The Saturday Miscellany: How to find inner peace; Matt Haig's bookshelf; Jonathan Adler's tableware; Dorothy's 'Lost Destination' prints

How to: Find inner peace

By Oscar Quine

With the noise of the mind switched off, stress levels diminish, says Dr Ramesh Manocha ('Silence Your Mind', Orion Books, £10.99). Here's how to find that inner peace...

"By eliminating unnecessary thinking you become more alert, aware and in control. Research shows that about 30 per cent of novices get mostly or completely silent within the first few attempts. The experience triggers beneficial changes in the brain and body."

"Sit comfortably for 10 minutes. Put both hands on your lap, palms up. Eyes closed, focus on the breath, through the nose and then the chest. See if you can gently focus your attention on the 'space between the thoughts'."

"Say silently 'I am my own master', then hand on your heart, say 'I am the spirit', then, hand on head, say 'give me the experience of mental silence'. Then, hands on the lap, think of silent space above the head."

Rotating column: Mods aren’t cool

By Larry Ryan

Most athletes aren't cool: they're dull people with good coordination. There are some exceptions, your Pirlos, your Borgs... but that's not typical.

Back when Brad Wiggins slayed the world in 2012, we were told he was Cool. Why? Because he's a mod! And mods are cool.

But mods aren't cool.

Sure, they were once, and a mod-ish sharp suit can still look good, but what about the awful haircuts?

I don't hate mod culture – it just seems a bit moribund. Today's mods slavishly recreate a subculture from 30 or 40 years ago: nothing has been updated. It's all played out. This might be OK with people in their sixties – Paul Smith, say – but not with those barely born when mods were at their peak. When I think of Wiggins I imagine him to be about 50, not 34.

Unlike those sharp-shooting sports folk, our devotion to mods is way off target*.

*hey now!

Micro extract: Lingua franca

"Historically, the consensus has been that language evolved to allow humans to exchange factual information about the physical, but an alternative view is that language evolved, in modern humans at least, to facilitate bonding."

'Human Evolution: A Pelican Introduction' by Robin Dunbar (£7.99, Pelican Books)

Instant Ethics

By Ellen E Jones

Dear Ellen

Q. I'm going to a wedding during the World Cup final. Is it fair enough to sneak-watch on my phone?

A. Who's getting married? If it's your partner's cousin, sneak-watch but be discreet. If it's a close friend, check the half-time score in the loo. If you're getting married, don't worry. There's still time to call it off and propose to Neymar instead.

All Good Things

By Charlotte Philby

Summer lovin'

Inspired by the vibrant shades of the sun-soaked Amalfi Coast, this new Sorrento melamine tableware from Jonathan Adler (above) is perfect for picnic-ing, Italian-style. From £9, ukjonathanadler.com

Fallen idols

The 'Lost Destination' print series from design studio Dorothy immortalises a number of great British landmarks – from Fylingdales to the Forton Services (above) – which have been pulled down in recent years. £35, wearedorothy.com

Hoop-la

Simple gold earrings are the perfect match for any summer dress. These 'Colour Metal Hoop' versions from Lola and Grace (above) are cheap and cheerful – ideal for kicking around on the beach. £12.90; lolaandgrace.com