The practice of neditation has always had a certain draw to me. The Yogi's of India say that to focus on the breath is to open yourself to life. Mostly, I'm drawn to it because I spend much of my time in a highly kinetic and energetic state. I am always looking for ways to mellow out without hitting a bottle or a pipe.
The meditation aspect of Buddhism is a very simple one, or very complex depending on the actual practice chosen. I am in the process of designing my own Meditation Rosary based on the Buddhist 8-fold path and the "Samurai Prayer" found below.
I have no parents: I make the heavens and earth my Parents.
I have no home: I make awareness my home.
I have no life or death: I make the tides of breathing my life and death
I have no divine power: I make honesty my divine power.
I have no means: I make understanding my means
I have no magic secrets: I make character my magic secret.
I have no body: I make endurance my body
I have no eyes: I make the flash of lightning my eyes
I have no ears: I make sensibility my ears
I have no limbs: I make promptness my limbs
I have no strategy: I make "Unshadowed by thought" my strategy
I have no designs: I make "seizing opportunity by the forelock" my design
I have no miracles: I make "Right Action" my miracles
I have no principles: I make adaptability to all circumstances my principles
I have no tactics: I make emptiness and fullness my tactics
I have no talents: I make ready wite my talent
I have no friends: I make my mind my friend
I have no enemy: I make carelessness my enemy
I have no armor: I make benevolence and rightousness my armor.
I have no castle: I make immovable mind my castle
I have no sword: I make absence of self my sword.