“Today we talked to Dr Danny Penman, author of “Mindfulness – A Practical Guide to Finding Peace in a Frantic World,” and our culture correspondent, David Sillito who has been finding out if mind over matter really can help improve pain and depression…”

Flash Mobs are large groups of people who gather “spontaneously” in a public place, perform an unusual act then quickly disperse. On June 2, the Wake Up London sangha organized a flashmob meditation in London’s Tragalgar Square, which attracted several hundred participants. The event was modeled on public meditations such as the one in Austin, Texas, that took place this spring.

The project’s goals included creating an environment for people from all walks of life to come together in meditation, spreading awareness of meditation to the public, and coming together as a community to send positive intentions out into the world.

At 6:32PM a female member of Wake Up London …

It took them 30 years to create a garden of Zen-like calm.

But the peace has been shattered for Raymond and Sacha Hubbard after they had one of their bushes trimmed – into the shape of a Buddha.

An anonymous detractor has written to the couple warning them their enlightened topiary will bring a curse upon their Grade II listed home.

The letter, which arrived by second class post, read: ‘It is with sorrow that we saw you cutting and shaping your bushes into a Buddha. Are you not aware that having such an idol of worship will bring a curse upon you? Keep the thing and you have the spirit …

A former RAF officer who was ‘brainwashed’ into signing over his £800,000 home to a religious guru has won his property back.

Military intelligence specialist Richard Curtis, 53, and his wife joined the controversial Self Realization Meditation Healing Centre after he retired from the services.

Mr Curtis and wife Fiananda, 48, also a former RAF officer, gave their luxury country home to the cult and self-styled guru leader Rena Denton.

But a court heard Mr Curtis left the Somerset-based religious group after discovering his wife was having an affair with another man.

He sued the healing centre to get his house back – claiming he was ‘brainwashed’ into handing over the £800,000 farmhouse in the …

Last weekend the British Guardian newspaper published a guide to meditation. Here are extracts, as well as links to the full articles…

1. How to meditate: An introduction

Rates of depression and anxiety are rising in the modern world. Andrew Oswald, a professor at Warwick University who studies wellbeing, recently told me that mental health indicators nearly always point down. “Things are not going completely well in western society,” he said. Proposed remedies are numerous. And one that is garnering growing attention is meditation, and mindfulness meditation in particular.

The aim is simple: to pay attention – be “mindful”. Typically, a teacher will ask you to sit upright, in an alert position. …

A Buddhist from Essex was forced to apply for planning permission to meditate in his own patch of woodland. Read more

A rugby club is calling on the skills of a Buddhist monk to help improve their game. Read more