The Book of Mindful Origami: Fold paper, unfold your mind

As seen on BBC's Make! Craft Britain and Channel 4's Kirstie's Handmade Christmas. Fold your way to zen calm and happiness - featuring tear-out origami pages to get you started!

Origami has been shown to aid relaxation, concentration, hand eye co-ordination and memory, and what's more, it does not require complicated tools or materials to perform. All you need is a piece of paper and some focused thought, and the results can be enjoyed almost immediately. In this beautifully designed book, with clear step-by-step instructions, you will learn how to make 16 inspirational models that you can display on your desk, your windowsill, or your mantelpiece, or give to somebody as a gift.

Every day millions of us sit in front of a computer screen tapping away at a keyboard and don't create anything real. Undertaking an origami project is a chance to get creative and make something tangible; turning a piece of paper into a 3D sculpture is a meditative journey that instils in us a sense of pride, competence and accomplishment. As we slow down and start to fold paper, which is so beautifully tactile, so we start to unfold our minds. Worries and troubles float away as we follow the instructions and start to fold, fully focused on the task at hand, able to mindfully contemplate our intentions, hopes and dreams.

Why not sit with a friend or a child and fold together? Like colouring in, origami is a wonderful shared pursuit - as you get into it and find 'flow', time is suspended and as you discover the art of origami, so you start to lead a more authentic, simple and calmer life.