Mindfulness is the psychological process of bringing one's attention to experiences occurring in the present moment, which can be developed through the practice of meditation and other training. The term "mindfulness" is a translation of the Pali term sati which is a significant element of Buddhist traditions. In Buddhist teachings, mindfulness is utilized to develop self-knowledge and wisdom that gradually lead to what is described as enlightenment or the complete freedom from suffering. The recent popularity of mindfulness in the modern context is generally considered to have been initiated by Jon Kabat-Zinn.
Studies have shown that rumination and worry contribute to mental illnesses such as depression and anxiety, and that mindfulness-based interventions are effective in the reduction of both rumination and worry.
Clinical psychology and psychiatry since the 1970s have developed a number of therapeutic applications based on mindfulness for helping people who are experiencing a variety of psychological conditions. For example, mindfulness practice is being employed to reduce depression symptoms, to reduce stress, anxiety, and in the treatment of drug addiction . The practice of mindfulness also appears to provide numerous therapeutic benefits to people with psychosis, and may also be a preventive strategy to halt the development of mental health problems.
Clinical studies have documented both physical and mental health benefits of mindfulness in different patient categories as well as in healthy adults and children. Programs based on Kabat-Zinn's and similar models have been widely adopted in schools, prisons, hospitals, veterans' centers, and other environments, and mindfulness programs have been applied for additional outcomes such as for healthy aging, weight management, athletic performance, for children with special needs, and as an intervention during the perinatal period. The necessity for more high-quality research in this field has also been identified – such as the need for more randomized controlled studies, for providing more methodological details in reported studies and for the use of larger sample sizes.
Meditation can be defined as a practice where an individual focuses their mind on a particular object, thought or activity to achieve a mentally clear and emotionally calm state.Meditation may be used to reduce stress, anxiety, depression, and pain. It may be done while, repeating a mantra, and closing the eyes in a quiet environment.
Meditation has been practiced since antiquity in numerous religious traditions and beliefs. Since the 19th century, it has spread from its Indian origins to other cultures where it is commonly practiced in private and business life. Meditation is under psychological, neurological , and cardiovascular research to define its possible health effects.
There are many forms of meditation, including contemplation and visualization, but mindfulness is the type where you bring your full mind to an object.” Being mindful of your breath, for example, is a common form of mindfulness during meditation . Following your breath improves your awareness of being in the present.
MINDFULNESS AND MEDITATION, IS THERE ANY DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THEM?
The whole zen thing is really blowing up these days. It seems like everyone’s rolling out their yoga mats, Instagramming "be mindful, be here now" messages, and drinking the metaphorical (green) Kool-Aid.
But just because wellness has officially reached the masses doesn’t make it any less confusing. It’s complicated, majorly heady stuff especially when it comes to nuanced concepts like the difference between meditation and mindfulness. To help you clear up the confusion once and for all and, thus, score an "OM run" at your wellness game (ba-dum-ch), we checked in with mindfulness expert Elisha Goldstein, Ph.D., author of The Now Effect and designer of the Mindfulness at Work program.
First things first: The main reason that people tend to confuse mindfulness with meditation is that both of them have multiple definitions, and they’re also intertwined in various ways. In other words, it's totally understandable if you only kinda sorta vaguely know the almost difference.
Let's Start With Meditation
“At its core, meditation is when you intentionally set aside time to do something good for yourself,” explains Goldstein. And that’s all! Really. As long as you’re doing something good for you on purpose, whatever it is that may be, that’s meditation. “For instance, there’s exercise meditation, in which you intentionally set out to exercise to clear your mind," says Goldstein. "There’s prayer meditation, when you intentionally send prayers out to the universe. There’s music meditation, where the whole purpose is to relax you, and the list goes on."
So, Here's Where The Mix-Up Lies
The confusion lies in the fact that one of the most well known types of meditation is mindfulness meditation. “Mindfulness is basically just being aware, and can be practiced both informally and formally, which is what many people don’t understand," says Goldstein. "When you’re practicing it informally, that means that you’re simply attempting to be more aware in everything that you do—and that mentality can be infused into pretty much anything. But the formal practice of mindfulness is mindfulness meditation."
So wait. What’s mindfulness meditation, then? “That’s when you intentionally pay attention to whatever is here in the moment," explains Goldstein. "The goal is to learn to be really present, to the point that when you feel yourself reacting a certain way in the moment later on, you’re so aware of the now that you're then able to take a step back, and literally change your knee-jerk reaction so you do something in a different way."
Summary Of It All
Here's a quick nutshell summary, just because it's definitely complicated: Meditation is when you intentionally set aside time to do something that’s good for you, and there are all kinds of meditations. Mindfulness is both a general awareness of the world and a formal meditation practice. It’s two things, not one. Meditation and mindfulness overlap in mindfulness meditation, which is one of the most popular types of meditation.
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