Lately, my weeks have been packed. Trying to balance my time between newspaper, work and school has proven quite the challenge. Like most students, my schedule is hectic and stressful. I constantly find myself with a headache and/or stress that makes me want to lie down and take a nap. Unfortunately, I never really have time for a nap, but, I do have time to take 10 minutes to meditate.

Meditation is the practice of training the mind or inducing a state of consciousness. There are many types of meditation techniques to help you relax, focus, build internal energy or simply clear your mind.

If I’m being honest, the first time I tried meditation, I couldn’t do it. It felt like I was pointlessly sitting there waiting for something to happen. But, I kept trying. After a while, I got the hang of it. It’s not something that just magically happens; it takes time.

It’s always best to start simple. With meditation, many start with a study of breath. Here is one way you could start meditation:

Sit in a comfortable position in a quiet place with no distractions. Relax your body, look down and soften your gaze, trying to not focus on anything or close your eyes. Breathing naturally, count your breaths in and then out to 10. In, one. Out, two, and so forth. When you get to 10, start over, but, this time, think about relaxing your feet and legs. Let them release any tension you’re holding. At the count of 10, repeat, and think about releasing tension from your fingers, arms and shoulders. When you reach 10 the final time, let any tension in your body rise upward through your head, letting your neck relax, and release the tension upward. Picture the stress rising away like mist from a lake. Breathing naturally, feel your body at peace. When you’re ready, take a final, deep, cleansing breath and slowly open your eyes.

Doing this for only a few minutes a day can help relax and clear your mind so much. Not only will you be more relaxed but also reenergized.

If my guide to meditation didn’t work for you, that’s alright. There are plenty of apps that you could use for a more structured meditation. Some of these apps are only a couple of minutes, and others could last up to an hour. There’s an endless world of options for meditation that can be tailored to you.

There are so many different forms of meditation, it’s insane. For example, the majority of people see yoga as an athletic thing, but it’s so much more. Certain positions in yoga can help you relax and reenergize in different ways, whether that be relaxing the mind or reenergizing the body.

The pressures of daily life can be kept under control, and meditation is just one tool that we can use. Training your mind and body to relax can really make a stressful and hectic schedule much more manageable.

Junior Margaret Mellott is a very down-to-earth person who loves expanding her knowledge of the world around her. She enjoys learning about the New Age movement, nature and how the world can benefit people in everyday life.