The usage graph of the word ‘Mindfulness’ has gone through the roof in the last few years. Mindfulness in its real essence is paying careful attention to our present experience. It has suddenly become a buzzword for many. It is great that the concept of mindfulness is getting the traction it deserves. Especially at the time where everyone is lost in the hustle-bustle of their lives. The path to mindfulness is not as rosy as the social media posts make it look like from outside. It has attracted a lot of misinformation and myths on the way like sprouting of mushrooms in the forest after a rain. Let’s try and bust some of the most prevalent myths and know what we should not fall for.
1. Mindfulness is synonymous to meditation
In the recent past, the usage of words like mindfulness and meditation has spiked. With the increase in the usage of these words, people tend not to understand the essential difference between the two words. Often people use these words loosely and interchangeably. Mindfulness is a state of awareness. It is paying attention, actively and on purpose in the very present moment, without judgment. It is observing all that is happening without evaluation.
Meditation, on the other hand, is a practice. It requires sustained attention. It can possibly be on any object. The object does not necessarily have to be a literal “object” like a pen or some piece of furniture; instead, it is anything to which one can focus their attention. Historically, breathing is used extensively as a focal point during meditation exercises by many. It could be anything; any part of your body, some sound, or maybe a thought railing in your head.
2. Mindfulness is a cure to all your psychological problems
It is not true. Mindfulness has been used as a tool by many to unclutter headspace and vitalize their brain. But it is definitely not an answer to all your psychological problems (for instance, constant mistreatment in childhood from parents/ elders or any past trauma that lingers). Practicing mindfulness is not the best choice for you if you are going through psychological issues that pertain to unresolved or repressed past. Thoughts and emotions emerging from deeply seeded psychological problems can cling to your mind and further worsen the situation leading to increased anxiousness or panic attacks.
3. Mindfulness skew your moral compass
There is a huge misnomer about the idea of mindfulness, that people who practice it tend to accept things as they are without filtering what is morally sound or corrupt. Failing to discern what is right and what is wrong. if the status quo is good the way it is, why to entertain the thought that any behavior is bad?
The truth is that mindfulness makes us more discerning about what is right and what is wrong. There have been multiple pieces of research proving the same. Researchers concluded that people who practice mindfulness are proven to be more compassionate and less ego-centric. People who practice mindfulness had higher moral reasoning skills, indicating higher ethical behavior.
4. People who practice mindfulness are socially awkward
One major concern that prevents people from taking up mindfulness is the notion of them becoming “different”- with a negative connotation to it. Thought of them turning into some new-age, socially awkward being. If anything, mindfulness bolsters our social relationships. Perhaps, it equips people to regulate complex emotions better (Emotions like anger, resentment, fearfulness, etc.). It also enables people to resonate with the sufferings of others, making us more empathetic. People tend to reach out to those who need help- increasing social capital.
In a recent neuroscience study, researches concluded that it makes you more sympathetic to the pains of others and more compassionate through active mindfulness practices. Our brain automatically calibrates in such a way that it orients itself towards the suffering and pains of others. Rather than it turning you socially inward or awkward, it acts as a social glue and in turn increases social capital.
5. Being mindful is easy
This one is relatively tougher. Mindfulness as perceived by many is not simply savoring just the great moments in life. It is also paying equal attention to the moments you might not count as pleasant. From acknowledging and paying attention to the time where you lose temper, your inability to do anything at a time when people around needed you, and so on.
To sum up, mindfulness is savoring all the moments easy and hard with equanimity. It is not the awareness of just joy, but also the awareness of fear, pain, anger, and everything else.
