London - The Duchess of Cambridge suffered a severe form of morning sickness when she was expecting her children, but her sister Pippa Middleton boasts that she is enjoying a Zen-like pregnancy.
The 35-year-old socialite reveals she’s using meditation to cope with the final few weeks before she is due to give birth to her first child.
"I signed up to a beginners’ meditation class recently to master the tools essential for performing it effectively," discloses Pippa.
"This involved learning to meditate twice daily, ideally for 20 minutes, chanting a mantra, while sitting upright, eyes closed and focused.
"Our teacher stressed that we should ensure we always make time for this because there’s always an excuse not to."
She adds: "The idea is that your 'meditation window' takes your mind and body into a state of pure rest - better than the kind that sleep could give you. Most importantly, it allows an opportunity to restore and nourish both mind and body.
"I was sceptical at first - but, after practising this discipline for the past month, I have noticed a huge difference in my mental wellbeing and sense of clarity."
This is not the first time that Middleton, who lives with her hedge fund manager husband, James Matthews, in a £17-million house in Chelsea, has offered some ‘Pippa tips’ on pregnancy.
Last month, she used her Waitrose & Partners Weekend column to explain that she was trying not to "break into a penguin-style waddle" by using "barre-inspired workouts" that would help ensure her "favourite jeans will still fit . . . eventually".
Pippa - whose bottom won worldwide acclaim at her sister’s wedding to Prince William in 2011 - had previously extolled the benefits of playing tennis while pregnant.
She trilled: "It’s possible to play right up until the third trimester . . . Continuing to play has a positive influence and can lead to improved placental growth and good weight management, as well as reducing back pain and strengthening heart and blood vessels."