We spend so much of our lives with our mind either in the thoughts of the past or the future. We are often gasping at what we desire or rejecting what we fear. Rarely are we actually aware of the present, yet it is here where peace lies. Our mind rushes here and there, unable to experience any real sense of what is around us and how we are feeling. With a still mind we become aware, each moment is alive and free from the pull of desire or fear. We find that happiness is not something out there but instead something that happens naturally when our thoughts are silent. Yet meditation is not something that happens only on retreat or when sitting still. To me meditation is simply being present, observing my thoughts and circumstances at that given time. It is the act of being constantly present in whatever I am doing, wherever I may be.