Is mindfulness a form of meditation?

Meditation is a broad term that encompasses very diverse techniques, such as: Visualizations,  focusing of attention on an external object or sound, focusing on part of the body such as the breath, listening to meditative music or guided meditations. In that sense mindfulness can also be a form of meditation.

The concepts of meditation and mindfulness can create confusion because people often think that they are the same thing, but there are some differences between the two. Mindfulness is the awareness of “something” that is happening in the moment. While the goal of meditation is usually to approach the awareness of “nothing”.

To make it clearer, below we will examine in detail whether mindfulness is a form of meditation. We’ll look at what each of them consists of, what makes them different, and how to use them.

Mindfulness

Mindfulness attempts to increase the awareness in the present moment. This means paying attention to the thoughts, feelings, behaviors or events that are happening at that moment.

Due to these characteristics, mindfulness can be practiced at any time and place, regardless of whether you are with someone or you are doing some activity. In fact, it helps your participation by being aware of the here and now. That is also why it is a recommended practice even in work settings.

The term mindfulness is more accessible for some people because it avoids judgments about the practice. Some think of meditation as being related to a religious practice or a philosophy, even though it is basically just a technique. When saying “mindfulness”, it is easier not to associate it with anything and just see it as a method to improve concentration and focus.

Example of mindfulness

When someone or something is upsetting to us, it is very likely that we could feel anger (emotional event), that our body tense (physical event) and that negative, catastrophic and ruminant thoughts arise in the mind (mental events).

If you are a person who has been training and cultivating mindfulness, you will have practiced techniques so that what is happening does not immediately and automatically lead you to inappropriate reactions.

In other words, you will notice that you e.g. have anger that arises in the body and in the mind. But you will have learned how to “slow down” before you react. This allows you space and time to become aware of and consider the situation.

It is that space and time that you give yourself, that allows you to know “what to do” with everything that happens. Your actions will then be more constructive and often more positive. With “actions” I mean: Thoughts, physical sensations, emotions, feelings, behaviors.

This pause before reacting allows you to ponder the question: “What can I do with this whole situation, with what I am feeling and thinking now, so as not to cause more harm, neither to myself nor to others?”

For this reason mindfulness is an intentional state. It requires both the emotional part and the reflective part (mental, psychological). And you can learn to enter that state voluntarily.

How we experience mindfulness

All people have already had experiences with mindfulness, but they are usually automatic or somewhat random. One example is when you see a beautiful sunset and you feel totally present, satisfied, “wrapped up” by the amazement, admiration and joy of this phenomenon of nature. With practice you can learn to intentionally have such mindful awareness in many moments throughout your day.

A great way to learn more about mindfulness and how to incorporate it in your life is Mindfulness for Beginners by Jon Kabat-Zinn. This audio program contains five guided mindfulness meditations. It also has guidance to help you discover and learn the qualities that lay the foundation for mindfulness.

Meditation

There is a great variety of types of meditation and they can have diverse purposes. For example, some are aimed at developing mental clarity or calmness. Others are aimed at developing positive qualities such as forgiveness or compassion.

In addition, the methods used also vary, some use the body as a means to develop awareness and mental well-being, as in yoga. Other methods resort to sound through chants or the repetition of mantras. And one of the most popular and simple methods is to focus on the breath to calm the mind.

Another important difference is that meditation, more than a practice, can become a discipline because of its depth. For people to really be able to obtain its benefits, they need to be more concentrated and spend focused time exercising it. Unlike mindfulness that can be carried out even while doing other activities.

A gentle, step-by-step introduction for newcomers to meditation is Meditation for Beginners by Jack Kornfield. This audio program covers everything from the basics of how to get started to dealing with distractions. It helps you cultivate profound inner calm and a lasting capacity for happiness.

Differences between Mindfulness and Meditation

In essence, the goal of each is really mostly the same. But, if we had to look for a difference between them, perhaps the most relevant would be these two:

1. When we use the word Meditation, many associate this term with something related to a religion or a philosophy. Perhaps Buddhism, Hinduism, yoga or other similar thoughts come to mind. If we relate meditation to someone who follows a religion or philosophy, then this is not really true. It is simply just a prejudice that we can have.
   
   You are really just practicing a technique, it does not mean that you necessarily practice a religion or a philosophy. It is something that is independent. That same technique could be in any religion, or not be in any religion, and it would continue to have the same value and the same benefits.
   
   Now, when we say the word Mindfulness, people don’t usually associate it with any religion or philosophy, we tend to associate it with a method to improve your conscious attention.
   
   
2. Meditation is usually understood as something done sitting, while Mindfulness is something that can be practiced while doing other actions in daily life. Although, to benefit most from meditation, you really have to put into practice in daily life, what you have learned in meditation, not only when you sit down to meditate. Likewise, mindfulness can also benefit greatly from the practice of spending time in meditation.

Is mindfulness a form of meditation? Is one better than the other?

Both work on the mind and contribute to emotional and mental well-being. Which one is “better” will depend on each person and their goals. For the work environment, the most accessible is the practice of mindfulness. It allows you to learn effective techniques that can help you reduce stress and improve mental clarity, while performing other activities.

Practicing a deeper focused style of meditation can help a lot with the benefits discussed above. But it does require a little effort to integrate it into your lifestyle. For instance, finding or setting up an area where you can sit mostly undisturbed while meditating.

So, in essence it doesn’t really matter if mindfulness is thought of as a form of meditation. The best would simply be to find ways to incorporate both into your life!