Stop assuming you already understand meditation! 
Many people think meditation means emptying the mind completely. This is where most people give up on meditation. 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: "Every time your attention drifts, gently return it again." That's the practice. 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. Short meditation sessions still work. Research suggests consistent short sessions can gradually improve stress response patterns. There's nothing like consistency, which outperforms duration every time. If one person sits for 5 minutes per day they will catch up with the person who sits for 45 minutes twice in a month — that's right, and that's no contest. Begin ridiculously small if you need to. Try just two minutes a day. Meditation is a religious practice. Some think meditation is tied entirely to spiritual belief systems. Meditation does have roots in Buddhist, Hindu, and other traditions. The same is true for yoga. Even everyday systems around us have cultural or religious roots. Secular meditation, such as mindful stress reduction, breath awareness, body scan, is not about spirituality unless you want it to be. Hospitals use it. It is used by the military. It is used by Olympic athletes. Even skeptics can benefit from meditation. You can connect meditation to spirituality if that feels meaningful to you. Both are right and both are wrong. You should feel at ease right away. That expectation causes a lot of disappointment. Certain days your mind races nonstop during meditation. That's completely normal. In some sessions, meditate crossword clue 4 letters you'll bump into something muffled and soft and it's just a really difficult thing to describe. That is normal too. 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, 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. And honestly, it discourages people. You can meditate in a chair. You can even lie down if needed. Stand. Walk. The seated meditation is not the only one, there's a tradition of walking meditation that's just as valid. Your posture should support awareness, not create pain. Your mind should be better, but your knees shouldn't suffer. Those who meditate are super zen all the time. Meet some long-term meditators and you will see that they become irritated in traffic, as do all of us. Meditation doesn't erase human emotions. They still make mistakes in relationships. The goal isn't perfection, it's awareness.