Let’s be honest, it is far easier said than done to find a still, serene place in which you can close your eyes and reconnect quietly and joyously with your spirit. For it is a crazy world in which we live, and we have far too many demands on our time as it is, so isn’t adding another thing to your to-do list going to have the opposite effect and add stress to your day?

I always thought so, which was why I loved the sound of meditation but loathed the actual practice. The ever present stream of thoughts in my mind are like over excitable monkeys leaping from vine to vine – I felt for sure the art of stopping this from happening meant I needed a power greater than I could ever possess.

Inspired by Oprah and Deepak Chopra I tried  – and I failed. Again, at another time I gave it a go. I tried  and I failed once more. Then I had a mental health crisis and it became excruciatingly crystal clear: there simply had to be more stillness and silence in my life. Without it I could not breathe.

It’s been such a revelation to finally be able to embrace the art of meditation. Accepting that I not only need, but deserve, a chance to be still and let hope and peace fill up my heart has made my own personal path of healing both swift and successful.

No, it is not always easy to find the time, and no, some days I don’t have much luck trying to switch off from my sometimes deafening stream of consciousness but I still come out of the experience filled with more light and love. It’s brought me inspiration and hope that know I would never have encountered, had I not allowed myself to make mediation my muse.