As much as we think we love doing nothing, sitting still for five minutes defies our caffeine culture. Here are the four most popular kinds of meditation, and what you can get from them, according to Stephan Bodian, Zen teacher and author of Meditation for Dummies:

Mindfulness

This stress-reducing technique is the art of being aware of everything, and being present in the moment. It's a way of life because it grounds you in reality and can be applied to any situation. Mindfulness of your breath – concentrating on inhaling and exhaling to clear your mind – is the most popular form of this.

Visualisation

In the yogic tradition, you might visualise a geometrical shape or colour moving all through your body. In the Tibetan Buddhist tradition, it might be a particular deity, like the god of compassion (Visualising this deity is meant to help you to attain some of its qualities.) The key is to take yourself out of the present moment.

Mantra

Popularised in the sixties by the Beatles, who studied the most noted form of this type of meditation, Transcendental Meditation, with the Maharishi Mahesh Yogi, this practice involves repeating a meaningful word or phrase, called a mantra, to focus your thoughts and reach a tranquil state. Unlike mindfulness, mantra turns the mind inward, away from ordinary reality.

Qualities of the Heart

Some meditations draw on the qualities of the heart to help cultivate kindness in oneself. Buddhists may concentrate on love or compassion, while Christians may focus on charity or mercy.