What is mindfulness?
One definition by Jon Kabat-Zinn, the pioneer of mindfulness in the West,
is that it has two components.
The first is present moment awareness and attention.
Think of it as the spotlight illuminating whatever it rests upon.
The second is attitude of non-judgmental curiosity,
which itself is made up of two central components.
Regulation of attention to keep it on the immediate experience.
And approaching experiences with curiosity, openness, and
acceptance, regardless of whether the experiences are positive or negative.
The mechanisms of mindfulness per Shapiro et al require three components,
intention, attentional control, and
specific attitude towards experience marked by acceptance and friendliness.
So you can be mind full or mindful.
You want to be like your pet.
Be present in the moment, don't think about the past, or
about your plans in the future, things like what you're going to make for dinner.
You need milk, you need to remember to pay your bills.
You just want to be present in the moment, without judgement.
And you can do this anywhere.
You don't have to be sitting in a lotus position to do this.
Mindfulness is not about relaxing or clearing the mind,
about controlling thoughts, a quick fix to unpleasantness,
necessarily easy or enjoyable in the beginning.