It was one of those mornings. Crushed on to a bus, then a delayed train, battling with the thousands of other commuters making their way into the capital. I finally managed to slide into a seat on the Tube, only to engage in a passive-aggressive war of knees with the besuited manspreader next to me.

Finally, sweaty and stressed, I made it to my next destination. I slid into another seat, next to another man-in-suit, who was, thankfully, keeping his knees to himself. The lights changed and I closed my eyes

No, I didnt wake up in Zone 5. Instead, I was in a meditation studio, along with some other City types sitting quietly around me. There was nothing in the way of patchouli or beaded curtains here, though the furnishings were sleek and everyone was still in their business attire, although they had all removed their shoes. Chairs were blinkered so your neighbour couldnt distract you from the mood lighting and ambient music.

Inhere is the brainchild of Adiba Osmani, who worked at a senior level in large corporations for several years before deciding to launch her own venture. She discovered meditation on retreat in Thailand and was keen to implement its scientific benefits in modern society. So she opened a drop-in meditation centre in the financial heart of London.

I wanted a much broader audience, she says. I didnt want the same associations people generally have with meditation, whether its from the East, candles and the rest of it. This opens it up to a different market where people that wouldnt normally do it can do it.

City life inevitably means standing nose to nose with fellow commuters, dodging tourists on crowded pavements, and scrambling to claim a square foot of grass where you can eat your lunch-hour sandwich. Inhere has minimised the human interaction the meditation sessions feature audio guidance and soundscapes but no teachers to make small talk with, the website reassures us. For socially awkward types such as me, this is a relief.

Meditation is fast becoming big business. In 2015, MNDFL landed in New York, branding itself as the SoulCycle of meditation. The boutique drop-in studio, all Scandified exposed brick and natural light, was hailed by Vogue as the only quiet room in New York City.

Guests can use the online booking engine to reserve a cushion, for 30 or 45-minute sessions of Vedic, Kundalini or Theravada meditation, as well as specialist classes such as Sleep to help you unwind and Emotions to help you through a difficult time.

But how much would you pay for even five minutes of sanctuary? Well, at Inhere, the going rate is 2, or 20 for a half hour. Apparently even just a few minutes make a big difference a recent Canadian study found that just 10 minutes can help quell anxiety and turn off your internal dialogue. Previous studies have shown that it can alleviate stress and even improve brain function within just four days of practising.

Osmani says that businesspeople often come to meditation not just to relax but to enhance their cognitive ability. It starts from a productivity slant people talk about being able to focus and concentrate more. They latch on to that at the beginning, because they dont particularly want to admit that theyre really stressed. But more and more people are just being more connected to how they can have more influence over their own life.

And perhaps City workers need meditation even more than the rest of us. A study published earlier this year suggested that more than half of City workers are more stressed at home than they are in the office, as the culture of bringing work home becomes the norm.

More men appear to be warming to the idea of meditation. Digital consultant Dan Keegan is a newcomer. Before, working in the City, youd get laughed at if you talked about doing something like this. So I think the attitude has really changed. I can see particularly people in sales roles liking it they just want a little bit of peace and quiet, to switch off for a bit.

Erin Lumley works in marketing and says the drop-in nature of the studio appealed to her. It feels like a cold shower for the mind, she says.

I feel really refreshed and ready to focus on my work after it. I like that it caters for everyone, even if youve only got five minutes, or 30 minutes. This is almost like the equivalent of signing up for a gym membership, but for your mind.

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Stressed in the City: the drop-in meditation studio attracting a new kind of clientele - iNews