Mindfulness and Meditation are they one and the Same

MINDFULNESS AND MEDITATIOn

ARE THEY ONE AND THE SAME?

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These 2 words seem to be used interchangeably, so arethey one and the same? Does it really matter what wecall these two?


They may have some similarities in the sense that bothinvolve an intense level of consciousness and we see amyriad of benefits from each of them. We often getconfused about mindfulness and meditationsince both focus the attention on the breath.


A closer look shows a distinction between the two which lies in the intention. If the focus on the breath goes beyond your ego, realizing your inner divinity, then that is meditation, which is more of a Hindu influence. If the focus on your breath is to try to train and harness the mind and the thoughts observed are non-judgmental, then that is Mindfulness Meditation which has more of the Buddhist influence.


Meditation’s intention is to trickthe mind into letting go thethinking apparatus so that wecan become fully aware of ahigher spiritual level ofourselves, our oneness with thedivine. Mindfulness issecular, that of which has nospiritual or religious basis andfocus is more on training themind for concentration over along time period.


Meditation is more identified with Buddhism andYoga. It comes from the ancient monks who withdrewfrom the world. When we talk about mindfulness, this

maybe referred to therapy, rational thought, psychology,

scientific research and our everyday language. Mindfulness can easily be integrated into our complex

lives, unlike meditation whose values are more monastic.



We naturally relate meditation to the beliefs and spiritual groups. Mindfulness can be potentially more useful in more ways than one; wherein meditation never could be.


Psychologists and researchers

are now studying mindfulness

under close scrutiny and are looking for the uses of it. It seems that mindfulness has more practicality and credibility that meditation does not have.


To meditate, we have to sit still while it is possible to be mindful in our day to day activities.

The focus of meditation is inwards our body, while mindfulness, on the other hand, covers more areas of attention, such as thoughts, emotions, actions and state of mind. It covers the interrelationship between your environment and you; while meditation is immersing yourself more deeply into our inner self.



We normally associate meditation with religious beliefs and spiritual groups. This makes it distinct from mindfulness which has a wider scope of usefulness in our daily life. The

focus of mindfulness is what’s happening now, not about the past or the future.


To practice meditation, we have to still the mind. Meditation cannot be possible while doing other things, either mentally or physically. This explains the reason why we have to sit in silence with eyes closed.


However, even with eyes closed and sitting in a lotus position, there is still no assurance that you will enter a state of meditation.

If your legs ache and you hear sounds coming from the outside, then you are not meditating.

But in this case, mindfulness is being practiced, which can prepare you for meditation.


The practice of mindfulness will eventually lead you to your ability to focus and once you establish that concentration on an object unmindful of the things happening around you, you will eventually experience meditation and from there, yield profound relaxation and the joy of being alive.


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Mindfulness and Meditation are they one and the Same