Mindfulness and meditation are correlated with each other and are often used interchangeably. Both are practices that reap tremendous benefits to enhance our life experiences.
Meditation can take us to mindfulness, whereas mindfulness can’t give you the profound experience of meditation.
Confused, right? Stick with us till the end of this article to know the difference between meditation and mindfulness.
A lot has been talked about meditation techniques and mindfulness practices. Both serve the same purpose to enhance awareness and to live joyfully, but they differ from each other.
To know how? Keep reading!
What is mindfulness?
Thich nhat hanh, who is the father of mindfulness. His mindfulness practices help people to overcome their traumatized past and live in the present joyfully.
Thich Nhat Hanh describes, “ In mindfulness, one is not only restful and happy but alert and awake.”
Mindfulness is to do any action with awareness. Whether you’re dancing, cooking, or overthinking- your body and mind know that.
To watch ourselves is mindfulness. To bring the mind to the present and align it with our body is mindfulness.
You may be washing the dishes, but your mind is overrunning in thousand places- the stress of debt, financial crisis, job insecurities, or relationship issues.
When our mind is filled with stress and anxiety, we can never focus on our present moment. These thoughts constantly sway our minds either to the past or tomorrow and ruin the present.
Being fully aware of what we are doing and keenly observing our thoughts is Mindfulness. Not just actions and thoughts; watching our breath is also mindfulness. Still, wondering how to incorporate mindfulness in your life? Let’s move along further.
We can enhance mindfulness through breathing practices. As breath is the bridge that connects our body and mind. Just simply observing and with awareness, we can be mindful.
As Thich nhat hanh says, “You must know how to observe and recognize the presence of every feeling and thought which arises in you.
Meditation
After the pandemic, meditation has comes in the limelight. Everyone is talking about meditation. Let’s understand meditation and why it is necessary to live a happier and more relaxed life.
What is meditation?
Osho says, “Meditation is just to be, not doing anything – no action, no thought, no emotion. You just are. And it is a sheer delight.”
Meditation is a state of doing nothing. When you go beyond your continuous chattering mind- when there is no thinking and doing, this state is meditation. Meditation is dhyana, a state where we drop all our identities and enter into a state of nothingness.
Why do we need meditation?
According to WHO report, 280 million people worldwide suffer from depression and anxiety. Overthinking, stress, comparisons, and self-hatred are the major causes of depression.
Meditation aligns our body and mind to work in one direction for our well-being.
We know our mind is like a sharp knife; it can harm us if we don’t know how to use or it can help us if we use it carefully.
That’s why meditation- to sync body, mind, emotions, and energies together.
Meditation helps to make you aware of your negative thoughts and the cause of your mental suffering and gives you a moment of utter stillness.
Meditation silences the chattering of the mind and ultimately calms you down so that you become aware of your nature.
4 Differences Between Mindfulness and Meditation
After reading about mindfulness and meditation, you might have got an idea of how these two words differ from each other. There is more to explore and know about how mindfulness and meditation differ from each other. You’re close; keep reading!
Mindfulness is awareness, and meditation is to transcend the mind
Mindfulness is doing any activity with total attention and awareness. You are drinking tea, not thinking of anything else, simply watching and completely savoring the tea as if it’s the only moment.
Meditation is to refrain from actions, simply existing with no thoughts and actions. In other words, meditation means no mind, no activity.
Mindfulness is effort, and Meditation is effortless
To remain in the present, we have to make efforts to remind our minds to come back to the present and to become aware of our breath and our actions.
Meditation is sitting and doing nothing; to go beyond body, mind, and emotions, and to go inward is meditation. It’s effortless cause no action or thinking is required; meditation just goes deeper by shedding the mind.
Mindfulness is keen attention, and Meditation is a vast space
To watch our actions and thoughts or to dwell in the present moment, we have to be mindful. But when it comes to meditation, it’s a different sphere where one transcends body and mind and experiences the profoundness of life.
Mindfulness is key to meditation
Mindfulness is the journey, whereas meditation is home. With full awareness and observation, it becomes easier not to be swayed by our thoughts; also, when the mind is aligned, it will take you to a meditative state.
Where there is no thought, identity, emotions, or any actions, that stage is meditation. Where you witness yourself is meditation.
Wrapping up
Mindfulness is to observe and remain in the present when in fact, meditation is to go deeper within ourselves by transcending the realm of body and mind. Mindfulness is to be aware of everything happening with and around us, but in meditation; one loses the sense of time and space.
Both practices are to enhance our life experiences and to live an exuberant life is the ultimate purpose of meditation and mindfulness.
