Edel Maex is a psychiatrist, Zen teacher and pioneer of mindfulness in Belgium and the Low Countries. In the 1990s, he encountered the work of American medical doctor Jon Kabat-Zinn (University of Massachusetts Medical School) and introduced his methods to a broader public in Belgium. Dr. Maex is known for his groundbreaking work in introducing mindfulness within hospitals. He currently works at the ZNA Hospital in Antwerp, where he directs the Stress Clinic.

As a Zen meditation practitioner, he has led Zen groups in Antwerp for many years. He is the author of many books on mindfulness and Buddhism, most notably Mindfulness: In the Maelstrom of Life which has also been translated into English.