But what happens when mindfulness becomes another task on our to-do list? Another way we try to “fix” ourselves or manage our stress without addressing the deeper patterns that keep us restless?

Dennis Davis, author of Beyond the Mind: Awakening to Your True Self, shares that while mindfulness is a powerful starting point, it is not the destination. It is a doorway to something deeper: a living, felt experience of presence that allows us to connect with who we truly are.

𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐏𝐨𝐰𝐞𝐫 𝐨𝐟 𝐌𝐢𝐧𝐝𝐟𝐮𝐥𝐧𝐞𝐬𝐬

Mindfulness teaches us to notice the present moment, whether we are washing dishes, walking, or breathing. It helps us step out of autopilot, where thoughts and emotions run our day without awareness.

For many, these practices bring immediate relief—a sense of calm and clarity that feels rare in the rush of daily life.

But mindfulness is not meant to be another tool we use to manage our busy minds forever. It is meant to open us to a deeper state of being.

𝐏𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐞: 𝐋𝐢𝐯𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐢𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐍𝐨𝐰

Dennis explains that presence is the state we discover when we stop identifying with every thought that arises and start recognizing ourselves as the awareness in which those thoughts appear.

This presence is:

• ● Quiet and steady, even when thoughts are loud.
• ● Free of judgment and comparison.
• ● Always here, beneath the mind’s activity.

Mindfulness helps us notice our thoughts and surroundings. Presence allows us to rest in the spacious awareness beneath all of it, where we find a peace that does not depend on external circumstances.

𝐀 𝐌𝐨𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐨𝐟 𝐑𝐞𝐟𝐥𝐞𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧

Pause for a moment now.

Take one slow breath and feel it enter and leave your body. Notice any thoughts that are present. Now, notice the awareness that is observing these thoughts and sensations.

Can you sense that there is something within you that is quietly aware, unbothered by the mind’s chatter?

That is the doorway Dennis invites us to walk through.

• ● 𝐎𝐛𝐬𝐞𝐫𝐯𝐞 𝐘𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐓𝐡𝐨𝐮𝐠𝐡𝐭𝐬: Spend a few minutes daily noticing your thoughts without engaging
• ● 𝐌𝐢𝐧𝐝𝐟𝐮𝐥 𝐌𝐢𝐜𝐫𝐨-𝐏𝐫𝐚𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐜𝐞𝐬: Bring attention to daily activities like washing hands or drinking tea, experiencing each sensation fully.
• ● 𝐏𝐚𝐮𝐬𝐞 𝐁𝐞𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐞 𝐑𝐞𝐚𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠: When a strong emotion arises, take a conscious breath, notice the feeling, and observe it without becoming it.

These small practices can shift you from living unconsciously to living with deep, grounded awareness.

𝐇𝐨𝐰 𝐭𝐨 𝐌𝐨𝐯𝐞 𝐟𝐫𝐨𝐦 𝐌𝐢𝐧𝐝𝐟𝐮𝐥𝐧𝐞𝐬𝐬 𝐭𝐨 𝐏𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐞

Here are three ways Dennis suggests you can deepen your practice:

• ● 𝐍𝐨𝐭𝐢𝐜𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐒𝐩𝐚𝐜𝐞 𝐁𝐞𝐭𝐰𝐞𝐞𝐧 𝐓𝐡𝐨𝐮𝐠𝐡𝐭𝐬: As you practice mindfulness, begin to notice the gaps when thoughts fall away. Rest in that quiet space, even if only for a few seconds.
• ● 𝐅𝐞𝐞𝐥 𝐘𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐁𝐨𝐝𝐲 𝐅𝐮𝐥𝐥𝐲: Use the sensations in your body as an anchor to presence. Feel your feet on the ground, the movement of your breath, the temperature of the air on your skin.
• ● 𝐀𝐬𝐤, “𝐖𝐡𝐨 𝐢𝐬 𝐚𝐰𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐫𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭 𝐧𝐨𝐰?” This gentle question can shift your attention from the mind’s activity to the silent awareness that is always present.

𝐅𝐫𝐞𝐞𝐝𝐨𝐦 𝐓𝐡𝐫𝐨𝐮𝐠𝐡 𝐏𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐞

Many seek mindfulness to find happiness, but Dennis points us toward something deeper: a stable peace that remains even when life brings challenges.

By moving from mindfulness as a technique to presence as a way of being, we discover that we are not our restless thoughts or shifting emotions. We are the awareness that observes them—a place of freedom, clarity, and quiet joy.

𝐓𝐚𝐤𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐍𝐞𝐱𝐭 𝐒𝐭𝐞𝐩

If you are ready to move past using mindfulness as a temporary fix and want to discover a deeper, lasting peace, Dennis Davis’s book, Beyond the Mind: Awakening to Your True Self, offers practical guidance and warm encouragement for your journey.

𝗟𝗲𝗮𝗿𝗻 𝗺𝗼𝗿𝗲 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗿𝘁 𝗲𝘅𝗽𝗹𝗼𝗿𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗼𝗱𝗮𝘆: Dennis Davis on Amazon