Getting in touch with the treasures within you is one way of connecting with the source of Life. For within you are all the answers to all the questions you shall ever ask. Wisdom past, present and future is available to you. The source of Life knows everything. Some people call this connecting process meditation.

Meditation is a process that is so simple, and yet there is much confusion about it. Some people are afraid to meditate because they think it is spooky or weird. We often fear that which we do not understand. Still other people lament that they can’t meditate because they are always thinking.

Well, it is the nature of the mind to think; you will never turn the mind off completely. Continuing to regularly practice meditation will help you to quiet your mind. Meditation is a way of bypassing the chatter of the mind to go to the deeper levels, to connect with the inner wisdom.

We are worthy of taking time each day to get in touch with the inner voice, to listen to the answers that come from the inner master. If we don’t then we are only operating on 5 to 10 percent of what is really available to us.

There are many methods of learning to meditate. There are all sorts of classes and books. It could be as simple as sitting with your eyes closed for a short period of time. You might go through the following steps if you’re just beginning to meditate:

You can sit quietly. Close your eyes, take one deep breath, relax your body, and then just concentrate on your breathing. Pay attention to your breathing. Don’t try to breathe in a special way. Just be aware of how you are breathing. You will notice that after a few minutes, your breathing will slow down. This is normal and natural as your body relaxes.

It often helps to count while breathing. One on the inhale, two on the exhale. Three on the inhale, and four on the exhale. Continue in this manner until you reach ten. Then begin again at one. After you do this for a while, you may find your mind wandering to a football game or your shopping list. That’s right. When you notice that you are not counting, just begin again at one, and continue with your counting. The wandering of the mind will happen several times. Each time, gently bring it back to the simple counting routine. That is all there is to it.

This simple form of meditation calms the mind and the body and helps create the connection with our inner wisdom. The benefits of meditation are cumulative. The more often you meditate, the longer you continue to meditate, the better it gets. You will find yourself being more peaceful during the day when you are just going about your ordinary business. And if a crisis comes up, you will handle it in a calmer way.

I often suggest that people begin with just five minutes of sitting or breathing or counting, or whatever form of meditation you choose. Do this once a day for a week or two. Then you might progress to doing it for five minutes twice a day—first thing in the morning and in the early evening. The body and the mind love routine. If you can manage to do your meditation at more or less the same time every day, the benefits will increase.

The ideal time periods to practice meditation are 20 minutes in the morning and 20 minutes in the later afternoon or early evening. Do not be discouraged if it takes you quite some time to work up to this amount of meditation. Just do what you can. Five minutes every day is better than twenty minutes once a week.

No matter where or how you learn to meditate, whatever method you begin with, you will in time develop your own form of meditation. Your inner wisdom and intelligence will subtlely alter your process until it is just right for you.

Here are some affirmations to help you along:

Today I relax my mind and my body. I am safe.

I am centered, calm and balanced. I declare peace and harmony within me and around me.

The deep, intimate connection I am searching for is within me. I am all that I am looking for.

I am love. All is well.