Meditation is about relaxing the sympathetic mind’s control and allowing the parasympathetic mind to take over. I find this highly beneficial - the parasympathetic mind is where our creativity lies, creativity being a function of our sub-conscious. As a side benefit you become more relaxed and rested.

I’ve been practicing meditation for a long time and there are pitfalls. I think it comes down to the fact that our sympathetic mind is always finding ways, sometimes quite subtly, of exerting control. (In fact I think that’s the function of the sympathetic mind itself). So more advanced practices can be often subverted by the thing we’re trying to relax itself - our controlling mind.

I think it’s best to keep things simple. Something you may have heard of - beginner’s mind.

Sit up straight in a chair so that you’re not leaning back. Set a timer - I like the Insight Timer app. The method is simple - just pay attention to your outbreath. If you find yourself thinking, gently return your attention to the outbreath. If you’re really off in fantasy, when you catch it gently say to yourself “thinking” and return to the outbreath. Keep your eyes slightly open looking a few feet ahead on the ground, although if they close that’s fine. That’s it. Do that for 5 or 10 minutes to start.

A key to me is that Beginner’s Mind. If you find yourself making it too complicated, return to the state of mind before you began trying to improve. After all, this practice is the simplest possible activity you can do!

As you relax your sympathetic mind your parasympathetic mind will start to take over. Often times a bunch of creative thought will come up. Usually that’s quite pleasant but sometimes we create nightmares for ourselves too. In any case our controlling mind often tends to want to make use of that creativity, (which is kinda counter to the pure creativity itself imo.) Keep coming back to relaxing that; keep coming simply back to the outbreath.

That’s the practice. The most simple meditation is also the most advanced if you ask me. And perhaps the most ultimate version of this happens after the final bell goes off - you just return to the state of mind you had before you ever began meditating.

GOING FOR A WALK is a simple + natural way to calm the sympathetic mind. I go for alot of short walks. If I’m wound up I’ll go for a short walk especially before meditating!