Meditation is so very different now when, while maintaining focus on the breath in the body, I also hold in mind the teachings of the Buddha: 4 Noble Truths, 3 Marks of Existence, 5 Hindrances, 7 Factors of Awakening.
No, not mentally repeating them, just knowing them by heart.
When I sit, I simply remember that:
- No pleasant thought will ever bring me fulfilment.
- No unpleasant thought will ever last.
Meditation is so different now from what it was in the past: just maintaining focus and almost mechanically bringing my attention back to the breathing whenever my mind went astray.
The joy of meditation is like falling and missing the earth.
Bad At Being Still 