This is a good meditation for those who are better suited to contemplation than counting their breaths. While inspiration can come from anywhere, in this meditation we use the written word.

• Find a short section of text that you can resonate with, a page or so, from a work that's religious or philosophical or poetic. Choose something that you sort-of 'get' but want to delve into more deeply. It needs to be rich enough to give you something that will keep your attention through the meditation. Don't be afraid to dust off an old book that you found interesting years ago. It might have something more or different to tell you now.
• Find a quiet spot and give yourself 10 to 20 minutes or so of uninterrupted time.
• Read the text once. Then pause and reflect on it. Keep an open heart and mind. Be curious about it. What might it be saying to you today? See how you might apply it to your life. Consider its importance. Don't push for answers or insight. Instead, just relax and be curious. It may have more to tell you today and it may not. Trust that when you need more, it'll be there for you.
• Read it again.

When you get used to this meditation, you may be able to do this in places that are not so quiet - waiting for a bus, as a passenger in a car, or even when you have been delayed. Keep a small book handy for times when you want balance or refuge.

Some like to start the day with a few minutes of inspirational reading. While it deepens life in the reading, you may find that a morning reading on 'belonging' may come to mind when faced with being left out of something later in the day.

Others like to end their day with a few minutes of inspirational reading. A warm passage read just before turning out the lights can bring sweet dreams, and open you to insight while your mind is at rest.

There are no right or wrong ways to do a meditation. The instructions are guidelines; adapt them to who you are and to your needs at that particular time. Be curious about the process itself.

Remember most meditations become richer the more you practice them. They reveal more of themselves. It can take practice to remember to do a meditation when you need to, and it can take practice to go through the steps. But that's why it is called practice, and for most of us, we practice for the rest of our lives.