What is the difference between mindfulness and meditation?

The most straightforward distinction is that meditation is a general term for all categories of mental practices, and mindfulness is a specific practice path that originated from Vipassana in Theravada Buddhism and has been transformed by modern secularization. However, this statement is actually controversial in the circle of practitioners.

When I first came into contact with mental exercises, I always used the two terms interchangeably in the first six months. It wasn’t until I attended a workshop in the industry and happened to encounter the two types of exercises that I realized the difference. The first hour was a traditional meditation practice. The teacher guided us to find the most comfortable sitting position, clear our thoughts with the sound of chanting, and imagine that negative emotions were expelled from the body with our breathing. If we were distracted, we should "drive out" our thoughts. We should try to keep our minds blank during the whole process. The mindfulness practice in the last hour was completely different. The teacher didn't mention the word "empty" at all. He only said that you should focus on the breath and touch at the tip of your nose. It doesn't matter if what you eat for dinner or the unfinished plan from last week pops up in your mind. You don't need to scold yourself for being distracted. Just notice "Oh, I am thinking about something else now" and gently bring your attention back to your breathing. There is no requirement for sitting posture. It doesn't matter if you sit uncomfortably and crookedly.

Nowadays, both in academic circles and practitioners, the boundaries between the two are not completely unified. Some scholars who study meditation believe that any non-utilitarian practice that actively regulates attention belongs to the category of meditation, and mindfulness is naturally a branch of it.； However, many teachers who do mindfulness clinical intervention do not agree with this statement. They feel that today’s mindfulness has long been separated from the fixed scenes of traditional meditation. There is no need to burn incense, find a quiet space, or even sit specially. You can do mindfulness while waiting in line for milk tea, washing dishes, or commuting in the subway. Just bring awareness to what you are doing at the moment. It is no longer the same thing as meditation that requires a specific sense of ritual.

I previously gave an 8-week mindfulness training to an entrepreneurial team. One founder said that he had tried meditation before. Every time he sat down for ten minutes, his mind was filled with financing and personnel management. He always felt that he had "no talent" and couldn't practice. After practicing mindfulness, he realized that you don't need to let go at all. You just watch those thoughts pop up, no. Just follow along and don’t criticize him. He now stands in the corridor and does three minutes of mindful breathing before meetings. On the contrary, he is much more efficient than forcing himself to "calm down" before. He has also recently learned to eat mindfully. He said that he finally tasted the pickled radish in the beef brisket noodle shop downstairs in the company. He had not noticed any difference after eating it for more than half a year.

To use an analogy, meditation is like a general term for all "indoor sports", including yoga, Pilates, and spinning. The goals and methods of different exercises are far different, while mindfulness is more like brisk walking that can be done anytime and anywhere. It does not require a special venue or complicated movement requirements. Whether you want to reduce internal consumption or improve concentration, you can practice it at any time. Of course, there is no need to be too entangled in the boundaries between the two. No matter which one you choose, the most important thing is that it can adapt to your own needs.