I am a registered meditation teacher and have been meditating for 3 years.

Along the way, I have done all sorts of things to try to get better:

• I used dozens of meditation apps like Headspace, Calm, Waking Up, 10% Happier, Insight Timer, Sadhguru, Balance, and many more. You name it.

• I read many books on mindfulness, like The Power of Now, Think Like a Monk, and The Autobiography of a Yogi.

• I also heard 100s of hours of podcasts like 10% Happier by Dan Harris, On Purpose by Jay Shetty, Tara Brach, and many others.

• I even attended multiple meditation retreats across Australia and India.

And all of these things helped me progress on my mindfulness journey.

But if I had to start all over again (as a beginner), this is the simple framework I wish I had for learning how to meditate:

Step 1: Steady the body

Yoga asanas like Surya Namaskar (Sun Salutation) are a great way to prepare the body to sit still in meditation.

Step 2: Work with your energy

Pranayama (breathwork), like Nadi Shodhan (alternate nostril breathing), balances and raises your pranic energy (life force) to still the body and mind.

Step 3: Use sounds and vibrations

Chanting mantras (sound vibrations) like AUM is a great way to calm and focus the mind without worrying about the presence of thoughts.

When you're first starting, stilling the mind could be a challenge.

With this approach, you are not working with the mind to meditate. Instead, working with the body, energy, and vibrations is more effective in making the mind meditative. Anyone can use this approach to deepen their experience. 

I have personally benefited a lot from this approach. Let me know how you go.