Not all mindfulness is the same - here's why it matters for health and happiness

"Over the past two decades, the concept of mindfulness has become hugely popular around the world. An increasingly ubiquitous part of society, it's taught everywhere from workplaces and schools to sports programs and the military. On social media, television and wellness apps, mindfulness is often shown as one simple thing - staying calm and paying attention to the moment. Large companies like Google use mindfulness programs to help employees stay focused and less stressed. Hospitals use it to help people manage pain and improve mental health. Millions of people now use mindfulness apps that promise everything from lowering stress to sleeping better."

"But as a professor of religious studies who has spent years examining how mindfulness is defined and practiced across different traditions and historical periods, I've noticed a surprising problem beneath the current surge of enthusiasm: Scientists, clinicians and educators still don't agree on what mindfulness actually is - or how to measure it. Because different researchers measure different things under the label "mindfulness," two studies can give very different pictures of what the practice actually does. For someone choosing a meditation app or program based on research findings, this matters."

Mindfulness has surged globally over the past two decades and now appears in workplaces, schools, sports programs, the military, social media, television and wellness apps. Large employers use mindfulness programs to increase focus and reduce stress, and hospitals apply mindfulness to manage pain and improve mental health. Millions use apps promising stress reduction and better sleep. Researchers, clinicians and educators lack a consensus definition or consistent measurement of mindfulness, producing divergent study results. Different studies may measure attention, emotional calm, or self-kindness, making comparisons difficult and complicating consumer choice. Mindfulness also has roots in Buddhist, Hindu, Jain, Sikh and other Asian contemplative lineages.

Read at The Conversation