London is hectic. Getting on the tube during rush hour is like being squashed into a tin of sardines, the city is soundtracked by sirens and car alarms, everyone’s calendars are jam-packed weeks in advance and god help the tourists walking slower than 6mph on Oxford Street.

Sometimes you just need to breathe. 

From libraries to yoga studios, secret parks to Buddhist temples, massage treatments to unhurried meals at mindful restaurants, the places in this book offer a chance to slow down and sit with your thoughts. You don’t need to leave London to find some quiet headspace; you just need to know where to look.