As a husband, father, faculty member and full-time student, Kessonga Giscombé is no stranger to stress, but he doesn’t let stress affect him by staying in the moment.

Specifically, he uses mindfulness, which he defines as paying attention to the present moment on purpose without judgment.

Giscombé, a faculty member in the UNC School of Medicine’s Program on Integrative Medicine, teaches mindfulness courses at Carolina designed to introduce people to the practice of mindfulness and to reinvigorate the practice of others. These courses are open to the public, and his next course for beginners starts Jan. 29.

On this week’s episode, we discuss mindfulness — what it is and what it isn’t — and the benefits that can come from its practice.