Heather Bellamy heard mindfulness teacher Tim Stead's perspective on what mindfulness is and why he believes it's compatible with the Christian faith.

Tim: Yes that's where I'd start. Contemplative prayer just means I sit in the presence of God, gazing on the wonder and beauty of God and sense myself being transformed by God's presence, or by my knowing God's presence. It's similar, but not exactly the same as what I was doing in that Christian tradition.

What I've argued in my book, is there are a lot of things we long to be able to do as Christians, like knowing God's presence with me, trusting God, knowing God's will, learning to love, experiencing inner healing, or finding peace. I've suggested that practicing mindfulness could help with all of those things. It's a tool that's very well honed, to be able to help us.

If you're going to know God's presence, God is only ever here in the present moment. If I can learn to be more attentive to this present moment, which is what mindfulness teaches, I'm more likely to know God with me. Trusting God is about letting go of all the things I instinctively cling to out of fear and mindfulness helps me to do that.

Many of the mindfulness practices are helping me to do what I feel called to do as a Christian. Not only is it perfectly compatible with the way Christians have prayed down the centuries, but it helps me to live a Christian life more fully.

Heather: What would you say your source of peace is?

Tim: We'd say in the Christian tradition that God is the source of peace. God is our anchor and safe refuge. We know that in our heads, but how do I get in touch with that when the world is frantic and when my mind is full of stressful thoughts, or when the pressure is on me? How do I find that source of peace?

My own practice is that every morning I practice mindfulness and it's helping me to find that place of peace that God promises. These are practical ways of connecting with all that. Otherwise it can remain a nice theory that God loves me, but I need to feel that love; a nice theory that God is my safe refuge, but I need to really feel and experience that. For me mindfulness fills that gap. That's how I access that source of peace.

Heather: Does mindfulness replace contemplative prayer, or do you practice both?

Tim: It's for each person to decide. When I teach mindfulness I say, "This is mindfulness, now you go away and see how you're going to use it in your spiritual life."

For me the two come together. The actual practices are very similar, so I'm now using mindfulness practices. The intention is very important, so I start by making my intention to practice in the presence of God and to open up to God and to dedicate this to my longing for God and to follow God. I'm using it intentionally to engage with God. It has become my way of practicing contemplative prayer.

Other people do it differently. Someone who came on one of my courses likes to spend time reading his Bible every day in his quiet time, which I will do in another context. He said, "I spend 15 minutes doing mindfulness and then I'm far more attentive when I start to read the Bible. I'm far more sensitive to what God might be saying to me."

Heather: You've released a new book, Mindfulness and Christian Spirituality, why have you written this book?

Tim: It was asked for. I've been teaching mindfulness on an eight week course. Mostly Christians were coming to these courses and I do courses for clergy as well. People were saying that this was really helpful and a really valuable life skill, but what has it got to do with Christian spirituality? As I built up my experience and did my thinking, I decided to answer that question.

Heather: Who is it aimed at?

Tim: Two groups of people. Christians who might be interested in mindfulness and how it might support them. I hope it will answer a lot of those questions. I also hope that people who have come to mindfulness from another route, who have no religious background, but find mindfulness helpful, I'm hopeful that some of those people might find my book and say, "I could develop a spiritual life, or a Christian life through this."

Heather: Where can people buy it?

Tim: All your normal outlets. Many ordinary bookshops and Christian bookshops are stocking it. If not, they'll be able to order it for you.