What is the difference between mindfulness and meditation?

To put it simply, meditation is a general term for physical and mental practices that includes dozens of different schools and different practice goals. Mindfulness is the most popular practice technique under meditation, and it has long since broken out of the “sitting meditation” scene and has become a set of awareness methods that can be applied in all moments of daily life.

When I first came into contact with mind-body adjustment, I also called them both interchangeably. It wasn’t until I practiced for almost a year that I slowly figured out some actual physical differences. Recently, I stayed up three nights working on a project, and the colleague I was working with changed five versions of the requirements. My hands were shaking when I was typing, so I subconsciously stopped and closed my eyes for three seconds. I realized that my back molars were sore from clenching my back molars, and there was a fire in my chest. Instead of sending it into the chat box, I took a sip of water and said to the other person, "I'm a little anxious right now. Let's wait for 10 minutes before we deal with it." At this time, I did not meditate or play any guidance sounds. It was definitely not meditating, but I was indeed using the core method of mindfulness - to be aware of the current emotions and physical reactions without judgment, and not to be carried away by instinctive anger.

If you put it in a special practice setting, you sit on the mat for 20 minutes and follow the guidance to observe breathing and body scan. This is the most common mindfulness meditation, which is a branch of meditation.； But the scope of meditation is much wider than this. Whether it is Zen meditation with religious practice attributes, or loving-kindness meditation that focuses on positive suggestions, or even manifestation meditation, which has recently become popular in the Internet celebrity circle, any practice that actively regulates attention and withdraws from messy daily thoughts can be included in the category of meditation.

Of course, regarding the boundary between the two, different circles have quite different opinions. Many people who insist on traditional practice will feel that the current use of mindfulness as a separate topic is essentially the result of commercial operations. It is to remove the core of traditional meditation and change it into an "emotional analgesic" suitable for urban workers. In the end, it is still a part of meditation and there is no need to separate it separately. ； Many practitioners in the clinical psychology circle do not agree with this statement. After all, mindfulness-based MBSR (mindfulness-based stress reduction therapy) and MBCT (mindfulness-based cognitive therapy) now have a large amount of evidence-based basis. They have long been separated from the religious background of traditional meditation and have become independent psychological intervention systems. Even the psychiatry departments of many hospitals will prescribe mindfulness exercises to anxious and depressed visitors. They can no longer be simply classified as a subcategory of meditation.

To use an inappropriate analogy, meditation is like any cooking method that "boils something with water and eats it". You can boil sugar water, boil hot pot, or cook medicinal food. The purpose and taste are very different.； Mindfulness is like "cooking vegetables with plain water". Not only can you cook and eat it in the kitchen, but you can also do it with a smoldering pot when you go out. The purpose is also very clear: to help you reduce your burden. When you are troubled by messy emotions and thoughts and have a headache, just bring it back to the present moment and take a breather.

In fact, for ordinary practitioners, there is really no need to get stuck on the definitions of the two. If you want to find a fixed way to relax, practice mindfulness meditation for 20 minutes. If it is useful, practice it. If you can't spare the whole time, chew slowly and be aware of the taste of food when eating, and feel the touch of your feet on the ground when walking. Even if you only practice it for a few tens of seconds, it will be enough to help you. Originally, these methods are for people, so it is a waste of time to pick out the names.