The man who brought us great artists like the Beastie Boys, Run DMC, LL Cool J among others through his record Label Def Jam Records, contributes his success to Meditation, which he has subscribed to for over 20 years.

"The first, most important thing about meditation is happiness. You become a happier person when you meditate," he says. With the launch of his new app, Meditation Made Simple  (a companion to his best-selling book, Success Through Stillness) Simmons is sharing his straightforward, no-nonsense take on the practice, which he first adopted in yoga class, and later infused with principles from Transcendental Meditation, a mind-focused style he learned of at a school in South Africa. It's an unorthodox method from a man who knows how to innovate. Here are some pointers he offered to get started. 

Simmons has been a fan of Affirmats Yoga Mats since it's inception and he has taught us some things about meditation.  Many of us give excuses about not having enough time to meditate.

Russell says, "Make the Time." If you feel like you've got no time to meditate in your busy schedule, Simmons suggests you re-evaluate your priorities. "If you don't have 20 minutes, you need two hours," he says. "Everyone should re-boot their brain every day." That's because maintaining your mind should have equal importance as taking care of your career, body, home, and money. He recommends the morning as the best time to do it, and suggests in his book that you get creative about where to meditate if you don't think you have a quiet spot: Try the car, a stairwell, or a hallway.

Affirmats recommends Simmons' Meditation Made Simple app to learn all about how and why to meditate.  It changed our lives and I know it will change yours.

And don't forget to visit his Brand New Yoga Studio if you are in the Los Angeles area: Tantris Center for Yogic Science.