Debunking 3 Common Myths About Meditation And Mindfulness

Myth 1 – Meditation and mindfulness are the same thing

If there’s one question we hear time and time again it’s “Is meditation and mindfulness the same thing?”. Well here’s the short answer, no. Meditation is a practice that can help us cultivate mindfulness, but it’s not the only method. Similarly, we might practice meditation at certain times of the day or week but struggle to remain mindful outside of these moments.
 
Some common mindfulness techniques include mindful eating, mindful movement and mindful breathing. Whereas common meditation techniques may include guided meditation (with an app or instructor), unguided meditation (usually done alone in silence), calming or insight meditation.
 
Myth 2 – Meditation means thinking about nothing

It’s normal to feel apprehensive or nervous about meditation, particularly if we’re new to it and never tried it before. A major reason for this is many of us think meditation means thinking about nothing or having a blank mind. On the contrary mediation, particularly insight meditation is about setting an intention to focus on a specific quality or thought like gratitude. At first it is completely normal to have whirling thoughts and dialogue circling our mind, but don’t let this become a barrier to persevering. Just like most things, meditation takes regular practice to get better.
 
Myth 3 – Meditation is only for certain types of people

Unfortunately, like many aspects of the wellness industry, certain practices or behaviours are associated with being a “certain kind” of person. Buying a certain type of active wear, drinking special tea or having several yoga mats doesn’t make us more or less likely to benefit from meditation and mindfulness. We also don’t need to go and sign up to a yoga studio straight away. Trying everything at least once in our own way helps us to decide whether or not we like it. This can be as simple as repeating a mantra over and over in the car, using a guided meditation app before bed, or even one minute of breath work when seated at our desks.

Information sourced from The Wellness Workshop (https://www.thewellnessworkshop.com.au/)