Why Meditate?

No one has ever plumbed the depths of either the conscious or the subjective life. In both directions we reach out to Infinity.
Ernest Holmes The Science of Mind

The most basic result of meditation is an altered state of consciousness.
Actually, this result is not difficult to achieve, as yout state of mind changes from moment to moment anyway. With meditation, however, there is a certain direction that the alteration is expected to take: muscles relax, emotional states become mote calm, the mind rests, blood pressure decreases, pulse rate declines, the eyes focus in a different way, breathing slows, and an awareness of sounds in the immediate environment may increase.

If you meditate for an extended period of time, you may become aware of the shifting angle of the sun coming in a window. Your awareness may extend to other people in the room, or to sounds outside the building. Some people have said they can tune in to the movement of the planet itself by lying still on the ground and looking up at the night sky.

If your only meditation goal is relaxation, you will meet a challenge. 
Yes, your muscles relax, your emotions become quiet, and your heart rate slows. You can achieve measurable stress reduction in this way. On the other hand, the chattel in your mind becomes more and more apparent as you become quiet. Also, after an extended period of sitting in a meditative posture, your muscles begin to rebel. You develop twitches, muscles begin to cramp if the posture is unusual, and you fidget. What is meant to be relaxing becomes uncomfortable—sometimes quite uncomfortable.

During extended meditation it is helpful to vary your technique. 
A period of sitting can be followed by a few minutes of walking to loosen up your muscles. You may think that ten minutes is a long time to sit still, and one minute of walking around is enough to flex and stretch. Often, people sit for forty-five to fifty minutes and walk for ten.

Meditation is not about how much time you put into it. 
Unless you live in a monastery or ashram, you probably don't have many hours each day to devote to meditation. However, you do have shorter periods of time available.

The following are some examples:
• After you come home from school or work and have prepared supper, use the fifteen to twenty minutes while your food is baking in the oven.
• When you are on a plane or train or bus.
• When you are getting a haircut.
• When you ate waiting for an appointment.
• When you are in the dentist's chair and waiting for the shot to take effect. (I know, this one will be a challenge for almost everybody!)
• When you are walking, running, or jogging.
• When you are painting, raking leaves, or doing other repetitive work.

By the same token, there are other times when your conscious attention needs to be given to what you are doing, and safety is an issue.
Examples include:
• Driving a car
• Weightlifting
• Boiling or frying food
• Using any sharp implements
• Caring for children
• Crossing streets or roads
• Handling breakable objects
• Attending a lecture or performance
• Walking up or down stairs
• Moving furniture

These lists are not exhaustive, but they show that you can find meditative moments in your daily life. You don't have to set aside hours of time. If you can, that may be helpful. If not, find short bits of time and make use of them each day. Meditation will help you become more clear and focused when you are engaged in those other activities that demand your conscious attention.