What Are We Getting Wrong About Mindfulness?

Recently, a friend of mine discovered mindfulness meditation. She’s now as close to being a “fanatic” (her word) as a person can be to something so gentle. She told me that meditating every day has not only made her happier and more productive, it’s even helped her heal injuries.

This last part definitely caught me off guard. Heal injuries? How?

My friend offered an example. She explained that she recently scraped her knee. To help with healing, she just stopped and meditated with her full attention on the scrape twice per day. The knee scabbed over and healed within a couple of days. She felt that was a lot faster and less painful than usual.

“You also cleaned the scrape to prevent infection, right?” I asked.

“No, no, you don’t need that," she said. "Your body will always heal itself if you really meditate mindfully.”

I’m certainly happy that my friend is in good spirits and experiencing less discomfort. But her mindfulness-is-a-cure-all stance had me scratching my head. And that stance isn't limited to my friend. A lot of people seem to be jumping on the mindfulness-fixes-everything train.

The well-earned popularity of mindfulness

In the past decade or so, mindfulness seems to be exponentially growing in popularity. Everyone and their mom is getting into it! Neuroscientists, doctors, corporate executives, lifestyle gurus ... they're all excited about its potential for improving our lives.

And there's good reason for the hype. Research shows that mindfulness can help to reduce cancer-related symptoms, improve the childbirth experience, reduce stress and increase empathy, and promote healthier eating habits.

It’s hard to talk to a therapist without mindfulness coming up.

The US Army is investing in research to see if pre-deployment mindfulness training can make soldiers more resilient. Tech giants like Google and Intel are offering mindfulness training to...

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