I have been meditating on and off for the last 5-6 years. When I started I had no idea what I was doing. I found so many different types of meditation in texts and online which can be overwhelming. I just decided to dive in and see what happened. I found that most of what I found in texts was to follow the breath if my mind started to wander and to slow down my breathing to 5-6 seconds per in breath and per out breath. This seemed like an easy and good place to start. I did this every night in the beginning for about an hour right at bedtime while also listening to binaural beats that brought my brainwaves down through the states of alpha, theta, then to delta (deep sleep).
My brain was really keen on trying to distract me anyway that it could, but I knew this was a practice. I would bring my attention back to my breath anytime I noticed it wandered and I was determined to keep practicing and not give up. I did this for months. I still had questions whether I was doing it correctly and I still had doubts about my practice. One day after months of practice I noticed that my practice had really paid off. My mind was no longer all over the place during the day, I was a happier person, I was even more calm and centered than ever before, and I started eating better (this was something I had envisioned as I was meditating and it started to happen naturally in my waking life). It had worked so well that I actually went off medication for ADD (this was my primary goal for starting the practice in the first place). Even without a consistent practice over the years, these were lasting effects.
So, without really knowing what I was doing and also having doubts of if I was doing it correctly I still had tremendous benefits from directing my attention from my senses and going within. I continued to look for new or different ways of meditating that worked for me. Some meditations I just found difficult and didn't want to put forth the amount of effort that they required i.e. getting up at 4AM and doing complex breathing techniques. I'm sure they work, but that wasn't for me. I like what I call "life hacks" which are relatively easy and efficient ways of getting maximized results. That doesn't always apply to everything in life, but I certainly try to find better ways that get me closer to that goal.
I met Dawson Church, the creator of EFT Universe, back in 2016 at a week long retreat just 2 weeks after he had lost everything in a California fire. I was amazing how joyous, loving, and vibrant this man was after losing all of his possessions. He seemed to be thriving despite a very traumatic life event. He has pioneered a way of meditating by taking several techniques that are backed by science and merging them together to create an incredibly effective way of meditating. The beauty of this: the meditation is only 15 minutes long. He takes one of my favorite ways to meditate studied by the HeartMath Institute, briefly adds EFT tapping on acupressure points, hypnosis, and other proven scientific techniques together that really create a powerhouse meditation that you can feel after only a few minutes in the meditation. For me, I feel the effects every time. This is the best meditation I have come across to date to get me into a blissful state.
Dawson shares this meditation for free on his website: https://www.eftuniverse.com/meditations3
I am currently listening to on audiobook his latest book, Bliss Brain, and I highly recommend it even though I'm only halfway through the book (you also get 8 meditations and additional information with the book as well). It answers a bunch of questions that new (and seasoned) meditators have as well adds science and practical experience to give you a well rounded picture of how this works, why this works, and how you can use it daily. I can say I am almost addicted to meditating now. Who doesn't want to feel blissful in a very short amount of time while reaping the benefits of having what he calls "Bliss Brain" all day long?!