8 Chapter 6: Challenges and Frequently Asked Questions
The initial challenges associated with mindfulness are often the results of myths, misconceptions, and misunderstandings.
- Are mindfulness and meditation the same thing?
- o These two terms are similar because they both aim to help our well-being, but while one encourages awareness, the other works to create a stationary practice focusing on a singular thought.
- Is mindfulness from the Buddhist tradition? Does it conflict with other religions or atheism?
- o While it is an aspect of many religious and spiritual traditions, there is nothing inherently spiritual, religious, or anti-religious about mindfulness. This presentation will focus on mindfulness as a secular (non-religious) practice to enhance well-being, backed by compelling scientific evidence.
- I don’t feel comfortable practicing mindfulness; it’s just not my type.
- o No one should feel forced to practice mindfulness if they do not wish to, but it is helpful to remember that mindfulness does not need anything to do with yoga and meditation postures or spiritual ideas. It is a practice for the mind and body, which can be invisible to the outside world.
- In some mindfulness practices, I can’t keep my mind from wandering.
- o This is a statement that is the most pervasive misconception about mindfulness. While the practice of mindfulness may result in reduced mind-wandering, the aim of mindfulness should never be to suppress these thoughts. Instead, it aims to notice thoughts that arise or see that your attention has been drawn to them and then, without judgment, to return to the initial goal of your practice, whether it is to focus attention on something or to monitor your experience openly. This practice of bringing the mind back once it has wandered is the very essence of mindfulness.
