Jacqui Lewis, founder of The Broad Place. Photo: Alexandra Cain

What do Rupert Murdoch, Arianna Huffington, Naomi Watts, Oprah Winfrey and Hugh Jackman all have in common? If you silently contemplate the answer you will realise that these are just some of the dozens of celebrities, Wall Street, Fortune 500 and ASX 200 chief executives "coming out" as avid meditators.

No longer the domain of spiritual seekers or hinterland hippies, meditation is billed as an essential ingredient in a busy life; another form of exercise just as important as the gym.

Front runners in the meditation-on-the-run boom are husband and wife team Jacqui Lewis and Arran Russell, whose inner Sydney wellness and meditation centre The Broad Place has garnered even broader than anticipated patronage since being launched 18 months ago.

"We were blown away by the rapid business growth in the first year. I underestimated the thirst that exists for this work; people are stressed and overwhelmed and looking to meditation as a solution," Lewis says.

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It's a scenario Lewis knows too well. On the brink of breakdown a few years ago, learning vedic meditation was her lifeline back to balance.

"I had a new baby and a high stress business and it was all too much. I was having anxiety and panic attacks and my marriage was suffering. I was desperate," Lewis says. "I literally crawled through the door to my first meditation class."

For five years Lewis followed the vedic meditation instructions of two 20-minute "sittings" a day, and, in doing so, turned her life around. Her new resolve was to dedicate her life to bringing the vedic technique to others.

"Vedic meditation is an ancient form of mantra meditation and not a monastic practice. This means it's a technique that was developed for householders, people who are completely engaged in life. It's the perfect meditation for modern people who lead busy, active lives with jobs, relationships and families," Lewis says.

Read more from the original source:
Meditation for busy bizoids