Meditation has been described as ‘no-mind’ or ‘not-thinking’. It is a stilling of the mind for a sustained period. In essence this is achieved, at least initially, by concentrating on one thing - a word, a symbol, an action such as breathing - so that everything else fails away. This is called the ‘one-pointed mind’ and it is, in fact, quite difficult to accomplish.

That is why, over millennia, practitioners have developed tried and tested techniques to create this state.

Mastering meditation can sometimes feel like coming home. You feel as if you have simply rediscovered something that has always been there. The door into the tranquility that you know is already within you has been opened.

This feeling of recall or ‘coming home’ is because, undoubtedly, you have entered the meditative part of your mind on numerous occasions. For example, skiing down a tricky slope, climbing a rock face, even a hard game of squash, can bring on a meditative state.

Repetitive yet absorbing tasks such as knitting, chopping wood or kneading bread also have the effect of relaxing the body and focusing the mind. People who work with their hands, such as craftsmen or manual laborers, are often, unknowingly, good at meditation.

You may even experience meditation on your commute to work as you sit still in the hectic peak of rush hour, or perhaps when you cook dinner as you concentrate on getting the right consistency for a sauce. You may have lost yourself in a sunset or a gorgeous work of art, simply absorbing the colors. Playing or listening to music can also induce a meditative state.

In particular, any creative activity, if you have completely surrendered to the flow of it, can be very meditative. For example, if you are a painter, a musician or a composer you will know that in the midst of creation, you are not thinking, but the work is simply flowing through you. Allowing this to happen can be quite a challenge, which is why meditating before sitting down to do such work can be very helpful.

However, resting the mind for 20 minutes or more at a time is actually quite difficult. Your mind does not like to be switched off; it will constantly interrupt your meditation, demanding your attention. Most of the time we just can’t sustain the required sense of being meditation comes in.