Taking 20 minutes out of your busy day to relax on quality Yoga mats could be a great way to unwind and let go of any stress that’s been forcing your muscles to tense up at work.

According to Stuart Bold of social enterprise the Meditation Foundation, focusing on your breathing is a skill that can be taken into everyday life to help you become more aware of your surroundings and release any pressure you’ve been feeling.

Types of meditation the expert recommends include mindfulness practices, eating meditation and even just quietly enjoying a walk.

"Once someone learns meditation, it becomes a marvellous foundation for bringing balance, clarity, awareness and calm to life generally - and this can be done as part of a modern life, in a variety of easy and practical ways."

Meditation may also have other benefits useful to those following a healthy living plan, as a collaboration between the organisation and the University of Manchester has recently been helping cardiac rehab patients and people diagnosed with diabetes.

"Meditation is superb for addressing and helping with cardiac health problems and is also highly beneficial in reducing the risk factors for cardiac disease, stroke and diabetes," added Mr Bold.

Meanwhile, Guardian writer Chris Cox has been taking tips from a meditation master in order to help him train better for an upcoming half-marathon.

The journalist reported that there is much similarity to be found in both the worlds of running and meditation, such as focusing on breathing patterns while staying attuned to the environment around you.

"Lots of runners report entering into ’Zen-like’ states during marathons. Even going for short runs helps many people to relax and let go of humdrum worries," Mr Cox commented.

Posted by Freya Harper