How can you simplify meditation when your mind feels too busy to slow down?

If it isn't simple, it isn't meditation.

I was speaking with a client, Sarah, the other day. She’s an executive, constantly busy with multiple projects and responsibilities.

As we talked, she described feeling like a ship caught in a relentless storm – tossed and turned by deadlines, demands, and a constant pressure to perform.

“It’s exhausting,” she said, her voice itself tired.

"I try to meditate, but all these thoughts just keep flooding in, worries about work, anxieties about the future… it’s exhausting.”

“Why is meditation exhausting?”, I asked her.

"I don't know. It’s just one more thing to do.”

She felt like she was drowning in a sea of obligations, and I had asked her to meditate, which was another problem, on top of her existing problems.

We sat in silence for a moment. "Let's try something different," I suggested. “Forget about meditation, forget about clearing your mind. Let’s just… observe.”

“Observe what?”, she asked, a hint of skepticism in her voice.

"Your left toe," I said gently. "What are you feeling in your left toe, right now?"

She paused, thinking. "It… it feels kind of numb."

"Wait a few seconds, and check now. What do you feel now?"

"A soft sensation of some kind."

"Just that. Nothing more, nothing less."

We sat quietly for a few seconds. Then I asked, "And now, what are you feeling in your elbow?"

She hesitated. “A little tingly, I guess.”

“Just that,” I repeated. "Tingling in your elbow."

We continued like this for nearly thirty minutes, slowly moving her attention from one body part to another – the tip of her ear, the back of her hand, the space between her eyebrows. Each time she tried to analyze or interpret what she was feeling, we gently redirected her back to the simple observation.

No judgments, no stories, just pure noticing.

Finally, I asked, "You see, was that difficult?"

"No," she said calmly. Her voice was steady and peaceful. 

"Well, that was meditation.”

"That was meditation."

Return to the basics.

Meditation is not complicated.

It's not about achieving a state of emptiness or silencing the mind. It’s about recognizing that true stillness is already present, as a quiet foundation beneath the surface of your thoughts.

The more we try to control our minds, the further away from stillness we get.


Remember, if it is complex, it's not meditation, it's thinking.

Simply stop all psychological trying. Return to the basics.

Returning to the simplicity of noticing what is, without adding layers of analysis or interpretation.

We often seek elaborate techniques and complex rituals to find peace, believing that a special method will reveal the secret to peace. But what if the key isn't hidden in some idea?

What if it’s right here, within us, as a simple experience of the present moment, free from the confusion of our thoughts and emotions?

It's like we are trying to find a clear path through a dense forest by running around desperately.

But what if, instead, we stopped moving and observed the forest around us?

The path would become secondary, the forest and the greenery, and the bird sounds and the gentle breeze would become primary.

Return to the basics. When your mind starts its commentary, gently redirect your attention to a simple sensation – the rise and fall of your breath, the contact of your feet on the ground. No need to strive for anything; just notice what is.


When you find what is, you'll realize something special.

That what is, is always enough.

Your Practice

Here are 3 simple steps to cultivate this stillness in your daily life:

1. Body Scan Meditation: Set aside just 5 minutes each day to gently scan your body, noticing sensations without judgment. Start at your toes and slowly move upwards, acknowledging any feelings that arise. Ideally, do it right after waking up in the morning. Instead of your phone, look at your body.

2. Mindful Walking: During your next walk, pay close attention to the sensation of your feet making contact with the ground. Feel the weight shifting from heel to toe, and notice any tension in your body. Take 2 mins to walk the distance that takes you 2 seconds.

3. Sound Focus: Choose a single sound. The sound of a person talking, a song playing, the sound of wind chimes swaying in the breeze, or a lone bird singing its song. Focus all your attention on it. Lose yourself. For then you may find yourself.