‘Imagine you are the navigator of a canoe, gliding down a river on a warm sunny day,” says a honeyed voice. “You are looking forward to arriving at a destination that is all your own. There is no need for any haste. This place is always here for you.”

Ah. Forget virtual reality. This is virtual relaxation. I am not actually in a cedar-strip canoe, floating down a river. Instead, I’m sitting at my computer, headphones on, eyes clamped shut. The chirps of birds and the sound of water lapping against my boat is all, literally, in my head, the brainchild of a British Web designer named Richard Latham.

For under 15 bucks a month, Latham’s Web site, http://www.meditainment.com, provides its harried …

Kidney patients are being given a new way of relaxing before their treatment – meditation CDs. Read more

A new venture offers groups of people the chance to meditate in the darkened comfort of the multiplex. Read more