the art of

mindfulness
A PRACTICAL GUIDE TO LIVING IN THE MOMENT

| Lachlan Brown
 This eBook contains information that is intended
to help the readers be better informed about their
own health and wellness. It is presented as general
advice on the topic of mindfulness, rather than
medical advice.

Please consult your medical professional if you

have any serious health concerns.
 Contents

Chapter 1: What is Mindfulness?..................................................................  5

Chapter 2: Achieving Mindfulness Through Meditation...................................  10
An introduction to meditation.....................................................  12
How to perform a sitting meditation..........................................  13
Applying these lessons to the outside world...............................  16
Chapter 3: Seven Other Practical Exercises for Achieving Mindfulness.............  18
1 - Scan your body..................................................................  19
2 - Notice what is around you................................................  21
3 - Dissipate your anger.........................................................  22
4 - Just be...............................................................................  25
5 - Eat mindfully....................................................................  26
6 - Show gratitude and compassion.......................................  28
7 - Engage your senses, return to your body.........................  30
Chapter 4: Letting Your Attachments Go.....................................................  34
Chapter 5: The Important Benefits of Mindfulness........................................  41
Mindfulness reduces rumination................................................  44
Mindfulness reduces stress.........................................................  45
Mindfulness increases focus.......................................................  46
Mindfulness increases emotional strength..................................  47
Mindfulness gives you the freedom to live fully..........................  48
Mindfulness promotes relationship satisfaction.........................  48
What you can see, you can change.............................................  49
Chapter 6: Why You Can’t Afford To Not Be Mindful How to Live in the Moment....  51
When was the last time you were really present?.......................  54
Chapter 7: A Brief History of Mindfulness...................................................  55
The transition from East to West................................................  57
Who Practices Mindfulness? .....................................................  58
Highlly successful people who practice mindfulness.................  59
Chapter 8: Conclusion.............................................................................  63
 Chapter 1
What is Mindfulness?

‘The practice of mindfulness leads to concentration, which in turn leads

to insight. The insight we gain from mindfulness meditation can liberate
us from fear, anxiety, and anger, allowing us to be truly happy.’

Thich Nhat Hanh, Happiness, iii

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Mindfulness has skyrocketed in popularity in recent decades.

Simply put, mindfulness is the practice of deliberately paying attention

to your thoughts and feelings, to the sensations of your body, and to
your surroundings. It’s the state of being conscious, and aware, by fo-
cusing on the present moment. 

Yet at the same time, you do not involve yourself in any of these sensa-
tions you may feel. You simply notice, observe, and accept.
 
Mindfulness is a somewhat elusive concept because you can’t see it.
Yet when you practice it, you feel differently. 

While this concept has ancient origins, it has now become mainstream
in the modern world. Celebrities, athletes, and CEOs alike endorse
“mindfulness training.” Doctors and therapists integrate mindfulness
into treatment plans. And countless apps such as Insight Timer, Head-
space, and Calm have emerged to fill the demand for instruction in
mindfulness meditation.
 
What is the hype all about? How has an ancient concept connected to
Hinduism and Buddhism so captivated the modern world, gaining fol-
lowers among many people who are otherwise secular or non-religious?
And practically speaking, what do you need to know about mindfulness
to lead a happier and more peaceful life?

Mindfulness is a powerful psychological process that has the ability to

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heal mental, spiritual, and emotional pain. Most of us aren’t as mindful

as we’d like to be, but we can always improve. 

Practices such as meditation and yoga show us the path to obtaining a

state of mindfulness. Meditation in particular provides a quiet, peaceful
environment that can better enable you to pay attention to your thoughts
and the physical sensations in your body. As we will see in later chap-
ters, while it is the most effective to achieve mindfulness, it is not the
only way to do so.

However, even if we meditate or do yoga every day, that doesn’t mean

we’re going to achieve mindfulness. These practices promote the abil-
ity to be mindful, but most of us have a hard time quieting the mind. It
is a practice and a discipline all on its own.

A big part of my mission at Hack Spirit is creating content that helps

people live more mindful lives. I’m obsessed with practical self-im-
provement and providing real, actionable tips that you can use to make
a difference to your life. 

Whatever your starting point, however mindful you currently are, you
can get something out of this book.

Try imagining a world in which you feel no stress about the past or the
future. You exist fully in the right now without regret, dread, self-re-
crimination, or anxiety. 

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This alternative world is closer than you think. While there is no magic
wand that can erase all of your life’s struggles and woes, mindfulness
can provide you with powerful tools to brave the inevitable storms that
arise.
 
Mindfulness is one of several methods for living in the moment. 

For instance, there’s also the concept of “flow,” a state you may have ex-
perienced if you play sports. In a state of flow, you’re wholly engrossed
in what you’re doing, your senses heightened and ready to take on a
physical or intellectual challenge. This sense of challenge and move-
ment is what separates flow from the stillness and calm of mindfulness.
 
Mindfulness may not be the only way to live in the moment, but I find
that it is one of the best and most relaxing methods to learn. It’s close-
ly connected to Buddhist ethics of kindness, compassion, and care for
yourself and others. Cultivating a practice of mindfulness often goes
hand in hand with developing a more generous outlook on the world.

This book will go into detail about how mindfulness works, and how
it can benefit those who practice it. Where other guides to mindfulness
can be esoteric and technical, this book will offer a no-nonsense guide
to the topic. In it, we will discuss exactly what you need to know to
bring mindfulness into your life, even if this is your first time hearing
about the concept.

Throughout are practical exercises, suitable for both beginners and

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those with existing knowledge of mindfulness, to help you live a more

mindful life—starting today.

In Chapter 1, we will explore the basic tenets of mindfulness -- what is

it, and how does it work. In Chapter 2, we will discuss how to achieve
a state of mindfulness, with a focus on mindfulness meditation. Chapter
3 walks you through various other exercises that will help you in your
quest for mindfulness. In Chapter 4, the focus shifts to letting go of
your attachments -- our tendency to hold on tight to some things and to
repudiate others.

The next four chapters delve even further.

Chapter 5 lays out the many benefits of mindfulness. Chapter 6 exam-

ines how difficult life can become when you’re not mindful. Chapter 7
offers a historical review of mindfulness, and how it evolved from an
Eastern practice to one embraced in Western culture. It also highlights
some highly successful people who’ve gravitated toward mindfulness. 

By the end of this eBook, you will have the knowledge and skills to live
mindfully, and ultimately lead a happier, healthier and more satisfying
life.

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 Chapter 2
Achieving Mindfulness
Through Meditation

‘In a peaceful state of mind, such as we get from mindfulness

meditation, we can forget our past differences with others and forgive
their faults, weaknesses, and offenses. Then loving-friendliness
naturally grows within us.’

Bhante Henepola Gunaratana, Loving-Kindness in Plain English, 5

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Our minds are expert wanderers. 

Perhaps you’re eating breakfast, and your mind has jumped forward
several hours into the future, dreading that presentation you have to
give. Or you’re walking to a café and ruminating on a fight you had
with your mother. Now you’re sitting down to eat dinner with your
family, but your mind is once again far away, dwelling in the past or the
future instead of the present moment.
 
What will you miss? How much time do you spend every day focused
on something other than where you are and what you are doing? What
if you could increase the amount of time you spend in the present? 

Mindfulness pulls your mind back into the here and now, and trains you
to let go of past regrets and future worries, rather than ruminating on
them. 

Try this exercise

Say hello to the voice in your mind. Just internally say hello. Who
says hello and who hears hello? It’s you who’s talking and it’s you
who’s listening.
 
The best way to become free from the constant chatter that’s feed-
ing you terrible ideas is to step back. Look at each thought ob-
jectively. Thoughts are just an object of the mind, something that

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should float by and not be held onto, nor rejected.

 
As you’re mindful and watch your inner voice, you’ll begin to see
that most of what it says has very little meaning. That voice fusses
about the past and uses old experiences to try to control current
and future experiences. This causes all sorts of complications in
your life.
 
By taking a step back and observing all the thoughts and feelings
that fill up your mind, you can make more conscious decisions
about how to act on them.
 
So, mindfulness can cure many ills. But how do we achieve mindful-
ness? One pathway is meditation.
 

An introduction to meditation

Meditation is so simple, yet its simplicity intimidates many. 

You might wonder, Isn’t it boring? Am I just supposed to sit here? What
does this actually accomplish? I have more important things to do! 

Often, people think that they’re too busy, that meditation is pointless, or
that it’s just too weird and spiritual. And still more people are afraid of
the deep feelings and emotions that may rise to the surface if they take
a moment to themselves.
 

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Daily meditation is a simple way to incorporate mindfulness practice

into your routine. Meditation is also the most effective way to achieve
a state of mindfulness.

Start with just 10 or 15 minutes per day. The more you practice, the
more you’ll look forward to having that time to yourself. Think of it as
spending a day at the spa, or getting a massage. Once you get into it,
that centered feeling makes you feel as relaxed as 30 minutes in a sau-
na. You’ll begin to experience benefits almost right away. And the more
you practice mindfulness, the greater the benefits will be.
 
Mindfulness meditation is not about changing who you are. It’s about
becoming aware of who you are. As you sit in silence, thoughts and
feelings will come up. As you look within yourself, memories may arise
as though they are a movie on a screen. Let those memories come and
go, neither clinging to them nor pushing them away.
 
There are a variety of ways to meditate, so you can try different posi-
tions and methods and see what feels right to you.

I’ll start with sitting meditation.

 

How to perform a sitting meditation

To begin with, where should you sit? 

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Ideally, you can find a quiet room without too much background noise
or distraction. You can sit on a chair or on the ground, using a cushion
as needed for comfort. Especially when starting out, it’s important to
find a comfortable, relaxed position that you can maintain for the length
of your meditation, or about 15 minutes. You might try a cross-legged,
lotus, or kneeling position.
 
Keep your posture upright, your back flat and shoulders relaxed and
down. Think about a long string pulling all the way through your body
and out the top of your head, as if you’re a marionette puppet. That
string keeps your body lifted and tall, with your head, shoulders, and
hips forming a straight line.
 
Many new meditators, especially those who work desk jobs, struggle
to settle into a comfortable meditation posture. We’re so accustomed
to slouching in our chairs and craning our necks to stare at laptops and
phones. Yet with a little deliberate practice, these habits can be un-
learned. Try a few minutes of gentle stretching before your meditation
to prepare your muscles for their new position.

Once seated, what do you do? Again, there are multiple paths. 

One method involves focusing on the breath. Close your eyes, and pay
attention to the air that enters and leaves your lungs. Notice the rise and
fall of your chest and torso. 
 
It’s natural for the mind to wander a bit. We get bored and start looking

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for things to think about other than our breath. When you notice this
happening, don’t worry. Remember that it’s perfectly normal, and sim-
ply bring the mind back. 

You might even observe your process of distraction. Imagine you’re

trying to meditate with a lot of construction noise outside. Trucks rum-
ble past, people are yelling, building materials are crashing about. 

Say to yourself: Hearing, hearing, hearing…In other words, acknowl-

edge and observe what your mind wants to do. Then say, Come back,
and return to the breath. One…two…three…four…
 
As you come to the end of your meditation session, you can transition to
paying attention to your surroundings, even as your eyes remain closed. 

Now is the time to listen in on all that construction noise: How loud is
it? What other sounds can you hear? Are they near or far away?

Then return to your body: Feel your body pressing into your chair or the
floor, and feel the air moving through your lungs. Practicing these sim-
ple steps can help you find the peace of mind that comes with mindful
meditation...even if it’s your first time trying it.
 
Sometimes, life is uncomfortable like an itch. 

Sitting with the experience will allow you to see that sensations come
and go. Anxiety can creep up in your belly, or you may experience tight-

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ness in your throat while you meditate. The mind is telling the body that
there are too many things to do. When you do experience tension in the
body, you can touch that area with your hands and internally say, This
too. 

You’re acknowledging your full experience without trying to change it.

This is mindfulness.
 

Applying these lessons to the outside world

Say you’re sitting outside in a park. Everything is fine, until you see two
people who are clearly in love. Suddenly, a feeling of loneliness hits
you, and there’s nobody around to help ease the feeling. 

This sliver of loneliness has always been in your heart. It’s not always
activated, but can arise at any moment once triggered. You become
weak, and your heart sinks. You remember all the other times you’ve
felt alone or abandoned.
 
What can you do? Simply notice that you noticed. You are the subject
and you are the one who notices. 

Those feelings of emptiness are just objects. Your way out is to notice
and observe those objects without participating, without stoking those
feelings. Let the feelings pass through without running away or avoid-

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ing them. 

Mindfulness gives you respite from becoming involved in the drama of

the mind. It’s about noticing the way the mind and body are responding,
with full acceptance.
 
We all feel afraid, needy, jealous, or lonely from time to time. This is
natural and human. Yet we can choose how we want to interact with
those feelings. Practicing mindfulness gives you the space to notice and
accept your feelings, without drowning in them.  
 
All of what I’m saying might seem incredibly complex if you have nev-
er practiced mindfulness. However, the message should become clearer
once you have developed a regular practice of meditation.

Still, meditation is by no means the only way to live a mindful life. As

we will see in the next chapter, there are many other ways to practice
mindfulness.

Choose the method that works best for you.

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 Chapter 3
Seven Other Practical Exercises for
Achieving Mindfulness

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Meditation is a method to bring your body, mind, and spirit into align-
ment in the present. This promotes mindfulness. 

However, there are many different ways to go about achieving mindful-

ness - either in conjunction with meditation, or as standalone exercises
you can do during a busy day.

Here are seven practical exercises you can do to bring mindfulness into
your life - starting today.

1 Scan your body

Scanning your body is an excellent way to check in and really pay at-
tention to how your body feels in the present moment. 

You can perform this exercise during your regular meditation practice,
or even when you have a spare five minutes at home. It gives you the
opportunity to identify any points of tension or soreness without judg-
ment. There’s no need to “fix” anything. Instead, the goal is to focus on
how different parts of your body feel in the moment.
 

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Try this exercise

You might prefer to do your body scan while lying on your back. 

Center yourself on your breath, noticing your inhales and exhales

without trying to change the natural rhythm of your breathing.
Next, turn your focus to your body, beginning either from the top
of the bottom. 

If you begin with your head: How is it feeling today? How are
your neck and shoulders? Continue moving down, lingering for
several moments on each part of your body and noticing any stiff-
ness, tension, soreness, or any other sensations. Now is not the
time to try to fix those feelings. Simply notice them and move on. 

Or conversely, you might be pleasantly surprised at how loose,

supple, and relaxed your body feels. Take the time to savor this
observation, then continue scanning. Notice how your clothes feel
against your skin, how your body feels against the chair or floor,
and how warm or cool your body feels. Are you itchy anywhere?
 
If you begin with your feet: How are they feeling today? Are they
sore? Tingly? Linger on them for a few moments, then begin scan-
ning higher, up to your ankles, your calves, and so on, until you
reach your head.

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Once you have scanned your entire body, you can return once
again to your breath, then slowly come out of your meditation.
 

2 Notice what is around you

‘We can practice mindfulness using something as simple as a flower. When I
hold a flower in my hand, I’m aware of it. My in-breath and out-breath help
me maintain my awareness. Rather than becoming overwhelmed by other
thoughts, I sustain my enjoyment of the flower’s beauty. Concentration itself
becomes a source of joy.

Thich Nhat Hanh, Happiness, iii

As famed Buddhist teacher Thich Nhat Hanh notes, a simple item such
as a flower can deepen your mindfulness practice. If you take the time to
look—really look—at a flower, you will come to appreciate its beauty
and intricacy, while at the same time honing your mind’s concentration.
 

Try this exercise

Try this with an item in your own home, such as a flower or a piece
of fruit. Truly look at this item (say, a strawberry) with your full
attention. What does it look like? Notice its colors and textures.
Observe how it feels in your hand, against your skin. Is it warm or
cold? Soft, smooth, or rough? Bring it to your nose and observe
how it smells. If you’ve chosen an edible item, take a bite, and pay
close attention to the taste and feel of it in your mouth.
 

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If you follow these instructions, you cannot help but be mindful: Your
complete focus is in the present moment, on an object at hand and your
experience of it. This exercise will give your mind a break from worry-
ing or ruminating. Instead, your attention will be taken up in the work
of focused observation.
 
You can also practice mindfulness in this way whenever you go for a
walk. 

Look around you and see what’s going on, instead of our natural ten-
dency to walk around without noticing. See the changing colors of the
leaves. Admire the flowers in your neighbor’s garden. Notice a growing
crack in the sidewalk. Look at the sky and clouds overhead. Regular
walks are wonderful for your health (both physical and mental), and all
the more so if you incorporate a spirit of mindfulness into them.
 
3 Dissipate your anger
“May all those who have harmed us be free from greed, anger, aversion,
hatred, jealousy, and fear. Let these thoughts of loving friendliness embrace
them, envelop them…Let them relax their bodies. Let them relax their minds.
Let the peace and tranquility pervade their entire being.”
Bhante Henepola Gunaratana, Mindfulness in Plain English

Anger is a strong emotion, and one of the most difficult to handle. 

It might seem impossible or unrealistic to convert your anger into the

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sentiments of love and kindness that Bhante Gunaratana describes

above. But it is, in fact, possible. Mindfulness has been clinically prov-
en to be an effective tool for dealing with anger.
 

Try this exercise

Begin this meditation as you normally would: Sit in your chair or

on the floor. 

Close your eyes. Center your mind within your body, noticing all
the sensations that your body feels, from the hardness of the floor
to the softness of a breeze through an open window. Breathe deep-
ly and count your breaths, noticing the air as it moves in and out. 

Now think of a time when you felt angry. 

Can you remember how it felt? How is your body responding now
to the memory? I recommend beginning with an episode that is
only mildly to moderately anger-inducing for now. Gradually, as
you continue practicing, you’ll work through more difficult mem-
ories and feelings.
 
Continue breathing and noticing how your body is reacting to
memories of anger. You can even use the scanning technique de-
scribed above to take stock of your body’s responses. 

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Here comes the hard part: Try to approach your anger with a
sense of compassion and loving kindness. First, direct those warm
thoughts toward yourself and your own anger. Look upon yourself
as a compassionate observer. You might envision a ball of warmth
like the sun filling your heart and spreading through the rest of
your body. 

Remind yourself that anger is a defense mechanism that we hu-

man beings use to defend ourselves. It’s a completely normal hu-
man emotion. It’s what we do with our anger that matters. If we
can cope with the emotion, we can live healthier lives. 

Now, forgive yourself for feeling anger. Then, wish your anger
goodbye. 

You are moving on from it for the time being. You might repeat
a simple focus phrase such as, “May I do no harm to others, and
may they do no harm to me.” Wish good things for yourself. Wish
good things for others. Lay your anger aside and return to your
breath.
 
You can repeat this exercise as often as you like, and you can apply it
to a range of life situations. This kind of meditation gives you a struc-
ture for engaging productively with sensitive parts of your psyche and
remaining kind to yourself as you work to dissipate anger.

During this exercise, you might also direct feelings of warmth, compas-

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sion, and loving kindness to those who have wronged you.

This compassionate attitude toward others might seem counterintuitive

at first. But it is a powerful way to free yourself from the influence that
other people have over you.
 

4 Just be
Our society has created this need to be something more than you al-
ready are. While there’s nothing wrong with setting and pursuing goals,
it’s okay to step back and accept where we are, to take a break from
striving.
 
To “just be” means you’re giving yourself permission to feel content
with yourself, and your place in the world.

Whatever your job is, you accept it for now, until something flows into
your life and forces you to grow. You don’t complain about what could
have been, overthink what is happening now, or worry about what might
happen in the future. When you can truly just be, you don’t have a care
in the world. This is what it means to be free.
 
When you’re in a relaxed state of mind, it’s easy to be yourself and be
in the moment. Being on a tropical beach with the waves lapping up to
shore immediately puts us in a place of acceptance. Imagine yourself
on that beach. It’s not hard to just be when you feel happy and fulfilled
in the moment.
 

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Try this exercise

To just be is to be present in your current situation. It is the act of

doing nothing at all that allows you to just be. 

Try sitting on a bench outside, taking in the sights and sounds of

nature that surround you. Don’t think about where you need to go
from there, or where you were before. 
 
Notice the thoughts that arise. You might notice a desire to be
somewhere else or do something else. If those feelings come, be
curious about them, instead of trying to avoid them or clinging to
them. 

It does take practice to just sit there and be in your own body.
When you’re sitting in contemplation, feelings like loneliness and
boredom can arise. The more you practice, the better equipped
you’ll be to process those feelings, completely free of judgment. 

Don’t judge your experience. Just be present.

5 Eat mindfully
We all have to eat. But are we paying attention to what and how we are
eating? 

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Often, we tend to scarf down whatever is at hand without a second

thought. Many of us seek distractions during meals. We might watch
television or go on social media as we eat quickly. 

A lack of mindfulness can lead to overeating because we may not no-

tice when we’re full. The connection of the gut to the nervous system
is responsible for letting you know when you’re full. The process takes
about 20 minutes.

So, when you eat quickly, you’re not giving the body time to do its job.
This is where that stuffed feeling comes from, not while eating, but
once you’re done.
 
Mealtime is an ideal time to practice mindfulness and apply it to your
daily life. Moreover, mindful eating can help you improve your nutri-
tion and learn about the way your body responds to food. It transforms
food into something to be enjoyed and celebrated. It becomes nourish-
ment for both your body and your soul.
 
When you engage your sense of taste to enjoy the food in your mouth,
you’ll eat less and feel more satisfied. You’ll allow your body to digest
properly, which will give you more energy and reduce the chance of
heartburn or indigestion.
 
Mindful eating means you’re fully aware. You notice the colors and
textures of your food. Eating in a slower, more thoughtful way helps
you steer away from processed food and unhealthy choices. When you

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eat mindfully, you gain a deeper appreciation for the complex, often
subtle tastes of natural foods. Many of us have become accustomed to
food with a lot of sugar and various additives; foods such as fruits and
vegetables might seem bland and boring by comparison. Yet when you
slow down and eat mindfully, you recapture the enjoyment of simple,
fresh, quality ingredients.
 
To eat mindfully, you shouldn’t have any distractions. Turn off the TV,
put your phone away, and don’t read the paper. Having a nice conversa-
tion with those at the dinner table is totally acceptable, of course.
 
6 Show gratitude and compassion

Mindfulness allows you to really be in the moment, so you can appre-

ciate it the joys of life. 

Waking up in the morning and feeling the softness of your pillow as it

supports your head can bring a sense of gratefulness into your heart.
When you roll over to say good morning to your partner, that grate-
fulness shows on your face. Your partner senses a change in you and
smiles back at you in appreciation.
 
Doesn’t this sound like a great start to your day? Mindfulness allows for
more enriching moments. When you stop and sit in a moment, you’re
aware of scents, sounds, sights, tastes, and touch. You also become more
aware of your feelings.
 

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The more you practice mindfulness and live in the moment, the fewer
regrets you’ll have. 

You’ll listen to people intently when they speak. You’ll hug the people
you love more often. You’ll enjoy meals instead of simply scarfing food
down. You’ll stop and smell the roses, literally and figuratively.

One essential thing that mindfulness has taught me is to be grateful for

the good things, and be compassionate about everything else.

There is always something good in every moment.

When you start to become truly mindful, you’ll learn to recognize those
sweet things more vividly. You’ll notice the smiles and laughs of your
loved ones. You’ll hear what they say and pay attention to how it makes
you feel when all is good and right in your world.
 
Being grateful is a part of mindfulness, because if you see your life for
what it truly is, you can’t help but feel gratitude for it. 

To become grateful, you can start the habit of writing down a few
thoughts daily – things you’re happy for, or things you’ve accom-
plished. The blue sky. A surprise postcard from a friend. Noticing the
good things will make you feel grateful.
 
Compassion can be a really handy tool when things aren’t working quite
right. If you’re mindful and experience moments of anger or sadness,

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you can use compassion to help you manage those emotions.

Instead of crying in public or yelling at someone, you can meet your

negative thoughts and feelings with compassion. For yourself and for
others.
 

7 Engage your senses, return to your body

Our senses of touch, taste, smell, hearing, and seeing are incredibly
powerful.

As we go about our days, our senses are always at work, gathering

information and relaying it back to the brain. This whole process is so
efficient that we often hardly notice it. By consciously engaging our
senses, we can bring ourselves home to our bodies.
 
Look around. What do you see? Try to see beyond discrete objects and
instead focus on shapes, colors, and textures. What part of your sur-
roundings are you noticing for the first time?

Next, turn to your sense of touch: What can you feel? Which sensations
are interacting with your body right now?

Next: Hearing. What kinds of sounds are you able to hear? Don’t worry
too much about identifying what exactly is making the noise; just listen.
 
You can walk through these exercises one sense at a time. They offer a

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relatively quick way of bringing your mind back to your body and ex-
isting in the present.
 

Try this exercise

Simply ask, “Where am I at this moment?” 

Your physical body is a rock and is always where it is. It doesn’t

seek to be anywhere but where it stands. The mind is the wanderer.
When you consciously drop into the body, you quickly bring the
mind to center. Try it now. You’ll feel the shift.

Focus on the breath

The moment you pay attention to your breath, you come back into
your body. The mind focuses on whatever needs attention most.
If you shift its focus to the breath, it will fall into the sound and
sensations going on in the body. 

This is a small shift in your consciousness, one that will probably

be new to you. I assure you, that shift can be extremely power-
ful, even life-changing. You can play around with breaths that are
cooling, that heat up the body, or offer deep relaxation. The more
attuned you become to your breath, the more you’ll expand your
ability to relax.

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Be the witness of your own mind

Stop what you’re doing right now and pay attention to what your
mind is doing. What thoughts are coming up? Don’t get involved
in the inner dialogue, just witness and observe it. When you don’t
get involved, those thoughts disappear quickly. You’ll notice new
ones drifting in, then drifting away. 

The more you practice this, the more you become equipped to let
all “objects of thought” float through you, instead of causing you
distress. To go even deeper into yourself, ask, “Who is experienc-
ing these thoughts?”

 
Mindfulness is courageous. It’s about sitting with yourself and owning
all the feelings and thoughts that roll through. 

It’s not always an easy journey. Thoughts and feelings might arise that
cause you pain. Don’t try to hold onto or control these feelings; just let
things go when they come up. 

Mindfulness isn’t going to be something that makes you happy in the

moment all the time. But it can lead to happiness, joy, and bliss as you
work through your emotions.
 
You’ll become liberated from those dark thoughts and feelings that used
to bring you down. You’ll no longer have to lug around this ball-and-
chain of constant chatter that makes you miserable and traps you in self-

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doubt. You are unlimited. As you chip away at your old beliefs through
the process of mindfulness, you’ll realize that you can do anything. 

That is the power of being mindful.

 
 

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 Chapter 4
Letting Your Attachments Go

‘Let it go, let it go, can’t hold it back anymore / Let it go, let it go, turn
away and slam the door /  I don’t care what they’re going to say / Let
the storm rage on / The cold never bothered me anyway.’

“Let It Go,” Frozen, 2013

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The exercises in the previous chapters will help you make mindfulness
a regular part of your day. Over time, you’ll find that your practice will
help you move on from negative thoughts and harmful behaviors. 

In particular, mindfulness is an incredible way to learn how to let things

go. But what exactly does it mean to “let something go”? How does the
process of letting go work?

First, let me be clear: You don’t have to let go of everything. “Letting

go” doesn’t mean no longer caring about anyone, or giving up on life.
Quite the opposite. A healthy amount of letting go (or non-attachment)
can in fact strengthen your interpersonal relationships. 

So how can you learn to let go, while going about your life in the ma-
terial world?
 
Try letting go of unhealthy attachments to the past and the future. For
example, maybe you grew up in an idyllic little neighborhood, and you
look back with fondness on your childhood there.

Well, a little nostalgia never hurt anyone! 

But imagine you find out that your old neighborhood has changed. Your
favorite park has been turned into a sprawling housing development.
Several of your old favorite restaurants have gone out of business and
there are now fewer options. That big oak tree you used to climb in the
park near your house has been chopped down. 

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This transformation might cause you some distress, which is only nat-
ural. You might try to assign blame for why this has happened, and you
might feel angry and helpless.
 
This kind of problem is very common. We tend to grow comfortable
with familiar things and resist change. We grow too attached to a con-
stant, unchanging image of what someone, something, or someplace
was or should be, rather than accepting it for what it is. 

Making this small but significant shift in mindset will help you adapt to
all sorts of changes in your life – whether your best friend moves away,
you start a new job, or you adjust to a new medical diagnosis. We are
so often tempted to remain firmly attached to the past, to idealized ver-
sions of ourselves and our loved ones, to future plans. 

Mindfulness helps us to see those attachments more clearly and gain

release from them if they no longer serve us.

Another example of the power of letting go comes in the form of break-

ups. When a relationship ends, we can often develop feelings of inse-
curity. We might feel rejected, or that we’re not worthy of being with a
great partner. 

Here again, a shift in mindset can go a long way. Start by considering

the many reasons why a relationship can end. It’s very possible, for
instance, that the relationship ending had more to do with your partner
than it did with you. Rather than faulting yourself for the breakup, learn
to let go, and practice compassion toward yourself.

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Here are some examples of methods you can use to learn to let go:

Try this exercise

Grab a pen and paper and take a few minutes to think about your
own attachments.

You might be attached to people, pets, places, ideas, images, plans,

or goals. Perhaps you dream of writing a novel, you hope to start
a family, and you return to the same place every year for vacation.
These things all bring you joy, but they also hold the potential to
inflict pain. 

By practicing mindfulness and gaining awareness of your attach-

ments, you can form healthier relationships with each of these
goals. You might find yourself embracing them all the more, ac-
cepting them as they are in each present moment, and accepting
them as they change.

Here’s another exercise that can prove useful in learning how to let go:

Try this exercise

Begin by either sitting comfortably in a chair, or lying down. Bring

your attention to your breath. If you feel comfortable, close your
eyes.

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Next, bring your attention back to your mind. Engage with your
conscious self, and tell yourself you want to let go. Repeat the
words “Let go” as many times as you feel comfortable doing. Then
bring your attention back to your breath. However many times
you’ve told yourself to let go, take the same number of breaths --
three and three, 10 and 10, etc. Now imagine your mind softening,
relaxing, and releasing. 

Move your attention gradually lower, covering every part of your

body.

Start with your eyes. How do they feel? What are they doing? Take
the time to attune yourself to any and all sensations they might be
transmitting. Then invite your eyes to let go, as many times as you
like. After that, take the same number of breaths. Now imagine
your eyes softening, relaxing, and releasing. 

Next, move your awareness to other body parts. Your cheeks. Your
tongue. Your neck. Your shoulders. Your chest. Your belly. Your
legs. All the way down to the tips of your toes. 

Every step of the way, run through the same exercise. Practice tell-
ing every part of your body to let go. Then take the same number
of breaths, feeling your breath through your belly as it expands
and retracts. 

When you’ve run through your entire body, slowly allow yourself
to open your eyes and let your mind re-enter the room.

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Mindfulness exercises are often easier to track if you use a journal to

record your experiences. If you do keep a mindfulness journal, take
note of any areas of the body where it was easier or more challenging
to let go. 

Practically speaking, the techniques described earlier in this book—sit-

ting meditation, body scanning, engaging your senses—will help you
gain a new awareness of not only your thoughts and emotions, but also
your attachments.

You will be able to observe them neutrally, calmly, and acceptingly.

You will learn that you can acknowledge and accept something without
immediately acting upon it. 

In essence, mindfulness is akin to emotional regulation, the ability to

encounter disappointment or stress with equanimity. Letting go is a nat-
ural and tremendously useful byproduct of that process.
 
For example, if you feel jealous because you saw your partner hugging
someone you don’t know, this is great practice. You might feel a pang in
your heart as scattered thoughts race through your mind. You may try to
reason with yourself, but your mind is retrieving memories, every fight
you’ve ever had, every moment of self-doubt.

This is when you have to say internally, “Whoa, whoa, wait a minute.”
 
Feel the tension in your body, and observe the thoughts rolling through

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your head. When you stay centered and take a breath, you have the op-
portunity to find where the jealousy comes from. Maybe it stems from
a past relationship and if it is, you now know you have more healing
to do. Maybe you’ll realize that your self-esteem isn’t as high as you
thought. Or maybe your partner really is behaving inappropriately. 

Again, you now have the opportunity to improve your life because
you’ve pinpointed the problem.
 
When you learn mindfulness, you take control of moments that would
usually have a strong hold on you. Moments of insecurity, anger, jeal-
ousy, or overwhelming sadness can be managed. 

Remember that it’s often not the situation itself that’s the problem; it’s
your attachment to it. Teaching yourself how to let go can become one
of the most powerful lessons you’ll learn in your entire life. 

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 Chapter 5
The Important Benefits of Mindfulness

‘With mindfulness, we can preserve an inner joy, so that we can better

handle the challenges in our lives. We can create a foundation of
freedom, peace, and love within ourselves.’

Thich Nhat Hanh, Happiness, iii

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You may not realize it, but your mind is constantly taking in new infor-
mation and giving you feedback. It has a job to do, after all, which is to
protect you. 

Thousands of years ago, that protection was crucial, given all the physi-
cal dangers that humans faced back then. Our hard-wired fight-to-flight
response allowed us to deal with such life-or-death threats as approach-
ing saber-toothed tigers. 

Today, we no longer need to run away from (or fight) saber-toothed ti-
gers. But we still have that fight-or-flight response hard-wired into our
brains. 

This response system now manifests itself in situations that aren’t life-
or-death. For instance, when you get nervous as you walk into a room
full of strangers, that’s your fight-or-flight system alerting you to dan-
ger, even if the danger is relatively mild compared to what our ancestors
had to go through. 

Now, as before, your mind perceives any threat -- even in the form of a
potentially awkward social situation -- as a time when you should either
run or hide. It then sends messages to your nervous system. Adrenaline
is then released, and your mind starts to race even more.
 
All of this activity is happening in your body, creating all sorts of natu-
ral responses. 

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the art of mindfulness Chapter 5

That’s why you sweat when you’re nervous. Your brain is sending mes-
sages to the body that it’s time to fight or run. Yet all of these signals
can become overwhelming, and living in a state of chronic stress and
tension is bad for your health.
 
When you begin to find presence in the moment, you will become more
aware of the messages your brain is sending you. Your mind is con-
stantly looking back on your past to find familiar situations to help you
cope with current circumstances.

A familiar past situation might simply be the smell in the air, trigger-
ing some nervous reaction to a non-threatening event. Maybe you were
scratched by a cat at age three, and still experience fear and anxiety
even around your friends’ docile and well-trained pets.
 
Sounds weird, right? Well, it happens to all of us. We give the brain this
impossible job. We tell it to protect us, and it works day and night to
fulfill its job. It doesn’t like the unfamiliar, and you might act out if your
brain becomes overwhelmed.
 
There is a way out, though. That way out is mindfulness. 

When you begin to watch over your thoughts, you don’t react to thoughts
and feelings the same way you once did. You can observe the uncom-
fortable feelings your brain creates, and not react in a counterproductive
way. This becomes a new, more peaceful way of dealing with life. Your
mind then develops a new frame of reference. This is how mindfulness

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allows you to cope and puts you back in control of your life.
 
Here are some of the key benefits of mindfulness. 

Mindfulness reduces rumination

Numerous studies have shown that mindfulness reduces rumination,

which is a major contributor to stress and anxiety disorders. Ruminat-
ing occurs when you repetitively go over a thought or problem without
finding the solution. Some might call it obsessing.
 
Mindfulness allows you to accept the part of you that ruminates, while
not engaging in that tendency. Your mind may want to talk and talk to
you, but you can observe these thoughts, feelings, and worries from a
safe distance, rather than letting them consume you.
 
When ruminating takes over (when you’re not being mindful), you get
stuck in a rut: You replay thoughts about that project you messed up,
or all the bad luck you’ve had this week, or all the future events you’re
dreading.

When you practice mindfulness meditation, you’re aware of all these

thoughts and fears, but you simply let them be, watching them as a de-
tached observer rather than actively participating in them.  

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the art of mindfulness Chapter 5

Mindfulness reduces stress

When you’re more mindful, you chip away at the inner voices of your
“monkey mind,” the part of your brain that leaps from thought to thought
just as a monkey swings from vine to vine. Mindfulness helps to quiet
your monkey mind. 

Let me assure you, you’re not missing anything. These thought process-
es are only causing you misery and grief.
 
There have been several dozen studies exploring mindfulness-based
stress reduction. Researchers have found that mindfulness-based cogni-
tive therapy is an effective treatment for many clinical disorders. Prac-
ticing mindfulness at home for smaller issues you face daily is advanta-
geous for your mental health.
 
With the help of mindfulness, you can even prevent the onset of clini-
cal mental disorders and reduce negative emotions that decrease your
quality of life. 

The next time you start to feel angry, anxious, or frustrated, try explor-
ing the feelings that come up rather than feeding them by ruminating on
them. Where does the tightness sit? In your throat or belly? Scan down
your body, noticing tense muscles. Notice your breath: Is it deep and
even, or shallow and ragged? 

This is mindfulness. Neither avoiding these feelings, nor getting lost in

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the art of mindfulness Chapter 5

them. Once you’ve found the ability to reach that state of mindfulness,
you’ll also find yourself better equipped to handle all the challenges
that life might throw at you.
 

Mindfulness increases focus

Cultivating a practice of mindfulness can enhance your powers of con-

centration in other areas of your life. Through meditation, you learn how
to keep your focus on one thing at a time. You’re not easily distracted. 

Researchers have compared a group of experienced mindfulness medi-

tators with a control group that had no experience. The results indicated
that the group of experienced meditators had a greater attention span.
 
When you practice mindfulness in a controlled setting, you’ll begin to
figure out how it works – the feeling of expansion in the mind and the
relaxation of all the muscles in the body. Once you get the hang of fo-
cusing and centering in your quiet place, you can start using it where it
really counts, in high-stakes situations.
 
When life becomes overwhelming and it feels like everyone you know
is demanding something, you can take the time to center yourself. In-
stead of surrendering to the “monkey mind” and panicking, you can
quickly regain your focus and manage your priorities.
 

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Mindfulness increases emotional strength

Many people have extreme sensitivities or struggle to control their emo-

tions. This makes it a challenge to flow through life without a care in
the world. Extreme emotional sensitivity makes it difficult to enjoy life.
Again, this is an area in which mindfulness can help.
 
Researchers have connected mindfulness meditation and self-reported
mindfulness to attentional functioning and emotional elasticity. They
found that people who practice mindfulness have less emotional reac-
tivity.
 
This doesn’t mean that you have less compassion; rather, you simply
have more resilience and a better ability to cope with life’s inevitable
trials. You’re able to help others in a crisis because you remain calm,
without panicking or freezing.
 
Through mindfulness, you can also begin to work through repressed
emotions. Instead of shying away from them, you learn to feel them and
let them move through you. 

As you practice this more and more, you don’t hit those emotional edg-
es that trigger hurt, anger, and sadness. Once you gain that handle on
your emotions, your everyday life will become so much easier.
 

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Mindfulness gives you the freedom to live fully

When you hide away past emotions, you essentially put yourself in a
cage of your own making. The only way out is to push through the un-
comfortable truths you’ve been repressing. If you go near the edge of
the cage, you feel extreme discomfort. In that place of discomfort, you
can finally deal with past trauma and pain. 

Mindfulness is the key to escape from your emotional cage.

 
The more you deal with past emotions through mindfulness, the less
emotional disturbance will occur. Emotional disturbance is based on
events that happened to you long ago, events you haven’t let go of.
Through mindfulness, you can finally let go, and then you can be free.
 

Mindfulness promotes relationship satisfaction

A person’s ability to be mindful can be a predictor of how good a rela-

tionship will be. 

When you practice mindfulness, you’re more likely to respond well to

any challenges or stress that may arise in a relationship. You’re aware
of your emotions and can communicate your feelings without blame.
 
Studies have found that mindfulness can protect you from overreacting
to relationship conflicts. 

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Let’s face it, relationships aren’t always easy, but when you incorporate
mindfulness, you can help ease conflict. Even if there is no immediate
or obvious solution, you won’t become anxious. You won’t fall into the
storytelling of your ego and cause an unnecessary fight.
 
What you will do is truly listen to what the person is saying without im-
mediately lashing out in defense. Instead, you mindfully consider how
you can help your partner and strengthen the relationship you’ve built. 

If you experience strong emotions coming up, you don’t immediately

react. You feel these emotions out instead. You pay attention to what-
ever tension comes up in the body and try to understand why you’re
affected. This helps you to own what’s yours and not react to other peo-
ple’s drama.
 

What you can see, you can change

When you’re willing to look inside yourself, you can see what is and
isn’t working. When you feel insecure, instead of avoiding the feeling,
you can investigate. 

As you practice more and more, your mind will begin to reveal where
these feelings really come from. You may recall a moment in your child-
hood where you felt abandoned or ignored, or realize that you never
learned a particular skill.
 

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the art of mindfulness Chapter 5

When you can grasp what is really going on and which emotions are
stuck in your body, you can get rid of them for good. It only takes con-
fronting these old bits of energy to truly kiss them goodbye forever.
This is how you evolve and move forward with your life without fears
that make very little sense. You can become calm in a situation that
would normally stress you out. 

Life is always changing. But when you’re open to changing too, it’s
not so uncomfortable. You can quickly adjust, and even benefit from
those changes. Soon, you might even find yourself looking forward to
challenges, knowing that every one of them offers an opportunity for
growth.

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 Chapter 6
Why You Can’t Afford To Not Be
Mindful How to Live in the Moment

‘Life is full of suffering. If we don’t have enough happiness on reserve,

we have no means to take care of our despair.’

Thich Nhat Hanh, Happiness, iii

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the art of mindfulness Chapter 6

It may be helpful to understand what mindfulness is not in order to

grasp the concept fully. 

Imagine what happens when the years go by and you are not mindful.
You might struggle to get over the loss of loved ones, accumulate a
growing list of regrets, and struggle to adapt to change. You might wish
you’d said this or that. New technology and social media can further
distort your attention span and ability to live in the moment, making
mindfulness even more difficult to achieve. Thus, retreating from the
world and appreciating the present moment in front of you can become
that much tougher.   
 
When you aren’t paying attention to the patterns of your life, you’re
more susceptible to falling into addiction, experiencing mood disor-
ders, or dabbling in self-destructive behaviors. 

An intervention is essentially bringing someone back to mindfulness.

It’s easy to reject your instincts when you let your ego or psyche make
your decisions. It is only through your conscious thoughts (being mind-
ful), that you can quiet the voice in your head and make better decisions.
 
To be mindful means living fully in the present moment, observing what
is around you and taking note of the sensations of your body. You might
believe that you’re aware, but most of us get distracted easily. On top of
that, we must constantly deal with distractions and competing demands
for our attention, along with endless notifications from our phones. 

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What’s the opposite of being present? Being caught up in your head,

thinking about something else, zoning out, and missing out on moments.
You think about how to deal with something that happened in the past,
or something that might happen in the future. 

Why not deal with what is right in front of you?

 
You know that where you are right now is exactly where you should
be. You know that your life isn’t being lived to its fullest when you’re
constantly lost in distracting storylines and inner dialogue. 

The question is, how do you switch off your mind’s inner voices and
live in the here and now?
 
Practices such as meditation encourage mindfulness and allow you to
see what you otherwise cannot see. It’s hard to start a project when your
main objective is invisible. Mindfulness-based practices and tools have
been tried and tested by countless practitioners. In fact, practices like
meditation have been around for thousands of years.
 
Remember that while your mind can go virtually anywhere, you are
always right here. Mindfulness meditation gives you the skills to sync
your attention, so that your mind and body are in the same place at the
same time. 

Honing these skills grows easier over time.

 

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When was the last time you were really present?

Think about the last conversation you had with someone when you were
fully present. Perhaps even when you said, “I do” in your wedding cer-
emony, in the back of your mind you were thinking about something
else. 

When was the last time you looked at someone in the eye as they spoke
to you? That you fully focused on what they were saying, without pick-
ing up your phone or daydreaming?
 
Consider how you approach your interpersonal relationships.

When you really listen to your kids’ philosophy of what’s fair, or an-
swer their questions about life, you will feel that real connection that
perhaps you’ve been missing in your life. 

When you look at your partner in the eyes and tell them you love him
or her, that is an extremely powerful moment. If your relationship has
grown stagnant over the years, channeling a more mindful spirit can
reinvigorate your love and appreciation for each other.
 
Being in the present moment means having full awareness of what is
happening with you right now. You smell, see, hear, and touch your
experience. When you focus on the moment you’re in, it’s all so much
more meaningful and intense.

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 Chapter 7
A Brief History of Mindfulness

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the art of mindfulness Chapter 7

If it feels like mindfulness might be gaining currency in present-day

psychology and in the population at large...well, you’re right. The prac-
tice is being taught at more clinics, discussed in more group setting, and
generally embraced more than ever before.

But mindfulness is no Johnny-come-lately idea. The practice actually

has historical roots stretching back thousands of years. It is closely as-
sociated with both Hindu and Buddhist traditions. 

Hinduism is among the oldest known world religions. It’s so ancient

that it is difficult to pinpoint exactly where, when, and how it began.
What we do know is that Hindu traditions and beliefs emerged more
than 4,000 years ago in the Indus Valley, then developed throughout the
region. Many Hindu texts discuss mindfulness, yoga, meditation, and
other related concepts.
 
Buddhism arose around 500 BCE with the birth of Siddhartha Gauta-
ma, who would become known as the Buddha. Though born into royal-
ty, Gautama eventually left the royal court and came face to face with
suffering in the world: old age, sickness, death. He meditated under the
Bodhi tree and became enlightened. Mindfulness, also known as Sati, is
highly connected to Buddhism and is considered the first step towards
enlightenment. 

Both Hinduism and Buddhism focus closely on the concept of dharma,

a way of living life in harmony with the universe and the natural order
of things.
 

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The transition from East to West

In recent decades, Eastern ideas about mindfulness have gained traction

throughout the world. 

Mindfulness meditation and yoga classes are incredibly popular in the

West, and many current psychotherapies now incorporate mindfulness
training. Researchers have studied mindfulness from a scientific (rather
than a religious or spiritual) point of view, and their findings corrobo-
rate the immense benefits of mindfulness practice.
 
One of the most significant people popularizing mindfulness in the West
is Jon Kabat-Zinn, who founded the Center for Mindfulness at the Uni-
versity of Massachusetts Medical School. He also developed the Oasis
Institute for Mindfulness-Based Professional Education and training on
the campus. His Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) program
is an eight-week resource for people looking to reduce stress levels.
 
Kabat-Zinn was heavily influenced by studying under renowned Bud-
dhist teachers like Thich Nhat Hanh. Through the study of mindfulness
and his integration of this knowledge into Western science, Kabat-Zinn
was able to develop MBSR and prove that it was a powerful method of
healing. MBSR inspired a mindfulness-based therapy program known
as Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy (MBCT). It is used to treat a
number of psychological conditions, including Major Depressive Dis-
order.
 

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Another crucial development in mainstream mindfulness includes the

founding of the Insight Meditation Society in 1975. This group was es-
tablished by Jack Kornfield, Sharon Salzberg, and Joseph Goldstein. It
helped raise the popularity of mindfulness meditation within non-clini-
cal populations, expanding its reach dramatically.
 
Mindfulness experts such as Thich Nhat Hanh and Bhante Henepola
Gunaratana have published widely read books that explain mindfulness
in practical, accessible terms. The growth of mindfulness literature has
made it easier than ever to learn about this idea and develop habits of
daily meditation, mindful eating, and so on.

The transition is bound to continue. As disciples of Kabat-Zinn and

other mindfulness proponents make their own mark in life, the notion
of being present and conscious with our thoughts and action is sure to
gain traction. 

The practice of mindfulness might be thousands of years old. But its

impact could echo thousands more years into the future.
 

Who Practices Mindfulness? 

Pro athletes, actors, and many of the most successful people on Earth
practice mindfulness every day. Due to its benefits, mindfulness has be-
come a form of therapy for even the most challenging human disorders.
 

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Anxiety, OCD, ADHD, and Bipolar Disorder can often become debil-
itating mental conditions. Mindfulness therapy has shown to be effec-
tive in reducing symptoms caused by clinical disorders. It also helps
with addiction issues, regulating emotions, and offering a stable sensory
pathway in the brain. At a cellular level, we can all benefit from mind-
fulness. This is why it’s effective for anyone from anywhere for well...
anything.
 
As mindfulness becomes more and more recognized for its powerful
effects, people who are otherwise not spiritual have begun practicing
it daily. Professionals are finding out that they can transform many of
their counterproductive habits, which enables them to be more focused,
leading to greater success.

Above all, they experience the fulfillment of such success because they
also learn to celebrate life.
 

Highlly successful people who practice mindfulness

Kobe Bryant, a basketball star who dominated the game for two de-
cades with the Los Angeles Lakers, meditates daily. 

Bryant said that during his playing career he focused on keeping his
mind free of distractions, so he could excel at the highest level on a dai-
ly basis in the high-pressure environment of professional sports. Mind-
fulness helped open the door for that success to materialize.
 

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The actor Russell Brand has meditated for years. After struggling for
years with substance abuse, Brand kicked his bad habits with the help
of a mindfulness-based routine. He also inspired talk-show giant Ellen
DeGeneres to start meditating. DeGeneres says that practicing medita-
tion has helped her find a sense of true peace.
 
Back in the day, The Beatles learned how to meditate from Maharishi
Mahesh Yogi, providing the inspiration for their White Album. Paul Mc-
Cartney had this to say about meditation:

“In moments of madness, meditation has helped me find moments of

serenity – and I would like to think that it would help provide young
people a quiet haven in a not-so-quiet world.” 

 
Other famous people who meditate include Australian model Miranda
Kerr and British actress Naomi Watts.
 
Ray Dalio is the billionaire founder of Bridgewater Associates, which is
the world’s largest hedge fund firm. He says this about meditation,

“Meditation more than anything in my life was the biggest ingredient

of whatever success I’ve had.”

 
There are many successful leaders who agree with Dalio. More and
more corporate leaders are avid meditators, realizing that meditation
lowers stress. It can also improve focus, creative thinking, and produc-
tivity, as well as physical health.
 

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Many Fortune 500 companies offer meditation and mindfulness classes

for their employees because they know the benefits the classes offer.
Top executives have said that meditation has made them better lead-
ers. Companies like Aetna, Google, AOL, and Apple promote a healthy
mind at the workplace and offer mindfulness classes.
 
Tony Schwartz is the CEO for Energy Project and has been meditating
for more than 20 years. He began meditating to quiet his mind. But
over time, he found that meditating stopped his migraine headaches and
helped him improve his ability to cope with adversity through increased
levels of patience. Schwartz is also a big believer in the idea that mind-
fulness improves work performance.
 
Oprah Winfrey has been a major advocate of Transcendental Medita-
tion, which is said to cause the ordinary thinking process to transcend
its usual bounds. It becomes replaced by a pure state of consciousness.
In this state, the meditator will feel stillness, rest, stability, and a sense
of no mental boundaries. She sits in stillness for 20 minutes twice a day,
practicing this type of meditation.
 
This is what Oprah says about her experience:

“I walked away feeling fuller than when I’d come in. Full of hope,
a sense of contentment, and deep joy. Knowing for sure that even in
the daily craziness that bombards us from every direction, there is –
still – the constancy of stillness. Only from that space can you create
your best work and your best life.”

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Mindfulness at its heart does not demand that you change who you are.
Rather, it allows you to uncover who you are, and live your life more
freely and with integrity. 

As Oprah says, it helps you live your best life, whatever that may be.

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Conclusion

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So what is mindfulness? And how can it help us live a better, happier,

and more meaningful life?

Mindfulness is the practice of deliberately paying attention to your

thoughts and feelings, to the sensations of your body, and to your sur-
roundings. It’s the state of being conscious, and aware, by focusing on
the present moment.

There are many ways to practice mindfulness. We can focus our atten-
tion on our senses. On the sandwich that we’re eating. On the conver-
sation that we’re having. On any and all external and internal stimuli.

One of the most productive ways to practice mindfulness is through

meditation. We can begin meditating by simply focusing on our breath.
If we feel a certain emotion or think a certain thought, we can examine
it from a distance, acknowledging that we’re angry or sad or scared, but
not judging that emotion or running from it. We allow ourselves to just
be.

Through the practice of mindfulness and the act of meditation, you can
learn how to let go of your attachments. Learning to let go will open up
worlds of new possibilities in your life. You’ll see angles you never saw
before. Paths you never imagined. Outcomes you would have never
expected.

With the help of mindfulness-based meditation, you’ll learn how to

stop ruminating on difficult emotions. You’ll learn how to reduce stress.

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You’ll learn how to manage your feelings. You’ll learn how to increase
your focus. And you’ll learn the path to increased resiliency and emo-
tional strength.

Practicing mindfulness will improve your ability to live in the moment.

When you really listen to your kids’ philosophy of what’s fair, or an-
swer their questions about life, you will feel that real connection that
perhaps you’ve been missing in your life. When you look at your part-
ner in the eyes and tell them you love him or her, you will experience
an extremely powerful moment. 

We understand and embrace the deep roots of the mindfulness move-

ment. It’s a practice that started in Hinduism, spread to Buddhism, and
today has evolved into a widespread practice, one powered by the works
of psychologist Jon Kabat-Zinn, then perpetuated by a legion of devo-
tees and followers.

From Kobe Bryant to Russell Brand, Ellen DeGeneres to Oprah Winfrey,

mindfulness and mindfulness-based meditation have become a cher-
ished path to emotional wellness for many celebrities and high-powered
people. But it can also bring contentment and joy and peace of mind for
ordinary people living through hard times.

All you need to do is open your heart, embrace the present, and be.

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