Focusing on the moment can help calm, and maybe even heal, body and mind.

Make the moment vital and worth living. Do not let it slip away unnoticed and unused. — Martha Graham

In this era of multitasking, it's easy to let the moment slip away, lost in the efforts to juggle work, helping a partner who may be ill, overextended children, aging parents, keeping up a house, paying the bills, and worrying about the economy and the world situation. Paying attention to the moment won't deflate those pressures. But it can help you cope with them in a calmer, less stressful way that can be good for your heart, your head, and your body.

What is mindfulness?

Mindfulness is the practice of purposely focusing your attention on the present without drifting into concerns about the past or future or getting caught up in making judgments about what's happening. Although it has its roots in Buddhism and a place in many religions, science is now giving it a good look. Mounting evidence suggests that mindfulness can increase enjoyment of life and improve emotional and physical health. Mindfulness techniques can help relieve stress and alleviate conditions such as high blood pressure, chronic pain, sleep problems, and gastrointestinal difficulties. People who practice mindfulness say they're less preoccupied with success and self-esteem and more open to connections with others. It's being used to help people with heart failure and chronic pain, as well as those with psychosocial problems ranging from depression and anxiety to substance abuse and relationship problems.

You can get a sense of how much time you spend not being mindful with this list developed at the University of Rochester:

• I find it difficult to stay focused on what's happening in the present.

• I snack without paying much attention to what I'm eating.

• It seems I'm "running on automatic" without much awareness of what I'm doing.

• I rush through activities without being really attentive to them.

• I tend to walk quickly to get where I'm going without paying attention to what I experience along the way.

• I find myself listening to someone with one ear and doing something else at the same time.

• I tend not to notice physical tension or discomfort until they really grab my attention.

Becoming more mindful

A common way of promoting mindfulness is through meditation, which typically involves sitting quietly and using a repeated phrase, a focus on breathing, or an image to help focus attention and quiet the parade of distracting thoughts that arise. If your mind wanders, you gently redirect it to the present. The challenge lies in not latching onto any particular thought, emotion, or sensation.

It takes some practice. Help is available in many guises, from classes on mindfulness to instructions in books or on tape. You can also increase mindfulness in less formal ways. The pioneering Benson-Henry Institute for Mind Body Medicine at Massachusetts General Hospital suggests that you slow down as you go about everyday activities, doing one thing at a time and bringing your full awareness to both the activity and your experience of it. Here are some tips for integrating mindfulness into everyday life:

• Make something that occurs several times during the day, such as answering the phone or buckling your seat belt, a reminder to return to the present — that is, think about what you're doing and observe yourself doing it.

• Pay attention to your breathing or your environment when you stop at red lights.

• Before you go to sleep, and when you awaken, take some "mindful" breaths. Instead of allowing your mind to wander over the day's concerns, direct your attention to your breathing. Feel its effects on your nostrils, lungs, and abdomen. Try to think of nothing else.

• If the present moment involves stress — perhaps you're about to speak in public or undergo a medical test — observe your thoughts and emotions and how they affect your body.

• Find a task you usually do impatiently or unconsciously (standing in line or brushing your teeth, for example) and do it mindfully.

Mindfulness resources

Web sites:

Center for Mindfulness in Medicine, Health Care and Society, University of Massachusetts Medical School, Worcester, MA: Provides information on mindfulness and offers mindfulness based stress reduction programs. Founded by Jon Kabat-Zinn, Ph.D., who brought mindfulness into mainstream use.

Benson-Henry Institute for Mind Body Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA: Under the direction of Harvard Medical School's Dr. Herbert Benson, who pioneered the "relaxation response." The Benson-Henry Institute works to advance the study and practice of mind-body medicine. On the Benson-Henry Web site, you can find an overview of mind-body medicine, as well as information and instructions in mindfulness practice, stress-management, and eliciting the relaxation response. Books, CDs, and tapes are available through the Web site.

Books and CDs

Peace is Every Step: The Path of Mindfulness in Everyday Life by Thich Nhat Hanh (Bantam Books, 1992)

Wherever You Go, There You Are: Mindfulness Meditation in Everyday Life by Jon Kabat-Zinn (Hyperion, 1995)

Mindfulness for Beginners by Jon Kabat-Zinn (Sounds True, 2006)

Other CDs and tapes by Jon Kabat-Zinn are available at http://www.mindfulnesscds.com/index.html.