I don't know if anyone is still reading this thread but I'll reply anyway.
First, there are different kinds of meditation. Someone else pointed out that you can 'meditate' while sweeping a floor or petting an animal or anything. I try to do that when I wash dishes because I dislike that chore most of all. So I put on some nice music and I have dish soap that smells really good, and I focus on the sensation of the warm water as I'm washing, then the cool water as I rinse, and the motion of my hands.
This particular aspect is called mindfulness, and I think it would be particularly helpful to the original poster (Dustylady), and anyone who has trouble thinking about nothing. Completely clearing your mind is extremely difficult for most people, and I don't think it should be the goal of beginners. Instead, find one thing to focus your mind on. If you're doing dishes, just think about doing the dishes. Pay attention to how it feels to your hands, what your eyes are observing, the smell of the soap, the sound of the water splashing around, etc. Use your physical senses to stay in the moment. When we do this during meals, we digest much better. When we do it during work, we produce more accurate work. Simply "paying attention" is something we don't normally do. Our society is all about multi-tasking, getting more done in a shorter amount of time, rushing around. This makes for ineffecient workers and unhappy people all around. It affects our whole being - the health of our body, mind, and spirit.
If you're not physically doing anything, you could focus on sounds. Listen for all sounds around you. You might notice a clock ticking, or the refrigerator humming, or a dog barking in the distance, when before you were oblivious to these sounds. Just acknowledge each one, then move along. Don't attach judgments or anything to them ("that clock ticking means I'm wasting my time, I have so much to do!" or "man that dog is really annoying, doesn't its owner care?" and so on). Just acknowledge the sound itself and that's it.
Or with tactile mindfulness, hold onto something that has a particular feeling, whether it's a plush stuffed animal, or a cold smooth stone, or whatever. Think about the feeling of it in your hand, its shape, its texture, its weight, its temperature, its size.
I experience anxiety and depression. When I'm feeling stressed about something, I picture Jupiter. I think about this unfathomably giant planet moving along its orbit; a storm bigger than our whole planet is just a spot on the enormous globe of Jupiter. There is nothing else there, no people, no jobs, no politics, no romance troubles, no death, no illness, no poverty, none of the cares that might be troubling me that day. It's so removed from daily human concerns, yet it's real, it's actually out there right this very second, spinning around, heedless of our petty troubles. It helps me put things in perspective and calm down about whatever had me worked up.
And then you can try breathing mindfulness. You can count your breaths - one for inhale, two for exhale, three for inhale, four for exhale, and so on, up until ten. Then start at one again. You might get distracted and lose count, or you might forget to stop at ten and keep going, but if that happens, just acknowledge that it happened and then start at one again. Or you could count the length of your breaths. Try to make your exhale twice as long as your inhale. So inhale, counting to four, then exhale, counting to eight.
And this is important: breathe from your belly, not your chest. Your abdomen should expand outward when you inhale, and pull inward when you exhale. This is how babies and animals breathe, but in our society, we are taught to breathe differently. We suck in our stomachs to look thinner, and we breathe shallowly because we're always moving so fast. But if you sit still (or lie down, whatever is more comfortable for you) and breathe from your belly, full deep breaths, you will notice a big difference. More oxygen comes to your bloodstream and your brain, and you will feel more relaxed. You might feel a rhythm to your body, like the whole thing is pulsing as one being.
Which brings me to body mindfulness. This is especially useful if you are tense after a long day, or trying to go to sleep. Lie on your back, arms at your sides and out a little, legs straight, but limbs all loose and comfortable. Close your eyes and think about your toes relaxing. Then your feet, ankles, and so on, all the way up to your neck, head, and face. I'm always amazed to find my face is tense when I do this exercise. That's why we get all those worry lines! Think about your forehead and cheeks and mouth relaxing. As you move through each body part, you might consider sun-warmed sand on a beach. Imagine your body filled with that. Heavy, warm, comfortable. If there are any parts of your body that feel tense or painful, spend extra time on them, thinking about them relaxing with the rest of your body, as it is one whole entity, not separate parts.
And lastly, external aides. I don't have as much meditation music in my personal collection as I'd like, so I go to Pandora on my computer and select their "New Age Ambient" station. It's just soft, soothing sounds just about guaranteed to relax you. I also light a scented candle. I turn off the lights (I guess that's one good thing about living up north where it's dark so often). Sometimes I lay a light blanket over me because when I get into that alpha state as I near sleep, or in deep relaxation, I get chilly. Whatever is soothing and comfortable to aid you in meditation.
Namaste.
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"Do unto others as you would have them do unto you."
"Be the change you wish to see in the world."
"It is not our differences that divide us, but our inability to accept and celebrate those differences."
