Through this series with Townsend Draft Goods, Betsy shares simple, meaningful ways to bring meditation into everyday life.
If you’ve ever thought, “I can’t meditate—my mind never stops,” you’re not alone.
That was me, too. For most of my life, I lived in a constant state of anxiety. As a child, I thought it was normal to wake up for school already feeling a tightness in my chest. A test? Anxious. A family trip? Anxious. Even the happy moments had this hum of nervous energy underneath. I didn't know it wasn’t supposed to feel that way.
As I got older, I stayed busy—always in motion, doing anything I could to keep my anxiety at bay. I thought if I just kept going, I wouldn’t have to feel it. But here’s what I’ve learned:
Meditation isn’t about making the mind go quiet.
It’s not about forcing away thoughts, fixing yourself, or achieving instant calm.It’s about noticing what’s already happening—with loving kindness.
When I began meditating in 2018, I realized my mind wasn’t the problem. My mind was doing what minds do: thinking, predicting, worrying, planning. That’s its job. The gift of meditation is that it gives us the space to notice the thoughts without becoming them.
Instead of trying to silence my anxiety, I learned to sit with it. I began asking myself:
Is my heart racing?Are my shoulders tight?Is my mind jumping to the worst-case scenario—again?
And I didn’t judge myself for it. I just noticed. That’s the practice.
Meditation is coming home to yourself, one breath at a time.Some days, your mind may feel like a storm. Other days, a still lake. Neither is better. What matters is that you show up—and gently return to your breath when you wander.
Your breath is always there.
You don’t need anything else to begin.
If you're still reading, know this: you don’t need to have a “quiet mind” to meditate. You just need to be curious. Willing. Present, even for a moment. That’s more than enough.
In the next post, I’ll share how meditation became a turning point in my own healing—and how you can begin right where you are.
✨ About the Author
Betsy is a certified meditation teacher and career coach based in Southern California. She’s been practicing meditation since 2018 and became certified through the Davidji Master of Wisdom & Meditation Teacher Training Academy in 2024. With over 20 years of experience in career development, she also serves as an adjunct professor in the California State University system and is the co-founder of a veteran service organization.
Marcella Townsend
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Jun 15, 2025
