Mindfulness, which can be described as deliberate and nonjudgmental attention to the present moment, is a practice that originated with ancient Buddhism. Beginning with the work of Kabat‐Zinn in the late 1970s, mindfulness has captured the attention of the West from the yoga studio to the psychotherapist's office. Mindfulness is a central component of several psychotherapeutic approaches and the subject of numerous self‐help books and courses. It is seen not only as a remedy for mental and physical health problems, but also as a pathway to enjoyment, wisdom, and connectedness. Although cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) has strong empirical support for the treatment of anxiety and depressive disorders, there is considerable interest in developing alternative or complementary approaches for these common and chronic problems. Many professionals view mindfulness as an excellent candidate and have developed protocols that incorporate this practice. Mindfulness is thus both compelling and popular. Rather than approaching mindfulness as a potential panacea for psychological distress, however, it is important to reflect on the evidence for its effectiveness and the mechanisms by which it may work.