Mindfulness

… paying attention to whatever is happening is mindfulness meditation.

That’s the whole thing. Not emptying your head, not reaching some special state. Just paying attention to what’s actually here.

Sit. Watch. Notice when the mind wandered off. Come back. That “coming back” is the entire exercise. Do it enough and you stop being dragged around by every thought that floats by.

The goal of meditation is to not react. The goal of enlightenment is permanent presence. Don’t forget that you’re breathing.

It’s the eighth step of the path, but it’s also the engine for the other seven. And it works like fasting.