Mindfulness improves quality of life

BOSTON , MA –Mounting evidence is showing that mindfulness can increase life enjoyment, expand the ability to cope with illness, and possibly improve physical and emotional health. The February issue of Harvard Women's Health Watch takes a detailed look at how learning to focus the mind can be a healthful antidote to the stresses of everyday living.

Mindfulness is the ability to pay attention to an experience from moment to moment —without drifting into thoughts of the past or concerns about the future, or getting caught up in opinions about what's going on. One of the more popular ways to practice mindfulness is through meditation, which involves sitting or lying down quietly for 20 or 30 minutes, once or twice a day. The February issue includes tips on how to achieve mindfulness in everyday life: