What is the difference and connection between mindfulness and meditation?

To put it simply, mindfulness is one of the core techniques of meditation, but it has already developed a daily practice path that is completely independent of meditation. The two are intertwined rather than subordinate. Many people confuse the two. In fact, it is inseparable from the development context of mindfulness.

What we often call secular mindfulness now was extracted by Dr. Kabat-Zinn from the Vipassana meditation system of Theravada Buddhism in the 1970s. It was originally used as a meditation practice method in mindfulness-based stress reduction therapy. It requires practitioners to sit cross-legged, focus on breathing, and bring back thoughts without judgment when they run away. This is also the initial impression of many people on "mindfulness meditation". Once they go back and forth, they feel that mindfulness and meditation are the same thing.

In fact, if you have more exposure, you will find that it is not the case at all. The category of meditation is actually very complex. From traditional religious meditation to the later popular transcendental meditation and visualization meditation, many of them have nothing to do with mindfulness. I have participated in a healing meditation workshop before. The teacher asked everyone to imagine golden light pouring into the body from the top of the head to cleanse negative emotions. The whole process does not require awareness of the coming and going of thoughts. This is a typical meditation, but it has nothing to do with mindfulness.

What’s even more interesting is that mindfulness can exist independently from the context of meditation. I taught an introductory class two years ago. There was a student who worked on Internet products. He seemed to have ADHD. He could not sit still for more than 3 minutes without scratching his head and scratching his head, let alone meditating cross-legged. Later, I asked him not to force himself to sit down, but to chew each mouthful 20 times when eating, and to carefully feel the taste of the food. When he was squeezing in the subway, he felt the force of his feet on the ground and the coolness of his hands holding the railings. He persisted for two months and said that his anxiety was mostly relieved. He has never done what we often call "sit down meditation" seriously, but he is already a very mature mindfulness practitioner.

In fact, if we use an analogy, meditation is like a whole store selling freshly made drinks. Mindfulness is the most popular sugar-free raw leaf tea. You can sit at the seat in the store and drink it slowly. That is to say, practice mindfulness during formal meditation. You can also pack it and carry it in your pocket. Take it out and take a sip at any time while walking or fishing at work, which is a daily fragmented mindfulness practice. Of course, there are other types of meditation in the store, such as fruit tea with added sugar and milk tea with milk cap. The ingredients and taste of this pure tea are completely different, so naturally they cannot be confused with each other.

In fact, there are different views on the boundary between the two in the circle. Some traditional practitioners believe that mindfulness must rely on formal meditation practice to truly deepen. The daily "awareness" can only be regarded as a trivial matter and cannot be regarded as true mindfulness.； However, a large number of empirical studies in the field of psychology have proven that even if you do not engage in formal meditation at all, long-term daily mindfulness practice can significantly reduce anxiety and depression levels and improve concentration. Both claims have their own basis. In fact, there is no need to argue over it. It all depends on the purpose of your practice.

I have been practicing mindfulness breathing meditation for more than three years, and I still maintain the habit of mindful breathing meditation for five minutes every morning. Sometimes I am so busy with projects that I will stand and do mindfulness for one minute while waiting for coffee, and feel the wind blowing from the window and brushing against the back of my hands. For me, I never have to worry about whether I am doing mindfulness or meditation. It is enough to take me away from the messy to-do list and take a breather.