Mindful Living: Rediscovering What Came Naturally

A way of living that was second nature to people 40 years ago is now something we strive for with courses and apps. The simple act of being present—once innate—now feels like a skill we must relearn.

1 The Three Pillars of Mindful Living

On the Buddhist path, mindfulness functions in three essential ways:

What one needs to do is just start with the first step of learning which is to be in the present moment. Our unmindful mind is like a fish under stress who doesn't want to stay still and has such swift movements that before you can observe it in one spot it has already moved on to the other.

2 The Power of Mindful Breathing

The starting point is to have a strong will to develop mindfulness. Why do I say strong? Remember the power of mind! Even if you are not mindful, the mind still has a power which is being used for the not so meaningful tasks.

3 Making Mindfulness a Habit

After you attain the strong will, you can begin your journey of learning mindfulness by spending some moments each day focusing on one thing that is constant and rhythmic in nature. That is your breathing. Learn to observe how you are breathing.

Even in moments of stress, you can take a moment off and focus on your breath. The working of the mind gets controlled by our breath or vice versa. To start with, sit comfortably with your spine erect and eyes closed and begin focusing on your breath.