Whenever I introduce someone new to mediation, they always look at me a bit quizzically. Not sure if I am being serious or wondering how I have hidden my woo-woo tendencies so well. Expecting me to suggest they go and sit in a cave for a week or buy some new orange robes.

You see, the vast majority of people seem to think that meditation involves sitting crossed legged on the floor, humming to yourself, or other such tropes seem to be very widespread. When in fact it is the simplest, humblest practice you can do, just sitting and paying attention to only your breath.

It seems bizarre the first time you try out a guided mediation, and you can’t concentrate on your breathing for more than a few moments. Utterly humbling, a bit of a shock, and I wonder how many people will give up here because they think this is failing. However, that is part of the process of mediation — a bicep curl for the mind.

There is no woo-woo, no magic and no new technology involved. One of the oldest and simplest practices in the world will teach you more about yourself than anything else, and it requires absolutely no outlay.