What Mindfulness Is Not...

Mindfulness seems to be one of the newest "buzz words" in modern culture. People are taking license to use the word and the concept in ways that it was not intended. A while back, a colleague  posted an article entitled "Is Mindfulness Making You Ill?" As I read the article I became increasingly frustrated with the inaccurate picture the article painted about mindfulness. I wanted to comment in this blog post about what mindfulness is not.

1. Mindfulness is not  necessarily a relaxation technique. Mindfulness can be very relaxing, peaceful, or calming. However, sometimes being present with what is currently there can cause some tension or anxiety. Mindfulness is about noticing the experience we're having in the moment, including thoughts, feelings or physical sensations.If the moment happens to be anxious or tense it doesn't mean you are necessarily doing mindfulness "wrong."
2. Mindfulness is not emptying your mind of all thought. In mindfulness we may focus our minds but we don't change what is in them. We become aware of our thoughts and learn to relate to them in a different way. The thoughts are still there. Our human minds are often busy and that is normal. When we practice mindfulness we often are practicing being aware of  and then letting go of the chatter that is in our mind. We don't try to push it away. The chatter is especially difficult when first practicing mindfulness.
3. Mindfulness is not doing nothing. In mindfulness we often strive to be accepting and non judgmental but that does not mean that we do not address things that affect our well being. Mindfulness often just creates some time and space in our thoughts for us to respond more skillfully then just reacting. So we can choose what we do instead of impulsively acting,
4. Mindfulness is not religious or a religion. Mindfulness can be beneficial for people of all races, religions, genders, and backgrounds. It does not require belief in any specific religion.
5. Mindfulness is not a panacea, a magic pill, or the fix all. Mindfulness is incredibly useful. Research has shown it to be effective at helping with stress, pain, anxiety, depression, eating disorders, and many other things. It is not appropriate or applicable to everything though and it doesn't "cure" a problem but helps us to be more aware of it so we can address it. Things like trauma, suicidal thoughts, and severe eating disorders may be still more appropriately addressed with other things. 
6, Mindfulness is not difficult. Almost anyone can learn mindfulness skills with practice. They are not difficult to learn but take significant practice to develop. Much like learning anything or weight lifting, you must continuously practice in order to make progress.
7. Mindfulness is not about perfection. The goal of mindfulness is not to be perfect at it or competitive. It is about being present with our life no matter how imperfect it is. Even the most mindful people I know have moments where the struggle with being present. Their success comes in the form of returning to mindfulness after they have had an unskillful moment. It is the continued returning that is the mark of someone who is developing their practice.
8. Mindfulness is not something that should be taught by someone without their own practice. The best mindfulness teachers are people who have their own mindfulness practice and/or training. It is important that when you are learning mindfulness that there is someone available to help you deal with whatever may come up. Sometimes the best way to learn is in group classes like Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction or in individual therapy.

If you would like to learn more about mindfulness many psychologists use mindfulness in their practices. There are also many websites that offer information about mindfulness, http://www.mindful.org/ is one site that provides a variety of different articles and resources.