Mindfulness Isn’t What You Think (Literally)
When people hear “mindfulness,” they often imagine something still and overly zen, maybe a person meditating on a rock, eyes closed, bathed in golden light.
It’s easy to assume mindfulness means quieting your mind. Emptying out all the noise. Becoming this calm, neutral version of yourself.
But mindfulness isn’t about stopping thoughts. It’s about learning to see them, to watch them pass through your mind, without getting pulled under.
Mindfulness is awareness, not absence of thought.
Rick Rubin recently said something in a Vice News interview that really stuck with me: “The goal of meditation was never what happens in the 20-30 minutes on the cushion, you do that as a practice, as a training, that eventually when you’re off the cushion, your reactions are closer to what they would’ve been sitting on the cushion.”
That’s it. Mindfulness is not about freeing your mind from thought, but rather, freeing your mind from the power certain thoughts and beliefs have over your choices and tour actions. It’s learning to sit still long enough to watch your thoughts show up, swirl around, and eventually pass. Not all thoughts, of course. But enough to see the pattern.
And when you notice a pattern, you create possibility. You create choice. This is where empowerment and embodiment begins.
What this has to do with food, body image, or recovery?
If you’ve lived inside eating disorder behaviors, disordered eating, or even just constant body monitoring, you know how fast a thought can become an action:
“I shouldn’t have eaten that.” → food restriction
“I feel disgusting.” → compulsive movement
“I’ll start over tomorrow.” → binge-restrict cycle
These aren’t conscious choices. They’re habits fueled by deeply engrained beliefs. And the space between the thought and the action often feels invisible. Mindfulness helps you open that space.
From autopilot to awareness
When you start observing your thoughts, patterns emerge. Maybe you notice:
You feel body shame after seeing certain people or consuming certain media
Food guilt shows up more when you’re under stress, lonely, or tired
Restrictive urges arrive quietly, masked as “being good” or “eating clean”
That’s the power of mindfulness. Not in stopping the thoughts, but in recognizing, “Oh. Here is that thought pattern again.” And then deciding what happens next.
I can almost guarantee you’ll heat this quote from Viktor Frankl in a session, “Between stimulus and response there is a space. In that space is our power to choose our response. In our response lies our growth and our freedom.” It sums this idea up perfectly.
What does this look like in real life?
It might look like:
Pausing before acting on a body-critical thought
Naming a pattern: “This is the part of me that seeks control when I feel uncertain.”
Choosing a response that aligns with care, not punishment
Taking a deep breath before defaulting to an old behavior
Small moments and gentle shifts. Over time, this adds up to something sustainable.
Curious about how mindfulness can support your healing?
You don’t have to be perfect to be present, Mindfulness isn’t about mastering your thoughts. It’s about building trust with yourself in the moments between them. I offer virtual nutrition therapy and other support sessions grounded in inclusive, trauma-informed care to help rebuild this trust. Reach out here if you’re ready to explore this work together.
“The goal of meditation was never what happens... on the cushion, you do that as a practice, as a training, that eventually when you’re off the cushion, your reactions are closer to what they would’ve been sitting on the cushion.”