Mindfulness

What is Mindfulness? At its most general, it is the deliberate paying of attention. A popular beginner's exercise is what I would call 'Mindfulness of Breath', rather than just 'Mindfulness', but alas people often associate the idea of 'Mindfulness' with 'sitting in a quiet room with a candle and counting your breaths'. There is considerable overlap with /meditation, in the sense that 'Mindfulness of Breath' would be considered both a 'Mindfulness practice' and a 'Meditation practice'. But there are, to my mind, things that I consider Mindful which are not Meditations, and likewise Meditation practices which are not practices of Mindfulness. So in this part of the Wiki I wish to elaborate on what I understand Mindfuless to be, down to its nuts and bolts, its benefits, and a demystified explanation for why they might be beneficial. I intend to do likewise for Meditation in the Meditation part of this Wiki.