To many people "yoga" is synonymous with meditation. The word produces the image of these solemn monks sitting cross-legged on a hilltop being all zen with the universe. Yeah, yeah, inshallah.

Yoga isn't (only) that. Particularly, the strand of yoga I practice—"vinyasa"—is very physical, with a heavy focus on asanas and matching movement with breath. It's very demanding, often resembling some extreme form of acrobatics. (I also like to throw in calisthenics-type exercises when I build my yoga classes, so that makes it even more gymnastics-like #856250)

But in the yogic tradition is also meditation: using breath and conscious contemplation to quiet your mind and get the whole self aligned—body, soul, mind.

Anyway, there's a very simple meditative exercise I try to do ideally every day (but realistically, about ~3 times a week). It's so simple that any idiot can manage it:

...and, then just breathe.

For extra bonus points: don't think about your day or what's for dinner, or what Karen(!) at the office said about whatever. Breathe deeply; in and out, and there's nothing else that has to happen.

There's nothing special about this song (pick another if you like) but I associate it with meditation practice now. It's an appropriate length, it's nice and rhythmic to listen to, the chanting in the middle matches perfectly a full inhale or exhale for me—and there's something magical resonating with my whole body at the end portion, I dunno maybe the voice or volume etc that just perfectly calms me down and makes me all gooey.

Anyway, easy-af meditative practice that you don't even have to think of as "meditation."

You're welcome