What is mindfulness?

Mindfulness encompasses a variety of techniques that increase your awareness of the present moment. As an example, as I am typing this, I am also caught up in my thoughts about a conversation I had yesterday. Why didn't I respond differently? Does the other person think I'm weird now? Should I reach out and try to correct the situation or will that make it ever weirder? 

As humans, our thoughts and emotions often get caught up in past events or future possibilities. Mindfulness simply attempts to bring our awareness out of those places (where we have no control) back to the present moment, the only place where we can affect our reality.

Mindfulness is not a religion. It does contain some philosophical concepts and follows scientific principles.