So ... mindfulness isn't something you achieve. Don't worry too much about trying to figure out what "mindfulness" is and how to "achieve" it. I'm answering it as if the question were, "Anyone have a guide on how to meditate without getting lost in stories?"
There are lots and lots of guides, books, teachings. Buddhist methods tend to be very popular because many practitioners want to teach it in service of humanity and will put up with a lot of things from students.
This is not complete or comprehensive. It shows you the first door and you an get fairly far with it. By the time you gain some skill in it, you would be able to find other guides to continue on.
If you like the Buddhist tradition, there are books like "Mindfulness in Plain English", available for free. I also liked "Mastering the Core Teachings of the Buddha" but not everyone does, and it's considered fairly advanced. Advanced or not, the first couple chapters are worth reading. It too is also available for free online.
A method that is not of the Buddhist tradition (though influenced by it) is Dan Millman's "Way of the Peaceful Warrior." The book is written as a teaching story. If you want more of a step-by-step guide, Millman's "Everyday Enlightenment" will work.
Zazen is essentially Samatha (Zen <- Ch'an <- jnana). Ashtanga Yoga is Samatha or Vispassana while using body posture as the concentration object, similar to Zhang Zhuan from the Chinese traditions. The devotional practice of Bakti Yoga results from Samatha and Vispassana, using the meditational diety or compassion as the concentration object.
There is the practice, and there are names like "samatha" and "vispassana". The basic practice is the same, regardless of the tradition. Different traditions will have different maps, different flavours, and some will work better for specific individuals simply because they were designed for that individual's hangups.
About the only thing does not fall into samatha or vispassana is guided meditation. But that's actually samatha in disguise. That is, guided meditations are not as effective without being able to hit some of the deeper jnana. Without skill in samatha, guided meditation is more or less a relaxing daydream.
ALL of them require mindfulness. It's not that you find a specific practice that exercises mindfulness; it is that you are mindful of your practice -- be that sitting on a cushion or coding on a computer.
There are lots and lots of guides, books, teachings. Buddhist methods tend to be very popular because many practitioners want to teach it in service of humanity and will put up with a lot of things from students.
Here's a small one I wrote, and someone asked me to post it onto Quora: http://www.quora.com/Meditation/Whats-a-nice-little-cheat-sh...
This is not complete or comprehensive. It shows you the first door and you an get fairly far with it. By the time you gain some skill in it, you would be able to find other guides to continue on.
If you like the Buddhist tradition, there are books like "Mindfulness in Plain English", available for free. I also liked "Mastering the Core Teachings of the Buddha" but not everyone does, and it's considered fairly advanced. Advanced or not, the first couple chapters are worth reading. It too is also available for free online.
A method that is not of the Buddhist tradition (though influenced by it) is Dan Millman's "Way of the Peaceful Warrior." The book is written as a teaching story. If you want more of a step-by-step guide, Millman's "Everyday Enlightenment" will work.