Manchester Buddhist Centre

Meditation, mindfulness, dhyana, non sleep deep rest, whatever you want to call it, the Buddhists have been practising it for aeons. (And here at Manchester Buddhist Centre in the NQ, since 1996.) So if you want to learn it from the experts, this is a great place to start.

In this lovely, red brick space on Turner Street, they run a six week Intro to Buddhism and Meditation course every few months, and a follow-up Going Deeper in Buddhism course.

Or if you just want to dip your toes in first, go along to one of their guided meditation sessions at 1pm on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays. There’s no need to book and they last 45 minutes so you can fit them into your lunch hour if you work nearby. Return to your desk feeling zen and glowing with loving kindness (for about five minutes). Cost is £5 or £3 concessionary.

On Saturday mornings, they run a Tools for Living session covering the core Buddhist teachings and meditation. It’s drop in, no need to book, and costs £6/£4.

There used to be a fab vegetarian cafe in the Centre but not anymore. However, it looks like there are plans for Hebden Bridge and Chorlton favourite Tibetan Kitchen to open there in the near future so watch this space.