If you can't keep up with the pace of your life and you feel like you are running to stand still, then perhaps you need to unwind. Meditation is a fantastic way to calm stress and feel wonderfully calm and energised. When you meditate regularly, it not only helps you to release tension from your body but has many benefits in terms of your health, happiness and well-being.

At its simplest, when you meditate you try to relax the body as much as possible and free the mind from its continuous stream of thoughts by not paying attention to them. This can be difficult for beginners but it is worth persevering. Just 5 minutes a day can start to show benefits.

Unfortunately, most of the time, we generally have so much activity going on in our minds, that they are rarely still, and for most people much of this babble is negative and self-defeating. If you can free your mind from its constant chatter, you can experience a profound sense of peace and tranquility and start to get to know your inner being, that internal connection with the "oneness" of the universe.

As you meditate, your thoughts start to reduce and your brain waves become slower. This leads to beneficial chemicals being released by the brain which help to restore your body and mind to a state of balance. The body is able to work to repair itself and the mind becomes clearer and more focused.

When this happens regularly, more positive patterns are induced in the brain. Over time these become a chemical habit in the brain and you start to gain greater control your emotions and physical and mental state. A regular meditator generally develops a more positive view of life and more compassion and understanding for others. What better way could there be to overcome stress, become a happier person and gain profound realisations about life?