Often the difficulty we have in trying to meditate is when we are attempting to concentrate on not concentrating on anything at all. It’s a conundrum that leads us in circles. It can be especially frustrating when it’s our restless “monkey mind” that we are trying to relax in the first place.

Thankfully, sometimes in life things can be a lot simpler than we think. And meditation is one of those things.

Calming the monkey mind

As Tibetan Buddhist master Mingyur Rinpoche explains, instead of trying hard to focus on getting rid of all your mental chatter, all you have to do is to give your monkey mind one simple job…focus on breathing:

What’s equally as helpful to know is that you don’t have to be in sacred spaces or attend any special classes to meditate. You can meditate just about anytime, anywhere, for as little time as you want.

So take a breath, and relax, even for a few moments if that’s all you can spare. It can really provide some rest to your mind that it so very well needs and deserves, and in turn improve your overall happiness.