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The Complete Guide to Mindfulness Practice
What it really costs, what you actually do, and how to know if sitting with your own mind is worth it before you spend a dime
by Alumigogo Books
Chapter 1: What Is Mindfulness Practice and Why People Love It
Starting from Zero: What This Actually Is
Let's cut through the fog right away. Mindfulness practice is the act of deliberately paying attention to what's happening in the present moment, without trying to change it, judge it, or get distracted by it. That's it. You're not trying to empty your mind (that's a myth that stops more beginners than any other). You're not trying to achieve a special state of consciousness. You are literally just sitting (or standing, or walking) and noticing what's going on inside you and around you, one breath at a time.
Day-to-day, this translates into a shockingly simple activity: you set aside a few minutes, you sit somewhere reasonably quiet, and you direct your attention to one thing — usually your breath moving in and out of your body. When your mind wanders off (and it will, roughly every fifteen seconds at first), you gently notice that it wandered, and you bring your attention back to the breath. Then you do it again. And again. And again for the next ten or fifteen minutes.
That sounds almost absurdly boring when written out, and in fairness, some of it is. The first few sessions you might spend most of your time noticing how much your left foot itches, or planning what to have for lunch, or feeling vaguely foolish sitting alone in a quiet room. But here's the secret that keeps people coming back: the moments