in my opinion, there are as many ways to meditate as there are people who meditate. we all have to find our own groove. i've decided that whatever works for you is the best method for you and whatever works for me is the best method for me. if there is some crossover, that's fine and if there isn't.....that is fine too!
for myself: i turn off the phone and tell my husband: it's meditation time. i like to lie down somewhere quiet and comfortable and supported and at the right temperature. then i just think about my breathing for a while and let my thoughts drift quietly. i keep bringing my focus back to my breath, but i don't stress about it. it's very gentle. i try to have no expectations. i'm just there to BE and to give myself a rest. after twenty or thirty minutes or so, i ease myself out of the meditation very gently and slowly.
sometimes i use music. sometimes i use a mantra. sometimes i walk. sometimes i watch a candle flame. sometimes i watch water. all of these things can help put me into a meditative state. these are all techniques worth exploring.
