Clear your mind and try not to think of anything. Relax and slowly count to 20. What are you thinking? If you followed the instructions, the answer should be nothing. Try again, this time for 50 minutes. Easier said than done.

For those whose minds never stop, meditation may be the answer. Several resources are available at Iowa State for anyone interested in learning meditation.

There are an infinite number of ways to meditate, each focusing on a different aspect. Any person can meditate; it depends on how he or she uses it, said Jimmy Betts, president of Dragon Arts — a student group that teaches traditional Chinese martial arts.

In modern society, people are always moving around. “Our mind doesn’t shut up,” he said. “We’re distracted even when we’re sleeping.”

Meditation is a way to relax the mind, body and spirit. On the physical level, the body relaxes, but the mental level allows people to reach deeper aspects of the mind — to make an inner observation, said Betts, sophomore in computer engineering.

“[Meditation] gives people a chance to intentionally slow down and not be caught up in work or study or school but have time to deeply rest,” said Brian Eslinger, minister at the Unitarian Universalist Fellowship of Ames, 1015 N. Hyland Ave. The fellowship also has a group that practices a Zen-style of meditation. The group meets at 7 a.m. Tuesday and Thursday at the Fellowship.

The Ames Karma Kagyu Study Group is another student organization that utilizes meditation. Kagyu is a type of Tibetan Buddhism, which is one of the four major schools of Buddhism preserved and practiced in Tibet. The student group meets at 9 a.m. Sundays to practice both a chanted and silent meditation before studying Buddhist teachings.

“Basic meditation is good for anyone,” said Tim Mullaney, Karma Kagyu Study Group coordinator.

Meditation does not challenge other faiths; it calms the body and mind, teaches patience and makes the mind more precise, he said.

“It helps [those who meditate] to be better people,” Mullaney said.

People like to learn how to meditate, Mullaney said.

Many come to the formal sessions of meditation and then go off on their own; others have more of a connection between meditation and the practice of Buddhism.

Mullaney spent 14 years meditating before he committed to the Buddhist religion.

“Like any relationship, you get out what you give,” Mullaney said.

Cky Ready, president of the Karma Kagyu Study Group, took refuge — the first step in committing to Buddhism — two years ago. He was drawn to the faith because he, too, wanted to learn how to meditate.

“You don’t realize how little control [over your mind] you have until you try not to think,” said Ready, graduate student in community and regional planning.

Meditation has taught Ready how to control his life. “I used to be more angry and aggressive,” he said.

There are other benefits besides anger and aggression management.

Kathleen Spencer, stress management counselor for the ISU Wellness Center, said she recommends meditation as a stress reduction technique. Breathing exercises, guided imagery and progressive muscle relaxation — all parts of meditation — have both physiological and psychological benefits, she said.

Physiological benefits include decreases in heart rate, blood pressure, oxygen consumption and metabolic rate as well as increases in blood circulation. Psychological effects include decreased anxiety and self-criticism.

Meditation can also increase alertness, energy and productivity, said Spencer, graduate student in psychology.