A Regular Practice

The benefits of meditation and mindfulness accumulate over time with regular practice.  Setting aside time even 10 or 15 minutes, with a goal perhaps of 30 minutes first thing in the morning is optimal.  Many of the informal practices can be done throughout the day.  One way to start is to commit to meditating with a practice that appeals to you every day for a period of two weeks, and see how it goes.  Finding other like-minded individuals to meditate with is also a powerful way to cultivate and maintain a meditation practice.

Posture is also important for formal practices.  That is, sit in a dignified manner with back and neck and head aligned in a straight line, but not rigidly so, hands relaxing on your lap, and eyes gently closed.  You may prefer to sit in a chair, on the floor or a cushion with legs crossed, or lying down.