I haven't read the whole article, but I'll share my thoughts on the matter real quick.

Concepts like mindfulness and virtuous behavior, whether they have roots in religion like Buddhism or schools of thought like Stoicism, are at their core very easy to start practicing. All you have to do is make a conscious effort to start. The more you do it, the more the behavior becomes a part of who you are, how you think, how you feel, how you act.

There are of course different degrees of behavior, like exercising. You have the people who go to the park on occasion for a walk or to ride their bike, to keep their heart healthy. Then you have the people who go to the gym, day in and day out, working to sculpt their body into something desirable. How far someone goes into practicing these concepts is up to the individual. The thing is, just like exercise, there is no big secret to mindfulness and virtuous behavior. The key is to start and don't let yourself stop. So in that way, I agree with what I think the author is trying to say.

The thing is though, that just like there are people out there with special dietary needs or physical issues that keep them from living physically active lives to their fullest, there are people with mental issues that similarly create roadblocks. Mental issues such as depression, anxiety, what have you. They do need a little extra guidance, a little extra help. There are various programs out there, some strikingly close to mindfulness. Programs like Cognitive Behavioral Therapy. In this sense, I disagree with the author. Mindfulness is something available to us all, but some of us need a little more help grasping it.