Meditation comes in many forms and the process of adoption is different for different people. There is no one way to begin. You can start with mindful breathing. Using your breath as a place of concentration helps us to bring ourselves back to the present moment and be in the richness of the experience. It allows us to become more aware of our mind and observe how concentrated or all over the place our thoughts might be.
Mindful breathing can help in times of stress as it can help to calm the fight or flight part of our nervous system. Mindful breathing trains our minds to pause during times of overwhelm and allows our emotional brain a chance to refocus in an effort to make better decisions. Mindful breathing also helps with feelings of anxiety, fear, and impulsivity.
You can begin where you are. Ideally it would be nice to find a comfortable position/seat somewhere. The good thing about mindful breathing is that it rescues you when you are feeling high stress, and at these times we are not always seated comfortably. With that being said, there is no perfect place, as long as you are able to practice this and use it. However I would recommend that you practice it before you need it.
Here are a few tips to get you started.
1. Observe your body and relax. Allow your body to relax, experience any sensations I within, the connection with the floor or the chair. Relax any areas of tightness or tension (eyes, jaw, brow, shoulders, neck, chest, etc). Just breathe.
2. Bring attention to your breath. Connect with the natural flow of each inhale and exhale. Allow it to flow as it may without forcing it to be any different. Notice where you feel your breath in your body (nostrils, chest, stomach, shoulders, head) Feel each breath.
3. Release judgements related to your mind. You will likely have a thought or two or ten. It really just depends. This is all just fine. As you notice that your mind is wandering, thinking about things in life, tasks to complete, and issues to solve know that this is natural. Simply notice that it is happening and guide your attention back to your breath.
4. Allow yourself to stay here for five to ten minutes, or one or two. There are times when you can stay here longer and other times that you can not. It is fine. Practice when you can.
5. Show yourself gratitude. Acknowledge that you have done something to help yourself and that you have held space for yourself today.