Intro
When we sit in quiet solitude for meditation, are we expecting something? Are we hoping to be magically transported from our current situation, to a place that exists somewhere else? These maybe the thoughts that cross your thinking mind when initially beginning the practice of meditation. That ‘someplace else’ only exists in your mind and what we are trying to achieve is a state of no-mind/non-thinking.
Free yourself from the stories you’ve been told about how things should be and what you should be expecting. The practice of yoga is a deeply profound and personal experience. As teachers we are here to guide you, encourage you and be there to explain certain things. A teacher can only do it if they themselves have experienced what they are trying to teach. 
The Key
The key to meditation is simple, release, release, release.
•Release expectations
•Release the desire to find something, for what you are searching for is already there.
•Release control and let what is, be. Thoughts will come and go, feelings will rise and fall. You are are at the centre of it all.
Difficulties with meditation
The difficulties people find in meditation are of their own creation. “I can’t sit cross-legged”, “I’m too busy to meditate”. By saying you are this way or that way is likely true, for yourself. You believe these hindrances to be what you are, when meditation teaches us that we are not what we create. I too used to say these things. I felt that my mind was too busy, filled with thoughts to even sit still for a moment.
The Cure?
The cure, I thought, was to fill it with even more things. Those who meditate on a regular basis will understand that what you expose yourself to with inevitably pop up when you stop. Many people suffer with sleeping disorders. Why do we think this is? I believe it’s because we fail to pause, allow the mind to digest what we’ve witnessed and categorise our experiences. The only time we pause is when we close our eyes and try to sleep. Then our minds are racing because we’ve not stopped and given our minds the time to recalibrate and settle. Just like a car engine, if you continue to drive it without servicing it or giving it a rest, it will inevitably break down.
We are perfect
We are born perfect. We are in balance, fed with natures milk and present with the life and flow of the universe. Depending on our upbringing, we seem to lose this pretty quickly. We fill our bodies with chemicals, processed food and noise from the media. Thanks to this yoga teachers have a job. Though it is a job that needn’t exist. Most of us are aware of what sets us off balance and what makes our body-mind system unconnected, yet we continue in ignorance to make our lives polluted both inside and out. How can we expect to enter a state of meditation after drinking caffeine, watching violence or eating a heavy meal. The answer is obvious, we cannot.
Preparation for meditation
If you wish to create the best chances for you to really reset, rest the mind and body and enter a state of meditation, then preparation is key. A quiet space with no distraction. Early morning or evening when things have calmed down a little is best. Sit for meditation on an empty stomach and be with yourself.
Meditation techniques
My teacher used to say there are many paths to the top, but only one summit. What he meant by this is that you can use any yogic technique you wish to find Samadhi (an equanimous state of intellect). That said, by sticking to one path, you are likely to reach the peak sooner.
I practice Japa Meditation, a type of meditation technique that involves the repetition of a mantra/intention. For example you could repeat “I am present” or “I am here” or even use the universal mantra of OM, brining about balance to yourself and the environment around you. This is a technique I teach at my classes. I have fluxuated a little with my practices of meditation and have use Insight Timer to try different techniques, of which you will find on their website. Even though I have tried many techniques, I always come back to Japa Meditation.
Summary
Like many things in life, I believe the right approach is key to success. Dedicate a time and space for meditation and repeat on a daily basis. Don’t worry about the length of time, that will come. Each day make time and space for meditation. It has helped me wonders and I believe it can help others, this is why I run classes focused on meditation. The mind is a wild horse and it must be slowly drawn to a quiet space, or rather freed from habitual thinking. When the mind is free, you may experience the state of meditation. It is my hope and blessing that everyone becomes an enlightend being, so that we me once again live in balance with ourselves, others and nature.
EN_GB 
IT