Meditation & Mindfulness: How Are They Different?
Meditation and mindfulness are mirror images of one other: mindfulness supports and enhances meditation, while meditation fosters and grows mindfulness. Whereas awareness may be applied to any event at any point of the day, meditation is typically practiced for a set length of time.
5 Distinctions Between Mindfulness and Meditation
1. Meditation is a practice; Mindfulness is a quality
Mindfulness refers to a way of life that can be developed through practice. "Mindfulness meditation" is a meditative practice that helps the practitioner live and act with mindfulness. However, there are many types of meditative practice, and mindfulness meditation is only one of them.
2. Meditation is one of the paths to mindful living
One approach for learning to live thoughtfully is via meditation. Meditation may also be viewed as a method for cultivating mindfulness. Meditation is quite beneficial in helping individuals become more attentive in their daily lives. In addition, those who practice mindfulness meditation in a systematic and disciplined manner, such as those who enroll in the MBSR program, are more able to behave thoughtfully in their daily lives.
Meditation is a practice that properly allows us to sow and nurture the seeds of mindfulness throughout our lives. Although meditation is extremely successful for this goal, it is only one of several methods for cultivating mindfulness, as we shall discover later.
3. Mindfulness can be used in treatments that do not include meditation
Mindfulness is quality-related with several mental health advantages and other good characteristics such as self-esteem and self-acceptance. As a result of these factors, many practitioners regard mindful living as a good aim for their clients. However, not all customers are open to meditation or willing to incorporate a formal practice into their daily life.
DBT (Dialectical Behavior Therapy) is a great example of a treatment that employs mindfulness to aid clients without forcing them to meditate in any formal way. Instead, DBT therapies are designed to aid clients in creating a "smart mind" by teaching them various techniques that allow them to embody the traits described by Kabat-Zinn.
4. Mindfulness can be practiced in both formal and informal environments
Meditation is a paradoxical practice since it is an exercise in "non-doing." In general, the task is to become an observer of one's inner world while exerting little effort and maintaining a non-judgmental attitude.
These characteristics are opposed to how many of us conduct our lives: pushing for advancement and emphasizing work over relaxation. Formal meditation, which involves sitting for a set amount of time, may give a respite from the world's hustle and remind us that we don't have to work so hard to attain our objectives or be who we want to be.
5. Meditation is comprised of several components, one of which is mindfulness
Mindfulness is a great aspect of meditation practice, but there are additional factors that distinguish meditation. Concentration is another important aspect of meditation. When the mind is devoid of external stimuli, such as during formal meditation, it is bound to wander to a thousand unexpected locations. When the mind wanders, it isn't easy to stay focused on the meditation practice at hand. Training one's attention to focus more completely enables more successful and enjoyable meditation and perhaps more awareness in one's daily life.
