Mindfulness means to focus; 
intentionally, in the moment and without judgment, forming no opinions about it.

It is being aware and having an acceptance of the present. It is not much more to it than that. With that being said, let's explore.

A good analogy would be what you would observe when watching a small child at play. They appear to be so engaged and in the moment. They don't appear to be worried or trying to manage what is going on around them. I was reminded by a professional that as we become older, we lose the capacity to do this and begin making tasks more complicated causing a web of frustration on the smallest of levels. We begin to miss the little things in life. We miss all the little nuances that used to mean so much to us, like smelling the flowers or paying attention to the sunset, or listening to our very own heartbeat.

What kinds of things does one experience when in a state of mindfulness and what are the advantages of being in such a state of mind?

We begin to manually tune into our senses. We experience touch, smells, taste, etc.more vividly. We being to connect our physical, our bodies with our thoughts and emotions. We become more aware of our surroundings and how we react to those surroundings. It's very calming to experience this feeling. 

We can achieve this through doing a body scan, breathing, or meditation. This has to be done in quiet time. Everyone has the ability to do this on their own, however, there are people who can assist in instructor-led sessions. I have experience doing it both ways and my findings are that they are different but equally effective. 

Below is a great website that explains how to achieve mindfulness:

Pocket Mindfulness

MEDITATION 101: TECHNIQUES, BENEFITS, AND A BEGINNER’S HOW-TO

One of my absolute favorite mindful techniques is meditation through music. Try it:

Duke Skywalker - Angel Dust 

A LIST OF MINDFULNESS, RELAXATION AND MEDITATION APPS