What is the difference between mindfulness and meditation

In fact, the core difference can be explained clearly in one sentence - meditation is a large category that covers dozens of different schools and mental exercises with different goals. Mindfulness is one of the most thoroughly de-religious and popular branches. The essence of the two is the relationship between inclusion and being included.

However, this definition has actually been debated in the spiritual practice circle for many years. Many people who insist on traditional meditation practice do not recognize mindfulness as meditation at all. They feel that the core goal of traditional meditation is spiritual improvement and ultimately entering a deep state of concentration. Mindfulness is now used in workplace stress reduction and emotional intervention. It does not even require "emptying the mind", and it is not considered "serious meditation" at all.

I also encountered this pitfall when I first came into contact with this type of practice a few years ago. At that time, I randomly signed up for an offline meditation camp. The teacher asked me to sit for 40 minutes every day and focus on the breathing at the tip of my nose. Whenever the thought of unfinished work or what to eat at night came into my mind, it was considered a "practice failure." Later, I chatted with a friend who is a clinical psychologist and found out that what I practiced at the time was traditional concentration meditation. If I switch to mindfulness practice, there are not so many requirements at all. When you commute, you wear headphones and listen to the guide for 5 minutes. You feel the touch of the wind on your face and the sound of the headphone cord rubbing against your collar. Even if you are distracted in the middle and think about how many stops there are in the subway, as long as you can realize "Oh, I just lost my mind," this practice will be considered fruitful. Don't check your phone when eating. Focus on chewing the sweetness of every bite of rice and the crispness of vegetables. This is also mindfulness. There is no need to sit cross-legged and find a quiet place for a long time.

In fact, at the public level, the two concepts have long been mixed up. Most products on the market with the name "meditation class" are half focused on meditation and half on mindful awareness. There is no need to argue about right and wrong. Just like if you have a long-term practice habit and want to pursue a deeper state of concentration, then traditional meditation practice will definitely be more suitable. ； If you usually work a lot of overtime and are prone to emotional internal friction, and you want to find a fragmented way to get out of the dead ends of your brain, short and quick mindfulness exercises are enough. I still carry a small mindfulness card in my bag. Sometimes I get irritable during a meeting, so I take it out and take a look at it for 30 seconds. Feeling the pressure of your butt against the chair and the touch of your feet on the ground will instantly calm you down a lot. When I used to practice traditional meditation, I would have scolded myself for not being able to calm down for 30 seconds because it was useless. But now I feel that practicing for ordinary people should not have so many thresholds.