What is the difference between mindfulness and meditation

For those who have been in the practice circle all year round, the most common consensus is that meditation is a broader category, and mindfulness is the branch that is currently the most popular and suitable for ordinary people's daily practice. However, there are also practitioners with different practice contexts who do not agree with this inclusive relationship and believe that the two are completely independent systems, and there is no need to impose a subordinate relationship.

In fact, there is no need to get entangled in obscure academic definitions. It will be clear by comparing it with daily practice scenes. If you go to an offline experience workshop and encounter a teacher who teaches you to meditate, you don't need to do any imagination or follow the guidance to "enter a specific state". You only need to anchor your attention on your breathing or body touch. If your mind wanders, don't blame yourself, just gently pull it back. This is a typical mindfulness meditation, which is a cross between the two; but if you are guided to imagine yourself lying in the forest surrounded by white light, clearing chakra energy, or even reciting specific mantras, these are all within the category of meditation, but have nothing to do with mindfulness.

Of course, there are also many friends who are deeply involved in the original Buddhist practice system who do not agree with the statement that "mindfulness belongs to meditation." In their context, mindfulness is a core component of the Eightfold Path and a complete path of practice that runs through walking, standing, sitting, and lying. On the contrary, "meditation", a word translated from abroad and with the attribute of meditation, is just an auxiliary method used in mindfulness practice, and it is not possible to say who includes whom.

I also tried it before when I accompanied my novice friends to get started. During the lunch queue, I deliberately felt the weight of the plate in my hand and the temperature of the sun on my arms. I let go of the to-do items that popped up in my mind and did not close my eyes the whole time while standing. This is definitely a mindfulness practice, but do you think it is meditation? It definitely feels wrong to ordinary people. After all, when most people mention meditation, their first reaction is to find a quiet place to sit cross-legged. It is best to light incense and play soft music, right?

Many courses on the market now bind or even equate the two. The essence is that mindfulness meditation has the lowest threshold, is most effective in improving anxiety and improving concentration for ordinary people, and has the largest audience. If you really want to dig into the definition, there is no need to get into the details. If you just want to reduce stress on a daily basis, you don’t need to worry about the difference between nouns. Just find a class that is comfortable to listen to. If you want to go deep into a specific practice system, it is enough to differentiate according to the context of the corresponding system.