10 Myths of Mindfulness

Don’t believe everything they tell you!

There is such a lot of misinformation about mindfulness these days and the word is banded around everywhere!  No wonder people are confused about what it really is!

It has become extremely popular in the last 10 years and has had so much hype that it has lost its meaning in many places.  

We have seen the advent of mindful colouring, mindful aromatherapy, mindful candles, and many more. Most of which have very little to do with mindfulness!

Here are some of the things I hear day to day; myths I’d like to bust!

1.     You can’t clear your mind

It is impossible to clear your mind of thoughts, our minds were designed to think! We can certainly help it settle so that we become a little less caught up in thoughts and we can train our mind to sustain attention on an object (e.g. breath or body).

But remember, our minds will always wander and when they do, we just move our attention away from thinking back to the focus of the practice. This is your moment of mindfulness!

Often, the harder we try to not think about something, the more it can dominate our thoughts. We all know what happens when someone tells us not to think of a pink elephant (what’s in your mind now?)

2.     It’s not about relaxation

Meditation can be a great way to help the body become more calm and relaxed but this is not the primary purpose.  The intention is simply to become more aware of what’s here for us right now.  Often when we refocus our mind away from the past, future or negative thinking, a bi-product is that we can become more calm and relaxed.  

When we meditate, we cultivate bringing acceptance and kindness to our experience which also helps us to let go of any stress.

Relaxation is not what will happen, it's what might happen.  

3.     It’s not just about meditation

There are many ways to be mindful without simply meditating.  We can bring mindfulness into our everyday lives simply by paying attention to what we are doing in that moment.  We can become aware of what we can see, hear, feel, smell, etc.

We spend much of our time (47% according to this Harvard study) being mindless, not thinking about what we are doing and this can cause us to be unhappy. When we are being mindful in everyday life, we are coming out of autopilot and being in the present moment.

4.     It’s not about distraction from thoughts.

Rather than distracting ourselves from our thoughts, we notice them and accept them without judgement and if we want to, we can learn to let them go. In meditation, we acknowledge thoughts and direct attention towards the physical sensations of our breath /body which is a way of letting go.

When we practice this in meditation, we are much more easily able to do this in day to day life, when our thoughts become a unhelpful.

5.     You don’t need to be able to sit still

Being a bit of a fidget is common when we first start to meditate.  It is often a reflection of our busy mind and so it can be quite helpful to sit and notice what thoughts are associated with the restlessness.   

When we pause and listen to our bodies, we may be able to make more skilful choices about what we need right now.  Maybe there are aches and pains you didn’t know were there? Perhaps taking time to relax, watch tv, have a cuppa is needed?

Sometimes, it is not always good for us to sit still.  Occasionally, our minds and bodies are just too anxious or stressed and we need to release some energy.  Perhaps a fast walking meditation, some mindful movement or yoga may be more beneficial?

6.     It’s not religious

Mindfulness did originate from eastern philosophy however most mindfulness courses, and certainly the courses I deliver, are completely secular.

7.     It’s not just about paying attention to the breath

A common mindfulness meditation is one which involves following the breath, but there are many other options to focus your attention on whilst meditating e.g. the body, sounds, thoughts, sight, etc.  

For some, such as those with breathing problems or asthma, a breath meditation may not be appropriate. What is important, is the we take care of ourselves and find the best option for us.

8.     It can’t help everyone

Mindfulness is most definitely not a panacea and is not right for everyone.  There are many reasons why mindfulness may not be appropriate and it would be important for the teacher to assess each participant before joining a course.  

9.     It doesn’t always make you feel better

Sometimes we use mindfulness with a goal of feeling calmer or more peaceful but it is not about changing the way we feel, it’s about accepting what is here for us in this moment.  

If stress is already here, we can choose not to maintain or exacerbate the problem by continually thinking about it. We can simply move our attention to physical sensations, observe them and allow them to pass in their own time.

When we don’t feel better, we think it hasn’t ‘worked’. We then judge or criticise ourselves and this can make us feel worse than we did in the first place.

10.  It’s not all fluff and woo woo

In the last 10 years, the scientific evidence behind mindfulness has grown exponentially. Psychological research has evidenced that the Mindfulness Based Cognitive Therapy course can be as effective as anti-depressants for some parts of the population and is recommended as treatment by the National Institution of Health Care Excellence.  

Neuroscientific evidence shows trait changes in the brain in people who meditate, including the parts of the brain involved in happiness, memory, planning, problem solving, self-critical thinking, self compassion and many more.

 If you want to learn evidence based mindfulness through one of my upcoming Mindfulness for Life courses, (also known as Mindfulness Based Cognitive Therapy for Life), click here for one-to-one courses and here for group programmes