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The problem with mindfulness

I recently posted on the Google+ CreativeHE community a comment in which I referred to feeling ambiguous about mindfulness - and was asked to explain.

Basically my criticism is similar to a lot of discussion involving terms like MCMindfullness being used to describe the negative, quick fix aspects of the craze for mindfulness.

Reflecting on it made me wonder what the differences is between that and  genuine approaches to mindfulness which I appreciate, in particular Thich Nhat Hanh's approach to breathing and walking meditation.

It seems to me that these are adaptations of traditional approaches to meditation, and in related areas aikido and other martial arts, which simplify and go to the core of the tradition, taking out the unnecessary and distracting elements but keeping the deep and core elements of life long practice and commitment.

As in other areas of life one of the features of the true master is that they are still learning, and in that demonstrate the long term project as opposed to a short term easy fix.

 

 

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