I started practicing meditation 30 years ago at the same time as I started Aïkido.
Each Aïkido training start and end with 2 minutes of meditation.
When you practice meditation, you realize that you are not your ideas. Your ideas emerge in your mind without any voluntary action. You cannot stop them. Depending on what you ate yesterday and who you met, you do not have the same ideas.
So who are you really ?
You do not have to answer this question, but only to abandon duties imposed by social constructions.
Then you feel freer.
Zazen meditation insists on the importance of the posture. If you back is straight, you belly can easily help your body with a deep breath that is calming your mind.
Let your breathing find the rhythm that is needed.
In every days live, breathing is not under the control of our mind.
After several years of practice, you will realize that there few things under the control of your mind, so you better let it go.
During tense period, meditation will help you to relax. Deep breath relax your body.
Many masters can help you to practice meditation. Ilike to read Osho, Deepack Chopra or Eckart Tolle. I am listening Mooji and Gangaji on Youtube.
The Zen Master Taisen Deshimaru has said that the only way to help people is to teach them how to meditate. 25 years later, I agree with Taisen Deshimaru and start the telos ambassador serious game, because people prefer to play than to meditate.
Maintaining peace of mind is important, thanks for sharing your experience