I love the image of the mind as this raging bull in Adam Oakley's poem above. The mind is often like that, off on its own, pulling us all over the place and causing us to go way off track from where we want and need to be. Most of this severe agitation is unnecessary. We all know that our thoughts are not us and that our thoughts are not reality, but we still have moments when those raging bull thoughts, As a result, we get less done and are less happy in life than we could otherwise be. In a sense, by allowing the bull to rage, we are wasting our precious time on this earth. This chapter provides an introduction to some modern mindfulness practices that can be used to slow the raging bull down.

This chapter starts by describing the world's first mindfulness practices, developed over 3,000 years ago. It then describes what drew people to these practices back then, and why there is an upsurge in these practices now. Meditation, for example, has been scientifically shown to improve concentration, allowing one to get more done in less time and with less effort, to help one establish “flow,” and to find enhanced meaning and purpose in life.