Stop assuming you already understand meditation! 
It's a must to get rid of the mind completely. This one breaks the most meditation practices. Someone sits quietly, closes their eyes, and suddenly starts thinking about dinner. Then, they say to themselves: "I'm not good at this." Then they quit. Here's the truth: having thoughts during meditation is completely normal. In fact, that's exactly what meditation works with. The goal is not permanent mental silence. The practice is noticing your attention drift and gently returning focus. Awareness itself is the training, not achieving silence. A monk once explained it perfectly: "Your mind will wander thousands of times. Keep bringing it back." That's the entire point. Simple. Not easy. It takes a minimum of 30 minutes each day. So, who gave this rule? Nobody knows. For people with jobs and responsibilities, it makes meditation feel impossible. Five minutes works. Three minutes works. Studies show the brain adapts over time through regular mindfulness practice. There's nothing like consistency, which outperforms duration every time. Daily consistency wins over rare, lengthy sessions every time. Begin ridiculously small if you need to. Set a timer for two minutes and begin. Some people believe meditation is purely religious. Meditation is a religious activity. Meditation does have roots in Buddhist, Hindu, and other traditions. So does yoga. Many ordinary things we use daily have historical religious origins. Meditation can be completely secular if you choose. Hospitals use it. It is used by the military. It is used by Olympic athletes. 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. Neither approach is universally correct. You should feel at ease right away. Unfortunately, reality is usually messier than that. Certain days your mind races nonstop during meditation. That's completely normal. In some sessions, you'll bump into something muffled and soft and it's just a really difficult thing to describe. Also normal. The same goes for results from a session, as there are no guarantees, just as there are no guarantees for results from a workout. The benefits grow over time, my website not overnight. Think of meditation like compound interest instead of instant rewards. Sitting Cross-Legged Is Required: Who decided meditation must look like a monk sitting cross-legged? Art history, mostly. Unfortunately, it creates unrealistic expectations. Sit in a chair. Lying down is also acceptable. Stand. Walk. Walking meditation has existed for centuries as a legitimate practice. The important thing is that you are alert, and are not battling the posture. Meditation should help your mind, not destroy your knees. 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. They have bad days. They still make mistakes in relationships. Meditation simply helps you become more aware.