How do I start a meditation practice when my mind won't stop racing?

The racing mind isn't a problem to solve—it's the very thing that brings you to the cushion. I've found that most people expect meditation to quiet the mind immediately, like turning down a radio. But that's not how it works. Your thoughts are like clouds passing through an open sky. The practice isn't stopping them; it's noticing them without getting caught in their story. Start small. Five minutes, maybe less. Pick one anchor—your breath, a word, a phrase that matters to you. When your mind wanders—and it will, constantly—that moment of noticing is the whole practice. That's the return. That's the work. The ache you feel, that restlessness driving the racing thoughts? That's actually your longing speaking. It's trying to tell you something. Don't fight it. Sit with it. Let the meditation be a conversation with that longing, not a war against it. Over time, you're not quieting the mind so much as befriending it, learning its language. Try this: meditate at the same time each day, even if just for three minutes. Make it a small covenant with yourself. The consistency matters more than the duration.