There are plenty of myths about mindfulness that can make the practice feel out of reach or misunderstood. Some paint it as passive or overly serious, while others promise quick fixes or constant calm. But mindfulness isn’t any of these things.
In this post, we’ll unpack some of the most common myths about misconceptions about mindfulness and explore what mindfulness actually is.
Myth: Mindfulness is Passive
Images of people sitting in stillness can make mindfulness seem like a passive act. Understanding mindfulness as something that only happens on a meditation cushion can have the same effect. In reality, mindfulness is anything but passive.
Even in meditation, when it may look like nothing is happening, we’re actively engaged. We notice when the mind has wandered and bring it back to our focus point, again and again. Thoughts arise, and we’re continuously deciding whether to follow them or let them pass. This ongoing noticing and redirecting is the practice of mindfulness.
Mindfulness from moment to moment is just as active. It might look like:
- listening actively to someone;
- deliberately tuning into your surroundings;
- or noticing sensations in your body as you move through your day.
With distractions everywhere, practicing mindfulness involves repeatedly catching ourselves and bringing ourselves back to the present moment. Mindfulness doesn’t just happen, it’s something we choose over and over again.
The Attitude of Acceptance in Mindfulness
The idea of mindfulness being active can get confusing when we consider the mindfulness attitude of acceptance. This attitude invites us to accept each moment as it is, rather than how we imagined or wished it to be.
But this isn’t a passive resignation. It also certainly doesn’t mean tolerating harm or doing nothing in the face of danger. Acceptance means noticing when we’re resisting the moment, judging our experience, or wishing things were different. When this occurs, it means we’re no longer fully there.
In these moments, we have a choice in how we relate to the moment:
- to be with what’s here, or
- stay caught up in our thoughts.
Even acceptance, then, is an active process.
Myth: Mindfulness Means Stopping All of Our Thoughts
Another common myth about mindfulness that leads to hesitation is believing that we can’t “turn off” our thoughts. This belief involves viewing mindfulness as reaching a state where the mind is completely blank or quiet.
What I’d love for anyone who believes this myth about mindfulness to know, is that mindfulness isn’t about stopping your thoughts, or emptying your mind. Rather, it’s about becoming aware of your thoughts, and learning to relate to them differently.
Whether you’re meditating, or going about your day, your thoughts are allowed to be there! With mindfulness, we practice:
- noticing our thoughts,
- creating a bit of space from them, and
- letting them pass without getting caught up.
This helps us stay connected to the present moment, even while thoughts come and go.
During meditation, the focus might be on our breath, our body sensations, or perhaps sounds in our environment. Inevitably, the mind wanders. Each time we notice this, we gently return our focus.
We’re not trying to push the thoughts away, but learning to see them as temporary mental events. All while strengthening our awareness to the present moment.
The goal isn’t to have no thoughts or where our attention never drifts. I can confidently say that’s never going to happen. For some, thoughts may quiet over time, but the practice isn’t about achieving silence. Mindfulness welcomes our thoughts and teaches us not to get swept up in them.
Two Analogies Capture This Well
The first is the cloud analogy: imagine your mind is the sky, and each cloud is a thought. The clouds will be different sizes and intensities. Some drift by quickly, others linger, but all eventually pass.
The second is the intersection analogy, where thoughts are like cars moving through an intersection. Some cars speed by, others slow down or stop at the light. You’re not trying to stop the traffic, you’re simply observing it flowing through.
Both analogies remind us that mindfulness isn’t about clearing the sky or stopping the traffic; it’s about observing the flow without losing ourselves in it.
Myth: Mindfulness is Achieving Complete Relaxation Whenever You Practice It
Calm. Relaxed. Happy. Peaceful. Grounded.
These are all ways we might hope to feel after doing a mindfulness practice. And sometimes, we do end up feeling these ways.
However, mindfulness isn’t meant to make us feel a certain way. It’s meant to help us notice what’s already here. Whether we’re feeling restless, anxious, or at ease, the practice is about meeting our experience with awareness and compassion.
If we approach mindfulness expecting to feel instantly calm, we’re setting ourselves up for disappointment, as well as missing the point of mindfulness. And we might give up before we’ve really started.
The Attitude of Non-Striving in Mindfulness
Another attitude of mindfulness that can help us break up this myth about mindfulness is the attitude of non-striving. It’s the reminder that we’re not trying to get anywhere or make something happen. Instead, we’re learning to be with things as they are.
When we release the goal of feeling a particular way, we open the door to actually connecting with ourselves. And being with how we’re actually feeling.
Sometimes when I meditate, I realize that I’m anxious. When I finish, the anxiety isn’t magically gone. But now I know that it’s there. I know where I feel it in my body and can choose to support myself, even in small ways:
- kind words,
- deep breaths,
- gentle touch.
This awareness, not the disappearance of the feeling, is what mindfulness offers.
Consider that mindfulness is kind of like surfing.
You can’t control the waves. You can only be present and meet what’s already there. The surfboard, and the skill of surfing, allows you to meet the waves. Mindfulness is much the same – the tool and the skill. It’s not about changing what’s happening, but about learning to ride the waves of our experience with awareness and steadiness.
Myth: Mindfulness and Meditation are the Same Thing
Meditation and mindfulness are terms that are often used synonymously. But they are not the same thing!
Mindfulness is the quality of being present, on purpose, and with curiosity and care. Meditation, on the other hand, is a structured practice that can help us strengthen that quality.
Even more specifically, it’s mindfulness meditations that are designed to train our attention and awareness. There are many other forms of meditation that don’t focus on mindfulness at all.
It may be helpful to imagine 2 circles that overlap in the middle: one for meditation (all kinds), one for mindfulness. Where they meet is mindfulness meditation – one way to practice mindfulness, but not the only way.
To truly live mindfully, we take what we practice in meditation into daily life.
We notice our thoughts while we exercise, listen fully during a conversation, bring awareness to each bite of a meal.
Myth: Mindfulness is a Quick Fix for Stress, Anxiety, and Inattention
When we’re feeling anxious, overwhelmed, distracted, or stressed, it’s natural to want relief right away – it’s human nature. We grasp for something that will make us feel better fast. Mindfulness is not one of these things.
Yes, we can feel calmer after a practice. But that’s actually not the point. The real value of mindfulness comes with consistent practice.
Over time, it helps us see our thoughts and emotions more clearly, rather than getting caught up in them. We start to notice our patterns, and create space before reacting. Our attention is able to return more readily to the present moment. We become more compassionate towards our anxious feelings, low mood, or distracted minds.
In turn, we begin to relate to stress, anxiety, and inattention differently – with more awareness, acceptance, and self-kindness.
When we recognize what we’re going through moment to moment, we can then decide how we can best take care of ourselves to support what we’re dealing with. The discomfort doesn’t disappear, but its edges can soften, helping us to better manage our day to day.
And like most things that last, it’s built through patience and practice.
Myth: Mindfulness is Rigid and Serious
I once went to a workshop that was about tailoring mindfulness for teens. It was one of the best examples I’ve seen that mindfulness doesn’t need to be rigid or serious to qualify as mindfulness. It’s not to say that every mindfulness exercise has to be a game, but it also doesn’t mean you can’t bring lightheartedness and humour into the mix.
For example, if you’re listening to a guided practice and something is said that makes you smile or laugh – go for it. That moment of genuine response is part of being present. Of course, you’ll want to be mindful of the environment and the people you’re practicing with, but mindfulness can include play, humour, and lightness without losing its purpose.
Furthermore, mindfulness is often portrayed as sitting perfectly upright and completely still. To me, this signals a kind of rigidity. This rigidity can also sneak into how we think about practicing mindfulness: how long, how often, what it should look like. I hold a strong belief that we have to make mindfulness our own if we’re going to stick to it. That includes how, when, and why we practice. It’s this flexibility that helps mindfulness fit into our lives and keep us on track.
Myth: Mindfulness is Self-Centered
Although mindfulness is often practiced on our own, it’s so much more than an individual pursuit. There are many ways it extends beyond ourselves, but I want to share two in particular.
Formally, mindfulness is sometimes practiced within a group. You’re still doing your own practice, but others are doing it with you, at the same time. Knowing that others are putting in the effort right alongside you can bring a powerful sense of connection and belonging. It can remind us that we’re not alone in wanting to live more mindfully.
I know that whenever I practice mindfulness with others in real-time, I feel a renewed sense of commitment to my own practice, and to living in the present. Hearing people’s reflections after a practice helps me remember that living mindfully is not always easy, but it’s shared. It’s comforting to hear others speak of the same challenges, and inspiring to hear moments of genuine connection that come from their practice. This creates a quiet bond, with a commitment to kindness, presence, and compassion.
Mindfulness also reaches beyond the individual in quieter ways. While we may be practicing individually, its effects ripple outwards. As we become more grounded and aware, we show up differently. Our interactions can become steadier, our listening deeper, our responses more thoughtful. The people around us can feel that, and in turn, can change how they interact with others.
So while mindfulness begins as a personal practice, its impact is anything but private.
Myth: You Need a Lot of Time to Practice Mindfulness
A widespread myth about mindfulness, especially amongst beginners, revolves around needing a lot of time to practice.
Practicing mindfulness can be as short as a few minutes a day – and that’s for a formal practice, like a meditation. Even a one minute mindfulness exercise, such as taking 3 mindful breaths, can help to centre us back into the present moment.
When I first started practicing mindfulness, I was doing practices of 20 to 40 minutes. I still find practices of this length quite useful, especially when my nervous system needs time to settle. So when I have the space, I do them. However, I find shorter practices much more accessible on a typical day, and still deeply valuable.
The ideal practice length will vary from person to person depending on lifestyle and personal preferences. What’s most important to realize is that it doesn’t have to be long to count as mindfulness. Rather, it needs to feel doable and meaningful to you.
Outside of formal exercises, mindfulness is practiced by bringing presence and awareness into our day to day moments, to things we’re already doing, like
- eating,
- commuting, or
- exercising.
Meaning, we don’t need extra time in our day. It might take a little more effort in the moment, but not more hours overall.
Myth: Mindfulness Means Sitting Still With Our Eyes Closed
The myth that mindfulness is all about sitting still with our eyes closed likely comes from how mindfulness is often depicted – someone sitting crossed-legged, eyes closed, and perfectly still.
Although sitting in meditation is one way to practice mindfulness, it’s by far not the only way. We talked about this under the ‘mindfulness is the same as meditation’ myth.
It’s also only one way to meditate. A meditation can be practiced with our eyes open, lying down, walking or otherwise moving, such as in an exercise class. So not only can we practice mindfulness both in and out of meditation, but when we choose to meditate, we can do so in many different ways and positions.
If we do choose to practice in stillness, it’s helpful to remember that we can adjust our position at any time. This flexibility is part of listening to our body and caring for ourselves, which living mindfully is all about.
Myth: You're No Good at Mindfulness
What might be most helpful with breaking this myth about mindfulness is understanding that mindfulness isn’t about emptying or clearing your mind. This misconception alone can make us feel like we’re doing it wrong or that we’re no good at mindfulness. Once we recognize that thoughts are completely normal and allowed to be present, it becomes easier to release the idea of being good or bad at it.
Mindfulness is a way of living – a present and intentional way. Naturally, some people might be more consistent with their practice of living this way. But the ability to live this way will fluctuate for all of us. It’s important to see this as part of the journey.
When we can zoom out and see the larger picture, we can better acknowledge our effort, and understand that it’s not about being good or bad at mindfulness, but continuing to return to it.
So when mindfulness feels inconsistent or messy, remember that you’re not failing at it. Keep the bigger picture in mind and come back to what drew you to the practice in the first place.
Myth: Mindfulness is About Escaping Reality and Being Positive All of the Time
Some people argue that mindfulness is about:
- escaping reality,
- avoiding difficult feelings, or
- otherwise “checking out” from life.
In reality, it’s about turning toward life as it is. Mindfulness encourages us to turn toward our experience – in our body, mind, environment – even when it’s uncomfortable. And meeting what’s there with awareness and grace, rather than hiding from it.
Mindfulness is also not about being positive 24/7. It doesn’t promise constant calm, happiness, or gratitude.
It’s about creating space to recognize and be with whatever emotion is present for us, whether pleasant, unpleasant, or neutral. Over time, this awareness allows us to relate to our emotions with compassion and steadiness, instead of being swept away by them.
Mindfulness Myths No More
Sometimes, understanding something is less about adding something new, and more about unlearning what we thought it had to be. I hope this post helped clarify at least one myth about mindfulness that may have been holding you back. If so, I’m encouraging you to take this momentum forward and start practicing mindfulness in a way that feels real and relevant to you. Regardless of how it looks, it all matters.
Next Steps
If you’re curious about what practicing mindfulness genuinely could look like with the support of a coach, let’s jump on a free consultation call. We’ll chat about where you’re at and explore how working together could move you forward.
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About the Author - Susan Czyzo
My coaching speciality is in mindfulness, where I help adults apply mindfulness principles into their everyday life so that they can live with more presence, intention, and purpose.
As a physiotherapist, I also wear a coaching hat, helping people to shift lifestyle habits, manage stress, and take ownership of their health.
Learn more about these services here: