Mindfulness: A Path to Presence and Wellbeing
Mindfulness is not new, nor is it meditation or a religious practice—though it does have roots in Buddhism. Since its introduction to the West in the 1970s and ’80s, mindfulness has captured the attention of the scientific community, inspiring studies that reveal its profound effects on health and wellbeing. Research shows that mindfulness can improve both mental and physical health, including conditions such as psoriasis, multiple sclerosis, and fibromyalgia.
At its core, mindfulness is the practice of being fully present—paying attention to life as it unfolds, noticing our experiences, and making conscious decisions. It is also a powerful tool for connecting health with healing. As Thich Nhat Hanh reminds us, meditation allows us to embrace our worries, fears, and anger, letting our natural capacity for healing do the work.
Being mindful is a joyful state of curiosity and focus. Sometimes it helps us explore life with playful wonder, other times it sharpens our attention on important tasks, and often it simply allows us to fully experience joy, replacing wandering thoughts with present awareness. In each moment, we can meet our immediate needs and embrace life as it happens. With consistent practice, mindfulness can reveal hidden insights about ourselves and the world around us.
As my late friend Annette says, the mind is like a butterfly in a meadow, flitting from thought to thought. Left unchecked, our minds can drift into distraction—pleasant, unpleasant, or mundane. Mindfulness teaches us to notice these thoughts, greet them, and then let them go. Thoughts and feelings, like sounds, come and go. The goal is not to chase them but to observe them without attachment.
Life is made up of moments—and when we make each moment matter, everything matters.
—Ellen Langer
Be kind to yourself,
Beth