Don’t let the prospect of meditating “properly” add to your anxiety. You should go to special meditation centres or community classes taught by qualified teachers if you choose to. However, you can easily practise meditation on your own.

And you can render meditation as formal or relaxed as you like, depending on your preferences and circumstances. Some people make it a habit to meditate every day. They might, for example, meditate for an hour at the start and end of each day. However, what you really need is a few minutes of quality meditation time.

Here are some methods for practising meditation on your own whenever you want:

• Take a deep breath: Since breathing is a normal feature, this method is suitable for beginners. Concentrate solely on your breathing. When you inhale and exhale through your nostrils, concentrate on feeling and listening. Slowly and thoroughly inhale. When your mind wanders, gently bring it back to your breathing.

• Recite a mantra many times: You should come up with your own motto, whether religious or not. The Jesus Prayer in Christianity, the holy name of God in Judaism, and the om mantra in Hinduism, Buddhism, and other Eastern religions are examples of religious mantras. Pick the one that you connect with and start meditating.

• Examine the whole body: Focus your attention on various parts of your body when using this technique. Become conscious of your body’s numerous stimuli, including pain, tension, warmth, and relaxation.

Combine body scanning with breathing exercises, imagining yourself breathing heat or relaxation into and out of various body parts.

• Meditate while walking: Take a stroll and think about it. A walk combined with meditation is an effective and safe way to unwind. This technique can be used everywhere you’re walking, including in a peaceful forest, on a city sidewalk, or at the mall.

Slow down the walking speed when using this technique so you can concentrate on each leg or foot movement. Don’t place too much attention on a single location. Raise each foot, move your leg forward, and position your foot on the ground, concentrating on your legs and feet and repeating action words like “raising,” “moving,” and “placing” in your head.

• Reading: Read and understand what you’ve heard. Many people claim that reading poetry or holy texts and taking a few moments to focus on their meaning helps them.

You may also listen to religious music, spoken words, or some other type of music that relaxes or inspires you. You may want to journal your thoughts or chat about them with a friend or spiritual leader.

• Prayer: The most well-known and commonly practised form of meditation is prayer. Some religious practises contain both spoken and written prayers.

You may pray with your own words or read other people’s prayers. Examples can be found in the self-help section of your nearest bookstore. Discuss potential resources with your rabbi, priest, minister, or other spiritual leader.

• Keep Your Focus on Love & Gratitude: You concentrate your mind on a holy image or being in this form of meditation, weaving feelings of devotion, compassion, and gratitude into your thoughts. You may also use your imagination or look at versions of the picture if you close your eyes.

 Meditation takes time and effort to master. Keep in mind that your mind is likely to wander during meditation, regardless of how long you’ve been doing it. If your attention wanders when you’re meditating to relax your mind, slowly bring it back to the object, feeling, or movement you’re concentrating on.

Experiment with different forms of meditation to see what works best for you and what you enjoy doing. Adjust meditation to your current needs. Remember that there is no one-size-fits-all approach to meditation. What counts is that meditation assists in stress control and general well-being.