India, Sept. 13 -- You wake up and reach for your phone. You check your messages while having breakfast, think about work while driving and scroll through social media while someone is talking to you.

According to an article by Johns Hopkins Medicine, mindfulness is paying attention to what is happening in your body and the world around you as it happens. It calls the opposite state being on "auto-pilot."

For a spiritual practice, that idea is simple but powerful. You do not always need to escape your busy life to feel more present. You can begin by noticing the life already happening around you.

Think about the last time you ate a meal while looking at your phone. You may have finished the food without really noticing its taste.

The ...