The following Mark's Daily Apple article was written by Mark Sisson

and is narrated by Tina Lehman.

Four ways to harness mindfulness for health goals.

It's hard to believe we're already midway through the 21-day challenge.

How's everyone faring? What effects are you noticing?

Where have you found your successes and your stumbling blocks?

What's motivating you right now?

How do you feel yourself settling into the practices you've adopted since the first day?

Even if you've experienced some wavering, that's no reason to abandon the venture, you know.

What brings you back to the center of your intention? How do you reclaim the moment?

Reclaim the moment. A rather powerful concept. It reminds us that at any time, we can

realign ourselves with the now. Moving our attention from the past, regret, or the future,

pessimism, anxiety, we claim the potential of the present. We apply ourselves mindfully. In possessing the moment, we achieve self-possession.

But let me be clear, this isn't some mental game. This is how success happens, now and now.

Applying mindful observation to our sensations, to the environment's feedback, to our own string of thoughts,

without getting sucked into side stories about what we should think about them.

This is where self-empowerment resides. Health research concurs.

Number 1. Mindfulness targets binge eating.

We all have those moments where our basic or skewed survival instincts

override conscious reason. A binge at the neighbor's playoff party or an evening rate on the

chocolate stash can leave your kickstart challenge or health aspirations in the dust, setting you

back woefully far. It's a common enough situation and there's no point in dwelling on regret.

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