What are the differences and connections between mindfulness and meditation?

Mindfulness is a core practice method under meditation. It can also be separated from formal practice and become an independent daily awareness state. Meditation is the general term for all systematic practices that consciously adjust attention and train the body and mind, covering a much wider range.

At first, mindfulness itself was derived from the Vipassana meditation system of traditional Theravada Buddhism. Later, Professor Kabat-Zinn made a dereligious transformation and introduced it into the field of clinical medical treatment and psychological intervention. Now we often refer to mindfulness-based stress reduction and mindfulness-based cognitive therapy. The core formal practice part is mindfulness meditation. When I first started, I always struggled with the difference between the two. The teacher who taught the class gave me an analogy, saying that meditation is like the category of "sports", including running, playing ball, and swimming. Mindfulness is like the training principle of "scientifically exerting force, avoiding injuries, and improving core strength." Then, you can implement this principle during formal exercise (that is, sitting down to do meditation exercises), or you can use this principle when walking, moving things, or even sitting for a long time to adjust your posture. At this time, you are not exercising specifically, but you have also developed core strength.

But if you really want to dig into the boundaries in practice, the difference between the two is actually quite obvious. There are many types of meditation available on the market today. There are visual relaxation meditations that guide you to imagine seaside and forest scenes, mantra meditations that repeatedly recite specific syllables, and even hypnotic meditations that help you fall asleep quickly. These all belong to the category of meditation, but Mindfulness has nothing to do with it - the core requirement of mindfulness is to be aware of the true state of the moment without judgment. You cannot deliberately direct your attention to a preset scene, and you do not need to pursue a state of "emptying" or "thinking about nothing". If you are distracted, you can just pull it back, without any additional goals. I have tried sleep-aid meditation before. The whole guide made me imagine myself lying on a cloud. I did feel sleepy quickly after the practice, but I followed the guide throughout the whole process without any awareness. This is a typical meditation but not a mindfulness practice.

Interestingly, there is still no unified statement in the practitioner circle regarding the primary and secondary relationship between the two. There is a group of people who believe that mindfulness can exist independently of meditation. There is no need to take time to sit down and lay out yoga mats and play soft music to do formal exercises. You can feel the touch of typing on the keyboard when you are fishing at work, chew slowly and appreciate the sweetness of rice while eating, and suddenly realize "Oh, I am angry now" when you are about to get into an argument with someone. These are all mindfulness and do not require the form of "meditation" at all. When I was rushing to work on the Double 11 project last year, I kept busy for almost two weeks. I couldn't spare 10 minutes a day to sit down and meditate. I stood there for 30 seconds every time when I went to get hot water. I felt the heat of the enamel cup, the sound of the water hitting the bottom of the cup, and let go of the to-do items that popped up in my mind. With such a small practice, I didn't collapse in those two weeks like I did before when I was working on the project. This is how I practiced mindfulness without meditating. However, many senior teachers who have practiced for more than ten years feel that mindfulness without the foundation of formal meditation is "floating". They can still hold it when they encounter small emotions and pressures. But when big things happen, such as being laid off or having a quarrel with their family, the awareness they have developed in pieces is simply not enough. They will be swept away by emotions in an instant. They still have to rely on the "awareness muscle" developed through long-term meditation to handle the matter. Both statements are endorsed by a large number of practitioners, and there is no absolute right or wrong. It just depends on each person's practice needs. If you just want to relieve daily anxieties and improve concentration, practicing mindfulness in pieces is completely sufficient. If you want to obtain a more stable physical and mental state and deal with deep-seated emotional problems, it is best to combine it with fixed mindfulness meditation exercises.

I have been practicing for more than three years. My current rhythm is to set aside 15 minutes every morning to do formal mindfulness meditation. When I encounter mood swings, I can use mindfulness at any time. For me, the two are complementary to each other, and there is no need to explain them clearly. It is much more important to practice to be comfortable and to be able to solve your own problems than to be entangled in concepts.