Your mind is all you have. Your mind determines every action taken and not taken. We rely on it to be energetic, stable and satisfied. It is also the place where emotions and qualities like happiness, joy, relaxation, creativity, compassion, anger, despair and sadness arise. Despite all this, it's very easy to forget to take care of it. As a result, we become stressed and overwhelmed. Fortunately, there's a class of practices which have been used for thousands of years and recently been under the spotlight of scientific research. This class of practices is referred to as meditation.

There are many different types of meditation, but they all share the same idea: focused attention. Mindfulness meditation is a popular form of meditation, wherein you pay attention to the present moment in a relaxed, but focused manner. Mindfulness may alleviate depression, anxiety, stress, pain and it can promote happiness, relaxation and awareness. In truth, the list of benefits is endless and it is difficult to name a thing meditation does not improve.

The essence of meditation is very simple, but the mind can make it seem difficult by thinking about it. As a matter of experience, meditation is beyond words, and attempts to describe the experience only drift you further away from the real thing. Being compatible with everyday life, you can try out meditation anytime, even right now. Just pick a thing from your environment that you select as an object of focus. It could be anything, also your breath. You may also close your eyes for this exercise. Now attach your attention to this object and try not be distracted, but not in a constricting way. You will quickly notice that it's impossible to not be distracted. The mind will start producing a story, essentially narrating the present moment by thinking. This is in fact the default condition of a human mind. Being unaware of this process is in fact the basis of psychological suffering. Happily, it is possible to correct for this mechanism with meditation and become more mindful of each and every moment, truly present and focused.