Mindfulness Vs Meditation - Are They The Same?
Eastern philosophies and practices such as yoga, meditation and mindfulness have become very popular and are being embraced in western ways of life. In fact, it is not uncommon to find elements of each used in yoga and wellness retreats. These popular techniques are backed by science to boost mental health and clarity.
When beginning our meditation and mindfulness journeys we sometimes use these terms interchangeably and whilst there are some similarities and overlaps, they are not the same.
To gain a deeper understanding and apply these concepts to your life and practice, let’s define and go through the similarities and differences between mindfulness and meditation.
What is mindfulness?
Mindfulness is the awareness that arises through paying attention and being present in whatever activity you are doing. It can be practised anywhere and at anytime. For example, tying your shoelace or mindfully watching a movie.
When you are present and mindful you are taking in the world around you as well as your own feelings, thoughts, movements and how you affect others right this moment.
Most people float through life with their minds disconnected from the reality they are in. Worrying about the future, dreams, and desires as well as remembering traumatic events in the past. When you are mindful, living in the moment and taking everything in with your senses you focus and let go of the wondering mind.
As with anything, becoming mindful takes practice. But what’s great is that you can do it at any place or time. It can be applied to any situation throughout the day as well as during your meditations.
What is meditation?
“Meditation is a practice where an individual uses a technique – such as mindfulness or focusing the mind on a particular object, thought, or activity – to train attention and awareness, and achieve a mentally clear and emotionally calm and stable state” (Walsh and Shapiro, 2006).
In other words, meditation is a formal practice meant to alter or enhance one’s state of mind and connect you to a deeper inner self.
There are many ways and types of meditation to achieve this such as:
Guided meditation (led by someone else)
Movement-based meditation (movement or body positioning that focuses on breathing, such as Tai Chi)
Visual meditation (thinking of an image of something or someone and focusing your intention towards that image)
Breath-awareness meditation (focusing on the breath, the inward and outward movements and sensations)
Mantra-based meditation (using repetitive words over and over silently or out loud to focus one's attention).
There is a common misconception that the aim of meditation is to turn off your thoughts, in fact, a meditative state is achieved through mindfulness and observing without judgement. The mere act of being present and absorbing quietens the turbulent mind and stretches out the gaps between thoughts.
When to use which practice?
When you are experiencing negative or racing thoughts, you can practice the mindfulness technique.
Pause
Become aware of your sensations in that present moment.
What can you feel?
What can you hear?
What do you see?
What do you taste?
What do you smell?
Really become aware of everything around you.
Meditation is an intentional practice where you seek to focus on increasing calmness, balance and awareness. It is more that a simple pause in what you are currently doing. You need attention and concentration and the goal of your meditation practice can change between sessions. For example, you could focus on your body sensations, your breathing or even visually see yourself in a calm space.
In meditation, you spend a set amount of time focused and tuned inward. It can be 10 minutes, 30 minutes or more.
5 Benefits of Mindfulness and Meditation
Regular practising both mindfulness and meditation improves our general mental well-being by learning to manage our mental processes and can induce calmness, clarity and improved concentration.
Decreased depression - Practising mindfulness and meditation can ease the symptoms of depression and can help depression from returning.
Increased Emotional Regulation - Another potential benefit of mindfulness is that the practice may help you identify and manage your feelings. Emotional regulation refers to your ability to manage your own emotions. This means being able to both enhance or rein in emotions depending on the situation and need.
Pain relief - A study of healthy adults in The Journal of Neuroscience found that mindfulness meditation “reduces pain by engaging mechanisms supporting the cognitive control of pain.”
Anxiety and stress - Studies have found that practising mindfulness may improve the body’s stress responses, such as cortisol secretion.
Conclusion
During formal meditation, you can use mindfulness to enhance your everyday life, becoming calm and present. Mindfulness can be developed through meditation.
The practice of mindfulness and meditation can help you live a more mindful life.