For myself, I find that (1) simplifying my life, getting rid of the unnecessary, unproductive, dysfunctional clutter and waste (by practising some form of minimalism -- Google it), then (2) retreating into solitude, doing a digital detox, (3) silencing my devices (which is also a form of fasting), (4) practising physical fasting from solid and liquid food (or other, consumer and/or habitual addictions), and (5) then studying Scripture (as Scripture itself suggests) or recent events in my life, or my dreams, or life in general... all of these form the preparation for effective (6) meditation, and (7) prayer.

A word of caution regarding fasting, though... Don't break a physical fast from food with a heavy meal. It is not good for the stomach. Rather start with some fruit, and non-caffeinated tea. "Moderation in all things." Don't overdo it. You could experience some detox headaches, and fasting often makes people cranky and irritable. Meditate upon the irritability. You might be surprised at what it reveals...

Explorational ...walkwherewaterwould... for finding a spot for meditation does not necessarily remove the clutter from my life, but removes me from the clutter, at least temporarily, with the possibility of solitude and silence on a solo walk, or in a small group. Physical fasting can be effective, but, on a hike, always pack some sustenance for our good friend Justin Case. Taking Scripture along, could be a good idea, but, for myself, I need at least some paper and a pencil as well, to help organise my thoughts, meditations and realisations. Prayer... will happen naturally, if it needs to, and sometimes even in forms which might generally not be recognised these days as such anymore.

Also, don't forget to take enough time along on the walk as well. Take the day. A whole day should be a good beginning. ...and start earlier, rather than later. ...But you don't have to stay the whole day, though. You'll know when you've learned what you came to learn, and when you're ready to go home again. ...And if you don't find the answers in the forest or on the mountain, don't be discouraged... Very often they're waiting for you when you get back home again.

Once I find the spot, I look for a comfortable place to sit down, and then I do some relaxation and breathing exercises.

Breathe, deeply. For myself, I find that in and out through my nose, and holding the exhale until I need to take another breath again, is most effective. Focus on the rhythm: in... and out... and hold... and in... and out... and hold...

Did you just breathe a little bit more deeply than usual?... Gotcha! ;)

Then relax every muscle in your body, from the top down. Close your eyes, if it helps. You'll be surprised how much tension there is contained in muscles you weren't even aware of: scalp, forehead, eye brows (don't frown), eye lids, eye muscles (those inside, used to turn your eyeballs to look in different directions -- as well as those even deeper inside used for focusing), ears, lips (don't smile either), jaw, neck, throat, shoulders, arms, elbows, wrists, hands, fingers, chest, abs, back, glutes, legs, knees, ankles, feet, toes... Is your scalp still relaxed? Start from the top, and check again. Redo, until everything is relaxed. Don't forget your breathing. ...And again. ... Sometimes, it helps to over-tense the specific muscle (group) first, in order to realise what relaxation feels like.

You know a yawn that doesn't really...? Well, after a few breaths like this, I become aware that it doesn't really either. ...And I begin to want it to. Keeping at it long enough, though, after a few minutes, a breath suddenly happens that ... slips over. ... You'll know when it does. It's very satisfying. ...as if everything has returned to the way it should be...

When I do this, there's a thing that happens which I call the "cold fire"... It generally starts from the top of my head, and then washes down in waves over my back. Just thinking about it now, already ... (fill in the blanks) You'll know it when it happens.

As you do this, you could also imagine how the light starts filling your being from the top down, each muscle group becoming increasingly more radiant as you become increasingly more relaxed, balanced, centred, grounded... In... and out... and hold...

Apparently, with some regular practice, it is possible to achieve immediate relaxation with a single breath, or just by thinking about it. ...But that takes some practice.

Then see in your mind how the light focuses and concentrates on the single idea which you would like to contemplate in your meditations. Look at the thoughts and emotions associated with the situation upon which you are meditating, but look as an objective, dispassionate, outside observer. Look at it as if it's got nothing to do with you. There's no need to do anything about it right now, just look... and think about it... give it time... wait... You'll know it when it happens.

Another exercise that goes nicely with all of this, is doodling. You'll need some clean, unruled paper and a pencil. An eraser is not generally recommended, but use your own discretion. It's difficult to describe how to doodle, and everyone does it differently, but the general idea is to try not to draw anything concretely and physically recognisable from the world out there. Rather try to capture the essence of a perceived emotion or feeling from within, and then embroider on that, extend it, shade it, colour it, play around with it... and be open to discover a pleasant, new surprise...

There are no guarantees, though, that you will necessarily become aware of any new breakthrough-realisations regarding the idea upon which you're meditating; what it is, how it works, and/or what you need to do about and/or with it. However, the chances are now probably better for such realisations than had you not come out today to find the spot in the forest to relax and meditate. If nothing happens, that's OK. This isn't like hiking where you absolutely have to reach your destination before your self-imposed deadline. You can always come back next weekend, and do it again. That is, if the realisation doesn't pleasantly surprise you, when you least expect it, somewhere along the way -- even before next weekend already...

As a beginning exercise, in case you wonder upon what to meditate, you could meditate upon meditation itself. It's called meta-meditation. Study the verses referenced here above, and then... go do it. Our own lives, situations and experiences are also often good indicators of what would be advantageous for us to meditate upon.

However, chances are that no-one else will understand the profundity of your meditative realisations. The best anyone could probably hope for in sharing their meditative experiences is to meet someone else who has also had similar, but not identical, experiences. They will probably not be able to resonate with you exactly in your realisation, but they might be able to agree with you about the general experience of what it's like to discover, suddenly and unexpectedly, in a previously dark and confused situation, a new clarity and understanding regarding what to do and how to do it, the existence of which awareness and realisation you might not even have dreamed of yet...

Feel free to contact me if you want to talk about this some more. We can go ...walkwherewaterwould... find a spot, sit down, chat a bit, and listen... We could even have that meditation picnic I mentioned earlier, doing the fasting thing from after lunch the day before. Then, afterwards, when we've realised what we came to learn, we can celebrate the discipline by breaking the fast with a light, communal meal of sharing. It's a beautiful thing...

The first video here below gives some background context for some fasting and meditation that Chase Tucker did in the Montserrat mountains near Barcelona, in Catalonia, Spain -- some of which he filmed in the second video. His experience seems to be very similar to what I try to describe here above. ... Perhaps it might resonate with you as well.