lol, herding cats. Yes!  That's precisely it.  I need to really concentrate on the breathing.  I am a nervous, mental (take that as you will!   ) person and I get so worked up when I try to do this. I know it is mind over matter and control, but it's a difficult thing for me to achieve.  I will work on it more though.  I am trying to do this on my own because it takes so much money to find someone to help you learn this through instructors and experts.  (If I knew how to do these things, I would like to believe I would help people without charging for my knowledge...I know people must make their livings from this, but the people most in need, often don't have the money to pay for this knowledge and interaction.)  

Plus, I learn things better on my own.     Thank you, Prof. Akers for responding to my post.  

Do the breathing until it becomes part of you.
he tricky part is next - are you a moving meditator or a seated meditator - people assume you have to sit - untrue.
I started at the Buddhist monastery and the seated meditation was hell!!!
They used to come round and hit you with a paddle shaped stick - to make sure you were awake. My trouble was about the guy holding the paddle - it came between me and the meditation, it became personal.
Try sitting and breathing - don't worry about thinking - just sit and let the thoughts come as they will.
Then try moving and breathing - same thing about the thoughts.
Which suits your nature?

I agree with Prof. Akers
I remember a spiritual guru mentioning that the inhalation should be such, as that of a new born child and the exhalation should be that of a human breathing his last.
In fact, when one breathes in, it should reach the navel, that's how deep the inhalation should be

Prof. Akers,

I can't imagine that after being hit with a paddle that one would be able to meditate.  Your story reminded me of Catholic grade school where the nuns would smack you for multiple reasons .

You had to get up at some unearthly hour and start your meditation (usually chanting one of the sutras) because it was so easy to drift off to sleep they smacked you, not an easy thing to take being an angry little sod and that anger drove me away. I aways say I'll take the saffron robe when i want to go into the hills but now I'm older I'm not so sure I could do it, I feel inside I want to but I'm still very tied to this existance.