What are mindfulness and meditation

Simply put, meditation is a general term for a type of practice that actively adjusts attention and regulates physical and mental states. Mindfulness is the most mainstream and popular branch of the meditation system. Its core is to consciously anchor attention on current feelings and thoughts without making any judgments.

When I first came into contact with these two concepts, I couldn't tell them apart at all. I was working on a quarterly project and slept only 4 hours a day for three consecutive weeks. I was so anxious that I couldn't eat. My colleague gave me a 10-minute introductory audio guide, and I followed it in the conference room for a while. Son, my mind was flying to the OKRs for next month during the whole process. The guide repeatedly said, "If your mind wanders, just pull it back without scolding yourself." At that time, I thought this was all meditation. Later, after practicing more, I realized that this is actually the core logic of mindfulness meditation.

It seems that many people equate mindfulness with meditation, but that is not true. Meditation is a very large category, just like the word "exercise", which includes running, swimming, and playing ball. Some meditations guide you to imagine calm seaside scenes to calm your emotions, and some focus on specific breathing rhythms or Sanskrit chanting to adjust your state. These are all considered meditations, but only the type that requires "paying attention to the present moment without judgment" is called mindfulness. To use an analogy, your mind is usually like a water bottle filled with mud that has been shaken around so much that you can't see anything clearly. Mindfulness does not ask you to clean out all the mud and sand inside - that is simply impossible. Instead, it asks you to put the bottle firmly on the table and watch the mud slowly sink. Then you will naturally be able to see clearly what's inside and won't be carried away by the muddy water.

There are many different opinions about the effect of mindfulness. I have read many studies in top journals that say that eight weeks of structured mindfulness practice can relieve generalized anxiety about the same as low-dose anti-anxiety drugs and moderate-intensity aerobic exercise. Many scholars also complain that mindfulness is too popular in the market. It can improve concentration, improve sleep, and even help you deal with intimate relationship problems. In fact, it is essentially a tool to regulate attention, and it is not so omnipotent. There are friends around me who have followed suit and bought hundreds of mindfulness memberships. After practicing for a week, I found that it was not effective even if I couldn't sit still, so I turned around and started dancing Pamela. There are also friends who are designers who have been practicing for almost 4 years. They said that every time they are stuck and have no inspiration, they just close the door and sit for 15 minutes. The messy thoughts in their minds will sink, and ideas will emerge. The effect does vary from person to person, and it is related to the frequency of practice and the adaptability of the method.

Many people think that practicing mindfulness requires finding a quiet room, sitting cross-legged, and lighting up aromatherapy to be formal. I think there is no need to engage in these rituals. Now I am squeezing the subway during the morning rush hour. When I am so crowded that I can’t stand, I will also deliberately focus on stepping on my feet. Just stay for a minute or two on the hardness of the ground and the coolness of the handrails. Your mind will no longer be thinking about "I'm going to be late. I'm going to be late." You will feel much more relaxed. This is actually a mini mindfulness exercise. No one can see it, and it doesn't cost a penny.

To put it bluntly, whether it is mindfulness or other types of meditation, it is essentially a tool to help you get away from the messy thoughts for a while. There is no need to deify it or think of it as a very profound practice. If you find it useful, try it more. If it doesn't, just go for a walk, listen to music, pet the cat, whatever you want to relax, there is nothing right or wrong.