Mindfulness in Motion

I'm doing PT.

Again.

As someone who had seven orthopedic surgeries before the age of forty, I’m well-versed in the rhythm and routine of physical therapy. I have deep respect for PTs and am so grateful for the therapists who’ve helped me recover from some gnarly surgeries. I can walk, hike, sit cross-legged, and raise my arms above my head. All of that is thanks to PT - and to the surgeons who fixed that which wasn’t quite right.

I don’t love doing PT. The exercises seem never-ending and don’t always feel good. Sometimes the goalposts move just as the finish line comes into view (“Let’s try that again with a five-pound weight!”). And it’s yet another appointment to fit into my schedule.

So why mention it? Because I’m in PT again. This time, however, it feels different. Instead of rushing through my exercises, I’ve started slowing down. When I do reps of the exercise du jour, I count to five, slowly, as I lower the weight. Strangely, it’s in that slowness that I find both efficiency and meaning. I’m building strength with fewer reps - but far more awareness of each muscle and movement.

That subtle shift -- from getting it done to being in it -- has changed my experience of PT. It’s not just about rebuilding muscles anymore; it’s about noticing what’s happening in my body, moment by moment.

That quiet attention to the present is mindfulness in motion. And maybe that’s the deeper recovery: retraining the mind to slow down, to stay with what’s happening now, and to find meaning in even the most ordinary repetitions.

As I think more about mindfulness, I realize how often it gets tangled up with another concept: meditation. People use them interchangeably, but they’re not quite the same. Understanding the difference can make mindfulness feel more approachable, especially if the idea of sitting quietly for twenty minutes makes you want to run away screaming.

Meditation vs. Mindfulness

Mindfulness is the ability to be present and fully engaged in the current moment, aware of our thoughts, emotions, and sensations without judgment (Kabat-Zinn, 1994). It can be woven into everyday activities: walking the dog, washing dishes, folding laundry, or even doing PT exercises. It’s about noticing your experience—how your body feels, what thoughts arise, what emotions pass through—and allowing them to be there without rushing to fix them.

Meditation, by contrast, is a practice that helps cultivate mindfulness. It usually involves setting aside time to sit quietly and focus on one thing, such as the breath, bodily sensations, or a repeated phrase, to strengthen concentration and calm (Bishop et al., 2004).

Over time, this mental training can help mindfulness become a natural part of your everyday life.

In short, meditation is the practice and mindfulness is the result. You don’t have to meditate to be mindful, but meditation can make it easier to access mindfulness when life feels stressful. Jon Kabat-Zinn says, “Mindfulness is awareness that arises through paying attention, on purpose, in the present moment — non-judgmentally.” Whether that awareness comes from sitting quietly or noticing the feel of your feet on the ground during a walk, the goal is the same: to return to yourself and the present moment, right where life is actually happening.

Benefits of Mindfulness

When we slow down enough to notice what’s happening in the present moment, something powerful shifts. Mindfulness isn’t just a feel-good idea; it’s a well-studied practice with real physical, emotional, and cognitive benefits.

Research shows that mindfulness can reduce stress, anxiety, and symptoms of depression by helping us regulate our thoughts and emotions rather than getting swept away by them (Kabat-Zinn, 1994; Hofmann, Sawyer, Witt, & Oh, 2010). Physically, it supports better sleep, lowers blood pressure, and helps the body recover from chronic stress (Creswell, 2017).

But perhaps the most noticeable change happens in daily life. Mindfulness helps us pause before reacting, noticing small joys like the warmth of your morning coffee or the sound of birds outside, and feel more grounded amid the chaos. Over time, this awareness builds emotional resilience, patience, and compassion for ourselves and others (Shapiro, Astin, Bishop, & Cordova, 2005).

Somewhere between my PT exercises, I realize that mindfulness isn’t something separate from life -- it’s right there in the repetition. PT has become my teacher again, reminding me that slowing down isn’t a setback. It’s a way of paying attention, of rebuilding from the inside out. And that kind of recovery stays with you long after the last session ends.

References

Bishop, S. R., Lau, M., Shapiro, S., Carlson, L., Anderson, N. D., Carmody, J., … Devins, G. (2004). Mindfulness: A proposed operational definition. Clinical Psychology: Science and Practice, 11(3), 230–241. https://doi.org/10.1093/clipsy.bph077

Creswell, J. D. (2017). Mindfulness interventions. Annual Review of Psychology, 68(1), 491–516. https://doi.org/10.1146/annurev-psych-042716-051139

Hofmann, S. G., Sawyer, A. T., Witt, A. A., & Oh, D. (2010). The effect of mindfulness-based therapy on anxiety and depression: A meta-analytic review. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 78(2), 169–183. https://doi.org/10.1037/a0018555

Kabat-Zinn, J. (1994). Wherever you go, there you are: Mindfulness meditation in everyday life. Hyperion.

Shapiro, S. L., Astin, J. A., Bishop, S. R., & Cordova, M. (2005). Mindfulness-based stress reduction for health care professionals: Results from a randomized trial. International Journal of Stress Management, 12(2), 164–176. https://doi.org/10.1037/1072-5245.12.2.164