India, Sept. 20 -- You can be physically present in a room while your mind is somewhere completely different. You may be thinking about what happened yesterday, worrying about what might happen tomorrow, checking your phone or planning what comes next. Without realizing it, these small habits can keep you from fully experiencing the moment you are actually living.

Mindfulness begins when you notice this tendency instead of automatically following it. You do not have to escape your thoughts or make every moment peaceful. The practice is simply about learning to meet your experience as it is, whether you are waiting at a red light, sitting in silence or moving through a difficult emotion.

The more present you become, the more you may noti...