Journey to Mindfulness: A Path to Myself

There was a time when my mind was always in a rush—jumping from one thought to another, caught in worries about the future and regrets about the past. I lived more in my head than in my body, with thoughts that never seemed to pause. It was exhausting, but I didn’t even realize it. Like many of us, I thought that was just life.

Then, yoga found me. Or perhaps, I found yoga. At first, it was all about movement. I loved the stretches, the fluidity of my body, the way I felt after a session. But amidst the movements and breathwork, something deeper began to shift. I started paying attention to my breath, and for the first time, I was truly present in the moment. That was my first experience of mindfulness—being fully in the now, without resistance, without the need to change anything.

Mindfulness wasn’t an instant transformation. It was—and still is—a journey. I had to unlearn living on autopilot. I had to learn to simply be—to sit with my thoughts, to breathe through discomfort, to observe rather than react. At first, it was uncomfortable. My mind resisted the stillness. It wanted to label, analyze, and fix everything. But slowly, I realized that mindfulness isn’t about fixing anything. It’s about witnessing.

One of the biggest shifts happened when I took mindfulness beyond my yoga mat and into my daily life. I started noticing the warmth of my morning tea, the light streaming through the window, the feeling of my feet touching the ground as I walked. The simplest things became sacred. My mind still wandered, of course. But I learned to gently bring it back, again and again, like guiding a child home.

Mindfulness isn’t about perfection. It’s not about erasing emotions or having a blank mind. It’s about presence. It’s about awareness. It’s about meeting each moment—whether joyful or painful—with openness and curiosity. It’s about fully living this life, rather than just passing through it.

This journey has led me to teaching, to sharing, to helping others find moments of stillness in the chaos. But even as a teacher, I am always a student. Some days, mindfulness flows easily. Other days, my mind wrestles with it. And that’s okay. That is the practice.

For those who are still searching, still struggling to quiet their minds—I see you. I have been there too. And I can tell you this—peace is not something you find. It’s something you uncover, something that has always been within you. Mindfulness is simply the key.

Breathe. Return, again and again. You are already home.

With love,

Mona Mollaei