...a bit more on Meditation

I've been studying more of the meditation techniques, as described through the e-newsletters I receive from The Meditation Expert. I admit, I am a novice at this - it takes a lot of work and concentration to empty the mind of all thoughts (we've all seen, I'm sure, the funny commercials of Ellen DeGeneres attempting to meditate) to just breathe deeply and... be, for however long at a time. It does help to concentrate on the breathing - sort of like when a woman is focusing on her breathing when in labor (which I did during natural childbirth!)... You are just focusing on each breath, each inhalation, each exhalation. Slowly. Slowly. It's interesting how... relaxed one becomes during this practice. No thoughts. Just breathing.
I do like to have a complementary music CD playing simultaneously - whether or not it's actually distracting... I don't think so. I have several favorites, among them "Anjali" by Michael Mandrell and Benji Wertheimer, "Still Chillin'" by Gabrielle Roth, and, of course "Music as Medicine" by Nawang Khechog & R. Carlos Nakai (you can find this one at CD Universe, by the way). "Kismet" by Aurah is another good one. I also just love the music by Larisa Stow & the Shakti Tribe - I find her music more exciting and prayerful than meditative, though.
...to continue...
I persist with the meditation practice, always looking (hoping) for a follow-through of those generated feelings of well-being that is the result of each "session". I think that the particular essential oil blends that I assemble and utilize during these meditations have their effect on me, my emotive state, as well. I come away feeling more empowered, somehow... more hopeful regarding any given situation or circumstance that has been prayed about or meditated on - and, yes, I do sort of combine the prayer/meditation in a silent (for me, effective) manner... results come. Not always the results I would expect or hope for, admittedly, but always results in keeping with what I actually require - whether I am aware of that or not. Knowledge, understanding, always comes around.
I realise that I am such a novice, an infant, in this... I have read that it takes years to reach particular stages of meditative prowess - and I believe it. I believe one needs a teacher, a Master to guide through the basic steps of meditation, whether that be via one's religion or other resources such as The Meditation Expert, that I found and am so enthusiastic about. Perhaps one would read, study, practice with and through these guides and still come to one's own conclusions on technique and assists - such as incense and essential oils or complementary music such as that from Sounds True (where one can find those awesome sounds I mentioned above - "Music as Medicine", "Anjali", etc...) or even from independent online alternative music stations...
I am on such a path... how did I get here? I don't quite know. But, I happily continue...