Learn to meditate - Yoda style

There are apparently various positive effects of practicing mediation, with reported benefits being improved ability to concentrate, better awareness and focus. General outlook to life can also be improved it seems, with another reported benefit being a more positive outlook on life.

Think of meditation and you will probably think of monks and other very spiritual beings and religions. The great thing about meditation though is that it can be done almost anywhere, nor do you need to be a mystic or a monk to reap the benefits. Need a place to meditate? Your living room will do just fine!

Although there are many different approaches to meditation, the fundamental principles remain the same. The most important among these principles is that of removing obstructive, negative, and wandering thoughts and fantasies, and calming the mind with a deep sense of focus. This clears the mind of debris and prepares it for a higher quality of activity.

Your mind is probably taken up with negative thoughts and associations, anything from annoying neighbours, equally annoying colleagues to spam emails, all these are toxins to clear and meaningful thought. Cleansing your mind of these ‘toxins' allow your mind the space to focus on more constructive and pleasant thoughts.

To successfully meditate, you first need to be comfortable, in a position that you can truly relax in. The back should be straight, but not so much that you feel tension or tightness in the muscles. Never ever slouch or fall asleep, no matter how comfortable you are!

Following on from the importance of your position, your clothing should also be loose and comfortable – close or tight fitting clothes will only make it impossible to be relaxed and focused.

As we have said before, you can meditate anywhere but on the same hand it should be a place you are comfortable and associate with relaxation. Your living room or even bedroom is ideal. Make sure before you start that there's nothing in the room that you find irritating – straighten that picture or dust that windowsill before you start. Even rearrange the whole room if you feel it necessary! Some of the harder positions may require you to use a mat of some sort – you don't have to attempt these but some find it makes you feel more focused. If however you feel you need a challenge, why not?

Try not to feel silly. It may make you feel somewhat self conscious but humming gently and focusing on repetitive actions like noting each breath in and out are thought to heighten the effect of your meditation and even help to achieve a higher state of consciousness.

Pick a single thought or object, even if it's your Yucca plant on the windowsill to focus upon. Focus is the key here.

In your head, name every single part of your body, focusing all your energy and thought onto that particular area. This should give you a heightened awareness of any tension lurking in that particular part of you. Then, imagine yourself releasing this tension and really feel the tension leaving your muscles. This is one routine thought to really work miracles!

Considering that meditation is a relatively effortless practice (we are relaxing, after all) its benefits can be huge, and carry few if any risks

Is meditation a ‘science'? It is increasingly being thought to intrinsically change our physiology for the better, a thought backed up by medical studies which have confirmed it. It could be that in years to come meditation may itself become a ‘science' in its own right!