First time I tried it was in college. My professor, whom I idolized, was a Tibetan Buddhist and noted poet. We gathered at his house, full of miles of books and sandalwood statuettes he had acquired in Iran. He'd been everywhere, knew everything. He was enormous, bearded, fat like Walt Whitman. I loved him. We sat on a silk Persian rug, about six of us students, and discussed the readings - on "Transience." Then we sat in the lotus position - half-lotus in my case - for 15 minutes. I needed a cigarette badly. That's what I thought about the whole time.

Later in life I read a bunch of books on Zen. Fascinating stuff. Zen people practice "zazen," the sitting meditation. That's the practice - just sitting and nothing else. I was confused by it. I kept thinking about things that had happened at work. It didn't feel like meditation was supposed to feel.

Tibetans say to "watch your thoughts." It's an interesting practice. You try to see where they originate and where they are going. You realize that "your thoughts are not you." Maybe, if you're good, you reach a state called "samadhi" (absence of thoughts and clarity of mind). Eventually, maybe you even reach  "nirvana." I did this for a while.

But I never really stuck with it. Maybe because I never felt like I was making progress. I got busy with my career. I got married and had more responsibilities. I felt like I couldn't afford to be so detached from the material world. The material world would sneak up on me and get revenge.

Then I had a stress-related illness. Something older people usually get. I realized I needed to manage my stress urgently. So, I settled on a simple technique I knew I could use. I had always felt that the technique was "cheating," but I knew tht it worked. And I needed something that worked.

Now I practice it every day. Sometimes while waiting to mail a package at the post office. On an airline flight, because flying makes me nervous. Every night to go to sleep. It works.

So what is this simple, easy, beneficial practice? The one you can do right now?

It's counting breaths. Here's how you start.

1. Sit or lie somewhere comfortable. You don't have to cross your legs. But you should feel comfortable enough that you're not worried about your body.

2. Breathe through your nose. Feel the breath coming in. I meanfeelit, be conscious of it. Direct your attention to it as it comes in. Every time you breathe.

3. Count every breath as you breathe out. Count to 200 breaths then start over.

That's it. And some helpful hints:

• The purpose of meditation is to occupy your conscious mind; that way your body relaxes and takes over. Your thoughts stop interfering with your nervous system. Being aware of the sensation in your nose and counting each breath occupies you mind.
• You might need to add something else to keep your mind busy. Listen to the sounds in the room. Keep your mind focused on these sounds.
• Be aware of your body sensations. How do your legs feel? Your chest? The skin on your face. Or your hands? Don't become obsessed with thinking about these things. The idea is to let your attentionreston something that will occupy it. Something other than what Buddhists call the "monkey mind" - your restless, wandering thoughts. (I'm not judging; I have them too.)
• Try to breathe with your belly, not your chest.
• Do it for at least 15 minutes. Work up to longer sessions.

The benefits? They're solid. You'll know you're doing it right when your breath becomes very deep and slow. This means that your mind is no longer interfering with basic body processes. But if this doesn't happen right away, don't worry. Keep your focus on the nasal sensations and on counting each breath.

Meditation will relax you. It will clear your mind. After a session, you may feel like you have the answers to problems that have been bugging you. Your body will de-clench. Stick with it and it'll get easier. You'll even notice a pleasurable sensation as you meditate. A sort of "meditator's high."

This is the practice I finally settled on, and I love it.

Namaste. Or whatever.