If we view mindfulness, yoga and Buddhism as a set of practices rather than a set of beliefs, this brings a new perspective.
Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction (MBCT), devised by Jon Kabat-Zinn, consists of a set of practices derived from Buddhism and Yoga, with some psychological theory blended in. However, these practices are a restricted set of practices, principally a body scan, breath meditation, mindful movement (usually yoga, sometimes walking), and some guided reflections such as on a stressful event and how it impacts someone. These practices are woven into a teaching methodology that is in essence person-centred, with some guided dialogue that invites participants to reflect deeply on their physical and emotional reactions (mindfulness teachers call this inquiry). This blend of practices has been tested in many contexts in terms of its effects on health and wellbeing, and the results are mostly positive.
Mindfulness Based Cognitive Therapy (MBCT) is a derivative of MBSR. The original intention was to add mindfulness meditation into Cognitive Based Therapy to help people with depression. However, rather than put meditation on top of CBT, like a cherry on a cake, the authors of MBCT realised they had to bake a new cake with meditation thoroughly integrated. They used variants of the MBSR meditations, and added in some different guided reflections. They realised that the MBSR recipe was problematic for the people they were aiming to help, and so rearranged and adapted them. MBCT is now widely used as a psychological therapy, not just for alleviating depression relapse, and is adopted by the NHS.
A small industry has arisen out of baking new cakes for new purposes: Mindful Self Compassion, Mindfulness Based Relapse Prevention, Mindfulness Based Childbirth and Parenting, Mindfulness for Life, Peace in a Frantic World, the list seems to grow all the time. When you look closely they are all combinations of practices mixed with a little theory and some form of guided reflection and dialogue.
Yoga is taught in the west as principally a form of physical exercise, but it incorporates meditation, breathwork, and a philosophical perspective. Again, it can be considered as a set of practices that overlap with mindfulness, though there are some subtle differences in the individual practices. There is also a small industry in variants of Yoga: Hatha Yoga, Yin Yoga, Ashtanga Yoga, …
Buddhism too is a set of practices, much wider and more diverse than MBSR. There are open debates about whether Buddhism is a religion or a way of life. There are many schools of Buddhism, and they each emphasise different practices.
Most spiritual traditions have their own practices. Christianity, Judaism and Islam have prayers. Vedic traditions have meditations based on mantra repetition, the most famous one being Transcendental Meditation. They are held together in various ways; spiritual practitioners like to practice together and learn from each other.
This perspective on practice as a foundational component common to all contemplative traditions is helpful in many ways.
Firstly, if you find practice helpful, it opens up options. I now accept that if I have done 90 minutes yoga in the morning that it is more than enough formal practice for the day. If I attend a Buddhist event and we do a particular practice I don’t get hung up on whether it is a Buddhist or Mindfulness practice if to all intents and purposes they are the same. I’m now much more comfortable attending Christian ceremonies and saying the prayers. I will sometimes use my TM mantra in a meditation because I know from personal experience that it has helpful effects when my mind is particularly busy.
Secondly, it invites a “so what” response to many controversies. The McMindfulness criticisms of contemporary mindfulness are that it dilutes and presents an oversimplified form of Buddhism, but if there are useful practices then who cares? If I find a particular practice difficult, the body scan for example, it is ok to substitute it with something else.
Thirdly, it invites curiosity and a basis for dialogue that cuts across traditional boundaries. I remember one of my course participants who said that learning mindfulness had helped her with her weekly prayers at the mosque – she found she was paying more attention to the prayers and prostrations and not just going through the motions.
Fourthly, it invites a more open and diverse attitude to meditation and other formal practices that are focused on health, wellbeing and spirituality. Belief systems can seem radically at odds with each other, but actual practices can be very similar and have similar effects. The Buddha famously said “don’t believe me, try what I am suggesting and if it doesn’t work for you then don’t do it”.
Fifthly, it opens up an avenue of research and investigation into practices. Rather than just focusing on programmes, it encourages an inquiry into what ingredients of programmes such as meditation practices have what effect, and how that effect might vary from one person to another. MBCT addressed this when it adapted MBSR for patients with recurrent depression. With a deeper understanding of the effectiveness of components of a programme, mindfulness teachers (or any contemplative practice teacher) can learn how to knowledgeably adapt to an individual’s or group’s needs.
Of course, just seeing contemplative traditions as different groups of overlapping practices is a gross over-simplification. However, as a dimension of the wider debate, and as an aid to teachers and prospective practitioners, it might open doors that seemed closed. In a world that is waking up to the need for connection, compassion and wholeness, we can see each of the various traditions as part of and supportive of each other.