Meditation number one, surrender stress.

Find a comfortable quiet place to meditate.

Wear loose clothing and settle into a relaxed position in a spot where you won't be interrupted by cell phones or people.

It's best to sit upright on a couch, chair, or cushion so you don't fall asleep. You can be cross-legged or with legs extended, whatever

makes you most at ease. Then once you're comfortable, begin to focus on your

breath to quiet your thoughts.

With your eyes closed,

gently place your awareness on your breath.

Be conscious only of breathing in and breathing out.

If thoughts come and they will, visualize them as puffy clouds passing in the sky.

Notice your thoughts, but don't engage them. It's okay and

natural for thoughts to arise and for your attention to follow them.

No matter how many times this happens,

just keep bringing your attention back to your breath.

As you continue on,

breathe in calm and breathe out stress.

Let yourself feel the sensuality of inhaling and exhaling as air passes through your nostrils and chest like a cool breeze.

Take pleasure in the breath's hypnotic rhythm, what the Buddha described as breathing in and out sensitive

to rapture.

With each slow deep breath, feel yourself inhaling calm,

which is sweet as the scent of a rose.

Then exhaling stress.

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