The technique I've been trying to master is transcendental meditation (TM). Basically what this involves is sitting still with your back straight and your eyes closed while you repeat a mantra in your head. Generally you need to be initiated into TM and given a mantra, so this is probably not a good do-it-yourself option.

Hugh Winter, co-ordinator of meditation at the Cape Town School of Practical Philosophy, suggests that TM brings about a sense of well-being because it brings about alignment of the being. It does this by "getting you in touch with what you are feeling, allowing your thoughts to be aligned clearly, connecting your words with what you are thinking and then, importantly, doing what you say you are going to do".

Zen meditation focuses on breathing. You count your breaths as you inhale and exhale and whenever you reach ten, you return to one and begin the cycle again. The idea is that, by concentrating on breathing your mind will not be preoccupied with other thoughts.

The standing option

If, like me, you struggle with the whole sitting still thing, there is always the option of Qi Gong (pronounced chee gong).

Dr Phil Burnham, who specialises in acupuncture and Chinese medicine, explains that unlike tai chi, which consists of continuous movement, qi gong is the practice of standing meditation, where various poses are held for a certain amount of time. The principle behind qi gong is that there are a number of meridians (lines of energy) which run through the body and are connected to particular organs.

"These meridians could be compared to rivers," says Dr Burnham, "and can become blocked". Qi gong frees the flow of energy within the meridians creating a state of homeostasis within the body. The fact that 70 million Chinese practise qigong on a daily basis suggests that there might be something to this…

Meditation DIY

While it is usually easier to learn meditation through an organisation, under the guidance of a teacher, here is an exercise you can do on your own.

The first step is to prepare a space. While this is not essential, it is sometimes helpful in focusing your attention and you’ll probably be more enthusiastic about the process than if you just plonk yourself down and start meditating.

You can light candles, burn incense, or sit outside somewhere where it is peaceful.

Sit with your spine straight. You can sit on the floor (or on a cushion) with your legs crossed or on a chair with both feet firmly on the floor. If you are very uncomfortable, you could try lying on the floor with your knees bent, but the danger here is that you might fall asleep.

Focus on each of your senses in turn: sight, taste, touch, smell, hearing (you can close your eyes when you are focusing on the senses other than sight). Don’t actively engage each sense, simply be aware of it.

Focusing on the senses will stop your mind being preoccupied with other thoughts.

Don’t push the amount of time you spend on the exercise. Start with something short, for instance two minutes, and build on this.

Do I buy it?

So, do I buy into this whole meditation thing?

Surprising, yes, because while it’s been 25 minutes of physical discomfort and mental agitation there were five minutes when my mind was focused entirely on the mantra and I forgot all about the aches and pains in my body.

Strangely enough when I finished, my back stopped aching, my ear stopped itching and I was left feeling happy and revitalised.

I admit that maybe this was only because the meditation was finally over, but either way it works....