite movement meditation is swimming laps. I can be in a swimming pool full of people and block everybody else out while I swim back and forth.

These are as I said just two of several types of meditation. Take some time to do your own research of various techniques and find what is right for you. Comment below with your favorite meditations.