Almost everywhere you turn, the virtues and benefits of ‘mindfulness’ are being extolled, but what exactly is ‘mindfulness’ and is it the same as ‘meditation’?
There seems to be a lot of confusion surrounding these two words. It is my impression that, in the West at least, ‘mindfulness’ has become a more palatable term than ‘meditation’, particularly in medical settings, while ‘meditation’ is often still associated with religious, spiritual and more esoteric practices.
To my mind ‘mindfulness’ and ‘meditation’ are essentially labels for one and the same thing. They are both ancient practices each of which, broadly speaking, aims to cultivate inner peace and calm; self-awareness; and compassion (both for oneself and others).There are, however, perhaps a few subtle differences.
Meditation
Meditation typically involves concentration techniques that are designed to relax the body and calm the mind. While there are hundreds of different meditation techniques, a typical meditation practice usually involves sitting (in a chair or on the floor) with eyes closed repeatedly bringing focus to something – e.g. the breath, the body, a mantra, an object etc. When we focus the body relaxes and the mind starts to settle.
Mindfulness
Mindfulness has been described as becoming fully aware of the present moment (including our actions, thoughts, feelings and emotions) without judging what is happening. Being mindful, as defined by Jon Kabat-Zinn, is “paying attention in a particular way: on purpose, in the present moment and nonjudgementally”. It is an ‘affectionate attention’, suggestive of a conscious, alert, discriminating quality of mind as opposed to a mindless or inattentive one. Mindfulness helps us connect with the true nature of what we are experiencing. The main goal of mindfulness is to be in touch with the reality of the present moment without judging it – to see things as they really are.
A typical formal ‘meditation’ is usually a specific, concentrated practice while ‘mindfulness’ can be thought of as a more wide ranging and all encompassing awareness.
Is it possible to meditate without being mindful?
No, when we meditate we are also being mindful. We use mindfulness to notice what is happening in each moment and make adjustments to our attention. During meditation we will likely notice that our attention has drifted away from our point of focus and using mindfulness we gently guide it back.
Is it possible to be mindful without meditating?
Given that we can bring our conscious attention to whatever we are doing in any given moment, we can be mindful without practicing a formal seated meditation. However, mindfulness in any setting can be thought of as a form of meditation. For example, applying moisturiser to your body with conscious, non-judgemental awareness could be considered a mini moving meditation.
‘Meditation’ and ‘mindfulness’ are, in some subtle ways, distinct yet they are also inextricably linked.
If we can practice mindfulness at any time, why bother developing a formal seated meditation practice? Developing and remembering to bring mindful awareness into our everyday life is not as easy as you might think. Establishing a formal meditation practice is an invaluable way of systematically developing the capacity for calm and focused self-observation and it provides a solid foundation upon which to bring mindfulness into everyday life.
