“The wrong time to learn to meditate is when you’re stressed. It’s a bit like trying to learn martial arts in the middle of a fight. Practice daily, find that totally still place inside that is like a ‘reset’ button and puts everything into perspective. Like martial arts, all its takes is consistent, daily practice.” – Steve Rowe 9th dan Shikon International
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Meditation is about training in awareness and getting a healthy sense of perspective. You’re not trying to turn off your thoughts or feelings. You’re learning to observe them without judgment.
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Learning to meditate is like learning any other skill. Like looking deeply into a kata or drill. It takes consistent practice to get comfortable.
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Sometimes your focus will wander or you’ll forget to follow your breath. That’s OK. It’s part of the experience. What’s most important is to meditate consistently. It’s another one of those things where the journey is more important than the destination.
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When we sit to meditate, we are looking after ourselves in ways that might not at first seem obvious. The benefits of meditation are numerous and varied, and supported by science. Many people start meditating to manage stress, reduce anxiety, and to cultivate peace of mind. But there are thousands of studies documenting other less-known mindfulness meditation benefits, which can have a positive impact on mental, physical, and emotional health.
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Stress stimulates the sympathetic nervous system, causing a surge of natural stress hormones, which can negatively affect the body. Stress increases the risk of heart attacks and strokes; increases blood sugar levels, suppress’ the immune system, and constricts blood vessels. Eventually, leading to an increase in blood pressure, heart rate, and cholesterol levels, disrupting immunity, energy levels, and sleep.
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When the body and mind are relaxed, however — the parasympathetic nervous system is stimulated, causing the body to stop releasing those harmful stress hormones.
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Meditation can affect our emotions and physical health so deeply — when we train to be less in our head and more aware of the present, we’re better able to distance ourselves from negative thoughts and emotions. This has the added benefit of reducing stress, allowing you to feel better, more relaxed, at peace, and puts everything into perspective.
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The goal of meditation isn’t to control your thoughts;…. it’s to stop letting those thoughts control you. 
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Resources: With thanks to Steve Rowe.
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