Mindfulness meditation is becoming increasingly popular, with more and more people using it. Gary Flockhart finds out more.

What do Oprah Winfrey, Paul McCartney, Madonna, Nicole Kidman, Keanu Reeves and Hugh Jackman all have in common?

They are just some of the many celebrities who meditate as a way of dealing with stress and taking care of their mental health.

But this ancient practice is no longer the exclusive domain of A-listers, yogis, martial artists and those interested in Eastern philosophy – millions of ordinary folks are embracing it now.

In fact, mindfulness meditation has taken over from yoga as the fastest growing health trend in the country – and its popularity is expected to rise even more steeply in the coming years.

Paul Lambkin, from the

British Mindfulness Institute, explains more about the impact it can have on our lives: “If our mind is peaceful, we will be free from worries and mental discomfort, and so we will experience true happiness – but if our mind is not peaceful, we will find it very difficult to be happy, even if we are living in the very best conditions.”

Meditation can also help those suffering from anxiety, depression or chronic pain.

Paul explains more: “If we train in meditation, our mind will gradually become more and more peaceful, and we will experience a purer and purer form of happiness.

“Eventually, we will be able to stay happy all the time – even in the most difficult circumstances.”

By training in meditation, Paul says we create an inner space and clarity that enables us to control our mind regardless of the external circumstances.

“Gradually we develop mental equilibrium, a balanced mind that is happy all the time, rather than an unbalanced mind that oscillates between the extremes of excitement and despondency,” he adds.

Meditation is practised by the five main religions – Hinduism, Buddhism, Judaism, Christianity and Islam – but while its origins lie in ancient times, its rise to mainstream culture has turned it into the latest trendy fad.

There are countless apps, expensive workshops and pointless accessories available to buy – but Paul insists that meditation should be free to practice.

Here he explains how to meditate – and it won’t cost you a penny:

Find a posture (lying down, or sitting upright)

Begin to focus on your breathing. In your mind’s eye, imagine that each time you breathe in, a ball is rising in your tummy and as you breathe out, the ball is falling.

As you do this, thoughts and bodily sensations will enter your mind. See these thoughts or sensations as mere clouds passing overhead. Label them – for example “there is the row I had with my girlfriend” and go back to your breathing. Congratulate yourself on recognising the thought as it comes in, label it and go back to your breathing, but do not get caught up in the story behind it as this is what causes the suffering.

Continue on doing this for about five minutes and then build it up gradually to about 15 mins a day.