Get used to DOING NOTHING, just being with yourself. It can feel strange to just sit there and be in your own body, not distracting yourself from anything.

Until recently, human beings had a lot of just nothing time. There was nothing to do or watch most of the time. If you were walking for an hour to your friend's house, there was nothing to do but walk and look around. If you were waiting for someone, there was nothing to do but wait. Now whenever there is a semi-quiet moment, we reach for our phones, even if we are driving. There is an epidemic of distractedness. Even when we call a friend, they might be multi-tasking, scrolling through screens while talking. The whole culture is toxic with information that is designed to irritate and enrage. Just being in an ordinary conversation can be like talking to someone who is on drugs and having a bad trip. This is by design — for the price of one tank, or fighter aircraft, a government can insert cunning propaganda videos into the feeds of a hundred million people, and this is known to influence votes.

So it can feel odd to just be here and tolerate the sensations of being in your body, in your heart.

You might have a timer visible, and give it 60 seconds.

Also, whenever you find yourself making an effort during meditation, shift into doing nothing mode.