Stop assuming you already understand meditation! 
It's a must to get rid of the mind completely. This one breaks the most meditation practices. Most beginners notice their thoughts immediately after they start meditating. They assume they are failing and decide meditation isn't for them. A wandering mind is not a meditation failure. That's actually part of the practice. It is not a practice of reaching some kind of blissful empty state of mind. Meditation is simply returning your awareness again and again. The act of noticing is the real exercise. I once heard a meditation teacher say: "A thousand times you think, a thousand times you forget. Bring it back 10,000 times." That's the entire point. Simple, but difficult. Many people believe meditation only works if you practice for 30 minutes daily. So, who gave this rule? Nobody knows. But it is what it is, it turns off almost everyone who has a job and responsibilities to do. Five minutes works. Three minutes works. Even short, regular sessions, there is good research that can show over time, the brain rewires the stress responses. Regular practice beats occasional marathon sessions. Daily consistency wins over rare, lengthy sessions every time. Start embarrassingly small. Embarrassingly. Set a timer for two minutes and begin. Some people believe meditation is purely religious. Meditation is a religious activity. Historically, meditation comes from several spiritual traditions. The same is true for yoga. Even everyday systems around us have cultural or religious roots. Modern mindfulness practices don't require religious belief. Mindfulness is practiced in medicine, sports, and high-performance training. As a card-carrying skeptic, you can still garner a lot of benefits from the program. If it means something to you tie it in to religion. Leave it alone if it doesn't. Both are right and both are wrong. Many people expect instant calm from meditation. Oh, this expectation. This sweet and utterly unattainable dream. Other sessions are like watching paint dry, with your brain shuffling through multiple versions of all your anxious thoughts. That's completely normal. Occasionally, meditation creates moments that are hard to describe but deeply calming. That is normal too. Meditation works similarly to exercise: progress builds gradually over time. The benefits grow over time, not overnight. Don't treat it as a vending machine, treat it as compound interest. Meditation Doesn't Require Lotus Position: The stereotype of perfect lotus-position meditation confuses many beginners. Mostly old artwork and cultural imagery. And it's not helped matters. Sit in a chair. If you're not able to sleep, lie down. Standing meditation works too. The seated meditation is not the only one, there's a tradition of walking meditation that's just as valid. The important thing is that you are alert, and are not battling the posture. Your mind should be better, but your knees shouldn't suffer. People who meditate still experience frustration and stress. Meet some long-term meditators and you will see that they become irritated in traffic, as do all of us. adhd meditation exercise Meditation doesn't erase human emotions. They still make mistakes in relationships. The goal isn't perfection, it's awareness.