Do you live in the moment and without judgment? Or do you float along on auto-pilot, unaware of what is taking place around you?

By paying attention to our minds and bodies, we can begin to take more control and "switch off" the autopilot and increase our mindfulness—this simply means noticing things as they are right now in the present, including things we usually take for granted like our breath, body sensations, perceptions and emotions.

Using all the exercises suggested here, learning to be fully aware of our body sensations and our thoughts and emotions—whether they are pleasant or unpleasant—can help us deal with our stress more effectively. Acknowledging present moment reality as it is actually is the first step toward transforming that reality and our relationship to it.

The body scan