I had been practicing meditation for several years by the time I became a chiropractor. As someone who grew up in New York City and absorbed its fast-paced rhythms, I benefited greatly from having a daily practice in which I learned to sit still and enter a calm state. Having seen the positive effects of this practice in my own life, I shared it with patients when I felt it would be helpful.

In a society as diverse as the United States, it’s essential to use a method that is appropriate and acceptable for patients of all backgrounds. Because many meditation methods grew out of religious and spiritual traditions, I consider it essential to use an approach that is not specifically Buddhist, Hindu, Muslim, Jewish or Christian. The last thing a stressed-out patient needs is to be pressured by his or her doctor to practice a method that seems, or is, contrary to his or her faith tradition.

Fortunately, thanks to the work of pioneers like Drs. Herbert Benson and James Gordon, a non-ideological, non-sectarian method exists, in the form of the Relaxation Response. As Dr. Benson notes, there is not a single set of directions for how to elicit the relaxation response. The point is to use some method that gets you to the desired state.

Here’s the way I’ve described one good method to countless patients over the years, adapted from what I read years ago in Dr. Benson’s landmark book, The Relaxation Response.

• Sit in a comfortable position, eyes closed, with your back fairly straight but not rigid. If you’re sitting in a chair, your feet should be flat on the floor. It’s also fine to sit cross-legged.

• Relax your body. You might start by relaxing your feet and gradually working your way up to your head.

• Breathe comfortably (don’t try to breathe deeply or quickly) for half a minute or so to get into a comfortable rhythm.

• Say a word or phrase silently to yourself several times. In Benson’s first studies at Harvard, they used the word “One.” If something else feels right to you, use that, but be sure to keep it brief. A word or a phrase is the right length, not a paragraph.

• After saying it silently several times, stop saying it, and “enter the silence.” Continue for 10-20 minutes. At certain points, you will realize that your mind has wandered off and, although you planned to be meditating, your mind is immersed in internal chatter about what to cook for dinner, what a co-worker did to you yesterday, worries about your children, etc. When this happens, it does not mean you have failed at meditation. It means you should take this realization (whether it comes after 10 seconds of internal chatter, or 10 minutes) as your cue to say “One” again once or twice and re-enter the silence.

• Continue for 10 to 20 minutes. It’s all right to open your eyes to check the time, but don’t use an alarm. When you finish, sit quietly for several minutes, at first with your eyes closed and later with your eyes open. Wait a few minutes before standing up unless something urgent requires it.

• Your success at this meditative approach is measured by your willingness to sit still in this manner on a daily (or close to daily) basis. It is not based on your achieving a “lake without ripples” state or being immersed in golden light or hearing choirs of angels. If that happens, fine. But it’s not the goal. What we’re after may be less ambitious, but it’s much more achievable.