Hi, and welcome to your Daily Mindfulness.

You know, some people misunderstand

mindfulness and they think it's about

zoning out, blissing out, or rising

above normal life, but it's actually

the exact opposite of those things.

It is, rather, an act of

full engagement with life.

Mindfulness involves deepening our

ability to be fully attentive to the

present moment, and then continually

returning to the present moment if we

lose ourselves in our wandering thoughts.

And this process of becoming more

aware and awake gradually untangles

us from being caught in the thoughts

that create our anxieties, our

worries, and our restless nights.

It unwinds stress and suffering, makes us

less reactive and it restores in a calm

and importantly, it also gives us the

mental space to make wise choices in life.

The ones that lead towards us, living a

more healthy, happy, and meaningful life.

And perhaps, most importantly,

research now compellingly points to

the fact that happiness is a skill.

You know Matt Killingsworth, from Harvard

University did the largest study on

human happiness that's ever been done.

And what he discovered was that happiness

is not about getting the big house, the

big achievement, the perfect partner.

He found that what makes people most happy

was being fully present in the moment.

He found, actually that the more present

we are in our lives, the happier we are.

And conversely, the more our minds

wander, the more unhappy we are.

You know, mindfulness, therefore, the

way I say it is that it's the most

intelligent and effective way to cultivate

happiness from within and be able to

carry it with you wherever you go.

It truly is so much power in

the practice of being present.

And, you know, as you may have noticed

already, although being present in

the here and now is a really simple

concept, it's not always easy, which

is why regular practice is important.

And you know, like anything worth having

in life, the more you invest the time,

the more you'll experience the full

benefits of what mindfulness has to offer.

And with time and practice, you'll

notice that the awareness you cultivate

during meditation starts to take up

residence inside you like warm sunshine.