What is the relationship between mindfulness and meditation?

To put it simply, in the popular context we often classify mindfulness as a mainstream branch of meditation, but from the perspective of the core of practice, mindfulness can also be the core state common to all meditation practices.

When I first came into contact with mind-body-spirit practice, I couldn’t tell the difference between the two. I followed the app for three months of mindful breathing meditation, and then went to participate in the Vipassana meditation camp of Theravada. Only then did I realize that people in different circles had quite different perceptions of the relationship between the two.

Most practitioners in the field of traditional spiritual practice believe that mindfulness is the underlying core of meditation - whether you practice compassion meditation, transcendental meditation or Zen Zen meditation, as long as it is a serious meditation practice, you must maintain a state of mindfulness of "non-judgment and full awareness of the present moment" to the deepest level. To use an inappropriate analogy, mindfulness is like "safe driving awareness" when driving. You must have it when driving in urban areas, highways, and winding mountain roads. It can be used separately for special training, but it must also be incorporated into all driving scenarios.

Nowadays, in the context of clinical psychology and mass communication, mindfulness is often clearly distinguished from other types of meditation. For example, the mindfulness-based stress reduction therapy (MBSR) developed by Dr. Kabat-Zinn has been used by clinical psychology departments in many hospitals to assist in the treatment of anxiety and sleep disorders. It is used here Mindfulness practice specifically refers to a specific type of meditation with the core of "being aware of the present moment and non-judgment", and is in a parallel relationship with other meditations that focus on visualization, chanting mantras, and guiding one to enter concentration. At this time, the relationship between the two is more like "kiwi and fruit". Mindfulness is the one with the widest audience among many meditation categories.

Let’s talk about a very common scene and you will understand: When you are fishing at work, you find a deserted corridor, sit with your eyes closed for 5 minutes, and focus only on the breath and touch at the tip of your nose. If your mind wanders, you will gently bring your attention back. There is no other preset goal. At this time, you are doing mindfulness exercises and meditation.； If you follow the guided audio to do "Future Vision Meditation" and follow the guide throughout the process to imagine your ideal life state one year from now and mobilize joyful emotions, then you are meditating, but the core goal is not to train mindfulness. Of course, if you can do it in the process without criticizing yourself for not having enough imagination or being anxious about why you have not achieved your goal, you can still use the core of mindfulness.

I met an old lay practitioner who has practiced Vipassana for more than 20 years, and he said that now everyone insists on clearly separating mindfulness and meditation. This is essentially the need for commercial communication and clinical application. I am afraid that ordinary people will be confused and confused and don’t know how to choose. Where is the boundary between true practice and meditation? When you walk, you can clearly feel the touch of your feet on the ground. When you eat, you can taste the sweetness of every mouthful of rice. You don't think about the past and the future. This is mindfulness. It is also considered meditation in motion. There is no need to stick to whether you are sitting on a yoga mat or wearing headphones to listen to the guidance.

Anyway, my experience after practicing it for almost five years is that there is no need to worry about the affiliation between the two. The exercises that can help you stabilize your mood and withdraw from anxious thoughts are good exercises for you. If you have never been exposed to it and want to get started, start with 5 minutes of mindful breathing meditation. You will basically not get into trouble.