Despite what many will tell you, you don’t need to study a bunch of different meditation techniques to find the one that works best for you. In fact, the best meditation for more than 90% of the population is the same. There are many variations of it, and the core is included (in some way) in virtually all meditations.

The best meditation for you to start right now is Relaxation!

It’s important to note that most people think they’re pretty good at relaxing. True relaxation, however, is achieved when you can relax more deeply sitting up than most people do when lying down to sleep.

Why would you want to become a relaxation genius?

Relaxation can not only help you experience the long-term benefits of meditation, but it is also the fastest way to experience the health benefits of meditation.

Relaxation helps you de-stress, which greatly improves physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual health. According to the Mayo Clinic, stress has been linked to high blood pressure, heart disease, fatigue, allergies, sleep problems, substance abuse, and chronic pain. Imagine how much your health could improve with just a little relaxation!

Also, relaxation helps you find a deeper focus, which is very helpful in work or business, relationships, hobbies, and anything new you decide to learn for the rest of your life.

So how can you use relaxation as your meditation?

There are countless ways, but the easiest I’ve found involves simply watching your breath:

1. Find a comfortable, upright position.
2. Tell yourself “now I am going to relax deeply”
3. If you notice any sense of tension in your body, acknowledge it and let it go.
4. Begin to become aware of your breath. Allow your breath to become nice, deep, smooth, and slow.
5. Notice how wonderfully relaxing this feels!
6. Continue to gently slow your breathing as long as it allows you to further deepen your relaxation.
7. When you feel that you are more relaxed than ever, just continue to breathe gently and enjoy it.
8. Once you’re done, remind yourself, “Each time I practice this, I can quickly find an even deeper place of relaxation within myself.”
9. Make sure to smile when you’re done with practice and carry that relaxed smile with you for the rest of the day.

So what do you do next?

Bring this into your daily life.

Start small and build from there. I encourage a minimum of 5 minutes a day, but you can start with just 1 minute.

Do it now!

Take a minute to follow the steps and watch your breath. After you’ve done it a few times, you’ll feel more comfortable with the process. Once you feel comfortable with it, you can play with the relaxation meditation technique with your eyes open or eyes closed, in a variety of different settings, with different people, etc.

As you find yourself playing with relaxation more and more, you will look back and see that it has become a natural part of your life, and now it seems strange not to.

Enjoy!