In my opinion mindfullness isn’t necessarily about slow walking, deep breathing, frequent resting and delighting in every flower on a trail. Sure, it CAN be about all of these things. But it’s not prescriptive, it’s not a recipe to follow in the pursuit of awakening.

Mindfulness is about being present with where you are and how you are … right now. And now … and now.

If mindfulness were simply about the new age hippy version of tripping through the daisies it would exclude an entire population of people whose daily lives involve hard labour, stressful work commitments, gruelling commutes and distressing separations. 

Fully practicing mindfulness isn’t waiting for gaps or vacations or weekend retreats; unless you can find mindfulness in the chaos, true mindfulness will elude you in the calm and create all manner of psychological and emotional discontent by projecting your ideals onto a reality that only ever exists in the present.

When practiced with integrity and concentration, mindfulness can be present in the sensations of the footfall of your dash for a train; present with the attitude of impermanence of your stress about being late; found in the vibrations of the hammer as it chips away at boulder after boulder, and in meeting yourself in the heartfelt sadness of farewells.

Meditation is a medication that comes without prescription and is not limited to the lotus sitting in silence. Mindfulness can be easily practiced on the cushion yet it will ultimately always transcend this.

So don’t wait to practice because someone has told you it requires stillness and contemplation. Practice it in every moment by being present in your now.