professional background so I knew she understood where those stresses came from. How did you deal with stress and tiredness before meditation? I like going to the gym and being outdoors and find when I'm being active I feel less stressed. I have tried acupuncture too which can help. Did you have any concerns about learning to meditate eg how am I going to fit it in? Will it work for me? Yes I was worried that it wouldn't work for me. Because I have found it difficult to switch off in the past and my mind (when under pressure) always felt like it was racing ahead with too many thoughts. What changes and benefits have you noticed since you began? Firstly I was really surprised that it worked. The first night I did it on the course I went home that evening and felt really relaxed. I went to bed early and slept deeply. I was really looking forward to going back the next day. How long did it take for these to become noticeable by you? This was after the first session but then over the course of the weekend I noticed other things. It was May bank holiday weekend and I had to go into the office (after I booked the course -- much to my annoyance). After the meditations I felt really relaxed but so tired and all I wanted to do was go home and sleep. However I found I also had energy and was