Dr J Richard Smith is one of the world's leading gynaecological surgeons with a major Harley Street women's health clinic, and a specialist in cancer survivorship and fertility sparing surgery for women with cancer. In 2016 he will perform the very first womb transplants in the UK. A few years ago a major health scare forced Richard to question his belief in his own personal invincibility and face the reality of mortality. An inner search led him to read the spiritual classic The Way of a Pilgrim and, with the help of a Christian friend, to start practising contemplative prayer and pilgrimage.

Convinced that there are huge health benefits to be gained from the spiritual discipline of long distance walking combined with prayerful chanting, Richard has written his first book of spiritual health. The use of chant or mantra synchronised with breathing and heartbeat can help us generate a state of peace, invigoration and wellbeing conducive to greater health and can even aid recovery from severe disease such as cancer.

The Journey tells Richard's own story, introduces readers to practices such as repetitive prayer, trance and chant, combined with health pursuits such as walking and swimming, and is illustrated with two of his own personal pilgrimages - to Patmos and Jerusalem.