How to Start Meditating | Easy Steps to a Clear and Focused Mind

[Anderson]

You’re about to discover six steps to meditation and some mind-blowing insights about yourself that this practice will lead you to. At the end, I’ll also tell you a special story—a story that’s not complete, missing its last two words. Drop them in the comments once you’ve figured them out.

You’re not going to learn how to meditate; you’re going to remember how. Because there was a time when you already knew how to be in this state without any effort. When was that? Let’s jog your memory.

Meditation is not some astral nonsense or esoteric mumbo jumbo. It’s a mental hygiene tool, a habit that’s as essential as brushing your teeth or tidying up your room. But what does it really give you, and why is everyone so obsessed with it? Why are scientists studying it? Well, for one... and for another... and there’s also this... plus that... and on top of it... Honestly, you can read up on all this yourself; I’ve already covered it in another video. Here’s the link in the corner. I don’t feel like repeating myself, and I bet you’re itching to get to the real deal—the practice.

Let me warn you upfront: I’m not a meditation guru. What I’m sharing here is based on a couple of books I’ve read and, mostly, my own experiments. 

First and foremost, meditation is about clearing your mind of unnecessary thoughts. It’s about stepping away from the internal dialogue. However, many of my friends who’ve tried meditation give up right at the start. “How can I not think about anything?” they ask. “Whenever I try not to think about anything, I end up thinking about not thinking.” It’s a vicious cycle. Have you noticed this? Your mind is always chattering - asking questions, making unsolicited comments, whining, complaining. How do you shut it up? The moment you close your eyes and try to think of nothing, it starts up again: “I’m thinking of nothing... thinking of nothing... Damn! I’m thinking about something when I should be thinking of nothing. I wanted to meditate! I’d love to meditate... I wonder if I’m meditating right now? Oh, by the way, have you seen Maria? Did you see how she—oh, stop!” 

Meditation feels like erasing words written in sand with a stick, then erasing the stick itself, and finally erasing the person doing the erasing.

Step 1: Find a Comfortable Position
No need for the lotus pose, especially if your legs just don’t bend that way. But don’t get too cozy under a blanket, either—you might just fall asleep. Nothing wrong with that, but remember, we’re here to meditate, not nap. Just lean back in your chair. Afraid of dozing off? Well, buddy, you might need some sleep first.

Step 2: Breathe Evenly
Inhale and exhale through your nose. Steady breathing calms you down through positive feedback. When you breathe calmly, your brain decides that if your breathing is this even, you must be calm too. And voila! You’re calm, and so is your breathing.

Step 3: Focus on Something
This might be the most crucial part. Imagine a point in front of you and direct all your attention to it. Or focus on the tip of your nose, your solar plexus, or the sensation in your left heel. You might start to feel warmth or heaviness in that area. Or concentrate on your breathing, on how pleasant it feels to inhale and exhale, on that tiny pause between breaths. It’s entirely up to you, but here’s the rule: once you’ve picked your focus—whether it’s your heel or your breath—it becomes the center of your universe. Don’t let it slip out of focus.

Don’t try to stop your inner dialogue. Don’t force yourself to silence that chatterbox. This path leads nowhere. Meditation is about relaxation and peace, and trying to stop thoughts forcefully only winds you up tighter. Let your thoughts flow naturally. Observe them from a distance like a curious scientist. Keep your distance—don’t let them pull you in. You’re watching from afar, as if through a glass window.

Step 4: Observe Your Thoughts Without Judgment
Don’t try to stop your inner dialogue. Don’t force yourself to silence that chatterbox. This path leads nowhere. Meditation is about relaxation and peace, and trying to stop thoughts forcefully only winds you up tighter. Let your thoughts flow naturally. Observe them from a distance like a curious scientist. Keep your distance—don’t let them pull you in. You’re watching from afar, as if through a glass window.

Step 5: Detach from Emotions by Visualizing Them
This works similarly. Emotions are just like thoughts, only stronger. Visualize them. If you’re feeling disappointment, ask yourself: What color is it? Grayish-blue? Dark green? What shape does it have? Round? Star-like? Where do you feel it? In your head, chest, solar plexus? When you feel a strong emotion, it can take over completely, controlling your actions and thoughts. But when you observe it as an object with specific characteristics, you separate it from your core self. After all, you’re not a grayish-blue parallelepiped, are you?

Step 6: Maintain Focus and Gradually Extend the Duration
Each time you meditate, aim to extend the period you can maintain your focus. The goal isn’t perfection but gradual improvement. Even if it’s just for a minute, each session helps you build the mental muscle needed to achieve a clear and focused mind.

Detachment from Emotions
This works similarly. Emotions are just like thoughts, only stronger. Visualize them. If you’re feeling disappointment, ask yourself: What color is it? Grayish-blue? Dark green? What shape does it have? Round? Star-like? Where do you feel it? In your head, chest, solar plexus? When you feel a strong emotion, it can take over completely, controlling your actions and thoughts. But when you observe it as an object with specific characteristics, you separate it from your core self. After all, you’re not a grayish-blue parallelepiped, are you?

How Do You Know You’re Doing It Right?
When your thoughts start to get bored with you. They’ll appear less frequently and more transparently until they eventually become ghostly presences that no longer affect you. You might even hear a ringing emptiness in your mind. It’s an extraordinary feeling. What could be better than thinking of nothing, chasing nothing, and depending on nothing? It’s not an epiphany or a burst of light, but it’s peace. 

If your eyes are open, it’s like being a security camera - recording the world with no bias. But what’s different? There’s no audience, no one to judge or be offended by what they see. There’s just the world as it is, and it doesn’t need your commentary. If your eyes are closed, it might remind you of a baby’s mind, or even a fetal state—before that inner voice was born. A calm, unwavering darkness from the very beginning, so long ago that you can barely remember.

Meditation is easy, but if anyone tells you that you’ll get it on your first try, they’re talking about anything but meditation. Because the first time? You’re going to fail. Or you’ll succeed just a little, but not in the way you expect. However, each time, the period during which you can unplug will grow. And if you can stretch this state to a minute, you’re already doing great.

The Benefits
You’ll be able to concentrate better at work. Your thoughts won’t jump around like fleas on a hot plate. You’ll feel calmer and more balanced. You’ll be a better conversationalist—fully present, not just waiting for your turn to speak. And for those of us who overthink and struggle to sleep, it’s a miracle: nothing will bother you. Your mind stops bouncing between the past and the future, allowing you to be present and, ultimately, to rest.

One day, I was walking down the street, lost in angry thoughts about someone. I was mentally tearing them to shreds. And then, suddenly, I became frightened because I realized that these thoughts weren’t mine—I wasn’t thinking at all. I had no opinions on the matter; it was that other voice, endlessly chattering away and overlaying its judgments onto reality. 

This voice is like a wolf in your kingdom. At first, it sneaks around in the dark, preying on livestock and villagers. Over time, it begins targeting your closest allies, and now it’s after your only heir. You lock yourselves in the highest tower, and as the moonlight streams in, you see your heir’s face twisted in terror. You turn around, and the last thing you see is a massive, shadowy wolf closing in. 

The wolf is the inner voice that constantly talks because if it stops, it ceases to exist. Like a bicycle that must keep moving to avoid falling, this voice thrives on noise and chatter. But by learning to meditate, you take away its power.

Thoughts on this
Meditation is both profoundly simple and deceptively challenging. It’s not about silencing the mind with force but about finding stillness amidst the noise. By observing thoughts without attachment, we realize that we are not our thoughts or emotions—they’re just visitors in the landscape of our minds. Meditation teaches us to create space, to exist without reacting, and in that space lies peace. If you keep showing up, even imperfectly, you’ll find that your mind slowly rewires itself to seek calm over chaos, and presence over distraction. This practice isn’t about instant enlightenment but gradual transformation—a softening into a more mindful, more aware version of yourself.