You will find a plethora of information on the internet about the benefits of meditation and mindfulness.
The words are often used interchangeably. However, while they have some overlap, they are distinctly different from each other. If you are just embarking on your journey with either one, you might be a bit confused.
Let’s take a deeper look at each discipline and the differences. A basic understanding of the differences between these two concepts can help you create a practice that meets your individual needs.
There are many different types of meditation, each with different qualities and specific practices that lead the meditator in different directions of self-development. Choosing the right method requires an understanding of your goals in addition to understanding what each type of meditation offers.
The differences between meditation and mindfulness
First, let’s look at the definitions of each.
Meditation is a practice while mindfulness is a quality. John Kabat-Zinn defines mindfulness as “the awareness that arises through paying attention, on purpose, in the present moment, non-judgmentally.”
Compare this to a definition of meditation by Walsh and Shapiro: “Meditation is a practice where an individual uses a technique – such as mindfulness or focusing the mind on a particular object, thought, or activity – to train attention and awareness, and achieve a mentally clear and emotionally calm and stable state.”
While the mindfulness definition focuses on relating to yourself and your environment, the meditation definition focuses on a formal practice that enhances your state of mind.
The differences are clear in these two definitions. Meditation is a practice, and through this practice, one can develop different qualities, including mindfulness.
Mindfulness describes a specific way of living that can be cultivated through practice. There is a category of meditative practices called “mindfulness meditation,” which can help you live and act with mindfulness.
Mindfulness is one element of meditation
Mindfulness is an important part of meditation, but other factors make meditation powerful.
One vital quality of meditation is concentration. When lacking external stimuli, the mind can inevitably wander to a thousand unexpected places. When the mind is wandering, it is hard to maintain focus on the meditation practice at hand.
Training one’s attention to concentrate more fully allows for more successful and fulfilling meditation and potentially more mindfulness in one’s everyday life.
Meditation is one way to attain mindful living
Meditation is one pathway to learning mindful living. Meditation is one tool to develop mindfulness. Meditation is highly effective in helping you be more mindful in your day-to-day life. For example, those who systematically practice mindful meditation are more able to act mindfully in their everyday lives.
Although meditation is highly effective for this purpose, it is just one of the ways to cultivate mindfulness, which we will review later in the article.
Mindfulness can be effective without meditation
Mindfulness is associated with many mental health benefits and other positive characteristics, such as self-esteem and self-acceptance. Thus, many practitioners see mindful living as a worthwhile objective for their clients. However, not all clients want to begin meditation, and they want other ways to incorporate mindfulness into their daily experience.
Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) is one example of a method that uses mindfulness without meditation. DBT interventions assist clients in developing a “wise mind.” DBT clinicians guide their clients toward mindfulness without ever having them engage in formal practice.
Mindfulness may be a formal or informal practice
Meditation is a formal practice that requires that you observe your inner world while putting forth minimal effort and adopting non-judgment. Practicing formal meditation can be a refuge from the never-ending action of the world. It is a way to remember that we don’t need to work so hard to be successful in life.
However, not everyone wants to engage in a formal meditation practice. However, these people may still want to be more mindful in their everyday lives. There are many informal ways to practice mindfulness, such as mindful eating, mindful walking, or even mindful conversation. To practice mindfulness informally means to engage in everyday activities with the intention of being mindful.
This involves paying close attention to your actions and thoughts, suspending judgment, and being fully engaged in the present moment.
Mantra and zen meditation
Mantra meditation and Zen meditation both differ from mindfulness. Mantra meditation, which encompasses transcendental meditation, involves repeating a phrase throughout the meditation practice.
In mantra meditation, the meditator is free to create their own mantra. This can be continually repeating a chosen word, phrase or set of syllables. The mantra is usually short making it easy to remember and repeat.
The mantra is the object of concentration during meditation and is said repeatedly. It is used as a tool to help the meditator override linguistic thought and stay focused on the practice.
Zen meditation originates from Zen Buddhism and has the purpose of helping practitioners understand the world differently. The focus is on strict discipline and attention control for the achievement of a specific state of mind.
In Zen meditation, the practice focuses on discipline, and the practitioner learns to regulate their attention. Zen Buddhists practice achieving enlightenment, searching inside themselves for the answers to life’s questions. The process involves a sustained effort to clear the mind and think about nothing.
Meditators use Zen techniques to accumulate self-knowledge, build awareness of their preconceived notions, and develop an intuitive understanding of reality. They practice experiencing life directly, without the constraints of language or logical reasoning.
Rather than Zen meditation’s focus on eliminating the self and reaching nirvana, the goal of mindfulness meditation is to cultivate the qualities of mindfulness in everyday life.
Transcendental meditation vs. mindfulness
Transcendental meditation (TM) is a popular form of meditation.
The roots of these practices are different. TM originated in the Vedic tradition (an ancient religious tradition in India related to Hinduism) and was brought to the West by Maharishi Mahesh Yogi. Mindfulness originated in the Buddhist tradition and was popularized in the West by writers such as Jon Kabat-Zinn, Pema Chodron, and Thich Nhat-Hanh.
In addition, the practices are fundamentally different. TM is a passive and relaxing process. While practicing, one uses a mantra to help the mind transcend the process of thought.
Mindfulness involves active awareness of the mind as it wanders and repeatedly refocusing the awareness on the present moment. The objective of mindfulness is to reclaim the mind, always bringing it back when the meditator notices that it has wandered. This process is more active than TM, which allows the mind to roam freely.
Because of TM’s focus on relaxation, it has also been studied as a treatment adjunct for hypertension and other cardiovascular issues. The regular practice of TM may have the potential to reduce blood pressure and PTSD.
Mindfulness has also been studied in the treatment of disorders such as obsessive-compulsive disorder, depression, and post-traumatic stress disorder. It has been applied in hospital settings and combined with behavioral therapy techniques in Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy.
Both TM and mindfulness may be well suited for treatment, as they are easy to administer in group settings and also well-liked by many participants.
Concentration meditation
Mindfulness and concentration are two components of many meditation methods.
Concentration is a tool that helps the meditator focus on the object of their practice. The object differs depending on the type of practice and can be anything from the feeling of breathing to the sounds of nature or a mantra.
Concentration enables the meditator to increase focus for the best results. Mindfulness is the sensitive awareness that allows the meditator to experience their practice in an expansive, nonjudgmental way. The two are related but different. Without concentration, it is challenging to cultivate mindfulness because it is hard to train a wandering mind to do much of anything.
Concentration is essential for noticing when the mind has wandered, but when the mind has been reclaimed, mindfulness is essential for learning from the process. Mindfulness is an attitude of open kindness, which allows someone to look at their failings and mistakes with kindness. Concentration is neither kind nor unkind; it is merely the ability for the mind to stay with the activity in which it is engaged.
There is an order to the development of these two qualities, and it begins with concentration. Prioritizing concentration is especially important for beginning meditators, who are likely to find that their mind wanders frequently.
Concentration can be developed, and over time the process of meditation can become much less effortful, with the reclaiming process happening with less frequency and effort. Mindfulness begins with not judging yourself for where your mind wanders.
Final thoughts
Despite their differences, the benefits of the different meditation practices are interrelated and overlapping.
Mindfulness is perhaps the most accessible and popular form in our modern world, but the determination of which practice is “best” comes down to your specific goals.
As you practice and master certain techniques, you can individualize your method by using elements that work especially well for you. If you find a specific type of meditation especially interesting, go ahead and practice it, but do not be afraid to look into other methods as well. Find a practice that works for you, the most important thing is to be patient, consistent in your routine, and intentional about what you hope to cultivate within yourself.