We sometimes hear “mindfulness” and “meditation” used interchangeably, but they aren't exactly the same. Mindfulness is an umbrella term for practices, whether formal or informal, that help us improve our non-judgmental awareness. Meditation is one form of mindfulness. It encourages us to focus our attention on anchors like breath, body sensations, words (mantras), or sound.
When I teach mindfulness meditation, I find that many people have tried it before and felt it “didn't work” for them. Often the feeling that mindfulness failed them — or that they failed at mindfulness — is based on common misconceptions.
Read more about my journey as a singer with voice disorders and how mindfulness helped me overcome muscle tension dysphonia. I now offer mindfulness classes for others with voice disorders. The curriculum is based on my own published, peer-reviewed research.