To be or not to be? You may never have thought of it in this way but the last time you stretched out on the sun lounger, or on the grass in the local park, closed your eyes and vanished inside your own head, you were meditating. Meditation is a word we've come to see as something mysterious, surrounded by special ceremonies and rituals – which is a great shame because benefits are for everyone: For all those 16 and 18 years olds in the middle of their exams, it's a wonderful way to calm nerves.

For the rest of us, conscious that we've somehow got to the midpoint of 2007 and hardly made a dent in this year's To Do list, it's an antidote to stress and a way to recharge.

And for facing a major decision, it's the best way to peel away all the noise and get in touch with your intuition – which almost always knows best.

Whether you call it meditation or time out or just a quiet moment, carving out 10 or 15 minutes a day is like going on a mental holiday. Instead of packing a case to escape from the 1001 things we have to do in a day, you're checking into a mental hotel to escape from the 90,000 thoughts which scientists say chase themselves around our heads in a day.

Meditation is nothing more mysterious than a chance to be still, to quiet your body and your mind. Don't forget, whoever it was who named the human race called us human beings – not human doings!

Choose your time and place

Trying to take your mental holiday while you're queuing to get into the M&S changing rooms may not be ideal place to start – though once you've been practising for a while you really will find it's possible to tune out even in the M1 widening works gridlock.

But to start with, the key thing is to find a place where you won't be disturbed, whether that means staying 10 minutes longer in bed before the day starts or retreating to the garden shed.

Experiment with the time of day which seem s to benefit you the most, then try to stick to it. The rest is details: some people like to sit, others to lie down; some find it helpful to have music playing to drown out the everyday sounds of life, others prefer silence.

Choose the method that works best for you

What you're aiming to do is stop thinking, to simply ‘be' for a short while, and the best technique for achieving this is the one that works for you. Below, are a few of the most common methods:

• Breathing meditation Close your mouth and breath only through your nose. Breathe normally but as you do so keep your awareness on the flow of air in and out of your nose.
• Mantra meditation A mantra is just a phrase you repeat quietly in your head over and over. You can use any word or sound, or choose something that suits what you need from your time out that day. For instance, if you are about to go into an exam, as you breathe in think ‘I am' and as you breathe out think ‘relaxed'.
• Visual meditation If you find pictures easier than words, choose an image that means relaxation to you, perhaps a warm sandy beach with the waves lapping to shore and picture yourself there. If you find it hard to imagine scenes try opening your eyes and focusing on a beautiful picture, or, at this time of year, on a flower in your garden.

Wandering mind syndrome

You'll definitely find it easier to be still some days more than others, but don't make meditation something else to worry about. If you find your thoughts wandering just become aware that they are and gently bring them back to whatever technique you're using.

And if none of these most popular methods seem to work for you then think about the times in your life when you do get so absorbed in something you lose track of time and forget about worrying about things. There's a reason fishing and golf are among the UK 's most popular pastimes. But some people say they can even find the same kind of mental escape from their monkey mind in washing up or ironing!