Touchstones: How Mindfulness Anchors You in the Now

Take a moment. Find a quiet space. Place a hand gently on your chest and breathe deeply. Feel the steady rhythm of your breath. For just a few seconds, let go of your thoughts and worries and rest your full attention right here—on the rise and fall, on the simple gift of being alive.

Notice what changes. A subtle sense of relief? A calming of your body? A settling of mental chatter? Perhaps you also felt a shimmer of delight or a comforting reassurance that, despite your challenges, everything will be alright.

If so, you just “entered the Now.” For a moment at least, you touched presence and returned to being your true self—naturally calm, alert, even happy. It’s what I call the resilient beauty of being. For regular practitioners of mindfulness, every moment whispers: “Now is where joy lives.”

Your breath is a touchstone, anchoring you in the present moment. But it’s not unique in this regard. Every moment in your life—like riding the elevator, walking the dog, or tending a garden— offers an opportunity to touch presence and reconnect with the calm, clarity, and joy always waiting inside for you.

ENTER THE NOW introduces you to a variety of touchstone exercises that transform ordinary moments into extraordinary ones in their power to reduce stress and merge you with presence.

In a world that constantly pulls you into distraction and distress, touchstones remind you that the simple joys of being are never far away—they wait quietly in every corner of your life, ready to be noticed again. Whenever you feel distracted, overwhelmed, or simply long to feel better, you can use these touchstones to let go, be present, and immerse yourself in the remarkable felt-presence of being you