Mindfulness vs. Meditation

What’s the Difference Between Mindfulness and Meditation?

While mindfulness and meditation have many overlapping similarities, they also have distinct differences. Mindfulness refers to present-moment awareness, while meditation is a formal practice that can help you achieve a state of mindfulness.

Mindfulness and meditation are both broad terms. The term meditation describes a variety of formal practices that calm the mind, focus the attention, and enhance awareness of yourself and the world around you. There are many different types of meditation, and mindfulness meditation is just one of those practices.

Mindfulness meditation is a practice of focusing your full attention on what is happening in the present moment with all five of your senses while maintaining a friendly attitude of curiosity and non-judgment of whatever shows up in your experience.

While mindfulness is a term used to convey the quality of awareness itself, meditation is often used to describe the formal practice of gaining that awareness.

However, mindfulness is not only used to describe a mindful state of present-moment awareness and the meditation practices that enhance it. Mindfulness can also be used to describe a way of life. People may talk about being “mindful” when they are living with greater consciousness and awareness.

Mindfulness may also be infused into different therapy practices, such as mindfulness-based cognitive therapy and mindfulness-based stress reduction. These therapies help reduce stress and relieve symptoms of anxiety by helping you gain more self-awareness, change limiting thought patterns, and develop new coping skills to manage stress.

Similarities Between Mindfulness and Meditation

While meditation and mindfulness are not the same, there are many similarities.

• They both have the goal of improving overall well-being.
• They both require intention, focus, and conscious awareness.

Additionally, they both can lead to physical changes in the brain, such as decreased activity in the amygdala (the area of the brain that governs our stress response) and increased activity in the prefrontal cortex, cingulate cortex, and hippocampus (areas of the brain responsible for logic, reason, learning, higher thought, and personality).

Where Does Mindfulness Come From?

Most sources will tell you that mindfulness originates from Buddhist and Hindu practices. While this is true, researchers have found that the concept of mindfulness is also present in Christian, Jewish, and Islamic religions.

While mindfulness may originate from religious practices, it is not in itself religious. Mindfulness is a universal human ability to be more present, aware, heart-centered, and conscious of yourself and the world around you.

How to Be Mindful Without Meditating

While you can be mindful without meditating, you cannot practice meditation without being mindful. You don’t have to be actively meditating to be mindful. You can infuse mindfulness into anything that you are doing. You can practice mindfulness while walking, conversing with a friend, doing a chore, performing a job, or looking at a sunset.

• To practice being mindful without meditating, you simply anchor your awareness in the present moment. Focus on what is happening in the moment with your five senses and notice what you see, hear, smell, taste, and touch.
• Consciously observe your inner and outer worlds. Notice your thoughts, feelings, and sensations as they arise. See if you can observe them with an attitude of curiosity. Do not judge or resist your experience; simply allow it to be.
• Attempt to anchor your awareness in the present moment as much as possible. Stay focused on what you are perceiving with your senses.

If your mind starts to wander and has thoughts of the past or future, simply notice the thoughts, and gently bring your mind back to focusing on what is happening in your physical reality at that moment.

Examples of Mindfulness and Meditation

There are many different meditation techniques and ways to infuse mindfulness into your daily life. Some examples of mindfulness and meditation include:

Loving-kindness meditation

Loving-kindness meditation is a compassion meditation based on intentionally sending love, kindness, and compassion to yourself and others. To practice this form of meditation, the meditator sits down, meditates on specific people, and practices sending loving and compassionate thoughts toward them while consciously observing the loving feelings that arise in their bodies as they do this.

Mantra Meditation

When you practice mantra meditation, you choose a word, phrase, or set of syllables to repeat to yourself throughout your meditation practice. This may not only help improve your ability to focus, but it can help to reframe negative thinking if you choose a positive affirmation for your mantra, such as “I am loved” or “I am at peace.”

Mantra meditation has roots in Hindu and Buddhist practices, with many mantra meditations using words from the ancient Sanskrit language.

Breath-Focused Meditation

Breath-focused meditation is a practice of focusing on your breath to anchor your awareness in the present moment. You may choose to take conscious control of the breath and breathe in a specific pattern for the duration of your meditation, or you may simply practice observing the breath naturally as it is while bringing your awareness back to the breath anytime that the mind wanders.

Guided Meditation

Guided meditation involves meditating with a teacher who guides you through the practice. You may practice guided meditation in person with your teacher or listen to a recorded guided meditation.

Body Scan

Body scanning is a meditation practice that infuses mindful awareness of the body. It involves scanning the body from head to toe and observing the physical sensations present in each part.

These are just a few of the many different mindfulness and meditation techniques that people practice worldwide. If you are interested in practicing mindfulness or meditation, consider doing further research on different techniques or trying out a variety of meditation practices to determine which is best suited for you.

Health Benefits of Practicing Both

Many people choose to practice both as they often overlap and can be merged easily. Some benefits of practicing both mindfulness and meditation include:

• Reduced anxiety
• Reduced depression
• Enhanced overall well-being
• Greater focus and mental clarity
• Increased energy levels
• Improved sleep
• Greater self-awareness
• Less rumination about the past
• Reduced worry about the future
• Better heart health
• Lowered blood pressure and heart rate
• Reduction in physical and emotional pain
• Better pain tolerance
• Reduced cholesterol
• Reduced stimulation of the sympathetic nervous system (fight or flight/stress response)
• Increased stimulation of the parasympathetic nervous system (the rest and digest branch of the nervous system)
• Improved immune function
• Increased gray matter in the brain
• Better longevity (slows down the aging process by increasing the length of telomeres)

Both mindfulness and meditation have a variety of physical and mental health benefits. Whichever you choose to practice, you will likely notice positive changes in your life.

How to Merge The Two Practices

Since mindfulness and meditation are similar, it is fairly easy to merge the two practices. It is virtually impossible to meditate without being mindful, as the act of meditation itself requires you to pay attention to whatever you’re meditating on and engage in mindful awareness.

However, you can be mindful without meditating. For example, you can practice mindfulness while talking with a friend. You would do this by anchoring your awareness in the present moment and listening intently to what your friend is saying with all five of your senses. Meanwhile, as your friend speaks and you respond, you would also notice what is arising within you (thoughts, feelings, sensations). This type of mindful awareness can be practiced without necessarily sitting down on a meditation cushion.

You can merge the two practices by creating a daily practice that includes both. This can look different for each person. Some might choose to do a ten-minute daily mantra meditation and take a mindful walk, while others may do a fifteen-minute loving-kindness meditation and a ten-minute body scan or practice doing a chore mindfully. There are many possibilities. You can create a practice that best suits your lifestyle and needs.

Your Own Mindfulness or Meditation Practice

While mindfulness and meditation are terms that are often used interchangeably, they are two distinct practices. You can choose to practice one or both or merge the two practices. Whichever you choose, you will likely notice positive changes and benefits in your daily life.