London Meditation Centre was recommended to me by a friendly yoga teacher. For many years I had suffered periods of acute insomnia and related stress and had gone through several periods of feeling as if I was losing my tether. I had always been interested in meditation but sceptical about whether westerners, far removed from Buddhist or Hindu traditions, could really ‘meditate.’ My insomnia had got so bad that I decided I was willing to try anything.

I was impressed by Michael’s introductory talk—which was full of common sense and free from pseudo-spirituality—and decided to give it a go. Meditation turns out to be incredibly easy, almost effortlessly so and the benefits were immediate: straight away I felt waves of calm washing over and the stress draining away.

Now I’ve been meditating twice a day for four years now and my insomnia is cured: I sleep well. I feel calmer and happier than before and find that when life does get difficult meditation helps iron out the ups and downs and keeps me steady. In many ways my appreciation of life has deepened and I’ve been able to make several decisions and commitments that I was previously too frightened to contemplate.

I genuinely believe learning to meditate was the best thing I ever did and it has opened my mind to a whole new understanding of the world and my consciousness.

James, Novelist and Academic