Jon Kabat-Zinn, the founder of the technique Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) states that mindfulness is simply awareness that is cultivated by paying attention. It is not a philosophy, a concept, a good idea, or a special state... it is a way of being. Real stress does not come from the stressor itself but our response to it. So stress comes from thinking. Mindfulness helps to hone in on this. It is not just limited to sitting cross legged on the floor with your eyes closed. For example, it is being fully present while having a conversation with someone, noticing the flowers while you're on a walk or being fully engaged while interacting with a child. It is NOT multi-tasking, which is counter productive to our brain (despite what our society says). It is NOT about changing yourself but recognizing the beauty that is already within yourself. Sounds a lot like what we talk about in yoga right? Yoga is one way to cultivate mindfulness. There are so many more. If you have the time, listen to the interesting talk by Jon K-Z and secondly a 20 minute mindfulness exercise you can do.

Mindfulness is a gateway to meditation. "The goal of mindfulness is to wake up to the inner workings of our mental, emotional, and physical processes."
 It involves being fully present into whatever you are doing - awareness and being fully engaged in the present moment. Whether taking a walk (feeling the air on your face, hearing the birds, etc), fully listening while in conversation, or even feeling the warmth of the water while washing your hands. It is a key element to positive intelligence psychology, if you have read about that. With more mindfulness, we can find ourselves in better physical and mental health. Our relationships may improve, our blood pressure lower and our general happiness increased. Go ahead - try it. From there, you can take it a step further pairing it with meditation, whether that involves your breath, a mantra, walking meditation or so many more. 

"Follow your bliss" - Joseph Campbell