Wherever You Go, There You Are

Do-Be-Do-Be-Do

Most people go through their daily lives on automatic pilot, not really paying attention to the world around them. Their minds dart forward, back and off into fantasy. They will do anything and everything rather than be who they are and acknowledge what they are doing.

Meditation takes you in the opposite direction. It enables you to live in the present, and to experience each moment fully.

“An appreciation for the present moment,” or “mindfulness,” is at the heart of all meditative practices, whether they come from Buddhism or other Eastern traditions, or from American sources such as Henry David Thoreau’s writings or Native American religions.

Mindfulness sounds simple, and it is; but it is not easy. Your mental habits will pull you out of the moment, over and over again. Meditation will help you to bring yourself back to awareness.

To make a long-term commitment to meditation, you need a clear understanding of why you’re doing it. Make a list of the reasons you meditate and keep asking yourself about them, seeking deeper answers. Many traditions believe that meditation creates “full human beings.”

As you engage in...